Reader TTS

Our program is committed to honoring the profound role of science in guiding clinical practice. We appreciate and promote the role of clinical science in providing the foundation for

designing, implementing, and evaluating assessments and interventions. While we place a strong emphasis on understanding the science base of psychology, our program most closely reflects a

practitioner-scholar training model. We formally integrate science and practice in a number of ways, including didactic seminars, case presentations of clinical care issues that are based on

current empirical literature, participation in research activities during the internship year, and the use of empirically validated and supported assessment and clinical interventions. We

provide interns with a variety of experiences that prepare them for postdoctoral training settings or entry level practice in clinical, research, or academic settings. Our training goals are

consistent with the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center’s mission to provide quality care to veterans while advancing state of the art services through research and education.   Psychology staff

assume the responsibility to prepare interns for the clinical and ethical demands of a challenging career in psychology. A developmental model guides our training program as interns begin

the program with close supervision, mentorship, and didactic instruction. As skills develop and mastery increases, interns gain increasing autonomy in their clinical work. Competencies in

professional practice are developed through clinical practice, individual and group supervision, and didactic training. The TVAMC recognizes the importance of cultural and individual

differences in the training of psychologists. Thus, our policies, didactic training, supervision, and clinical work all strive to foster an understanding of the importance that diversity

issues play in our work.