Psychology Practicum

Department of Psychiatry Psychology Practicum Training
Boston Medical Center is the largest safety net hospital in New England and the primary teaching hospital for the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. The Department of Psychiatry is made up of a diverse group of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, and trainees. The psychology practicum training program offers opportunities to gain training in culturally responsive, evidence-based treatments for patients living with trauma and related disorders, chronic medical conditions, and substance use disorders. Trainees will receive training in trauma-focused treatments, immigrant and refugee mental health, integrated behavioral health, behavioral medicine, and trauma informed care.

Integrated Behavioral Health/Behavioral Medicine:
This placement is primarily located in the General Internal Medicine practice at Boston Medical Center. The practicum student will serve as a member of an interdisciplinary team that includes primary care providers, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical pharmacists, medical assistants, and patient navigators. By expanding the reach of behavioral health services to medical settings, Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) has the potential to reduce health disparities, particularly among individuals who have been historically underserved by the mental health system and/or socially marginalized. Practicum students are introduced to the role of a Psychologist in integrated primary care. In this role, trainees will learn to address complex interactions between physical and mental health concerns and support patients’ self-management of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and chronic pain. Consistent with a stepped care model, interns learn to conduct focused evaluations to determine the most appropriate level of care. Attention to social determinants of health, use of evidence-based screening/monitoring tools, and implementation of evidence-based treatment principles are emphasized in supervision and didactic trainings. Learn more about IBH Behavioral Health here.

Immigrant and Refugee Health Center:
The BMC Immigrant & Refugee Health Center connects all of Boston Medical Center’s existing programs and expertise in immigrant and refugee health care into one central point of entry where any immigrant patient can be connected with all of BMC’s medical, mental health and social services that they need in order to heal, rebuild and thrive. We look forward to welcoming three practicum trainees for the 24-25 training year into our programs in the Immigrant and Refugee Health Center (IRHC) at Boston Medical Center (BMC).