Doctoral Internship Program in School Psychology
The White Birch Educational Services (WBES) Doctoral Internship Program in School Psychology aims to provide supervised experiential learning opportunities for delivering comprehensive school psychological services. The internship program is designed to assist interns in becoming independent and professional psychologists who can provide various psychological services to improve children's and adolescents' mental health and educational outcomes within and outside the school setting. WBES is dedicated to developing leaders and positive change agents in the profession using evidence-based practices in the school environment.
The WBES Doctoral Internship program is an Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) Provisional Member. Applicants are referred to the APPIC Directory for additional information (site # 2597).
WBES is accepting applications for the 2024-2025 year through the National Matching Service beginning October 1, 2023
Program Overview
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School Psychology has been designated as an area of “critical shortage” by the State of New Hampshire continually. White Birch Educational Services, LLC (WBES) was created in 2017 to assist school districts with the need for school psychology services. Owned and operated by a school psychologist, WBES has expanded to provide educational consultation and staffing solutions for various services, training, and clinical support throughout New Hampshire. Staff at WBES have diverse clinical backgrounds, including psychologists, school psychologists, clinical specialists, and special educators. We have trained Master’s and Doctoral level school psychology and counseling students, including interns and post-doctoral psychologists. The extensive knowledge and experience of the White Birch team are reflected in the company’s core focus of empowering children and supporting communities.
The White Birch Educational Services (WBES) Doctoral Internship Program in School Psychology aims to provide supervised experiential learning opportunities relating to the delivery of comprehensive school psychological services. It represents a collaborative effort between WBES and New Hampshire school districts to provide a range of clinical and didactic training experiences.
The program is based on the Practitioner/Scholar model of training guided by the principles set forth by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
The program's mission is to assist trainees in becoming independent and professional psychologists who can provide various psychological services to improve student's mental health and educational outcomes within and outside the school setting. WBES is dedicated to developing leaders and positive change agents using evidence-based practices in the school environment.
Aim #1: To recruit and train ethical, skilled, and culturally sensitive psychologists who will be prepared for entry-level practice and contribute to the field through mentorship, supervision, didactic education, and experiential training.
Aim #2: To provide interns with experiences to collaborate and solve complex academic, cognitive, social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health problems across systemic levels (i.e., individual, education system, and community)
Aim #3: To provide training in implementing professional practices that are empirically supported, data-driven, and culturally competent through assessment, intervention, and consultative practices in a school-based setting.
Aim #4: To provide interns with learning opportunities to learn and demonstrate knowledge of special education laws and regulations and the ability to collaborate with educational staff providing special education services.
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The training program is a full-time experience beginning in August and ending in June of the following year. Orientation takes place the last week of August. It will consist of an overview of WBES and the program, supervisor and staff introductions, training, and practical experiences for professional development. We are excited to learn more about our interns, their backgrounds, their training goals, and their career aspirations during the process of orientation. WBES seeks, welcomes, and values diversity and makes efforts to create an equitable, hospitable, appreciative, safe, and inclusive learning environment for its interns.
In a New Hampshire school district, interns complete at least 1,500 supervised hours and average 15-20 hours of direct face-to-face clinical hours per week. Intern and district needs and commute time are part of the consideration when determining placement. Interns are referred to as “School Psychology Fellows.” They will work closely with a multi-disciplinary special education team with a licensed school psychologist and special education-related service providers such as school-based mental health counselors, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists. Interns provide approximately 36 hours per week of school-based psychological services in the school setting. They spend a minimum of four hours a week at the WBES main office, where they receive direct supervision, group supervision, didactic training, and protected time to meet with members of their cohort. Supervision focuses on clinical skills development and addressing issues such as professionalism, ethics, and diversity.
All training goal areas are additionally supported by providing relevant didactics provided by content experts. Each topic within the Didactic series includes a special emphasis on considering the scholarship and implications pertaining to racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse learners and those with minoritized and intersectional identities. Interns are free to propose areas for additional interest groups as well. When interns present on areas of their expertise, it is common that many of them include topics regarding children and youth who are racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse (including multi-language learners), are gifted, present with low incidence disabilities and transition services for youth with disabilities, or present with minoritized identities, among other issues. The didactic training curriculum has been designed in accordance with the internship program’s required competencies. Each competency is met through both experiential and didactic training. Priority is placed on professional development, including assisting interns in securing opportunities after internship, such as post-doctoral positions and employment.
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By the conclusion of the training year, all Interns are expected to achieve competency to demonstrate that they are prepared for entry-level independent practice and licensure, including intervention; ethical and legal standards; cultural and individual diversity; research; professional values; attitudes; and behaviors; interprofessional and interdisciplinary consultation; supervision; communication and interpersonal skills. Competency areas emphasized in the training program are assessment, consultation, counseling/intervention, and ethical practice and professionalism. Diversity experiences and training are interwoven throughout the training program to ensure that Interns are personally supported and well-trained in this area.
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White Birch Educational Services (WBES) is seeking applicants for 2024-2025 academic year.
