Doctoral Internship Program in School Psychology

School Psychology has been continually designated as an area of “critical shortage” by the State of New Hampshire. White Birch Educational Services, LLC (WBES) was established in 2017 to support school districts in meeting their needs for school psychology services. WBES is a woman-owned and operated organization, led by a school psychologist, that has expanded to provide educational consultation and staffing solutions for various services, training, and clinical support throughout New Hampshire. Supervision, training, and administrative tasks occur at the main office in Exeter, New Hampshire. The WBES team has diverse clinical backgrounds, including psychologists, school psychologists, clinical specialists, and special education professionals. We have trained Master’s and Doctoral-level school psychology and mental health counseling students, including interns and postdoctoral 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 WBES program aims to provide supervised experiential learning opportunities relating to the delivery of comprehensive school psychological services. The internship program is designed to help interns develop into independent and professional psychologists who can provide a range of psychological services to enhance the mental health and educational outcomes of children and adolescents within and outside the school setting. WBES is dedicated to developing leaders and positive change agents in the profession by utilizing evidence-based practices within the school environment. 

The White Birch Educational Services (WBES) Doctoral Internship Program in School Psychology is a full member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), site #2597. The program represents a collaborative effort between WBES and New Hampshire school districts to provide a range of clinical and didactic training experiences. The program is guided by the legal and ethical codes of the profession as outlined by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Interns are expected to abide by the APA Code of Ethics, their WBES employment contract, and the rules and regulations of the training site (school district) where direct services are provided.

With its mission to train and prepare interns for independent practice and to meet state requirements for licensure or certification as a psychologist and health service provider, the program’s training goals are intended to support and develop the next generation of leaders in the profession:

Goal #1: To recruit and train ethical, skilled, and culturally sensitive psychologists who will be prepared for entry-level practice and contribute to the profession through mentorship, supervision, didactic education, and experiential training.

Goal #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).

Goal #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.

Goal #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.

The training program is a full-time experience that begins in August and concludes in June of the following year. The 2025-2026 cohort begins orientation on Monday, August 18, 2025, and ends their training year on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Orientation takes place at the WBES office located in Exeter, NH, which serves as a hub for didactic training, supervision, and administrative processes. Placed in a New Hampshire school district, interns complete a minimum of 1,500 supervised hours and average 15-20 hours of direct face-to-face clinical hours per week. Interns in this program are referred to as “School Psychology Fellows” and are matched with a district with which WBES partners. Interns spend 35 hours per week in the school setting and a minimum of 4 hours a week at the WBES office, where they receive direct supervision with a licensed psychologist, group supervision, didactic training, and protected time to meet with members of their cohort. Interns follow a successive training schedule as they assume increased responsibility and independence in specialized assessment and consultation activities. WBES supervisors utilize the Developmental, Ecological, Problem-Solving (DEP) model of supervision, focusing on the development of clinical skills and addressing issues such as professionalism, ethics, and diversity. The program is organized in a way that provides interns with an opportunity not only to combine all their previously learned skills and knowledge in a professional service delivery system but also to apply these skills under supervision to benefit those they serve.

The training curriculum has been designed in accordance with Profession-Wide Competencies, each of which is met through both experiential and cumulative didactic training. It is integrated into the program’s goals, training curriculum, and evaluations. The intended outcome is to provide interns with learning and opportunities to practice and gain mastery across competency areas through a planned program sequence of training experiences, with a particular focus on skill development in the areas of:

1. Assessment: Interns complete and receive training in psychological assessment for a diverse population of students presenting with academic, adaptive, and/or emotional difficulties. Interns administer, interpret, and provide written syntheses of test batteries that include achievement, intellectual, behavioral, social-emotional, neuropsychological batteries (i.e., executive functioning), and/or other competency-based measures. In addition to administering these measures, interns utilize assessment writing skills to produce accurate, high-quality reports that clearly and coherently communicate findings and recommendations to the intended audience. After completing the evaluations, interns regularly participate in team meetings to discuss findings and recommendations with parents and staff.

