Boys Town

Boys Town Internship Sites

Applicants have two positions to consider at Boys Town-Omaha and one position to consider at Boys Town-Grand Island.  Each applicant will rank these three positions separately. Supervision, training, and quality is equivalent with all positions; the location and the population served differ.

• Omaha Child/Adolescent Outpatient-Residential Emphasis
• Omaha Child/Adolescent Outpatient-Specialty Medical Clinic Emphasis
• Grand Island Child/Adolescent Outpatient

 

If selected for an interview you will be invited to attend a virtual open house.  Attendance is optional, but strongly encouraged. 

 

Boys Town – Omaha Open House Dates 

• December 12, 2022
• 8am-12pm

 

Boys Town – Grand Island Open House Dates

• December 12, 2022
• 1pm-4pm

 

If selected for an interview, you will attend a virtual interview on one of the designated interview dates. Date and time of interviews are decided by the training team at each respective site. Only applicants who we interview on the below designated interview days are ranked.

 

Boys Town – Omaha Interview Dates

• Tuesday, January 3, 2023
• Wednesday, January 4, 2023
• Monday, January 9, 2023
• Tuesday, January 10, 2023

 

Boys Town – Grand Island Interview Date

• Tuesday, January 3, 2023
• Wednesday, January 4, 2023
• 1pm-5pm

 

 Training Program Goals:

• Provide clinical services for youth and families across the Omaha metropolitan area, including the Boys Town Residential program.
• Develop competency in clinical case conceptualization.
• Develop competency in evidence-based approaches to treat a broad range of clinical concerns.
• Develop consultation skills across settings, programs, and professionals.

 

Training Program Values:

• Positive social climate
• Experiential learning – learning to perform requires an active behavioral process
• Lean into new experiences and don’t be afraid to make mistakes
• High-quality care to consumers
• Culturally sensitive and competent practice
• Critical thinking
• Functional understanding of behavior

 

The internship has a strong emphasis on clinical skills development and consultation skills development.  Ideal candidates are applicants who are interpersonally skilled and have an openness to learning.  The environment is supportive and collegial, and the workload is manageable.

Omaha Child/Adolescent Outpatient – Residential Emphasis

(Match Code: 141613)

Omaha Child and Adolescent Outpatient-Residential interns work within the Center for Behavioral Health on Boys Town Campus in Boys Town, Nebraska (which is a sub-community of Omaha, Nebraska). The Center includes an Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic, a Chemical Use Program, and an Assessment Program.   The Behavioral Health Clinic serves children, families, and adults from the greater Omaha metropolitan area, as well as youth who reside at Boys Town. 

 

The primary role of an intern in the Residential track is to provide direct and indirect services to children, adolescents, and caregivers in an outpatient setting.  Interns in this emphasis will also provide consultation and direct service to the Boys Town Residential Home Program and Boys Town Schools. Boys Town has an elementary/middle school, a high school, and a day school program.

 

Residential track interns could also have the opportunity to provide clinical services within an established medical clinic, accompanying a supervising psychologist. This may allow for professional development within the co-location integrated care model. We anticipate that this experience will continue to be a part of the training experience (pending covid restrictions).

Interns in this track also co-facilitate adolescent DBT groups and may have the opportunity to facilitate social skills groups. 

Training and supervision will be the same across the Residential and Specialty Medical emphases.  Please see Clinical Skills Development, Consultative Skills Development, Didactic Training, and General Information for Both Omaha and Grand Island Sites headings below for more information regarding a general description of the training program.

Omaha Child/Adolescent Outpatient – Specialty Medical Clinic Emphasis

(Match Code: 141627)

The Specialty Medical Clinic Emphasis is similar to the Residential emphasis track in that Interns have the opportunity to provide direct and indirect services to children, adolescents, and their caregivers from the Omaha community in an outpatient setting.  However, the specialty medical track intern will see a greater proportion of pediatric clients who are referred due to medical concerns.  These referral concerns may include enuresis, encopresis, migraines, Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, and chronic pain, among others.  In this track, interns will have the opportunity to consult within medical specialty clinics, which may include pediatric rheumatology and gastroenterology.  Interns in this track will co-facilitate outpatient adolescent DBT groups and may have the opportunity to facilitate social skills groups. 

Training and supervision will be the same across the Residential and Specialty Medical emphases.  Please see Clinical Skills Development, Consultative Skills Development, Didactic Training, and General Information for Both Omaha and Grand Island Sites headings below for more information regarding a general description of the training program.

Clinical Skills Development

Clinical experiences are focused on providing direct (individual, family, and group therapy) and indirect (consultation) services to children, adolescents, and their caregivers. Interns work in a community-based setting providing evidence-based mental health services to youth and families from the greater Omaha metropolitan region and the Boys Town Residential Home Program.

 

The Behavioral Health Clinic provides services to individuals and families across the lifespan; however, the internship focuses on services for individuals ages 0-18. Typical diagnostic profiles for clients vary and may include disruptive behavior disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, and compliance issues.

