Doctoral Internship in Mental Health

Training the next generation of psychologists

The Doctoral Internship Training Program in Health Service Psychology is a full-time, 12-month experience designed to prepare future psychologists to serve diverse communities through comprehensive, culturally responsive care. This program provides hands-on, supervised clinical training in a large, multidisciplinary community mental health setting.

Interns choose a concentration in either Adult/Older Adult or Child/Family populations and are supported in developing a strong foundation in evidence-informed practice, cultural humility, and professional collaboration.

Program aims

Demonstrate intermediate to advanced professional competence in working with adults with severe, persistent mental illness OR children with serious emotional disturbance and their families;
Demonstrate intermediate to advanced professional competence in a community mental health setting.

Learning objectives

To achieve these Aims, the program offers a wide range of training opportunities designed to facilitate interns’ growth from students into competent, well-rounded psychologists who can:

Improve clients’ quality of life through accurate diagnosis, assessment, effective intervention, and strong advocacy.
Deliver outreach services that support community wellness.
Incorporate cultural and ethnic diversity into every aspect of care.
Apply scientific research and evidence-based practices to clinical services, quality assurance, and program development/evaluation.
Understand the role of psychologists in an interdisciplinary agency and work effectively as team members.
Apply knowledge of ethical principles, laws, regulations, and practice standards and guidelines in their professional practice.
Advocate for equity and meaningful change in the mental health field.

Our training model

The program is shaped by the service needs and concerns of a diverse population of adults, children, and families with severe mental health disorders. The program’s training model is practitioner-oriented, with a greater emphasis on science than traditional practitioner-scholar models. As such, interns are trained to render services informed by the scientific bases of the profession, as well as current practical and research knowledge relevant to our population.

Accreditation and APPIC policy

The Doctoral Internship Program in Health Service Psychology is currently accredited by the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation (CoA), having been awarded a 10-year accreditation in 2025.

For questions related to the program’s accreditation status:
APA Commission on Accreditation
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

APPIC policy

We fully abide by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) guidelines. No person at Didi Hirsch will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant.

Contact Us

For questions regarding the Doctoral Internship Program in Health Service Psychology, please contact:

Sandy Equite-Rodas, Psy.D., Director of Psychology Training
[email protected]
(310) 895-2366

Program details: admissions, requirements, and training structure

Internship admissions, support, and initial placement data

Date Program Tables are Updated: July 24, 2026

Program disclosures

As articulated in Standard I.B.2, programs may have “admission and employment policies that directly relate to affiliation or purpose” that may be faith-based or secular in nature. However, such policies and practices must be disclosed to the public. Therefore, programs are asked to respond to the following question.

Does the program or institution require students, trainees, and/or staff (faculty) to comply with specific policies or practices related to the institution’s affiliation or purpose? Such policies or practices may include, but are not limited to, admissions, hiring, retention policies, and/or requirements for completion that express mission and values.	_Yes
	X No

If yes, provide website link (or content from brochure) where this specific information is presented:

Internship program admissions

Briefly describe in narrative form important information to assist potential applicants in assessing their likely fit with your program. This description must be consistent with the program’s policies on intern selection and practicum and academic preparation requirements:

To be eligible for internship at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, applicants must provide verification of enrollment in an APA-accredited or CPA-accredited doctoral program in clinical psychology. Applicants must verify supervised professional experience (at the practicum level totaling at least 500 direct service hours) that is consistent with the training aims and competencies of the internship, and commensurate experience within the desired track. Prior experience conducting psychological assessment is required. Applicants must also be willing to engage in in-person, face to face training and service delivery.

