Graduate Training Opportunities

Doctoral Psychology Externship

Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) at UMBC is pleased to offer two openings for our 16–20 hour per week psychology externship program for the (2026 – 2027) academic year. This program is thoughtfully designed for advanced doctoral students in clinical or counseling psychology graduate programs who are passionate about working with a vibrant college student population and supporting their mental health and well-being. While we strongly prefer that candidates have at least one year of supervised direct clinical experience prior to beginning their placement at RIH, all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.

Program Philosophy and Core Focus Areas

The primary emphasis of the externship is to cultivate advanced counseling skills utilizing multi-modal psychotherapy frameworks and interventions, including brief individual counseling, long-term therapy, group modalities, and workshops. Because UMBC boasts a highly diverse student population, our training heavily emphasizes the ongoing development of multicultural competency, self-awareness, and culturally humble clinical practices.

Externs manage a weekly caseload of 6 to 10 individual therapy clients and, depending on trainee experience and clinical availability, may have the opportunity to process-observe or co-lead a therapy group. Comprehensive clinical growth is supported by a minimum of 2 direct hours of structured individual and group supervision each week. A secondary emphasis is placed on community engagement, allowing interested externs to participate in outreach programming or represent RIH in campus wellness initiatives throughout the year.

Retriever Integrated Health maintains an enduring commitment to embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive, multicultural, competent environment. We deeply value having staff from a broad range of backgrounds and identities, and we strongly encourage applicants from historically underrepresented or diverse backgrounds to apply.

Please see our Complete Program Description for additional information about our externship program.

Overview

The Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) externship program offers two annual positions for clinical or counseling doctoral psychology students seeking to advance their clinical skills and evidence-based practice. Designed around a brief psychotherapy model, the training emphasizes delivering culturally competent care to a diverse university student population. Externs gain comprehensive experience in individual counseling and group therapy, with additional opportunities to participate in community outreach based on interest. Training is supported by supervisors who utilize a broad range of integrative theoretical frameworks, including psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, attachment, family systems, relational-cultural, feminist, and values-aligned approaches.

Setting

Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) serves over 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students at UMBC, a highly diverse honors university. Externs will work primarily with late adolescent and adult populations, gaining experience with a broad range of clinical diagnoses and presenting concerns, such as depression, anxiety, relationship issues and a variety of adjustment disorders. The exceptionally rich student body provides unique opportunities to work with a marginalized and intersectional client base, encompassing broad cultural and ethnic backgrounds, international students, varied sexual orientations, diverse gender identities and expressions, and a wide spectrum of neurodivergence. As an integrated center housed within the Center for Well-Being, RIH features a multidisciplinary team that includes clinical staff such as psychologists, social workers, and professional counselors, alongside nurse practitioners, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a dietitian, an acupuncturist, and a massage therapist. The facility also houses the Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being and the Dean of Students Office, the latter of which provides vital consultation for students requiring advanced navigational support. Additionally, RIH collaborates closely with the Office of Health Promotion to deliver campus outreach and workshops. The center operates Monday through Friday from 8a.m. to 5 p.m., with occasional evening hours for outreach events. After-hour outreaches are not mandatory; externs may opt in or out based on interest and availability.

Timeline and Weekly Activities

The externship begins one to two weeks before the fall semester, typically in mid-August, to allow externs to complete orientation, get acquainted with staff and their new office space and equipment, connect with campus partners and concludes during the final week of spring classes. While the program requires a minimum commitment of 16 hours per week, externs have the flexibility to extend this to 20 hours based on their individual interests, academic program requirements, and schedule availability. To accommodate shifting schedules or clinical needs, externs are allowed to adjust their hourly commitment from semester to semester. Additionally, those wishing to accumulate extra clinical hours have the option to work during the winter and summer breaks. Externs can expect to accrue approximately 500 total hours, including 200 to 250 direct clinical hours, over the course of the training year.

Caseload Management

Externs are expected to maintain an active caseload of 6 to 8 individual clients. To reach and sustain this target, externs will initially complete multiple intakes. If caseload numbers drop due to client attrition during the semester, externs will collaborate with their supervisor to schedule additional intakes.

 Utilizing the CCAPS Instrument

Triage and ongoing treatment utilize the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS). Didactic training and supervision are provided for this instrument to help externs learn to assess a client’s functioning across various clinical domains.

  • Clients complete the CCAPS-62 (long version) for initial assessments.
  • Clients complete the CCAPS-36 before each subsequent session.
  • Note: While some externs may already be familiar with the CCAPS, supervisors are available to clarify any assessment functions or questions during supervision. 
Intake Training Progression

Training in initial assessments follows a developmental model tailored to the extern’s experience level:

Novice Externs: Externs in their first clinical placement will initially observe a senior staff member conduct intake, progressing to co-leading sessions as their comfort grows.

