THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

The Department of Psychological Services staff appreciates the support of CFISD principals and administration for our service delivery model to the entire 115,000+ student population, their parents, and district employees.

An Overview of the Department of Psychological Services

The district's Department of Psychological Services employs thirty-four professional staff, all of whom are licensed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (TSBEP) as Licensed Specialists in School Psychology (LSSP). Thirty-four professional staff members are doctoral level professionals with nineteen staff also having dual licensure through the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists as Licensed Psychologists. Currently our internship program has nine doctoral intern positions in its APA accredited Professional Psychology Intern Training program. Two full-time secretaries and one part-time student assistant complete the members of our department. 

The CFISD Department of Psychological Services has been recognized three times in the past as the most outstanding psychological division of the Texas Psychological Association (TPA) and twice by the Texas Association of School Psychologists (TASP) in 2002 and most recently in 2018. The department received the last Award of Excellence for School Psychological Services given jointly by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Members of the department have been named the "Outstanding School Psychologist" in Texas by the Division of School Psychology, Texas Psychological Association.

In 2004 the department opened the Family Interaction Training (FIT) Clinic in order to serve students and families in our district. The department’s psychology interns are able to act as therapists under the supervision of licensed staff through “live and video supervision” as well as supervision and processing after the night’s sessions.

Many of our former psychology Interns are employed as psychologists in schools across the country. Others have chosen a career in academia. Several have become Directors of their own Psychological Services Departments in other districts. Finally, many interns have elected to remain within our department when staff positions become available.

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES PROFESSIONAL STAFF

 

Services Professional Staff

 

Traci Schluter, Ph.D. - LSSP
Director of Psychological Services
University of Texas at Austin, 2001 (School Psychology)

Sara Glennon, Ph.D. - Psychologist, LSSP
Lead Psychologist
University of Arizona, 2009 (School Psychology)

John Nomura, Ph.D. - Psychologist, LSSP, NCSP
Lead Psychologist
Oklahoma State University, 2007 (School Psychology)

Jamie Griffin, Ph.D. - Psychologist, LSSP
Coordinator of Interns
Oklahoma State University, 2009 (School Psychology)

Sonia Babu, Ph.D. – LSSP
University of Houston, 2018 (School Psychology)

Richard “Wes” Baker, Ph.D. - Psychologist, LSSP
Mental Health Intervention Team
University of Texas at Austin, 2010 (School Psychology)

Alane Blakely, Ph.D. – Psychologist, LSSP, NCSP
Texas A&M University, 2015 (School Psychology) 

Aaron Boyce, Ph.D. – Psychologist, LSSP
University of Houston, 2015 (School Psychology)

Brittney Brown, Ph.D. – LSSP, NCSP
University of Alabama, 2014 (School Psychology)

Gayle Callahan, Ph.D. - Psychologist, LSSP, NCSP
University of Texas at Austin, 1993 (School Psychology)

Michelle Delaune, Ph.D. - Psychologist, LSSP
University of Texas at Austin, 1995 (School Psychology)

Erin Faith, Ph.D. – LSSP
University of Houston, 2018 (School Psychology)

Taryn H. Gore, Ph.D. – LSSP
Boston University, 2018 (Counseling Psychology and Human Development)
Northwestern University, 2013 (Counseling Psychology)

Melissa Hamilton Grisdale Ph.D. – LSSP, Postdoctoral Fellow
Louisiana State University, 2019 (School Psychology)

Charles Hallmark, Ph.D. – Psychologist, LSSP
University at Buffalo-SUNY, 2016 (Counseling/School Psychology)

Dierdre Henley Wood, MS – LSSP
University of Central Arkansas, (School Psychology)

Elizabeth Kenney, Ph.D. – LSSP
University of Florida, 2018 (School Psychology)

Alicia Knight, Ph.D. - Psychologist, LSSP
Texas A&M University, 2011 (School Psychology)

Karen Lake, Ph.D. - Psychologist, LSSP
Oklahoma State University, 2008 (School Psychology)

Xzania W. Lee, Ph.D. – Psychologist, LSSP
Tulane University, 2018 (School Psychology)

KimHoang “TK” Nguyen, Ph.D. - Psychologist, LSSP
University of Texas at Austin, 2012 (School Psychology)

Michelle Pastorek, Ph.D. - Psychologist, LSSP
Mental Health Intervention Team
Oklahoma State University, 2008 (School Psychology)

Elizabeth Perdue, Ph.D. – LSSP, Postdoctoral Fellow
Texas A&M University, 2019 (School Psychology)

Kelsey Perez, Ph.D. – Psychologist, LSSP, NCSP
Louisiana State University, 2016 (School Psychology)

