Doctoral Psychology Internship Overview

About Achieve

Achieve is a recognized leader in behavioral and emotional health care. Achieve primarily serves the Orthodox, Ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic population in Rockland County, New York.
Achieve combines the highest professional and clinical standards with deep cultural sensitivity and compassion.
Achieve offers a full array of services to approximately 2,000 adults and children annually, with the entire range of diagnostic presentations.
Achieve’s treatment options are all-inclusive, utilizing innovation, evidence and metric based protocols in conjunction with community supports.

Did you know?

  • Achieve is a NYS OMH and OASAS-licensed behavioral health center.
  • Achieve is one of only 66 centers in the USA that is federally designated as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC).
  • Achieve has five locations: Monsey, Airmont, Pomona, Monroe and Wesley Hills, as well as clinics in more than 50 local schools.

Achieve Behavioral Health is now a member of APPIC and will be participating in the Match for the 2024-2025 Doctoral Psychology Internship year.

Psychology Internship Goals

Gain proficiency in psychological assessment, DSM-5 clinical diagnosis, case conceptualization and treatment planning.

Learn to treat clients with varying psychopathologies across the lifespan.

Develop competency in evidence-based psychological treatment (ex. CBT, DBT, ACT).

Demonstrate knowledge of ethical issues pertaining to psychology practice.

Learn from clinical leaders in the Orthodox community and develop enduring collegial relationships with administration and staff.

Gain knowledge of cultural issues impacting the Jewish Orthodox and Hasidic population.

Achieve’s
Core Clinical
Requirements
≤50% of Time Providing Direct Clinical Services
Clinical
Didactics
Specialized Training Opportunities
Individual
and Group
Supervision
Grand
Rounds
Completion of
1750 hours

Clinical Experience

Internship Tracks:

  • General Clinic Track (2):

Psychology interns in this track spend the majority of their time providing individual therapy to adults, couples and children, primarily from the Jewish Orthodox and Hasidic community. They will also complete rotations in the following departments: Intake and Assessment (mandatory), Crisis Services (mandatory), Group Therapy (mandatory as available), as well as the Anxiety/OCD Program (optional), the Women’s Health Department (optional) and Data Analytics and Clinical Metrics (optional).
This track is facilitated by Martin Galla, Ph.D., Clinical Director, Adult Center
*This track is the only track that offers a part-time option.

  • Eating Disorder’s Specialization Track (2):

Psychology Interns in this track spend the majority of their time providing treatment to clients with eating disorders. Diagnoses include Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Avoidant Restrictive Feeding and Intake Disorder. Interns will receive specialized and extensive training, didactics and supervision in eating disorder assessment and evidence-based treatment approaches for eating disorders, including Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E), Family Based Therapy (FBT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Arfid (CBT-AR). Interns will be part of a supportive and multidisciplinary treatment team.
This track is facilitated by Sarah Leah Weinberger-Litman, Ph.D., Director of Eating Disorders Program and Ayelet Schechter Gutman, Eating Disorders Program Coordinator.

  • School-Child Specialization Track (2):

Psychology Interns in this track spend the majority of their time providing individual therapy to children and may also provide treatment at Achieve’s school-based clinics, located in various Jewish Orthodox, Ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic day schools across Rockland and Orange Counties, and/or providing individual therapy to children and parent support in the Achieve BH Child Center. Interns may also participate in the Child Intensive Track, providing intensive individual and group therapy to children struggling with anxiety. They will also provide individual therapy to a small caseload of adults in the general clinic. Interns in this track will also complete rotations in the following departments: Intake and Assessment (mandatory), Crisis Services (mandatory), Group Therapy (mandatory as available), as well as the Anxiety/OCD Track (optional), Women’s Health Department (Optional) and Data Analytics and Clinical Metrics (optional).
This track is facilitated by Jonathan Frohlich, Ph.D., Senior Clinical Director, Clinical Director, Child and Adolescent Center.