2. Consultation: Interns participate in activities related to interdisciplinary consultation and systems collaboration. They regularly consult with teachers, staff, administrators, parents or caregivers, and other professionals regarding individual students or groups of students with whom they are working to support the educational team. Consultations may involve collaborative problem-solving or providing training to teachers and staff to enhance the skills of those who work directly with students. Interns have opportunities to provide education and guidance to other professionals regarding psychological issues, establish and engage in collaborative relationships with other agencies (e.g., schools, community agencies), and work with the multi-disciplinary special education team.

3. Counseling/Intervention: Interns work with a diverse student population in schools and receive training in Behavioral Health Intervention. They are provided with a strong background in Trauma-Informed Care and are expected to integrate this knowledge into practice. Interns will have opportunities to provide individual and group counseling services to students with various academic, adaptive, and/or emotional difficulties. The focus of counseling may be in the areas of trauma, behavioral disorders, mood disorders, emotional dysregulation, adaptive concerns, academic difficulties, etc. Interns will be trained in suicidal risk and other forms of crisis management. Interns will assess crisis situations as they arise and provide short-term interventions as necessary, either individually or as a member of a school’s response team. Interns assist in developing and implementing Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and/or Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs), where they practice critically evaluating research to inform clinical decision-making, treatment planning, progress monitoring, and intervention.

1. Professionalism: Interns are provided with various professional development opportunities and resources to support their training activities. Each intern is equipped with a laptop computer, printer, and other necessary items, located in a dedicated office space in their primary placement. Access to internet-based online scoring programs is provided when they are available. All Interns are provided with a broad selection of current assessment tools/test kits and have access to a comprehensive test library with a range of assessments for addressing clinical and academic needs. Interns will participate in weekly didactic training and individual and group clinical supervision, where professionalism is integrated into each intern's goals and evaluations. Training in the knowledge and practice of APA and NASP ethical guidelines is integrated within the program's structure; interns are expected to demonstrate this throughout the program and as they prepare for entry-level practice and licensure. As interns progress through the program, they are given increased opportunities to demonstrate professional attitudes, responsibility, and communication skills by presenting case studies, leading seminar discussions, and engaging in multidisciplinary special education team consultations. Within the didactics curriculum, interns are encouraged to participate in various meetings and workshops offered by NH state organizations, including the NH Association of School Psychologists (NHASP) and the NH Psychological Association (NHPA). The purpose is to allow interns time to engage in self-reflective practices regarding personal and professional functioning and interpersonal communication. WBES also encourages professional development by supporting interns in securing opportunities after their internship, such as postdoctoral positions and employment.

Our school district partnerships, in collaboration with WBES, provide planned and programmed sequences of training experiences, with the primary focus on ensuring the breadth and quality of training. Special Education in New Hampshire Schools aims to support students, staff, and families by utilizing data to provide effective, evidence-based instruction and services, ensuring student growth. Services provided through the Special Education Department include health and psychological services, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, transition services, and assistance for students with hearing and vision impairments. Interns focus on enhancing professional skills and competencies by implementing evidence-based research practices in consultation, assessment, and intervention.

Interns are placed in a New Hampshire school district, where they work closely with a multidisciplinary special education team, including a licensed school psychologist and special education-related service providers such as school-based mental health counselors, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists. School site placement is based on their previous experience and their specific goals for the internship year. Secondary schools or a rotation can be assigned as necessary to round out their on-site experience. Each placement provides supervised, introductory experiences in multiple roles that a psychologist can hold when practicing in a school setting. Interns are expected to provide services such as assessment, individual and group counseling, consultation with parents, teachers, and staff, crisis intervention, and behavioral interventions for general and special education students. The intern will be required to participate in Special Education meetings for students whom they have evaluated and serve. Interns also participate in intervention teams (e.g., Response to Intervention, Multi-Tiered System of Supports) at their placement sites to expand their opportunities for meeting internship goals and competencies. WBES ensures that all districts meet the intern's needs to provide a well-rounded and positive experience (WBES’s current district and school partnerships, Appendix A).

By the conclusion of the training year, all interns are expected to achieve competency in the following professional competency areas, indicating their readiness for entry-level independent practice and licensure. The goals and objectives include:

1. Intervention: Interns will achieve competence appropriate to their professional developmental level in the area of Evidence-Based Practice in Intervention.

