School Psychology
fieldwork program

School Psychology
fieldwork program

Tips for School Psychology Internship

Tips for
School Psychology
Internship

My advice to new interns would be to have self-confidence. Although you may be learning new things everyday, it’s important to trust yourself and remember that you know more than you think. Celebrate every victory, big or small, and take some time to soak in each and every day.
McKenna DooleyPUSD Intern 2020-2021
McKenna Dooley
Prepare questions in advance prior to meeting your internship supervisor. It would be good to gain some clarity for their expectations. Your own objectives and the things you wish to gain experience in during your internship. Your supervisors communication style, as well as their preference in how to go about asking questions. Communication in regards to these matters will help set expectations for the year and I believe improve your working relationship with your supervisor.
Bernard Larsen, Ed.S.Lead Psychologist
PUSD Intern 2007-2008
Bernard Larsen, Ed.S.
My advice for first year interns would be the following: Ask as many questions because this is the time to do so. You will always have the support of your supervisors but this is the only year in which you will have the opportunity to question, make mistakes- and there will be many. This is your chance to observe and take note of what you like about this profession and which styles or things you like or dislike; this is your moment to choose what you will adopt as a future school psychologist.

Just as it is important to build a relationship with your school psychologist supervisors, it is more important to build a relationship with the staff that works at school (admin clerk, teachers, counselors, custodians, etc) as they have all the student info, copy codes, keys, and will be your teammates 😉

Lastly, ensure you are communicating to your supervisors about your needs and expectations as well as any feedback they might have that can allow you to become a better school psych!
Nadia HelewaPUSD Intern 2020-2021
Nadia Helewa
Don’t be afraid to jump right in. The more you do now as an intern, the more comfortable you’ll be when you run your own school. Attend trainings whenever possible and always keep learning.
Ricky Flocken, Ed.S.School Psychologist
PUSD Intern 2017-2018
Ricky Flocken, Ed.S.
#1) Practice your assessment skills at home until you feel confident, and do this early on in your internship year. Take test kits home and practice assessing your significant other, roommate, or cat. Feeling confident in that foundational skill will allow you to spend more time and energy learning the parts of the job that are more nuanced or don’t come up as often.

#2) Plan to keep similar hours as your supervisor. So many unplanned learning opportunities come up just by being in the office with your supervisor and you don’t want to miss those! As often as possible, arrive when they do and stay until they leave.

#3) Proactively communicate with your supervisor about what you want to learn. Show initiation by actively seeking out learning opportunities for skills you have less experience with (i.e., FBA/BIP, counseling, Manifestation Determination, special populations, etc.). If those things aren’t happening at your assigned sites, ask if you can temporarily shadow another School Psych who is doing those things.
Kat ChapmanPUSD Intern 2020-2021
Kat Chapman
Tip: #1 Keep your assessment to-do list current and in order of due dates/meeting dates. Then you can always go to the most urgent item, or next most urgent item if a student isn’t available or something else falls through!

Tip: #2 Make sure your template is as generic as possible (“the student” vs. “he or she”) so that there is little or no opportunity for embarrassing mistakes where your report has the wrong sex or another student’s name.

Tip #3 in your template, build in rich descriptions about what each test considers. Add in meaningful details about behavior during testing and any other notable information that are specific to the student you assessed to make sure each report is personalized.
Laura Mueller, Psy.D.Program Specialist
PUSD Intern 2007-2008
Laura Mueller, Psy.D.
Accept that your role is that of a student who is still learning. I don't know everything, and I am not going to pretend that I do.

Be honest. I have gained the confidence to admit when I don't know something, and I am not ashamed to ask for help. Think about your strengths and what you can bring to the team.