Kelly Poirot, Ph.D. – LSSP, Postdoctoral Fellow
Illinois State University, 2019 (School Psychology)

Anthony “Tony” Roberson, Ph.D. – LSSP
Louisiana State University, 2019 (School Psychology)

Robin Schifano, Ph.D. – Psychologist, LSSP
Ball State University, 2011 (School Psychology)

Elizabeth Storey, Ph.D. - LSSP, Postdoctoral Fellow
University of South Florida, 2019 (School Psychology)

Meredith Takahashi, Ph.D. – Psychologist, LSSP, NCSP
Texas A&M University, 2015 (School Psychology)

Kristen Towne, Ph.D. – Psychologist, LSSP
Texas A&M University, 1995 (School Psychology)

Sarah Wehrly, Ph.D. – Psychologist, LSSP, NCSP
Texas A&M University, 2015 (School Psychology)

Brittany Whipple, Ph.D. – Psychologist, LSSP
Family Interaction Training Clinic Coordinator
University of Georgia, 2016 (School Psychology)

OUR MISSION

The mission of the Department of Psychological Services is to provide quality, broadly based psychological services to the entire school district through a comprehensive service delivery system. To meet this end, the department has targeted the following needs/goals: To encourage programs and provide services that result in prevention of mental health and educational difficulties.

To maximize the impact of psychological services by emphasizing indirect services to large populations of students considered at risk for emotional/behavioral interference with their education and to the families of those students

To provide direct services to small targeted groups of students who are determined to be in most extreme risk of school failure due to emotional/behavioral factors, to the families of these students, and to staff who are responsible for their education.

To coordinate with and compliment the community health and educational system through participation in local, state, and national professional and service organizations.

The Department of Psychological Services plays a significant role in the development, implementation, training, and on-going operation of preventative programs such as…

Provision of teacher, counselor, and administrator in-service training in areas related to the psychological needs of staff and students.

Development and implementation of a crisis intervention policy which involves the education of administrators, counselors, and teachers regarding the need for advanced preparation for crises and applying the district plan in every building.

Emphasis of suicide prevention as a district priority. Efforts include in-service training for school staff and administrators on assessment of lethality. The policy and methods for early detection of suicidal behavior have been distributed to every teacher in the district.
 

The Department of Psychological Services emphasizes the use of indirect services including…

Consultation with teachers in programs such as PPCD (early childhood), Pre-Kindergarten, Life Skills, and Adaptive Behavior(AB)/ACCESS classes. Consultation also is available to help planning for students with Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury, Tourette’s, Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, and Conduct Disorder.

Liaison with outside agencies and practitioners to ensure continuity of care as students move between the school and hospitals, private therapy, juvenile justice system, and other school districts.
 

The Department of Psychological Services provides direct services to at-risk students, their families, and district staff through…

Provision of regularly scheduled individual and/or group counseling as well as on-going case management for students identified as having an emotional disturbance.

Administration of comprehensive psychological evaluations for the purpose of qualifying students under Texas Education Agency (TEA) criteria for handicapping conditions such as Emotional Disturbance or Autism.

Intervention in crisis situations that necessitate emergency response to assist students seriously affected by the situation.

Presentation of parent education/training workshops for those parents dealing with their children's poor grades, emotional disturbance, Autism, ADHD, or adolescence.
 

Diversity Mission Statement

The program recognizes the importance of cultural and individual differences and diversity in the training of psychologists. Individual differences and diversity is defined as including, but not limited to, age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.

1. Department environment and culture
   The program ensures a welcoming, supportive, and encouraging learning environment for all individuals, including interns and staff from diverse and underrepresented communities. The program takes steps to maintain an atmosphere that promotes the success of all staff and interns. Program climate is reflected in the development of staff, training supervisors, and interns, as well as in district-wide service provision. These efforts are bolstered by didactic and experiential training that fosters an understanding of cultural and individual differences as it relates to professional psychology.
    
2. Culturally competent supervision and training
   We support and challenge each other’s understanding of our own biases and experiences through dialogue, discussion, readings and speakers. 
   
   The department acts to ensure a supportive and encouraging learning environment appropriate for the training of individuals are diverse and the provision of training opportunities for a broad spectrum of individuals. Further, the program avoids any actions that would restrict program access on grounds that are irrelevant to success in graduate training, either directly or by imposing significant and disproportionate burdens on the basis of the personal and demographic characteristics set forth in the definition of cultural diversity.  In addition, we recognize the importance of individual and cultural diversity as a foundational component imbedded throughout the supervisory process. This is accomplished through a collaborative working relationship between the supervisor and supervisee as well as in each of our competencies of professional practice.
    