   1. Establishing and maintaining effective relationships with recipients of psychological services,

   2. Developing evidence-based intervention plans,

   3. Implementing interventions informed by the current scientific literature,

   4. Demonstrating the ability to apply the relevant research literature to clinical decision-making,

   5. Modifying and adapting evidence-based approaches, and

   6. Evaluating intervention effectiveness.

2. Assessment: Interns will achieve competence appropriate to their professional developmental level in the area of Evidence-Based Practice in Assessment. 

   1. Demonstrating current knowledge of diagnostic classification systems, functional and dysfunctional behaviors, including consideration of client strengths and psychopathology,

   2. Demonstrating an understanding of human behavior within its context (e.g., family, social, societal, and cultural),

   3. Demonstrating the ability to apply the knowledge of functional and dysfunctional behaviors, including context, to the assessment and/or diagnostic process,

   4. Selecting and applying assessment methods that draw from the best available empirical literature,

   5. Collecting relevant data using multiple sources and methods appropriate to the identified goals and questions of the assessment, as well as relevant diversity characteristics of the client,

   6. Interpreting assessment results to inform case conceptualization, classification, and recommendations, and

   7. Communicating findings in an accurate and effective manner, sensitive to a range of audiences. 

3. Ethical and Legal Standards: Interns will achieve competence appropriate to their professional developmental level in the area of Ethical and Legal Standards.

   1. Demonstrating knowledge of and acting in accordance with the APA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct,

   2. Demonstrating knowledge of and acting in accordance with all organizational, local, state, and federal laws, regulations, rules, and policies relevant to health service psychologists,

   3. Demonstrating knowledge of and acting in accordance with all professional standards and guidelines,

   4. Recognizing ethical dilemmas as they arise and applying ethical decision-making processes in order to resolve them, and

   5. Ethically conducting oneself in all professional activities.

4. Cultural and Individual Diversity: Interns will achieve competence appropriate to their professional developmental level in the area of Cultural and Individual Diversity.

   1. Demonstrating an understanding of how one’s own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may affect how one understands and interacts with people different from oneself,

   2. Demonstrating knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to diversity,

   3. Integrating knowledge of individual and cultural differences in the conduct of professional roles,

   4. Demonstrating the ability to independently apply their knowledge and approach in working effectively with the range of diverse individuals and groups encountered during the internship, and

   5. Demonstrating the ability to work effectively with individuals whose group membership, demographic characteristics, or worldviews may differ from their own.

5. Research: Interns will achieve competence appropriate to their professional developmental level in the area of Research.

   1. Demonstrate the substantially independent ability to critically evaluate research in informing clinical decision-making, and

   2. Demonstrate a substantially independent ability to disseminate research or other scholarly activities via professional publication or presentation at the local, regional, or national level.

6. Professional Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors: Interns will achieve competence appropriate to their professional developmental level in the area of Professional Values and Attitudes.

   1. Behaving in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of professional psychology,

   2. Engaging in self-reflection regarding personal and professional functioning,

   3. Demonstrating openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision, and

   4. Responding professionally in increasingly complex situations with a greater degree of independence as they progress across levels of training.

7. Interprofessional and Interdisciplinary Consultation: Interns will achieve competence appropriate to their professional developmental level in the area of Interdisciplinary Consultation and Collaboration

   1. Demonstrating knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions, and

   2. Applying knowledge of the models of consultation in direct or simulated (role-played) consultation.

8. Supervision: Interns will achieve competence appropriate to their professional developmental level in the area of Supervision

   1. Demonstrating knowledge of supervision models and practices, and

   2. Applying knowledge of supervision in direct or simulated practice with psychology trainees or other health professionals.

9. Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Interns will achieve competence appropriate to their professional developmental level in the area of Communication and Interpersonal Skills

   1. Developing and maintaining effective relationships with a wide range of individuals,

   2. Producing and comprehending oral, nonverbal, and written communications, and

   3. Demonstrating effective interpersonal skills.