Does the program require that applicants have received a minimum number of hours of the following at time of application? If Yes, indicate how many:
Total Direct Contact Intervention Hours	Yes	400 (hours)
Total Direct Contact Assessment Hours	Yes	100 (hours)

Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants:

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and will be required to complete an I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form upon hire. Applicants must have a minimum of 3 years of pre-internship graduate training and have accrued at least 1,000 practicum hours (500 of which should be direct service). Applicants must have at least some experience with psychological assessment within the desired track to be considered. Applicants must have completed all coursework by the start of internship. All employment offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check in accordance with our agency policy, applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Financial and other benefit support for upcoming training year*

Annual Stipend/Salary for Full-time Interns	$44,500
Annual Stipend/Salary for Half-time Interns	N/A
Program provides access to medical insurance for intern?	Yes

If access to medical insurance is provided:

Trainee Contribution to Cost Required?	Yes
Coverage of Family Member(s) Available?		No
Coverage of Legally Married Partner Available?		No
Coverage of Domestic Partner Available?		No

Hours of Annual Paid Personal Time Off (PTO and/or Vacation)	80 (Vacation) Hours Please Note: The Student and Intern Training Programs will close for a holiday break at the end of December. Interns typically use 3 to 4 vacation days during this time.
Hours of Annual Paid Sick Leave	48 Hours
In the Event of Medical Conditions and/or Family Needs that Require Extended Leave, Does the Program Allow Reasonable Unpaid Leave to Interns/Residents in Excess of Personal Time Off and Sick Leave?	Yes
Other Benefits (Please Describe):	40 Hours of Professional Leave Time (for Approved Activities; Internship Director Approval Required)

*Note: Programs are not required by the Commission on Accreditation to provide all benefits listed in this table.

Initial Post-Internship Positions
(Provide an Aggregated Tally for the Preceding 3 Cohorts)
	2022-2025
Total # of interns who were in the 3 cohorts	12
Total # of interns who did not seek employment because they returned to their doctoral program/are completing doctoral degree	0
	PD	EP
Academic teaching	PD = 0	EP = 0
Community mental health center	PD = 0	EP = 1
Consortium	PD = 0	EP = 0
University Counseling center	PD = 0	EP = 0
Hospital/Medical Center	PD = 1	EP = 0
Veterans Affairs Health Care System	PD = 1	EP = 0
Psychiatric facility	PD = 0	EP = 0
Correctional facility	PD = 0	EP = 0
Health Maintenance organization	PD = 0	EP = 0
School district/system	PD = 0	EP = 0
Independent practice setting	PD = 2	EP = 7
Other	PD = 0	EP = 0
Note: “PD” = Post-doctoral residency position; “EP” = Employed Position.

Application information

Applications for the 2027-2028 training year are due by Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026 at 11:59 pm (EST).
Didi Hirsch is a member of APPIC and follows the APPIC guidelines for internship selection, including use of the APPIC Uniform Application (AAPI) online and the Internship Match Program. Further information is available at the APPIC website: www.appic.org. Instructions and forms to register for the Internship Match can be obtained via the National Matching Service (NMS) website: www.natmatch.com/psychint.
The following steps should be taken to apply to the internship program:
1. Complete the AAPI Online at aapicas.liaisoncas.com and designate Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services; please include 3 Letters of Reference, following the Standardized Reference Form provided by APPIC. Please include at least 2 letters from supervisors familiar with your clinical work.
2. Important: In your cover letter, please be sure to specify a) Your reasons for applying to Didi Hirsch and b) How your previous experience and/or interests match our training program and agency mission. Please also identify whether you are applying for the Adult/Older Adult (APPIC Program Code 111613) or Child/Family (APPIC Program Code 111612) Track. You may choose only one Track.
3. We will not be requesting any supplemental materials at the time of application. However, if you are invited for an interview we ask that you provide a de-identified psychological testing report
Applicants will be notified of their interview status by email no later than December 8th, 2026, at 5pm PST.
All applicants receiving an interview will also be invited to attend a virtual Open House. The Open House is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, January 7th, 2027 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (PST).
Applicants who cannot be reached by email should indicate in their cover letters how they wish to be contacted.
PLEASE NOTE: In order to increase accessibility to a broader range of applicants our site will conduct the Open House and Interviews virtually for the 2027-2028 Internship application cycle. The virtual interviews will occur between January 8, 2027, and January 22, 2027. Further details will be sent at the time of the interview offer.