  • Women’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) Specialization Track (1):

Psychology interns in this track spend 2 days/week providing group therapy, DBT coaching, case management and crisis management in the Women’s Intensive Outpatient Program. They will also provide individual therapy to adults and children in the general clinic. Interns in this track will also complete rotations in the following departments: Intake and Assessment (mandatory), Crisis Services (mandatory), as well as the Anxiety/OCD Program (optional) and Data Analytics and Clinical Metrics (optional).
This track is facilitated by Sara Markowitz, Ph.D., Director of Women’s IOP and Stephanie Hartman, Psy.D., Director of the Recovery Center and Crisis Services.

Required Rotations for All Tracks:

  • Intake and Assessment (6 months):

All interns complete a 6-month rotation in our Intake Department. In this role, the psychology intern is the first clinician in our agency to meet with a new client. The psychology intern gathers information pertaining to background and history, and administers various clinical assessments, including the PHQ, GAD-7 and the CSSRS. The intern then formulates a case conceptualization and assigns a DSM-5 diagnosis to each client. The psychology intern is trained in this capacity by one of the intake supervisors and observes intakes conducted by others before conducting them independently. The psychology intern’s written intake assessments are then reviewed by an intake supervisor. Feedback is provided and revisions are suggested when relevant. Upon completion, the intake assessment is signed by both psychology intern and intake supervisor. Recommendations for assignment are then provided to the intake team so that the client is assigned appropriately to a therapist. Interns spend 8 hours/week in the following activities: 6 hours of intake, 1 hour of individual intake supervision, 1 hour of intake team meeting.
This track is facilitated by Yael Genack, M.S., Director of Intake and Assignment.
*Part-time interns do not participate in this rotation. 

  • Crisis Services (6 months):

Full-time interns are required to complete a 6-month rotation with Crisis Services. On this rotation, interns will reserve 8 hours/week to be available to answer Achieve’s crisis line. As the line offers a 3-hour window for crisis clinicians to return phone calls, interns reserve slots within their schedules to respond to these calls. Interns provide support to clients in distress and dispatch mobile crisis when necessary. This rotation includes 30 minutes of group supervision and individual supervision, as needed.
This track is facilitated by Stephanie Hartman, Psy.D., Director of the Recovery Center and Crisis Services.
*Part-time interns do not participate in this rotation. 

  • Group Therapy (2-12 months, as available):

Full-time interns are encouraged to co-lead group therapy with a more senior clinician when there is an available opportunity. Groups range from skills-based groups, such as DBT and social skills groups, as well as support groups, such as support for mothers of clients with SPMI. Opportunities to provide group therapy vary, as the needs for group therapy vary within the clinic. There are fewer opportunities for male than female interns, as our population tends to prefer same-gendered facilitator and single sexed groups (i.e. male clinician facilitating an all male group, female clinician facilitating an all female group) due to cultural sensitivities. As Achieve tends to have fewer males interested and willing to participate in group therapy, there tends to be limited opportunities for males in this area. We are committed to providing this training opportunity when it is available.
This track is facilitated by Elisheva Katz, Psy.D., Director of Group Services.
*For part-time interns, this rotation is optional. 

Optional Rotations:

  • Anxiety/OCD Program (12 months)

Full-time and part-time interns will have the option to participate in a year-long rotation in this track. They will be trained in EBT to treat adults struggling with panic attacks, phobias, social anxiety, GAD, and OCD. Interns participate in 1 hour of weekly group supervision.
This track is facilitated by Jonathan Feiner, Ph.D., Director of Anxiety/OCD Program and Yael Mayefsky, Ph.D., Clinical Supervisor.

  • Applied Clinical Data Analytics and Research (12 months)

Interns participate in real-time analysis of clinical data. They receive training in clinical data management, and effective dissemination within a research-to-practice pipeline. Interns also collaborate with clinic leadership in data intelligence gathering – formulation of meaningful questions and identifying meaningful data within clinical mental healthcare. Interns also learn methods for using data for practice implementation on data intelligence findings.
This track is facilitated by Gabriel Hoffnung, Ph.D., Director of Clinical Data Analytics and Research.

