Clinical Child Psychology Internship
This internship is structured to provide general clinical psychology experience while offering interns specialized training in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and families. Interns will provide outpatient diagnostic evaluations and evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral problems. They will conduct psychological and neuropsychological evaluations with children and adolescents who have cognitive and neurodevelopmental disorders. Interns will also provide pediatric consultation/liaison services at the local children’s hospital, evaluating acute suicidal ideation and psychological factors affecting medical treatment. Clinical experiences with an adult population will be available on the intern's switch day to another WCPIP agency.
Clinical Experience
The intern’s clinical experience in this track will include both psychotherapy and assessment.
Outpatient Psychotherapy: KUSM-W Child & Adolescent Psychology Clinic
Child psychotherapy experiences will take place under the supervision of Drs. Zachary Blackhurst, Kirsten Engel, and Nicole Klaus. The intern will see patients with a variety of presenting complaints including anxiety, mood, behavior, and adjustment issues. The intern will complete comprehensive diagnostic evaluations using semi-structured interviews and a variety of clinical rating scales to develop an initial case conceptualization and treatment plan drawing on evidence-based treatment approaches. Training is provided in cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, parent management training, and other evidenced-based psychotherapies. Patients are typically referred by their pediatrician or psychiatrist, and interns will gain experience collaborating with these providers in the child’s care.
Outpatient Assessment: KUSM-W Neuropsychology Clinic
Assessment experience will take place at the KUSM-W Neuropsychology Clinic under the supervision of Kelli Netson-Amore, PhD, LP, ABPP. Presenting concerns include neurodevelopmental disorders, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, and genetic or medical conditions affecting the child’s cognition or development. Interns will gain experience with battery selection, clinical interviewing, test administration and scoring, interpretation of test results, report writing, and provision of feedback to families. Specific training in autism assessment is available.
Inpatient Consultation/Liaison: Wesley Children's Hospital
Interns will engage in inpatient pediatric psychology consultations at Wesley Children’s Hospital. The KUSM-W child psychology team regularly conducts consultative evaluations for safety planning in the context of suicidal ideation or self-injurious behavior. Additional consultation is available in brief bedside interventions for health-related anxiety, treatment adherence, and other factors affecting medical status. Psychologists are engaged in a number of multidisciplinary activities with colleagues from multiple specialties. Many collaborations take place in the outpatient psychology clinic after children are discharged from the hospital. Opportunities are available for short- and long-term therapeutic interventions with chronically ill children.
Didactics and Supervision
Multidisciplinary Child Seminar
This bi-weekly seminar is attended by members of our child and adolescent psychology and psychiatry team. We present shared and challenging cases, explore current literature, share updates from recently attended conferences, and invite guest speakers on topics of interest.
Behavioral Pediatrics Case Conference
This bi-monthly meeting is attended by clinicians from psychiatry, psychology, neuropsychology, genetics, and developmental pediatrics. Various specialists within the group take turns presenting on topics of interest, clinical cases, and research updates.
Clinical Psychology WCPIP Seminar
This two-hour weekly seminar features guest speakers presenting on a variety of clinical psychology topics in keeping with the American Psychological Association’s guidelines for training doctoral level psychologists. These seminars are attended by all WCPIP Interns.
Psychiatry Grand Rounds
The Department of Psychiatry conducts these bi-weekly didactics on topics related to mental health issues in accordance with the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association’s guidelines for training doctoral and post-graduate clinicians. Invited local and national speakers offer expertise on a range of topics related to the practice of psychiatry.
Other Experiences
Additional didactics include Grand Rounds in the Department of Pediatrics, journal clubs, and annual conferences in child mental health.
Child & Adolescent Training Faculty
Zachary Blackhurst, PhD, LP
Clinical Assistant Professor
Licensed Psychologist, State of Kansas
Brigham Young University, 2020
Primary Interests
Child and Adolescent Psychology
School-based mental health
Kirsten S. Engel, PhD, LP
Clinical Assistant Professor
Licensed Psychologist, State of Kansas
University of North Dakota, 2016
Primary Interests
Child and Adolescent Psychology
Nicole Klaus, PhD, LP, ABPP
Associate Professor
Licensed Psychologist, State of Kansas
The Ohio State University, 2006
Primary Interests:
Child and Adolescent Psychology
Youth Suicide Prevention
Expanding access for pediatric mental health care
Kelli L. Netson-Amore, PhD, LP, ABPP-CN
Director of Neuropsychology Clinic & Co-Director of Training
Associate Professor
Licensed Psychologist, State of Kansas
University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2008
Primary Interests:
Pediatric Neuropsychology
Psycho-Oncology
Healthcare Administration
Contact Us
Kelli Netson-Amore, PhD, ABPP | University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita| 8533 E 32nd St N | Wichita, KS | 67226 | 316-293-3850 | knetson@kumc.edu