Adult/older adult track

The Adult/Older Adult Track is housed in Didi Hirsch’s Inglewood Adult Services program, which provides a continuum of outpatient, field-capable, and intensive services to a multi-ethnic population of adults with severe and persistent mental illness. The program is rooted in the Recovery Model, with an emphasis on psychosocial rehabilitation to assist clients in maximizing their level of functioning in the community. Common diagnoses seen in the program include schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, and severe depression and anxiety, which lead to substantial impairment in life functioning. Co-occurring personality disorders and/or substance use are also common. Furthermore, a large percentage of our clients report significant trauma histories spanning back to childhood. Current or past histories of homelessness, food insecurity, chronic medical illness, and involvement with the legal system are also frequently part of the clinical picture.

Interns in the Adult/Older Adult Track have the opportunity to provide individual and group therapy, diagnostic intake, psychological assessment, interdisciplinary consultation, and case management services to a range of adult and older adults (65+). Interns work with clients from across the service spectrum, with increasingly challenging and complex cases assigned as the year progresses. As part of this, interns have the opportunity to conduct field work and participate in crisis intervention (i.e., involuntary hospitalizations) with licensed clinical staff. They may also choose to participate in a specialty program (i.e., CalWORKS) or a specific clinical sub-team (i.e., TAY, Older Adult), based on training goals and professional interests.

Please note that Didi Hirsch provides services in different modalities, including clinic based, field-based, and telehealth (remote service delivery). Most clinicians at our agency are on hybrid work schedules and see clients across multiple modalities. Similarly our interns can expect to follow similar schedules. As of the current time, Psychology Interns are anticipated to be on-site between 2-3 days per week. This may consist of delivery of some Intervention and Assessment services via HIPAA-compliant technology, as well as remote training activities (e.g., didactics, professional issues seminars, supervision, etc.). Psychology Interns will be expected to provide some portion of services in-person (face to face) with clients. Didi Hirsch continues to be committed to adhering to the four Guiding Principles recommended by APPIC in formulating our response to future public health emergencies and their impact on Intern training.

Competencies

The program emphasizes the development of both profession-wide and program-specific competencies, in accordance with the APA’s Standards of Accreditation (effective January 1, 2017). As such, training activities are designed to promote Intern attainment of Competencies within the context of the program’s broader aims.

Interns choose to primarily concentrate on either Adult/Older Adult or Child/Family populations. The profession-wide and program-specific competencies are therefore framed within the context of working with adults with severe, persistent mental illness OR with children with serious emotional disturbance and their families; and in functioning professionally within a community mental health center setting. Training activities are organized in a sequential manner, requiring interns to assume increasingly complex responsibilities with a greater degree of independence over the course of the internship year. By the end of the year, it is expected that interns will possess the requisite knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary to function as competent psychologists in general entry-level practice, with an emphasis on our client population and professional setting.

The program’s competencies span ten domains and are as follows:

Profession-Wide Competencies

Competency 1: Ethical and Legal Standards

Interns will demonstrate appropriate ethical and legal knowledge, skills, and attitudes in their professional activities with individuals, groups, and organizations.

Competency 2: Individual-Cultural Diversity

Interns will conduct all professional activities with sensitivity to human diversity, demonstrating appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes in working with diverse individuals, groups, and communities representing various cultural and personal backgrounds and characteristics.

Competency 3: Scientific Knowledge/Research/Evaluation

Interns will demonstrate appropriate skills, knowledge, and attitudes to make appropriate use of scientific methods/findings as they inform practice, and in conducting program evaluation and/or research that contributes to the professional knowledge base and/or evaluates the effectiveness of various professional activities.

Competency 4: Professional Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors

Interns will conduct themselves with comportment and behavior that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, and will demonstrate appropriate personal/professional self-awareness and reflection, with attention to competencies and self-care.

Competency 5: Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Interns will communicate effectively, interact appropriately, and develop/maintain meaningful and helpful interpersonal relationships across a range of professional roles.

Competency 6: Assessment

Interns will demonstrate appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the selection, administration, and interpretation of evidence-based assessments designed to conceptualize, diagnose, and guide recommendations regarding the problems, capabilities, and issues associated with individuals.

