Wichita Collaborative Psychology Internship Program

Clinical Neuropsychology Internship

This internship offers training in general clinical psychology while focusing on neuropsychological practice to help prepare trainees for a formal two-year fellowship in clinical neuropsychology. Specifically, internship training focuses on neuropsychological assessment across the lifespan and eventual board certification in neuropsychology (ABPP/ABCN). Common clinical experiences include:

- Outpatient neuropsychological evaluations of children, adolescents, adults, and older adults
- Consultation/Liaison services at area hospitals
- Inpatient evaluations on a geriatric psychiatric unit
- Competency/Capacity evaluations
- Neuropsychological assessment with civil litigation and workers’ compensation cases
- Psychotherapy experience available on switch day at other WCPIP training sites

Multidisciplinary communication is an integral part of the practice of neuropsychology in a medical environment. A strength of this training program is its collaboration and opportunities for consultation with professionals in multiple disciplines, including medical students, psychiatry residents, psychiatrists, pharmacists, and other psychology students at various levels of training. The aim of this internship is to provide clinical experiences and didactic educational opportunities that promote the development of competencies and prepare interns for neuropsychology residency and eventual practice in clinical neuropsychology.

Faculty and intern offices are located at the KU Wichita Center for Health Care

Our intern shares office space with other interns and postdoctoral fellows.

Neuropsychology Clinical Experience

Training in neuropsychology occurs in several venues under the direction of faculty adult neuropsychologists (Phillip Martin, PhD, LP, ABPP and Joshua Matyi, PhD, LP) and a faculty pediatric neuropsychologist (Kelli Netson-Amore, PhD, LP, ABPP). Geriatric neuropsychology training is provided in collaboration with KUSM-W faculty on the Senior Behavioral Health Unit at Ascension Via Christi Medical Center. Clinical services include:

Outpatient: KUSM-W Neuropsychology Clinic

Outpatient evaluations are conducted for patients with a wide range of neuropsychological insults including traumatic brain injury, vascular disease, encephalopathy, epilepsy, HIV, anoxic brain injury, seizure disorder, brain tumor, normal pressure hydrocephalus, Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and conversion disorder. Pediatric evaluations are conducted for children with genetic, developmental, neurologic, behavioral, and emotional disorders including autism-spectrum disorders, genetic syndromes, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, prenatal drug and alcohol exposure, and pediatric cancer. Referrals to the neuropsychology clinic at KUSM-W come from general physicians, neurologists, neurosurgeons, pediatricians, psychiatrists, attorneys, insurance companies, schools, and rehabilitations hospitals. There is significant diversity with regard to race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, urban vs. rural dwelling, and educational background of patients.

Our outpatient clinic is structured to meet the needs of our patients and referral sources in the most efficient manner possible. Evaluations are comprehensive but completed within one day with a feedback session typically provided one to two weeks later. Reports are brief, evidence-based, and tailored to meet the needs of the referral source. Interns take responsibility for their own patients and provide care from interview to feedback, including test selection, administration, scoring, and report-writing. Interns receive frequent structured and spontaneous supervision following a developmental model.

Interns may have the opportunity to be involved in civil litigation and workers’ compensation cases and when available, interns are invited to observe deposition testimony by neuropsychology faculty. Cases generally include civil litigation, Independent Medical Evaluations, and some criminal litigation.

Inpatient: Ascension Via Christi Hospitals

Consultations are conducted primarily with patients admitted to the Senior Behavioral Unit. These consultations frequently involve opinions regarding the patient’s ability to make reasoned decisions regarding finances, healthcare, and/or management of one’s estate. Interns are trained in legal issues/state laws related to capacity, and they are taught how to make decisions that will meet the burden necessary in a court of law.

Recommendations are frequently sought regarding the level of care needed by the patient due to cognitive impairment and for placement of the patient after dismissal from the hospital. Special care is given to ensure the patient’s safety while providing the greatest degree of independence in functioning. Some of these inpatients are subsequently seen for follow up evaluations in the outpatient clinic as well.

Training Expectations

It is expected that the intern will enter internship with prior training in test administration and scoring, neuropsychological conceptualization, and report-writing. Clinical activities are designed to improve the skills necessary for the independent practice of neuropsychology. Primary competencies will be developed in:

- Determining the focus and components of each evaluation given the referral questions (e.g. differential diagnosis and treatment planning, determination of capacity, independent neuropsychological examination for workers’ compensation, civil litigation).
- Hands-on assessment experience involving administration and interpretation of a wide range of adult and child measures.
- Integration of all available data including medical, employment, and school records.
- Consideration of diversity and contextual factors in symptom presentation and test performance
- Clinical conceptualization and differential diagnosis.
- Detection of symptom magnification, fabrication and malingering and evaluation of the nature and quality of test responses.
- Report writing targeted for the referral sources (e.g. physician, attorney, licensing board).
- Clear and empathic communication of results to patients and families during feedback sessions.

Didactics and Supervision

The neuropsychology intern is a member of a team that consists of faculty, fellows, interns, and practicum students. Supervision is provided by the neuropsychology faculty and fellows, and, as appropriate, by other faculty members. Supervision is a combination of scheduled individual meetings, immediate consultation as needed, and group supervision. The neuropsychology intern participates in several neuropsychology- and clinical psychology-related seminars:

Clinical Neuropsychology Seminar

This weekly didactic training experience focuses on preparation for board certification in neuropsychology. A rotating schedule of topical discussions led by faculty and trainees, review of written board exam preparation materials, mock oral board examinations, high-quality webinars, and guest speakers round out the experience. When appropriate, learners from other disciplines join these seminars to enrich discussions and broaden perspectives.

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.

Neuropsychology Journal Club

This monthly meeting includes brief presentations by neuropsychology team members on articles related to an assigned topic. Lively discussion among the entire neuropsychology team ensues.

Other Experiences

Additional didactics are available throughout the medical school and community. These meetings provide the intern with multiple opportunities to present clinical cases and research projects to a variety of audiences.

Research

While the primary focus of the internship program is training in clinical psychology and neuropsychological evaluation, research is ongoing in the neuropsychology team and opportunities for short-term projects are available. The neuropsychology intern is encouraged to participate in at least one research project with the goal of a poster at one or more national conferences, and/or a publication submission during their internship year. Neuropsychology faculty, who are nationally known for their work in neuropsychological validity assessment, are available to mentor and collaborate with interns on research projects. Previous projects have utilized data from local clinical databases, available national databases, professional surveys, and primary studies in the context of meta-analysis. Recent research articles are available here.

Neuropsychology Faculty

Phillip K. Martin, PhD, LP, ABPP

Associate Professor

Co-Training Director

Licensed Psychologist, State of Kansas

Nova Southeastern University, 2014

Primary Interests:

- Clinical Neuropsychology
- Assessment of Older Adults/Dementia
- Performance Validity Testing

Joshua M. Matyi, PhD, LP

Assistant Professor

Licensed Psychologist, State of Kansas

Utah State University, 2021

Primary Interests:

- Clinical Neuropsychology
- Assessment of Older Adults/Dementia

Kelli L. Netson-Amore, PhD, LP, ABPP

Director of Neuropsychology Clinic & Co-Training Director

Associate Professor

Licensed Psychologist, State of Kansas

University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2008

Primary Interests:

- Pediatric Neuropsychology
- Psycho-Oncology
- Healthcare Administration

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