Survey of doctoral internships in psychology offering experience in forensics and corrections.

Abstract

Students with forensic/correctional interests seek out related doctoral internship sites, though often without clear, updated information on what these sites desire of applicants. To clarify student experiences and qualities most valued by these internships. We identified internship sites reporting "forensic/correctional experience" via a public internship directory (N = 164). We gathered site information from directory pages and sent an online survey to the sites' internship directors. Internship directors (n = 57) preferred students with primarily generalist (rather than forensic) training. Applicant characteristics (e.g., flexibility and professionalism) were most impactful, followed by intervention and assessment experiences (especially cognitive-behavioral therapy and intelligence and personality testing). Cultural competency was deemed more important and research experience less important than in previous studies of general internships. Conclusion: Results are largely consistent with previous surveys, though some observed changes in training directors' expectations appear to reflect changes in the field at large. Students with forensic/correctional interests should primarily seek generalist experiences with supplementary forensic training. Training should focus on fostering flexibility, openness, professionalism, and cultural competency as well as cognitivebehavioral intervention, intelligence testing, and personality assessment. Public Significance StatementClinical forensic and correctional psychologists serve their communities in innumerable high-stake ways, from evaluating the risk of violence to treating mental illness among vulnerable incarcerated populations. Educating these professionals in ethical and effective practice is paramount. This study distributes crucial information related to such training, improving communication between trainees and training agencies.

Forensic e-mental health: Review, research priorities, and policy directions.

“…Magaletta et al (2013) surveyed 170 APA-accredited psychology doctoral programs and found that 111 (65%) offered experience in corrections, and a follow-up study showed that intervention comprised the majority of corrections practicum experience (Magaletta et al, 2017). The number of predoctoral psychology internships with correctional or forensic components have tripled over the last decade (Malesky & Croysdale, 2009; Potts et al, 2020). Forensic e-mental health provides a novel avenue for training and supervising students interested in this career trajectory.…”