Pre-Doctoral Psychology Internship Program

from Healthy Spirit Fall 2020

by Indian Health Care Resource Center

Medication Minute

Pre-Doctoral Psychology Internship Program

By Jason Menting, PsyD, Director of Behavioral Health

Every August IHCRC welcomes new pre-doctoral psychology interns to the Behavioral Health department for a one-year internship. Our internship creates a mutually beneficial relationship in which the interns are able to complete the final requirement for their doctoral degree while the community is able to receive services from them that might not otherwise be available. As this is the last step before they earn their degree, they come to us with a great deal of experience in providing both therapy and psychological assessment services. The internship year allows them to refine their already substantial clinical skills. IHCRC is able to offer unique experiences working within an integrated care setting with an underserved community. This not only provides the interns with an opportunity to complete their training, but hopefully allows them to better understand the special privilege of working with Native people and inspires within them the desire to continue to focus on serving communities with fewer available resources throughout their careers. One of the most valuable skills that our interns bring is in the area of psychological assessment. These assessments usually come at significant expense in other agencies due to the timeintensive nature of the process. Our current interns have also worked hard to expand the services offered to medical patients and have been able to provide brief interventions and consultation with medical during most operating hours rather than more sporadically as was done in the past. Community outreach is also an important part of the internship and can include planning for the annual powwow and participation in the Tulsa Indian Community Advisory Team (TICAT).

The aim of the internship program at IHCRC is to develop psychologists to work effectively in underserved communities, particularly American Indian communities, and work in integrated care facilities. IHCRC has been fortunate to receive ongoing funding from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) Program to help support their training. Additionally, the internship is part of the Northeastern Oklahoma Psychology Internship Program (NOPIP), an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited consortium, which further helps support the interns’ training.

IHCRC has been fortunate to keep interns with us during past years. Our current Director of Behavioral Health, Jason Menting, PsyD and our current Director of Clinical Training, David Bright, PsyD were both interns before joining the staff. We recently had the annual change in interns and asked our outgoing interns to share their experience in the NOPIP program at Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa.

Katie Bellesheim, M.A.

I am grateful for the opportunity to complete my predoctoral internship at IHCRC. I grew up in New Jersey and lived in New York City prior to moving to the Midwest to pursue my doctorate in 2013. Later this year, I will complete requirements for my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University Missouri. During my time at MU, I trained extensively on evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders, depression, disruptive behaviors, and childhood trauma. Throughout my doctoral training, I sought out clinical opportunities in developmental and neuropsychological assessment, with a particular emphasis in pediatric populations and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In fact, I recently accepted an offer for a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology and rehabilitation at the University of Michigan! I am also passionate about contributing towards a better understanding of neurocognitive functioning in individuals with ASD through research and the dissemination of evidence-based clinical services in under-served and rural areas. I am excited to share my growing expertise with the IHCRC community and to increase my competency as a culturally responsive, child psychologist.

Jennie Barnes, M.S. (Cherokee)

Completing my pre-doctoral internship with NOPIP and IHCRC has been an enlightening experience thus far. I am a native Oklahoman, having lived in several areas of the state throughout my life. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Oklahoma, obtaining a degree in Psychology. I completed a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Northeastern State University. I am currently a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at Oklahoma State University. I am also a Licensed Professional Counselor. My previous clinical experiences have included youth service agencies, a day treatment center, an inpatient eating disorders program, a college/community counseling center, and a jail. My research has focused on body image and disordered eating, as well as resiliency within the LGBTQ+ community. I am an Indian Health Services scholarship recipient, which led me to choose IHCRC as my internship site to help prepare me to work with native populations during my future career with IHS. IHCRC has given me the opportunity to work with patients with a diverse set of needs and presenting problems, which has been very helpful to my development as a future psychologist. I am very grateful to have been able to learn more about current/historical issues that impact native people and I look forward to continuing to develop my multicultural competencies from my work with patients and upcoming community events.

Trenton Fedrick, MHS, CADC

IHCRC has provided me with a unique learning experience that has and will assist with my growth in the field. I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois where I have completed all my education. I am currently a student at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, pursuing a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy. D). I completed a Bachelor of Science degree in 1992 at Chicago State University and a Masters of Health Science at Governors State University in 1998. I have been in the field of mental health working as a Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor (CADC) and qualified mental health professional (QMHP). I have worked as a therapist, supervisor and administrator. I have worked with mostly marginalized populations, providing services in communities with the greatest need. In 2014, I decided to pursue a lifelong dream to obtain my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and entered the Illinois School of Professional Psychology where I obtained a second master’s degree in Clinical Psychology in 2019. In the same year I transferred to The Chicago School of Professional Psychology to complete my doctoral work. I have mostly served adults in the field from varied backgrounds (i.e., African American, LGBTQ+, Latinx) in community and forensic settings. The opportunity here at IHCRC has assisted in expanding my knowledge base providing me the

Anthony Tamborello, MA

I was born and raised in Houston, TX. I was looking for a change of scenery and moved to Michigan for college, where I would eventually meet my wife. I graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit with a BS in psychology, and always knew I would eventually pursue a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. After college I moved back to Texas to complete a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and work for two years at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. During this time I was making plans to move back to Michigan to be closer to my then fiancé, start a PhD program and eventually a family. I am currently a student at the University of Detroit Mercy, where I have been focusing on being a general psychologist. Just about a year before I moved from Detroit to Oklahoma, my wife gave birth to our little boy, Enzo. Since moving here as a new NOPIP intern I’ve really enjoyed meeting all the different people. My fellow interns are amazing, and my clients have all been wonderful and fun to work with. I was told by a native Oklahoman that the Native community here would be warm and welcoming, and I have not been disappointed in this regard. I’ve fallen in love with the Tulsa area and hope to be able to stay here after my internship is over. If I can continue to do therapy with a variety of clients, adults and children, I would be very happy.

I was scared when I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes. I didn’t want it to turn into diabetes or to have to take insulin. The Diabetes Prevention Program helped me avoid becoming diabetic by showing me how to eat healthy and exercise. Now I walk, hike, or ride a bike daily. It’s been two years since I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes. I’ve lost 20 lbs, am diabetes free and feel better than ever.

Diabetes harms our Native American community at a rate 3 times higher than other Americans and shortens their life span by 5 years.

By joining Circle of Blue you support diabetes treatement and prevention programs and help raise awareness that diabetes is both preventable and treatable.

Become a Circle of Blue champion today! www.ihcrc.org/bluedonate

CIRCLE OF BLUE

Thank you to our 2020 Champions:

Dr. and Mrs. Akberali Brent Allison, CPA, CMA Michael and Heidi Dawson Dr. Jose and Mrs. Cheryl Echevarria Judy A. Gibson Karen Payne Drs. Emmanuel and Divina Roman Mr. David Krapff and Dr. Geeta Silas

THE HEART OF WILLIAMS

Williams is committed to being an exceptional neighbor in the communities where we live and work. We are thankful for our partnerships with organizations that inspire change and improve lives every day.