Advanced Externs: Once an extern demonstrates clinical readiness, as determined by their supervisor and collaborative staff feedback, they will conduct intakes independently.

The total number of independent intakes completed throughout the year will vary based on the extern’s developing skill set and current caseload needs.

Individual Therapy (6 – 10 Hours per Week)

Externs will provide short-term individual counseling, with clients typically seen on a weekly or biweekly basis; however, trainees can follow select clients long-term to build competency in both brief and extended treatment modalities. Clinical caseloads start small at the beginning of the semester and scale up gradually, with the ultimate target of completing six to, as many as, ten sessions per week. To ensure a balanced schedule, this individual caseload goal may be reduced if an extern chooses to co-lead multiple therapy groups. All individual counseling sessions are conducted on-site at Retriever Integrated Health or virtually, and are video recorded for training purposes, allowing externs to regularly submit selected sessions to their supervisor with adequate time for collaborative review and clinical feedback.

Supervision (2 – 3 Hours per Week)

Externs receive comprehensive, competency-based, and developmentally appropriate clinical guidance through a structured combination of individual and group supervision, ensuring a minimum of two direct supervision hours each week. Supervision is typically provided face-to-face; however, shifting circumstances may occasionally require virtual supervision, which will be accompanied by additional documentation should a consistent need for telehealth supervision arise. Every semester, externs meet weekly for one hour of individual supervision with a licensed psychologist, alongside a weekly, one-hour peer group supervision session facilitated by a licensed psychologist. To provide a well-rounded training experience, individual supervisors change at the end of the fall semester; while externs are encouraged to remain open to learning different theoretical orientations during this transition, they will not be required to conceptualize cases using their supervisor’s specific framework. At the supervisor’s discretion, additional supervision hours may be added to ensure clarity and understanding of administrative processes, documentation, or any other areas of clinical concern. For those who choose to co-facilitate a therapy group, a licensed staff clinician provides an additional half hour of specialized supervision. To ensure accurate documentation for their doctoral programs, externs are responsible for consistently logging all supervision hours, including peer group sessions, in their tracking spreadsheets.

Group Therapy (1–1.5 Hours per Week)

Depending on their training goals, hourly needs, and clinical skill level, externs may elect to participate in group therapy by serving as a co-leader or proposing a group to lead themselves with the support of present clinical staff. This valuable training experience focuses on understanding group processes, dynamics, and specialized intervention skills, and is supported by dedicated supervision. While the group therapy program is highly valued by staff, placement is dependent on current group availability and cannot be guaranteed. To best meet their specific competency goals, advanced externs may self-select whether to prioritize individual counseling or group therapy hours during their rotation.

Outreach (Hours TBD)

Externs may elect to participate in outreach programs within the university community, which can include tabling events, mental health screenings, and delivering presentations or workshops. These activities may occasionally require evening hours. Externs are encouraged to connect with the outreach coordinator to explore available opportunities; while collaborating with their supervisor to schedule and protect this time to ensure it does not interfere with primary clinical expectations.

Case Management & Administration

Externs will initially be guided by supervisors to protect designated time for administrative tasks, though the responsibility will shift to the extern over time to independently manage their schedule and ensure these duties are completed. To successfully complete the externship, externs are expected to keep their case notes up to date and must have all documentation written and co-signed by their supervisor in a timely manner. Externs should consult directly with their individual supervisor to clarify specific timelines and expectations for note submission and revisions.

Evaluation and Feedback

Externs receive ongoing informal feedback on their progress throughout the year, complemented by formal evaluations conducted twice a year in December and May. These formal reviews can utilize structured evaluation forms provided either by the extern’s home graduate program or by RIH. Performance is assessed based on developmentally appropriate levels of clinical skill and core APA competencies, including Research; Ethical and Legal Standards; Individual and Cultural Diversity; Professional Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors; Communication and Interpersonal Skills; Assessment; Intervention; Supervision; and Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Skills.

Professional Development

The training year begins with four intensive days of orientation, followed by semi-regular didactic seminars throughout the semester presented by the peer supervisor, staff clinicians, campus partners, and invited guests. These sessions cover essential clinical, ethical, and legal topics, comprehensive training on Point and Click (PNC), the center’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, and targeted clinical areas designed to build intervention skills. These foundational concepts are continually reinforced through individual supervision and ongoing seminars, and externs have the option to attend additional professional development programs hosted by Retriever Integrated Health or external institutions. Additionally, near the end of each semester, externs deliver a formal case conceptualization presentation on a client and theoretical framework of their choosing, with individual supervisors providing the specific evaluation criteria and structural requirements.

