During the internship, advanced school psychology students refine their skills in assessment, intervention and consultation under the supervision of certified school psychologists.  They may be called upon to devise behavior modification plans and to address learning issues. Since school psychologists may be asked to address the needs of a variety of children, they benefit from diverse training experiences in the diagnosis and treatment of the wide range of childhood behavioral and learning disorders.
Interns are required to have two hours of weekly face-to-face supervision; this may be one hour of individual supervision and one hour of group supervision. The National Association of School Psychologists,which sets program accreditation standards, requires that the specialist-level internship be a 1200-hour experience, with at least 600 hours in a public school setting. (Any internship in a clinic or private school would therefore be considered part-time).  If an intern misses hours for any reason, he or she must make up those hours in a manner arranged withhis/her supervisor. If absences are deemed to be excessive in the judgment of the supervisor and the program director, the student may be required to extend the internship through the summer or beyond..
Each internship site is visited by program faculty at least once per semester. A faculty member also communicates with the internship site personnel during the school year. All interns are required to complete internship contracts and planning forms prior to the beginning of the internship placement. Each intern is evaluated in writing (using the Touro internship evaluation form) by the internship supervisor each semester.  Three additional forms will be completed by supervisors in accordance with NASP requirements. All internships start at the beginning of the academic year except by special permission. Internships conclude when the hourly requirements have been met, with the understanding that these dates must also be satisfactory to the school/agency.  Interns are expected to continue at their placements during Touro’s semester breaks if necessary.
Interns are required to maintain logs documenting days and hours spent and a summary of responsibilities at the internship site.   Students are responsible for these logs, which must be signed by supervisors and submitted to the course instructor on a monthly basis.  Electronic logs are acceptable provided they are sent from the supervisor’s e-mail address. Students will receive credit for the internship placement only if signed logs are submitted on time.
In addition to making interns participants in experiences at the internship agency and allowing them to observe administrative procedures, each internship opportunity must address training with the goal of novice-level competency in the following eleven domains of practice that constitute the current training standards outlined by the National Association of School Psychologists (www.nasponline.org):

1. Data based decision making and accountability
2. Interpersonal communication, collaboration and consultation
3. Effective instruction and development of cognitive/academic skills
4. Socialization and development of life competencies
5. Student diversity in development in learning
6. School and systems organization, structure and climate
7. Prevention, wellness promotion, crisis intervention and mental health
8. Home/school/community collaboration
9. Research and program evaluation
10. Legal, ethical school psychology practice, and professional development
11. Information technology

During the internship experience, students continue to attend college-based seminars that include additional supervision and introduce new material. Students interview for internships during the academic year prior to the internship; the requirements of different sites and the application deadlines vary. There are a limited number of highly competitive internships available with the New York City Department of Education. Additional details on internships and the application process are available through the program director. 

Professional Conferences, Colloquia, and other Academic Events
Students are expected to attend professional conferences off-campus if such attendance is required by course instructors. Attendance at all on-campus school psychology events is expected. Attendance at conferences during internship may be counted toward required internship hours. Students are required to notify their on-site supervisor of their conference attendance. Students who are employed are expected to make arrangements so that they can attend the conferences.

Courses required for internship:

Students need to have taken and completed the following courses:

1. Psy 611 – Essentials of Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology
2. EdPs 620 – Child Development
3. Psy 600 – Introduction to School Psychology
4. Psy 623 – Issues and Procedures in Identifying and Intervening with Exceptional Children
5. Psy 624 – Cognitive Assessment and Intervention – Elementary and Secondary Students
6. Psy 625 – Academic Functioning: Educational Interventions
7. Psy 626 – Assessment of Social-Emotional Functioning and Treatment of Children with Social-Emotional Disorders I
8. Psy 627 – Assessment of Social-Emotional Functioning and Treatment of Children with Social-Emotional Disorders II
9. Psy. 630 – Individual and Group Counseling
10. Psy 631 – Counseling Families of Exceptional Children
11. Psy 633 – Educational Assessment
12. Psy 640 – Legal and Ethical Issues in Psychology and Counseling
13. Psy 660 -- Consultation I: Introduction to Consultation Practices and Application to Classroom Teaching
14. Psy 670 -- Best Practices in Crisis Intervention

These 14 courses, a total of 42 credits, will make you eligible for the internship.

In addition, you must either have taken, or be currently enrolled in Psy 701 at the beginning of the internship.

A minimum of 600 hours is required. We encourage you to do a full year 1200 hour internship, however it is not required. You do need a 1200 hour internship for N.J. certification and as one requirement to sit for the National Certification of School Psychologists (NCSP) exam. (There may be other requirements as well – contact NASP.

Finding an Internship
1. How to Find An Internship Position
A. Review lists which will be provided.
a. New York State directories of public and private schools
b. Past internship sites
c. Resource List of Services for Jewish Persons with Special Needs

B. Contact your Touro instructors for professional contacts in locating a site.

2. Geographic Locations for Internship
i. New York City Public Schools only allow internships if you are accepted into the PIT program.
ii. In NYCity you can do an internship in the private or parochial school system(lists given out)
iii. In the suburbs surrounding NYCity you may do your internship in the public, private and parocial schools. You may also do an internship in New Jersey and Connecticut. The key is that your internship is preapproved and done under the supervision of a certified school psychologist or in some cases a Ph.D or Psy.D psychologist.

3. Who to Speak To When Looking For An Internship
Essentially someone who is is a decision maker. Usually it will be the chairperson of the school psychology department or Director Of the Committee of Special Education or the Pupil Personnel Director. Sometimes the process of finding the right person and then talking to them can be frustrating. If you cannot get through easily you can also write to these people. Stay the course.

4. Interviews
When going for an interview, make sure the internship offers you what you want to learn. Besides accumulating a minimum of 600 hours, a good internship should involve performing evaluations, consulting, counseling, report writing, going to CSE and Annual Reviews, joining departmental meetings and being involved in staff development. You also need to be supervised in your internship. Be sure to be well prepared to share with the interviewer the courses which you’ve taken and the skills you have learned. We emphasize the importance of you being prepared for the interview.