Prepare your questions and expectations for your supervisor in advance so that they are clear of what you are hoping to gain from this experience and what you still need to learn.
Lisa YatesPUSD Practicum Student 2020-2021
Lisa Yates
Seek to gain exposure to speciality populations and expand your experience to include varying grade levels and need. Trust the process - your supervisor is preparing you with the skills to be competitive in the job market.
Janice Gapasin, Psy.D.Lead Psychologist
PUSD Intern 1999-2000
Janice Gapasin, Psy.D.
Remember that this is a yearlong interview, make sure to be professional and show your strengths during your internship. Don't be afraid to ask for experience in a certain area if you are not getting it. This will be your year to learn so take in as much as you can while you have the supervision.
Laura Valencia, M.A.School Psychologist / ERMHS Assessor
PUSD INTern 2003-2004
Laura Valencia, M.A.
In addition to building a good working relationship with your supervisor, find ways in which you can make their work easier and in turn you will be gaining the experiences that you need to succeed. Also, recognize and acknowledge your weaknesses and use this learning opportunity to gain skills to address them. All that being said, good luck and have fun!!! This is the school year to build the habits that will be helpful in your career.
Zawadi D. WanjalaPUSD Intern 2020-2021
Zawadi D. Wanjala
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My advice to new interns would be to have self-confidence. Although you may be learning new things everyday, it’s important to trust yourself and remember that you know more than you think. Celebrate every victory, big or small, and take some time to soak in each and every day.
McKenna DooleyPUSD Intern 2020-2021
McKenna Dooley
Prepare questions in advance prior to meeting your internship supervisor. It would be good to gain some clarity for their expectations. Your own objectives and the things you wish to gain experience in during your internship. Your supervisors communication style, as well as their preference in how to go about asking questions. Communication in regards to these matters will help set expectations for the year and I believe improve your working relationship with your supervisor.
Bernard Larsen, Ed.S.Lead Psychologist
PUSD Intern 2007-2008
Bernard Larsen, Ed.S.
My advice for first year interns would be the following: Ask as many questions because this is the time to do so. You will always have the support of your supervisors but this is the only year in which you will have the opportunity to question, make mistakes- and there will be many. This is your chance to observe and take note of what you like about this profession and which styles or things you like or dislike; this is your moment to choose what you will adopt as a future school psychologist.

Just as it is important to build a relationship with your school psychologist supervisors, it is more important to build a relationship with the staff that works at school (admin clerk, teachers, counselors, custodians, etc) as they have all the student info, copy codes, keys, and will be your teammates 😉

Lastly, ensure you are communicating to your supervisors about your needs and expectations as well as any feedback they might have that can allow you to become a better school psych!
Nadia HelewaPUSD Intern 2020-2021
Nadia Helewa
Don’t be afraid to jump right in. The more you do now as an intern, the more comfortable you’ll be when you run your own school. Attend trainings whenever possible and always keep learning.
Ricky Flocken, Ed.S.School Psychologist
PUSD Intern 2017-2018
Ricky Flocken, Ed.S.
#1) Practice your assessment skills at home until you feel confident, and do this early on in your internship year. Take test kits home and practice assessing your significant other, roommate, or cat. Feeling confident in that foundational skill will allow you to spend more time and energy learning the parts of the job that are more nuanced or don’t come up as often.

#2) Plan to keep similar hours as your supervisor. So many unplanned learning opportunities come up just by being in the office with your supervisor and you don’t want to miss those! As often as possible, arrive when they do and stay until they leave.

#3) Proactively communicate with your supervisor about what you want to learn. Show initiation by actively seeking out learning opportunities for skills you have less experience with (i.e., FBA/BIP, counseling, Manifestation Determination, special populations, etc.). If those things aren’t happening at your assigned sites, ask if you can temporarily shadow another School Psych who is doing those things.
Kat ChapmanPUSD Intern 2020-2021
Kat Chapman
Tip: #1 Keep your assessment to-do list current and in order of due dates/meeting dates. Then you can always go to the most urgent item, or next most urgent item if a student isn’t available or something else falls through!

Tip: #2 Make sure your template is as generic as possible (“the student” vs. “he or she”) so that there is little or no opportunity for embarrassing mistakes where your report has the wrong sex or another student’s name.

Tip #3 in your template, build in rich descriptions about what each test considers. Add in meaningful details about behavior during testing and any other notable information that are specific to the student you assessed to make sure each report is personalized.
Laura Mueller, Psy.D.Program Specialist
PUSD Intern 2007-2008
Laura Mueller, Psy.D.
Accept that your role is that of a student who is still learning. I don't know everything, and I am not going to pretend that I do.

Be honest. I have gained the confidence to admit when I don't know something, and I am not ashamed to ask for help. Think about your strengths and what you can bring to the team.