3. Cultural competent service provision
   Our highly skilled and interdisciplinary staff develop evidence-based interventions tailored to each individual’s unique background and needs by working with students and community partners. When conducting evaluations, we strive to ensure our evaluations use evidence-based assessment tools striving to ensure cultural sensitivity and fairness. Psychological service providers consider the validity of a given instrument or procedure and interpret resulting data, keeping in mind the cultural and linguistic characteristics of the person being assessed. Psychological service providers are aware of the test's reference population and possible limitations of such instruments with other populations. We believe that effective consultation is dependent upon our understanding of the diverse populations we serve and our ability to work with individuals from varied cultures. 
    
4. Recruitment and retention of minority interns and staff with efforts on ongoing qualitative assessment (i.e., exit interviews)
   The program has made systematic, coherent, and long‐term efforts to attract and retain interns and faculty/staff from diverse backgrounds into the program. The program has made and continues to make systematic, coherent, and long‐term efforts to attract interns and staff from different ethnic, racial, gender, and personal backgrounds into the department. It reviews its success with these efforts and makes changes as appropriate. The program must demonstrate systematic and long‐term efforts to recruit and retain faculty/staff who are from diverse backgrounds. 
    
5. Community Outreach
   The department strives to enhance our community’s appreciation of diverse perspectives and to increase awareness of the value of cultural differences. Our department is dedicated to actively expanding our understanding of the role of diverse experiences and backgrounds in the lives of individuals and in our community. With over 100 languages and dialects spoken in the district and the majority of students from culturally diverse backgrounds, the department strives to integrate cultural understandings of macroscopic and microscopic approaches. We accomplish these goals through community outreach programs, including but not limited to periodic district and school-based parenting classes, parenting workshops (offered in multiple languages and at a reduced fee), participation in the district health expo, and the provision of diverse resources for parents. We also collaborate with district stakeholders, families and the community at large to gauge needs and solicit feedback.  

OUR PROVISION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

The Cypress-Fairbanks Psychological Services Department utilizes a broad service delivery model. It helps the district respond to the numerous behavioral and emotional needs of its students. A summary of the continuum of services of the department and an approximate percentage of time spent in each service follows:

ROLE	PERCENTAGE OF TIME
Consultation	20%
Behavior Management	10 - 20%
Counseling	30%
Crisis Intervention	As Needed
Suicide Prevention	As Needed
Psychological Evaluations	10 - 20%
Staff In-services/Presentations	<5%
Parent Education	5%
School-Community Relations	<5%
Professional Involvement	<5%

 

With written consent or as part of a special education program, district psychologists and psychology interns provide psychological services to students following referral by appropriate school district personnel/IEP committee. Sometimes in a crisis situation psychologists/psychology interns may meet with a student without parent/guardian consent. 

 

Parent Resources

• Breaking Down ED: Helping Your Child Achieve School Success
• Parent Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorders ~ [Español] [Vietnamese]

BUILDING POSITIVE BEHAVIORS PARENT TRAINING

• Building Positive Behaviors Night 1 ~ [Espanol]
  • Building Positive Behavior Night 1 Video
     
• Building Positive Behaviors Night 2 ~ [Espanol]
  • Buidling Positive Behaviors - Night 2 Video
     
• Building Positive Behaviors Night 3 ~ [Español]
  
   

PARENTING YOUR TEENAGE STUDENT

• Parenting Your Teenage Student Transition & Change - Night 1 ~ [Español]
  • Parenting Your Teenage Student - Night 1 Video
     
• Parenting Your Teenage Student Transition & Change - Night 2  ~ [Español]
  • Parenting Your Teenage Student - Night 2 Video
     
• Parenting Your Teenage Student Transition & Change - Night 3  ~ [Español]

 

INTERNSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association

The Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Internship Program in the Department of Psychological Services follows a Practitioner-Scholar Training Model that provides psychology interns the skills and training necessary to become successful practitioners of child and adolescent psychology, with an emphasis on psychological services within a school district. By integrating the best available research, clinical expertise, and knowledge of complex client factors, interns are trained to provide comprehensive evidence-based practice in psychology during their internship year and beyond.

Interns practice thinking critically and evaluating the findings of empirically-based knowledge within the context of a broad base of practically applied experiences. Training also emphasizes the ability to use these skills in different settings and with a diverse range of children and adolescents; to act and present information in a professional, ethical manner; and to communicate recommendations effectively to students, parents, school personnel, and other mental healthcare professionals.

Interns also learn the importance of continuing their professional education by attending and/or presenting at conventions/workshops that increase their professional expertise, that maintain current knowledge in the profession, and that pursue areas of specialization within their chosen field. Additionally, interns are provided opportunities to develop and hone their own teaching and presentation skills by providing training and staff development workshops to school staff, parents, and Psychological Services staff members. 