 

All interns, regardless of emphasis, will participate in facilitating group therapy.  Current established groups include Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Group for Adolescents (required) and Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills Group (optional). The DBT Skills Group for Adolescents serves middle school and high school students and teaches skills to handle difficult situations without losing control or acting impulsively. The Interpersonal Skills 4 Kids Program serves children and teens with social skills deficits.

Consultative Skills Development

Interns provide consultative services to Boys Town direct care staff, Boys Town administrators, Boys Town schools and staff, school professionals, primary care medical providers, specialty medical providers, and psychiatrists.

Didactic Training

Didactic trainings are provided two hours per week by licensed staff from the Behavioral Health Clinic. These trainings focus on the delivery of evidence-based treatment, consultation, primary care integration, and behavioral pediatrics. Examples of recent didactic topics include applying evidence-based treatment, learning theory, utilizing behavioral principles across the ages, refining therapeutic micro skills, engaging adolescents and families, family therapy skills and strategies, exposure and response prevention, DBT skills and strategies, trauma, substance abuse trends, elimination disorders, sleep problems, eating and feeding concerns, and navigating social media.

Boys Town Center for Behavioral Health – Omaha

There are several specialty services within the Center for Behavioral Health.  Staff involved in these services have received specialized training to provide comprehensive assessment and evidence-based intervention to clients.  Didactic presentations on these topics are typically part of the training curriculum.  There are opportunities to learn from providers who specialize in these areas; however, participation is not designed as part of the internship program.

 

The Adult Services Clinic provides assessment and treatment for clinical concerns ranging from young adulthood to end of life. 

 

The Assessment Clinic offers assessment services for children/adolescents experiencing learning obstacles, attention problems, emotional difficulties and/or behavioral problems.

 

The Chemical Use Program provides drug and alcohol education, treatment and prevention services to youth and adults, with varying conditions, including co-existing mental health conditions.

 

The Neurofeedback Clinic provides leading-edge treatment for pain management, migraines/chronic headaches and emotional regulation.

 

The Sports Psychology Clinic specializes in working with individual athletes and teams to build mental toughness skills and obtain optimal peak performance.

 

The Trauma Recovery Clinic is a specialized program for children, adolescents, and adults who are experiencing distress related to traumatic event(s).

Vice President of Behavioral Health, Boys Town

Patrick Friman, Ph.D.

Director, Behavioral Health Clinic (Omaha)

Tom Reimers, PhD.

 

Location: Boys Town Center for Behavioral Health (Omaha) - 13460 Walsh Drive Boys Town, NE 68010.

 

For more information regarding the Boys Town – Omaha Internship, please continue to the heading General Information for both Omaha and Grand Island Sites. 

Grand Island Child/Adolescent Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic

(Match Code 141622)

Director, Grand Island Behavioral Health

Carley Starling, Psy.D., LP

Email: carley.starling@boystown.org

 

This is a separate and unique internship training experience located in Grand Island, Nebraska, which is in the central part of the state. Interns work in a community-based setting providing mental health services to youth and families from the Grand Island and central Nebraska region. This region is a predominantly rural setting with a large Hispanic population. This position involves providing therapy, consultation and collaboration with primary care, school based and other community providers.

 

Boys Town Grand Island-Child/Adolescent Outpatient Track interns work within the Behavioral Health Clinic in Grand Island, Nebraska. Staff is comprised of professionals with the training, experience, and expertise necessary to provide families with the support and guidance needed to succeed. Outpatient services are provided for families with children from infancy to 22 who are experiencing social/emotional, academic, or behavior concerns.

Clinical Skills Development

Interns provide outpatient behavioral health services to clients who present with a wide range of referral concerns. Clients range in age from preschool through age 22. Diagnostic profiles for clients vary and often include behavioral disorders, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, adjustment disorders, trauma, neurodevelopmental disorders, and typical early childhood behavioral concerns (e.g., tantrums, toileting, eating, sleeping, compliance). Interns provide therapeutic services in Grand Island, Nebraska at the Boys Town Behavioral Health Clinic, as well as at either a specialty clinic at the Howard County Medical Center, or in an integrated setting within a pediatric OT, PT, and speech clinic located in Hastings, NE.

Consultative Skills Development

Interns also provide consultation to Boys Town-Central Nebraska staff, including administrators, direct care staff, and school staff. The Grand Island-Boys Town Programs include foster care, in-home services, care coordination and an alternative education program.

Didactic Training

Training focuses on the delivery of evidence-based treatment, consultation, primary care integration, and behavioral pediatrics with opportunities for assessment. Additional training opportunities may be available based on the intern’s interests and the needs of the families served.

 

Location:  Boys Town Behavioral Health Clinic – Grand Island is located in Grand Island, Nebraska 68803.

General Information for Both Omaha and Grand Island Sites

Supervision & Clinical Training

Interns receive extensive clinical training and supervision at both the Omaha and Grand Island sites. Interns participate in a minimum of two hours of weekly individual supervision and two hours of didactic trainings led by licensed staff. Supervision broadly focuses on evaluating, interpreting, and applying current psychological theory to clinical practice. There is also an emphasis on professional development.