  • Women’s Health Department (12 months):

Interns provide clinical services in Achieve’s Women’s Health Department, which provides specialized behavioral health and psychiatric care to individuals struggling with emotional impact of infertility, pregnancy loss and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). Interns are trained to understand the medical nuances of clients on this journey. They are taught assessment, diagnosis and treatment of clients who have postpartum anxiety, postpartum mood disorders, as well as those who are coping with grief and loss. This rotation is open to both men and women who are passionate about supporting individuals and couples through the challenges of clients’ reproductive years.
This track is facilitated by Michael Bleicher, LCSW, Director of Clinical Training and Rebecca Ashkenas, LCSW, Director of Women’s Health Program.

Benefits

Annual stipend: $35,000
1 paid day for dissertation-related work
Health and time-off benefits,
including paid time off
for Jewish Holidays
and extended leave available

Supervision, Training and Support

  • 2 hours weekly individual supervision (F/T interns; 1 hour for P/T interns)
  • 1 hour weekly group supervision
  • Additional supervision for all clinical rotations
  • Weekly didactics – Heavy emphasis is placed on didactics related to providing mental health treatment in the Jewish Orthodox and Hasidic Community
  • Grand Rounds
  • Specialized training opportunities

Psychology Internship Supervisors

Isaac Schechter, Psy.D.
Jonathan Frohlich, Ph.D.
Jonathan Feiner, Ph.D.
Michal Goldberg, Ph.D.
Joshua Halle, Psy.D.

Stephanie Hartman, Psy.D.
Gabriel Hoffnung, Ph.D.
Sara Markowitz, Ph.D.
Yael Mayefsky, Ph.D.
Shoshana Isenberg, Ph.D.
Martin Galla, Ph.D.

Doctoral Interns Provide Services at the
Following Locations:

Monsey Location

Individual, family and group therapy for children, adolescents and adults. The intake department is also located at this location.

Airmont Location

Individual, family and group therapy for children, adolescents and adults.

Pomona Location

This outpatient office is certified for individual, family and group therapy for children and adolescents. In addition, psychiatric and health monitoring services are provided here. The office is open Sunday-Friday.

Monroe Location

Individual, family and group therapy for children, adolescents and adults. This office primarily serves Yiddish
speaking clients.

Various Schools in Monsey, NY

Achieve is aliated with 57 schools in Rockland County. Psychology Interns are commonly placed in the
following schools:

Adolph Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland (ASHAR)
Cheder Chabad of Monsey, Boys Elementary School
Cheder Chabad of Monsey, Preschool and Girls Elementary School
Cheder D’Monsey
Yeshiva Bais HaChinuch
Yeshiva of Spring Valley, Girls Building
Yeshiva Ohr Reuven
Yeshiva of Spring Valley, Boys Building

Wesley Hills Location

This outpatient office houses Achieve’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). The IOP serves adolescent and adult women who benefit from intensive, outpatient DBT-based individual and group therapy, DBT coaching, targeted case management, psych rehabilitation services, as well as medication management. The office is open Monday-Friday.
*Individual supervisors and the Training Director provide all relevant supervision.

How to Apply

Pre-requisites to apply for the psychology internship –

  1. Three years of successful completion of doctoral coursework and practica in clinical psychology
  2. Master’s Degree and Comprehensive Exams passed by application deadline
  3. Familiarity with Orthodox Jewish and Hasidic culture

Important Dates for the Match for 2024-2025 Internship year –

  1. Please refer to our appic membership page for details: https://membership.appic.org/directory/display/2904
  2. Application Due Date: 11/17/23, 11:59PM EST
  3. Interview Notification Date: 12/18/23
  4. Interviews will be conducted between late December and mid-January

Applications are submitted through the online AAPI. Please include the following application materials with your AAPI application: CV, 2 letters of reference and a brief cover letter outlining clinical and/or personal expectations of working in the Jewish Orthodox and Hasidic community.

Clinical Leadership

Isaac Schechter, PsyD
Chief Clinical Officer

Jonathan Frohlich, PhD
Senior Clinical Director
Clinical Director, Child and Adolescent Center

Martin Galla, PhD
Clinical Director, Adult Center

Stephanie Hartman, PsyD
Clinical Director, Recovery and Crisis Center

Sara Markowitz, PhD
Director of Intensive Outpatient Program

Joseph Nissenfeld, MD
Medical Director

Contacts

Michal Goldberg, PhD
Director of Psychology Training
845.425.5252, x 1332
mgoldberg@achievebh.org