Prepare your questions and expectations for your supervisor in advance so that they are clear of what you are hoping to gain from this experience and what you still need to learn.
Lisa YatesPUSD Practicum Student 2020-2021
Lisa Yates
Seek to gain exposure to speciality populations and expand your experience to include varying grade levels and need. Trust the process - your supervisor is preparing you with the skills to be competitive in the job market.
Janice Gapasin, Psy.D.Lead Psychologist
PUSD Intern 1999-2000
Janice Gapasin, Psy.D.
Remember that this is a yearlong interview, make sure to be professional and show your strengths during your internship. Don't be afraid to ask for experience in a certain area if you are not getting it. This will be your year to learn so take in as much as you can while you have the supervision.
Laura Valencia, M.A.School Psychologist / ERMHS Assessor
PUSD INTern 2003-2004
Laura Valencia, M.A.
In addition to building a good working relationship with your supervisor, find ways in which you can make their work easier and in turn you will be gaining the experiences that you need to succeed. Also, recognize and acknowledge your weaknesses and use this learning opportunity to gain skills to address them. All that being said, good luck and have fun!!! This is the school year to build the habits that will be helpful in your career.
Zawadi D. WanjalaPUSD Intern 2020-2021
Zawadi D. Wanjala
Previous
Next

about Poway Unified School District

Poway Unified School District is the national leader in K-12 public education serving over 36,000 students of high diversity in culture, ethnicity, language, and socio-economic status.  We are the third largest district in San Diego County with 25 Elementary Schools, 1 K-8 School, 7 Middle Schools, 5 High Schools, and varied Alternative Programs.  As a single district SELPA, our special education programs provide the full continuum of services including general education, specialized academic instruction, and related services.   

The PUSD School Psychology Internship Program is focused on developing the skills for professional competencies across multiple domains, by developing the capabilities to meet the demands of varied school settings.  Our collaborative approach promotes exposure in learning areas such as prevention, intervention, counseling, consultation, and assessment. 

Internships are based on the guidelines set forth by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). PUSD provides interns the opportunity to work with a variety of student populations and perform a wide range of school psychologist duties in order to meet their university requirement and obtain the Pupil Personnel Services Credential. All interns are assigned at both elementary and secondary levels, allowing for supervision of two school psychologists throughout the year.  Individual interests and needs are considered for placement.

With 39 school sites, each with specialized programs, interns have the opportunity to experience various settings.  Placement opportunities include comprehensive general education elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as specialized settings including school programs for students with emotional and behavioral needs, early childhood/preschool special education, private school, and students with significant cognitive or developmental needs. 

Intern Training Videos

Play Video

NSSSI/Suicide

Laura Mueller

Program Specialist

Training Documents (download)

Play Video

Dyslexia

Ricky Flocken

School Psychologist – Secondary

Training Documents (download)

Play Video

ERMHS

Laura Valencia

School Psychologist
ERMHS

Play Video

FBA & BIPs

Meghan Moore

Program Specialists

Practicum/Internship Application
Selection Process

Thank you for your interest in joining the School Psychology Team at PUSD. We have a multistep selection process for potential practicum students and interns, which includes an application, portfolio, and interview. PUSD requires that practicum hours be completed in order to be considered for an internship position, in accordance with standards specified by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). If you are an in-state student from a university that is outside the immediate San Diego metropolitan area, please contact us to find out if your university has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PUSD. An MOU is a contractual agreement required between both entities (in this case your university and PUSD) prior to allowing students to participate in internship activities within our district. Your university School Psychology Department Chair will have that information as well. Applicants from out of state must be enrolled in an accredited program.  Please refer to the CTC website above for specific information regarding state requirements for out of state students. Interested applicants who have completed the necessary coursework and practicum hours can submit an application and portfolio.

Application: Your completed application packet must include the following:

  • Resume/Vitae
  • Certificate of Clearance
  • TB Test
  • CBEST documentation of a passing score (internship applicants only)


Internship Portfolio (submit at interview): Your completed portfolio must include the following:

  • 1 Psychoeducational report with identifying information deleted
  • 2 Letters of Recommendation (at least one must be from your current or last practicum supervisor)
  • Out-of-State: Copy of the university’s requirements and coursework for school psychology

Completed application packets will be accepted through April 12th to be eligible to sit for the 4/29 and 4/30 internship interviews. Note: Rolling applications may be accepted, however, interviews and placements are based on availability. 
Please submit your application and documents in the form below.

Interview: Due to the large number of applicants, not all applicants will be invited to interview, nor will all applicants interviewed be offered an internship. Practicum interviews will take place on April 28th. Internship interviews will occur on April 29th and 30th, with offers being extended to selected prospective interns on or before May 10th, for a start date of August 2021.

Internship Flyer

apply here

Contact

General Inquiries

Janice E. Gapasin, Psy.D.
Lead Psychologist
jgapasin@powayusd.com

Bernard F. Larsen, Ed.S.
Lead Psychologist
blarsen@powayusd.com

The contents of this page are the property of Poway Unified School District, School Psychology Department.
The information presented on this page does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of PUSD.
Training videos are intended for educational purposes only.
PUSD reserves the right to modify and revise the information contained on this page at their discretion.

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