Applicants are individually evaluated regarding the quality of previous training, practicum experiences, and fit with the internship. Intern applicants should have completed at least three years of graduate training and basic required academic coursework. A minimum of 500 hours of practicum experience, including intervention and counseling, and assessment hours (experience administering cognitive, academic and/or various measures, report writing) is preferred. Applicants should have successfully passed their doctoral comprehensive or qualifying examinations, dissertation proposal, and have the endorsement of their graduate program Director of Training. All applicants are expected to have an interest in working or gaining experience in the school/educational setting.
Application materials must be submitted through the National Matching Service (NMS). More information can be found on the APPIC Directory (site # 2597).
Application materials must be submitted by November 15, 2023, to be considered for the WBES Internship Program.
Applicants will be notified by email about interviews on or by 12/01/2023. Interviews will be held virtually and scheduled to occur in mid-December through January 2024. Multiple interview times will be provided. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Training Director via email for any questions or clarifications they may have.
For any additional information, interested applicants can contact the Director of Clinical Training, Dr. Brittany St. Jean:
Brittany St. Jean, Psy.D.
drbrittanystjean@whitebirchedu.com, 603-389-6641
White Birch Educational Services
PO Box 10207
Bedford, NH 03110
Learn more about our policies, guidelines, and procedures
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WBES follows and expects interns to abide by the legal and ethical codes of the profession as outlined by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Association for School Psychology (NASP).
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WBES seeks, welcomes, and values diversity and makes efforts to create an equitable, hospitable, appreciative, safe, and inclusive learning environment for its interns. Diversity among Interns and supervisors enriches the educational experience, promotes personal growth, and strengthens communities and the workplace. WBES makes every effort to create a climate where all staff and Interns feel respected and comfortable and where success is possible and attainable.
WBES’s goal in diversity training is to ensure that Interns develop the knowledge, skills, and awareness necessary to provide competent psychological services to all members of the public. Diversity experiences and training are interwoven throughout the training program to ensure that Interns are personally supported and well-trained in this area. WBES efforts are consistent with the APA’s statement on Preparing Professional Psychologists to Serve a Diverse Public: “…professional psychology training programs strive to ensure that psychology trainees demonstrate acceptable levels of knowledge, skills, and awareness to work effectively with diverse individuals.”
Interns and supervisors speak directly about diversity-related case considerations during formal supervision meetings and during didactic sessions throughout the training year. Each topic within the Didactic series includes a special emphasis on considering the scholarship and implications pertaining to racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse learners and those with minoritized and intersectional identities. Interns are free to propose areas for additional interest groups as well. When Interns present on areas of their expertise, it is common that many of them include topics regarding children and youth who are racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse (including multi-language learners), are gifted, present with low incidence disabilities and transition services for youth with disabilities, or present with minoritized identities, among other issues. Interns are invited to request time off for religious holidays if they are not already represented in the calendar.
WBES welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds. The training program believes that a diverse training environment contributes to the program's overall quality. WBES provides equal opportunity to all prospective Interns and does not discriminate because of a person’s age, disability status, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or any other factor that is irrelevant to success as a psychology intern. Applicants are evaluated individually in terms of the quality of previous training, practicum experiences, and fit with the internship.
WBES actively solicits feedback from all stakeholders (applicants, Interns, faculty, graduates, etc.) throughout the training program to evaluate its effectiveness regarding training in individual and cultural diversity.
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Interns who use social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and other forms of electronic communication should be mindful of how clients, colleagues, staff, and others may perceive their communication. As such, interns should make every effort to minimize material that may be deemed inappropriate for a psychologist in training. To this end, interns should set all security settings to private and should avoid posting information/photos or using any language that could jeopardize their professional image. Interns should consider restricting the amount of personal and professional information posted on these sites, are advised not to post their affiliation with WBES, and should never include clients as part of their social network or include any information that might lead to the identification of a client, or compromise client confidentiality in any way. Interns are reminded that if they identify as an intern in the program, the WBES Internship program has some interest in how they are portrayed. Suppose interns report doing or are depicted on a website or in an email as doing something unethical or illegal. In that case, that information may be used by the WBES training program to determine probation or even termination. Interns are also advised to restrict personal cell phone usage and texting during work hours. Interns should never include client information in texts. As a preventive measure, the WBES Internship program advises that interns (and staff) carefully approach social media and electronic communication.
The American Psychological Association's Social Media/Forum Policy may be consulted for guidance.
Meet the Training Committee
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Laureen is a school psychologist and owner of White Birch Educational Services. She has worked with children of all ages. She was an adjunct professor in the school psychology department at Rivier University and an internship supervisor for many years. Laureen has extensive training in assessments, trauma, and suicide intervention and has extensive knowledge in Special Education. Laureen helped obtain a four-year grant for a district that provided trauma training and how to implement this knowledge and supports in schools. Laureen was part of and presented with a team of professionals at several conferences on Mental Health Wellness in Schools and developing A System of Care. The team has received awards for outstanding service for children and mental health. Laureen is a member of the National Association of School Psychologists, and the New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists.
