Boo Yah!

Alrighty. So next year I get to actually feel like a psychologist. I'll still just be a therapist / intern by true definition, but I'll finally be working full time in psychology and getting paid for every minute of it. No more of this practicum / "the training is your pay" stuff. 

So where will I be? I found out yesterday that I'll be interning with the San Bernardino Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) from July 1 2009 through June 30 2010. I was placed with my first choice of rotations there: the forensic and outpatient mental health program. This means that I'll spend half of my year either working with the juvenile hall/courts system doing mental health intakes, crisis assessments, and some therapy, or working in a day treatment center for conditional release criminals. At this center the individuals are court-mandated to comply with treatment by taking their prescribed meds and attending therapy sessions as well as just spending time at the center during the day (can be 2-7 days per week depending on their release conditions). The other half of the year I'll be doing therapy and psychological assessments with patients within one of the many outpatient clinics in the San Bern. county system. I'll find out where sometime between now and July.  :)

So, a year of paid, APA accredited internship awaits me. I get to graduate next year. Life is good.