Self-Disclosure Policy and the “Person-of-the-Therapist” in Supervision 

Staff and Supervisors at RIH deeply value the power, nuance, and complexity of the therapeutic relationship. Consequently, our intervention, training, and supervision activities embrace a thoughtful focus on the “person-of-the-therapist,” exploring how an individual’s unique presence impacts the quality and effectiveness of their clinical work. Within a safe and supportive professional relationship, supervisors will respectfully and collaboratively invite externs to reflect upon how their personal qualities, background experiences, and internal reactions influence, and are influenced by, their clients. This reflective practice is strictly focused on enhancing self-awareness and fostering professional development rather than serving as personal psychotherapy.

If a supervisor observes that an extern could benefit from processing personal reflections more deeply than the boundaries of supervision allow, they may gently suggest individual psychotherapy as a supportive resource for professional longevity. In alignment with APA Ethical Standard 7.04 (Student Disclosure of Personal Information) and Standard 7.05 (Mandatory Individual or Group Therapy), RIH prioritizes transparency regarding training requirements. In rare circumstances, specifically outlined in our training program’s Due Process procedures, where an extern’s personal stressors or blind spots directly compromise client safety or clinical efficacy, supervisors may formally require the extern to engage in external psychotherapy to ensure both the welfare of the clients and the appropriate remediation of the trainee.

Eligibility and Dual Relationships (for UMBC students enrolled in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program) 

To maintain the highest ethical standards and avoid conflicts of interest or dual relationships, unique eligibility guidelines apply to UMBC psychology doctoral students applying to the training program at Retriever Integrated Health. UMBC students accepted into the externship will not be eligible to receive clinical or psychiatric services at RIH during their training year. Furthermore, to eliminate the potential of working alongside a former mental health provider, UMBC students who have previously utilized counseling or psychiatric services at RIH are ineligible to apply. If an accepted UMBC extern requires clinical support during their training year, RIH is fully committed to helping them safely connect with trusted, comprehensive mental health services off campus. To ensure mutual understanding and transparency, all accepted students are required to sign an agreement outlining these boundaries upon entry into the program.

Eligibility and Requirements

Applicants must be currently enrolled in a doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology. Competitive applicants will typically have at least one year of prior direct counseling experience (separate from or in addition to assessment-focused placements).

Application Materials

A complete application file must include the following components:

  • A letter of interest (cover letter)
  • A current Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • A completed Director of Clinical Training (DCT) Consent Form
  • Copies of all graduate school transcripts
  • Two letters of recommendation, with at least one coming from a current or former clinical supervisor

Submission Guidelines

Electronic submission is the preferred method for all materials.

  • Electronic Letters: Recommendation letters should be sent directly by the writer, featuring the applicant’s name and “RIH Externship Application” in the subject line.
  • Hard Copy Submissions: If materials must be mailed, please compile all documents into a single envelope. Physical letters of recommendation must be signed by the writer across the envelope’s seal.

Timeline and Review Process

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their completed materials in March and early February. The Externship Coordinator will review applications and arrange interviews with selected candidates on a rolling basis. All applications must be received by February 5, 2027. Final notifications regarding acceptance into the program will be extended by late February or early March. Please note that Retriever Integrated Health does not participate in the Washington, D.C. area externship match process

Questions are to be directed to Dr. Jay Coughlin via email at jcoughl1@umbc.edu or by phone 410-455-2472.

Application and Selection Procedures

Required Application Materials

To be considered for the 2026 – 2027 training year, applicants must submit a complete file containing the following components:

  • Letter of Interest (Cover Letter): Outlining your specific interest in training at RIH, your primary areas of clinical focus, and a summary of your previous clinical experience.
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Unofficial Graduate Transcript(s)
  • Director of Clinical Training (DCT) Consent Form: Fully completed and authorized for the 2027 – 2028 training year.
  • Two Letters of Recommendation: Recommenders should speak to both your clinical strengths and identified areas for continued professional growth. At least one letter must come from a current or former clinical supervisor.

Submission Guidelines & Deadline

The application deadline is February 5, 2027. Application packets must be fully received by this date. Materials may be submitted via one of the following methods:

  • Electronic Submission (Preferred): Materials should be emailed to the Externship Coordinator at jcoughl1@umbc.edu. Letters of recommendation submitted electronically must be emailed directly by the recommender, featuring the applicant’s name and “RIH Externship Application” in the subject line.
  • Postal Mail Submission: If mailing your application, all required materials must be compiled and sent together in a single envelope. Hard-copy letters of recommendation must be physically signed by the writer across the envelope’s sealed flap.

Interview and Selection Timeline

Applications are reviewed thoroughly as they arrive, and formal interviews will be extended to qualified candidates on a rolling basis. Final notifications regarding selection and acceptance into the externship program will be communicated by late February or early March. Please note that Retriever Integrated Health does not participate in the Washington, D.C. area externship match process.

Please submit your application to:

Jay Coughlin, Psy.D.
Retriever Integrated Health
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Center for Well-Being
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250

For more information, please contact Jay Coughlin, Psy.D. (Externship Coordinator), at jcoughl1@umbc.edu.