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.
About Achieve
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 2023-2024 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.
Core Clinical
Requirements
Didactics
and Group
Supervision
Rounds
1750 hours
Clinical Experience
Internship Tracks:
- General Clinic Track:
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 Hassidic 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) and Data Analytics and Clinical Metrics (optional).
*This track is the only track that offers a part-time option.
- School/Child Specialization:
Psychology interns in this track spend the majority of their time providing individual therapy to children and providing parent support at Achieve’s school-based clinics, located in various Jewish Orthodox and Hassidic schools in Rockland and Orange Counties, and/or providing individual therapy to children and parent support in the Achieve BH Child Center. 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 Program (optional) and Data Analytics and Clinical Metrics (optional).
- Women’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) Specialization:
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).
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 be meeting 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 five hours/week in the Intake Department. These hours include three hours of intakes, one hour of intake individual supervision and one hour of participation in the intake team meeting. Part-time interns will also complete this same rotation in the intake department.
- Crisis Services (6 months)
Both full-time and part-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 has 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.
- 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 (ie. male clinician facilitation and all male group, female clinician facilitating an all female group) due to cultural sensitivities. As Achieve tends to have fewer male clients interested and willing to participate in group therapy, there tends to be limited opportunities for male interns in this area. That being said, we are committed to trying to provide this training opportunity when it is available. For part-time clinicians, 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.
- 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.
Benefits
including paid time off for Jewish Holidays
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 | Sample Didactics Schedule
- 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.
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 –
- Three years of successful completion of doctoral coursework and practica in clinical psychology
- Master’s Degree and Comprehensive Exams passed by application deadline
- Familiarity with Orthodox Jewish and Hasidic culture
Important Dates for the Match for 2023-2024 Internship year –
- Please refer to our appic membership page for details: https://membership.appic.org/directory/display/2904
- Application deadline: 11/15/2022
- Interview notification date: 12/19/2022
- 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 Hassidic community.
Clinical Leadership
Isaac Schechter, PsyD
Chief Clinical Officer
Jonathan Frohlich, PhD
Senior Clinical Director
Clinical Director, Child and Adolescent Center
Jonathan Feiner, 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
mgoldberg@achievebh.org 845.425.5252 x 332