Clinical Training and Supervision

I am a strong proponent of the scientist-practitioner model, and my clinical training has emphasized cognitive behavioral techniques. As a graduate student at the University of Oregon, I worked with diverse clients (e.g., Hispanic, Native American, Asian American, African American, cognitively impaired, nonreading) in individual, couples, and group treatments. On internship, I worked on a geriatric inpatient unit with older adults with cognitive impairment, including vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. I continued this work throughout my postdoctoral training, and ran the Older Adult Mental Health Clinic at Syracuse University for two years before joining the faculty at Rutgers.

I currently supervise therapist trainees at the graduate level in cognitive behavior therapy for mood and anxiety disorders. I am also available to teach basics of neuropsychological and cognitive testing, and provide reliability training on the Structured Clinical Interview Diagnostic for DSM-IV. One major goal of my current clinical work is to integrate scientific research with aspects of psychotherapy, such as assessment, treatment, and measuring outcome.

Practicum Description, Lifespan Anxiety and Depression Clinic

Although the efficacy of evidence-based interventions has been well documented in younger and middle-aged adults, less progress has been made in evaluating the therapies in youth and adults over the age of 60. This unique clinic will focus on treatment and research involving children (ages 8-15) and older adults (age 60 and over). The lifespan clinic will offer two practica (Child, Older Adult) taught by Drs. Brian Chu and Jan Mohlman, with overlapping and unique training components. Both practica will offer training in evidenced-based assessment and intervention procedures for the treatment of anxious and depressed individuals and families. Students will learn to administer semi-structured diagnostic interviews and neuropsychological tests, will learn to select assessment batteries for individual clients, and will learn multiple forms of CBT. Opportunities for collaborative research and training in methodology will be available. Approximate time commitment will be 8 hours per week including client hours. Practicum will last from June, 2005 to May, 2006. Enrollment limit: 8-10 students, Ph.D. and Psy.D. students are encouraged to enroll.

Youth Anxiety and Depression Practicum

This year-long clinically-focused practicum offers training in evidenced based intervention procedures for the treatment of youth with anxiety and mood disorders. Students will learn structured diagnostic interviewing (e.g., Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for Children, Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule: Child and Parent versions). Students will also be trained to use several manual-based therapies shown to have empirical support for their outcomes, including Individual CBT for anxious youth (Kendall, 2000), Family CBT for anxious youth (Howard et al., 2000), Individual CBT for depressed youth (Weisz et al., 1997), and Interpersonal Therapy for depressed youth (Mufson, 2004). Additional opportunities will exist to learn psychotherapy process research (i.e., evaluating the client, family, and therapist factors that predict outcomes). Interested students should contact Brian Chu, BrianChu AT rci.rutgers.edu or at (732) 445-2000, ext. 130.

Older Adult Mood Management Practicum

Recent studies suggest that older adults experience emotional disorders that are less severe than those found among younger adults (Mohlman, 2004). However, subclinical anxiety and depression are very common and are believed to be as functionally impairing as full-blown disorders (DeBeurs, 1999). This practicum offers anxious and depressed older adults a 10-session Mood Management Course taught in individual format that draws heavily from cognitive behavior therapy. Because conventional CBT has not shown impressive performance in older samples (e.g., Gorenstein et al., in press; Mohlman et al., 2003), one of the primary goals of the practicum will be to develop an enhanced version that builds specific cognitive skills and emotion regulation abilities. One unique aspect will be training in laboratory paradigms such as Stroop and Dot Probe tasks which allow the identification of attentional biases, as well as conventional neuropsychological testing. The enhanced intervention will also include executive training strategies such as attention training and mnemonic skill building components. Older adults make wonderful clients and working with aging ‘baby boomers’ is a rewarding and fascinating experience. Interested students should contact Jan Mohlman, jmohlman AT rci.rutgers.edu or at (732) 445-1412.

Calendar – Lifespan Anxiety and Depression Clinic

Summer

The first few meetings will cover general topics in basic clinical and assessment skills, evidence-based interventions, and clinical research trials. Then, the practica will meet separately for training on specific assessment instruments. By the end of summer term, it is our goal for all students to meet reliability criteria on one clinical interview (e.g., child ADIS or SCID, adult SCID). Additionally, those in the child practicum will be trained in interviewing techniques used with parents, and those in the older adults practicum will learn to administer a battery of neuropsychological and cognitive tests.

Fall

During Fall term, the practicum will offer students intensive training on manualized interventions (e.g., CBT) for child and late life anxiety and mood disorders. In addition to students learning the manuals, training will include didactic lectures, role playing, and videotaped sessions rated for adherence and therapist competence. It is our goal that by the end of Fall term, every therapist trainee will be ready to take on two clients for therapy. Students will also learn how to integrate research and clinical work and to develop and manage a database for use in clinical trials.

Spring

During Spring term, each therapist will be assigned two clients and the focus of the practicum will be on group and individual supervision, data collection, and maintaining the database. Students will learn to assess outcome using weekly mood ratings, process measures, and posttreatment measures. Preliminary analyses will begin, and main analyses will continue into summer for those interested in the research component of the practicum.