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Director of Clinical Training
Dr. St. Jean is a licensed psychologist and school psychologist in New Hampshire with a background in clinical, counseling, and school psychology. She has worked at WBES since 2019 and serves as the Director of Clinical Training at for the doctoral internship program and clinical manager for WBES school psychology services. She completed her APA-approved pre-doctoral internship at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in the Priority Behavioral Health Internship Consortium and her post-doctoral training year at Hillside Children's Center in upstate New York. Dr. St. Jean has experience as a consultant to school districts in New Hampshire, providing threat assessment, neuropsychological evaluations, and counseling intervention services. She has also taught as an adjunct professor in the graduate and doctoral programs at RIT and Rivier University. Dr. St. Jean is a member of the New Hampshire Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists. She currently serves as the President-Elect of the New Hampshire Psychological Association, as well as on the Behavioral Health Advocacy Committee and state association liaison to the New Hampshire Board of Psychology. Dr. St. Jean's clinical interests include supervision, systems-level consultation, equity and inclusion, advocacy, and psychological evaluation.
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Dr. Walrath has worked as a clinical child psychologist and a school psychologist in New Hampshire since 1985. Working in private practice and school settings, as well as inpatient psychiatric units, Dr. Walrath has evaluated and treated thousands of children and adults in his career. He is the past Director of Behavioral Health Services at Elliot Health Systems in Manchester, New Hampshire, and was Clinical Director and a Managing Partner of Manchester Counseling Services in Manchester, New Hampshire for a number of years. He has served as an expert witness in cases involving child custody, child development, and child psychological treatment in courts throughout New Hampshire and in Florida. Dr. Walrath has also taught as an Adjunct Professor at Antioch University New England, Notre Dame College in Manchester, New Hampshire, Granite State College, and New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, New Hampshire. He served as an Adjunct Professor at Rivier University before serving as a full-time faculty member from 2009 through 2020. Dr. Walrath was the initial Director of Training for Rivier University’s Combined PsyD Program in Counseling and School Psychology. He also serves as a consultant to several school districts in New Hampshire, He is a member of the New Hampshire Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists. He currently serves on the New Hampshire Board of Psychology, which licenses psychologists and school psychologists. Dr. Walrath has presented nationwide on topics related to Special Education Law, Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, and Behavior Management.
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Before completing her doctoral degree in School Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Dr. Aniskovich received graduate school training in career guidance psychology at Belarusian National University and mental health counseling at Cambridge College. Dr. Aniskovich has facilitated research on the social-emotional curriculum and positive-behavioral support practices available to diverse students; her dissertation research assessed students’ and teachers’ perspectives about ways of building school connectedness among Hispanic/Latinx youth. Dr. Aniskovich completed her pre-doctoral internship in Clinical Psychology at the L.U.K. (Let Us Know) Crisis Center, Inc. in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, where she conducted comprehensive and integrated psychological evaluations and offered trauma-informed school-based services for students with specific and complex needs. During her post-doctoral training, Dr. Aniskovich worked at a high school in Nashua, NH, where she specialized in providing individual and group counseling, consultation, and psychological evaluations for children and young adults with psychological, developmental, social-emotional, and behavioral concerns. She has experience working as a school psychologist and educational consultant in charter schools throughout the Boston, MA, area, where she completed psychoeducational, social/emotional, and attentional testing. Currently, Dr. Aniskovich works for WBES in the Brookline NH School District, where she counsels and conducts psychological assessments as a part of the special education process. She also works in the Needham, MA, School District providing bilingual and out-of-district psychological evaluations.
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Dr. Jesslynn R. Neves-McCain earned her doctoral degree in School Psychology from the University of Connecticut. She completed her predoctoral APPIC internship at Let Us Know, Inc. (LUK). Dr. Neves-McCain is a licensed school psychologist practicing in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She serves as the Clinical Educator in the School Psychology Program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Dr. Neves-McCain possesses clinical skills in psychological assessment and therapeutic intervention (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and exposure and response prevention therapy). She has experience in psycho-educational assessment, bilingual assessment, and culturally responsive practice in K-12 school, hospital-based, and community mental health settings. Dr. Neves-McCain maintains an active line of research focused on school climate, educational equity, and international school psychology. She has worked at WBES providing psychological services since 2020. Dr. Neves-McCain is a member of the National Association of School Psychologists, the New Hampshire Psychological Association, and the New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists.
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Dr. Cynthia (Cindy) Hess is a licensed psychologist, earning her Psy.D. in 2018. She completed her pre-doctoral internship with Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y., where she trained at Hillside Family of Agencies in a therapeutic residential school. At Hillside, she worked with youth ages 5-17 who had experienced complex developmental trauma. Cindy’s first post-doctoral fellowship was with The Counseling Center of New England, where she provided psychotherapy and family therapy to children ages 5-18 and young adults. She completed a second, two-year post-doctoral fellowship at NESCA, conducting pediatric neuropsychologist evaluations. Cindy has been part of the WBES team since 2021, providing school psychology services to the Nashua school district. She also conducts neuropsychological evaluations as a pediatric neuropsychologist at Neuropsychology and Educational Services for Children and Adolescents (NESCA). Cindy especially enjoys working with children and young adults with complex emotional and behavioral challenges and their parents. Her experience allows her to guide families in navigating the complicated options for school and other support services.