Competency 7: Intervention

Interns will demonstrate appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the selection, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based therapeutic interventions designed to alleviate suffering and promote health and well-being for individuals and groups.

Competency 8: Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Skills

Interns will demonstrate appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes in providing expert assistance to other health service providers in response to clients’ needs or goals, and in effectively engaging in interprofessional/interdisciplinary collaboration in relevant professional roles.

Competency 9: Supervision-Teaching
Interns will demonstrate appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding the enhancement, monitoring, and evaluation of the professional functioning of trainees and other professionals.

Program-Specific Competencies

Competency 10: Community Outreach
Interns will demonstrate appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes in conducting community outreach programming that is responsive to the needs of individuals, systems, and the community.

Additional training opportunities (all tracks)

As Didi Hirsch currently operates on a hybrid (in-office/virtual ) basis, interns should be willing and prepared to attend in-person training activities and supervision, as required by the Internship and Agency.

All interns participate in the following activities regardless of their track placement:

Community Outreach (CE&P)
In keeping with the agency’s mission of stigma reduction and increasing access to mental health services, all interns coordinate, develop, and conduct one community outreach project over the course of the training year.

Program Evaluation
All interns choose a program evaluation project in collaboration with the Internship Director and the agency’s Research and Evaluation Division. These projects offer interns an opportunity to apply their knowledge of research methods to clinical practice evaluation and outcome measurement in a community setting.

Supervision-of-Supervision
Interns are paired up across Tracks to deliver biweekly supervision of a psychology practicum student. Interns receive didactic training on current theories and models of supervision, methods of evaluation, legal and ethical issues in supervision, and diversity issues related to supervision.

Psychology Intern Didactic Seminar

This year-long seminar series is held weekly, covering a wide range of topics in professional psychology, including diversity issues, empirically-supported treatment models, psychological assessment methods, supervision, and other special topics. As much as possible, the seminar is tailored to the interests and experiences of the current intern cohort. Staff who are experts in various aspects of professional psychology may be invited as speakers.

EDI Media Club
Interns, a Training supervisor, and the Internship Training Director participate in monthly meetings in an open and non-judging space to discuss topics raised in participant-selected media with the aim to build knowledge, awareness, and relationships in our collective work toward Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Action. Our collaborative efforts is aimed at critically examining essential topics such as systemic/institutional/historical racism. By delving into how racism is perpetuated and proliferated within our service systems for example, we can discuss ways to address these issues and be united in the mission to bring about EDI centered change. We also explore the colonization and decolonization of psychology as a discipline and professional practice, particularly in how this manifests in clinical care and service delivery.

General information

Openings. Accepts 4 interns (2 Child/Family Track; 2 Adult/Older Adult Track).
Time commitment. This full-time (40 hours/week), 12-month program provides 2,000 hours of training. The 2026-2027 Internship training year will run from Tuesday, September 1st, 2026, through Tuesday, August 31st, 2027.
Stipend. A $37,171.03 stipend plus medical, dental, and vision benefits for intern only; $2,000 bilingual Spanish supplement.
Time off. Interns are given 10 vacation days, 11 agency holidays, 6 sick days, up to 5 professional leave days.

Administrative policies and procedures for the internship program are reviewed with interns at the time of orientation, and are available to applicants and the general public upon request. The internship handbook, evaluation forms, policies, and procedures are also available upon request.

Applicant requirements

Only applicants from APA or CPA-accredited programs in Clinical Psychology will be considered.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. or be able to obtain an F-1 Visa with authorization to participate in Curricular Practicum Training from their university. Didi Hirsch does not sponsor students for visas. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and will be required to complete an I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form upon hire.
Applicants must have completed ALL coursework by the start of internship.
Applicants must have a minimum of three years pre-internship training and approximately 1000 practicum hours (inclusive of direct service, supervision, and support activities) before the application deadline. Of these hours, at least 500 should be in direct service (assessment and intervention) to clients.
Applicants must have at least 100 hours of experience in psychological testing at the time of application.
Additionally, desirable applicants will have experience in empirically supported treatments and in community mental health settings and/or with similar clinical populations.
All employment offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check in accordance with our agency policy, applicable federal, state, and local laws. While prior legal history does not automatically exclude an applicant from training at Didi Hirsch, final decisions regarding clearance are made at the level of our Human Resources Department, and are determined in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act (see https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act/ for further details).
On August 4, 2023 Los Angeles County Department of Public Health ended the mandate for Healthcare workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Didi Hirsch has followed LAC DPH guidelines throughout the pandemic and we are no longer requiring employees be vaccinated for COVID 19.