 

Clinical training focuses on enhancing the competencies of interns to conceptualize cases, provide empirically supported therapeutic services, and communicate effectively.  

 

Interns also attend monthly seminars that include all the Nebraska Internship Consortium of Professional Psychology (NICPP) Interns. These seminars provide collaboration across all consortium sites and an opportunity to learn from faculty across the NICPP sites. 

Professional Development

Professional development is important to the Boys Town training program. This training involves direct experience in public speaking, cultivating referral resources, dealing with difficult persons, and developing and maintaining professional relationships. Interns will have opportunities to develop presentation skills and to improve consultation skills.

Research at Boys Town

Research during internship at Boys Town is optional and is not directly a part of the internship experience. We strongly encourage interns to complete and defend their dissertation before taking on any other research project. For those who have completed their dissertation and who have an interest in research, there are opportunities to grow your research portfolio outside of the clinic and consultation requirements.

Future Prospects

Interns can expect training experiences that will prepare them for post-doctoral experience in clinical, school, and academic settings. Applicants who complete their internship training at Boys Town have entered a variety of professional settings, including clinical post-doctoral fellowships, academia, research-based settings, private practice, group practice, integrated care, community mental health, and school psychologist positions.

 

Each year Boys Town Center for Behavioral Health in Omaha has several post-doctoral positions available and are typically populated by past interns.  Further, Boys Town has behavioral health clinics in several cities across the nation and some of these clinics are directed by former Boys Town interns and post-doctoral fellows. Many staff psychologists are also former interns.  Boys Town currently has Behavioral Health Clinics in Grand Island, Nebraska; Washington D.C.; Central Florida, South Florida and Las Vegas. It is anticipated that additional Boys Town Behavioral Health Clinics will open in New Orleans, Rhode Island, North Florida and Eastern Iowa in the future. Boys Town is invested in increasing the availability of quality behavioral health services across the country. Interns interested in clinical careers and who train at Boys Town are important to this endeavor. Learn more about our national clinics and our psychologists at  www.boystown.org/locations.

Benefits

Interns in all positions have: (a) a personal office; (b) individual computers equipped with a variety of statistical packages, access to the Internet and online library search systems, and email; and (c) statistical and computer technical assistance.

 

The yearly stipend is $34,000.  In addition to 120 hours of paid time off, interns also receive several paid holidays throughout the year.  Interns will also receive a $3,000 stipend at the start of the training year to assist with the cost of accessing medical benefits.  Additionally, interns can be reimbursed for medical expenses for them and/or dependents (up to $2,500) by providing documentation.

 

Interns are required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or need to receive an approved exemption from the Boys Town Human Resource Department prior to the start of their internship year.

 

Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home (Boys Town) requires background checks on applicants who will be performing ongoing services directly targeted to any youth, family, patient, or client (hereinafter referred to as “service recipient”). Background checks may include, but are not limited to: criminal history reviews, child abuse registry checks, education verifications, employment verifications, professional and personal references, drug screen and TB test.  Your eligibility for the doctoral internship at Boys Town is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, a health and drug screen and an abuse registry check.  Applicants are not permitted to test positive for unauthorized drugs or medication according to Nebraska law. Boys Town, as a Drug-Free Workplace, complies with all applicable state, federal, contractual, and accreditation requirements. Background checks will be conducted in accordance with state law and regulations; procedures for requesting and receiving results from such checks will adhere to local contracts, licensing regulations, and/or accrediting agencies’ requirements. As a condition of your contract, a satisfactory background check must be completed for anyone who will be performing ongoing services directly targeted to service recipients and anyone who will have unsupervised contact with any service recipient. No applicant can report for work until his or her background check has been satisfactorily completed. A Human Resources representative reviews the results of background checks, notes all issues and variances between the results and the application, and follows the Review and Use of Background Check Results, Human Resources Practice. Background check reviewers must consult the Director of Human Resources about significant variances or concerns. Completed background checks are maintained by the Human Resources Department. Applicants who withhold or falsify information on their application may be disqualified from further consideration. Additionally, certain offenses may disqualify an applicant based on the Review and Use of Background Check Results, Human Resources Practice. In these instances, the Human Resources Department will discuss appropriate information with the department. All applicants who are refused employment/service opportunities based in whole or in part on information received through a background check will be provided a copy of the information that was used to make the decision, in accordance with federal law, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and/or in accordance with applicable state law.

General Information About Boys Town

Boys Town - Omaha is embedded within the famous Father Flanagan's Boys' Home. The Home serves approximately 400 youth per day in its Residential Program. The treatment philosophy within the Residential Program is in the operant behaviorism and social learning theory traditions. The dominant perspective is a skills-based model in which youth learn progressively more complex social skills. A motivation system (i.e., token economy) is employed in which points are exchanged for privileges. The primary care agents are Family-Teachers (trained couples) who are responsible for implementing individual treatment plans.

 

Normalization of the youth's environment is also considered essential. Youth participate in daily-living chores, prepare their own meals, walk to free-standing schools, and are involved in extracurricular activities. The integrated continuum of care provides support for thousands of youth and their families across the country. The Boys Town program offers interns a diverse training experience.