Child/family track

The Child/Family track is housed in Didi Hirsch’s Inglewood Child & Family Services program, which provides outpatient and school-based services to a multi-ethnic population of children and adolescents with severe emotional disturbance, along with their families/caregivers. The program strives to assist clients and families in attaining their highest possible level of functioning by altering dysfunctional behaviors, promoting adaptive coping, enhancing communication and problem-solving skills, and maintaining appropriate boundaries within the family system. Emphasis is placed on early intervention, with a goal of promoting lifelong mental health/wellness through the fostering of healthier developmental trajectories.

Common diagnoses seen in the program include depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, ADHD, and other disruptive behavior disorders, which lead to substantial impairment in life and/or family functioning. Early-onset psychosis, bipolar disorder, and co-occurring pervasive developmental disorders are also seen regularly among this population. Furthermore, a majority of clients have experienced significant traumas, including physical/sexual/emotional abuse, neglect, loss of caregiving figures, and community violence. Co-occurring substance use and/or other forms of maladaptive coping are common among the adolescent population. Current or past histories of academic struggles, housing instability, food insecurity, and/or involvement with child welfare system are also frequently part of the clinical picture.

Please note that Didi Hirsch provides services in different modalities, including clinic based, field based, and telehealth (remote service delivery). Most clinicians at our agency are on hybrid work schedules and see clients across multiple modalities. Similarly our interns can expect to follow similar schedules. As of the current time, Psychology Interns are anticipated to be on-site between 2-3 days per week. This may consist of delivery of some Intervention and Assessment services via HIPAA compliant technology, as well as remote training activities (e.g., didactics, professional issues seminars, supervision, etc.). Psychology Interns will be expected to provide some portion of services in-person (face to face) with clients. Didi Hirsch continues to be committed to adhering to the four Guiding Principles recommended by APPIC in formulating our response to future public health emergencies and their impact on Intern training.

Latine bilingual specialization

This specialization serves as a supplemental opportunity for students accepted to Didi Hirsch’s Psychology Intern Training Program and provides interns with focused guidance on the provision of culturally responsive clinical services to bilingual/Spanish-speaking and Latine clients in a community mental health setting.

Specialization Benefits and Opportunities:

Connect with other bilingual student therapists who are doing the same meaningful and highly needed clinical work
Receive supervisory and peer support while developing your professional identity as a bilingual/Spanish-speaking therapist
Practice providing culturally responsive support to underserved bilingual/Spanish-speaking clients and families within a community mental health setting
Practice providing clinical care that centers and values Latine culture and context

Specialization Components:

In addition to completing the core requirements for the Psychology Practicum Training Program or Master’s Level Training Program, students in this specialization will:

Participate in bilingual group supervision and individually consult with a bilingual Supervisor as needed
Receive information on Latino mental health
Provide therapeutic services to bilingual/Spanish-speaking clients/families
Have the opportunity to engage in a community outreach project oriented to Latine mental health community needs
Interns may have the opportunity to conduct at least one brief or comprehensive assessment with a monolingual or bilingual Spanish speaking client based on availability.

Candidates interested in participating in the Latine bilingual specialization must apply and be accepted to the Internship Training Program. Interns expressing interest in this specialization will complete a Spanish-language test administered through our HR department.

For questions regarding the Doctoral Internship Program in Health Service Psychology, please contact:

Sandy Equite-Rodas, Psy.D.,
Director of Psychology Training
[email protected]
(310) 895-2366