Our internship training program has been fully accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1992. Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: [email protected] 
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation 

Specific information regarding the application to our internship program can be found at the end of this web page.

 

ORGANIZATION OF THE INTERN TRAINING PROGRAM

CORE EXPERIENCES

Interns engage in an organized sequence of activities under supervision. During the first two weeks of internship, they are oriented to the intern program and the department's services to the district. Assignments to both site supervisors and campuses are made during this time, and training plans are individually developed for each intern.

The typical work week for interns involves providing services at their campuses, receiving individual and group supervision, and attending targeted training colloquia. Monday through Thursday, interns provide comprehensive psychological services to the three to five campuses to which they are assigned. Interns are assigned to at least one school at every developmental level (i.e. High School, Middle School, and Elementary School), with a varying degree of responsibility and task demands in each setting.

Interns have the opportunity to work with students in general education, as well as students with disabilities, from ages 3 to 21. The district provides several programs to meet various educational needs, such as Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD), Life Skills, and Adaptive Behavior (AB).

Each intern will receive a minimum of two hours of individual, face-to-face supervision per week (per APA guidelines). Typically this is spread across site supervisors, with one-half-hour of supervisory time spent with each assigned site supervisor for each day assigned with that supervisor/site.

Fridays are dedicated to training and group supervision. Interns begin the day in group supervision with the Coordinator of Interns, followed by assessment and treatment case study groups.

Assessment group focuses on the conceptualization and evaluation of mental health disorders and educational disabilities. Topics include diagnostic taxonomies, assessment techniques, report writing, case conceptualization, and treatment planning. Treatment group provides the interns training on interventions, data collection/monitoring, and the integration of individualized strategies within school-wide systems. Topics include individual and group counseling strategies, behavior consultation, evidence-based practices for internalizing and externalizing concerns, etc. Assessment group and treatment group provide didactic instruction, case studies, and open dialog about important issues.

INTERN ROLES

Interns provide a variety of psychological services for both general education and special education students. They provide pre-referral intervention that includes consultation with parents and school staff regarding behavioral, social, and academic concerns; social skills or other psycho-educational groups; and time-limited evidence-based interventions for preventative mental health concerns. Interns also provide direct psychological services, such as individual counseling and group counseling with students, and indirect psychological services, such as behavioral consultation with teachers, parents, and outside service providers.

Interns conduct evaluations for disability conditions such as Autism, Emotional Disturbance, and ADHD/Disruptive Behavior Disorders. They also conduct evaluations for special education programming, such as Related Services Evaluations and Functional Behavioral Assessments.

ADJUNCTIVE EXPERIENCES
 

Family Interaction Training Clinic:

Through the Family Interaction Training (FIT) Clinic, interns provide parent training and behavior consultation services in the evening one day a week to families from the district. The Clinic’s time-limited treatment program is rendered at minimal cost to families and uses evidence-based interventions, such as Parent Management Training and Incredible Years. Throughout the year, interns play an integral role in referral review, case selection, treatment planning, and progress monitoring. Further, interns receive direct training in providing supervision, as they are provided with dedicated training in the area and paired with peer supervisors. Clinic services are supervised by Licensed Psychologists in vivo (via a one-way mirror), through video monitoring, and during weekly small group supervision meetings.

Write Club:

Write Club is the CFISD Psychology Department's research group. Staff and interns are involved in multi-year research projects. The primary goal of psychological research at CFISD is to improve clinical services provided to students and their families, while also enriching the training experience of psychology trainees and the practice of staff members. Write Club provides interns didactics concerning best practices and cultural competence in program evaluation, using data to inform practice, and dissemination/sustainability of projects and programs in schools. Members meet monthly to discuss their research interests, review journal articles, and monitor the progress of ongoing projects.  

Council of Houston Area Training Sites (CHATS):

CHATS is a consortium of Houston area APA-accredited intern sites, comprised of the Houston Independent School District, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Michael E. DeBakey VAMC, Baylor College of Medicine Pediatrics, University of Houston, and University of Houston, Clear Lake. Approximately six times throughout the internship year, interns attend didactic training and networking workshops hosted by CHATS and each training site. Past CHATS events have included an ethics workshop and a Mock Oral Examination. 

Other additional experiences:

In addition to the above, other experiences are provided, such as presenting a 3-week parenting education series to community parents. During the second semester, interns will also present to staff on a research/practice topic of their choice. Interns also have increased opportunities for research, dissertation, assisting in program development and evaluation, individual projects, and other opportunities agreed upon between the interns and the Coordinator of Interns.

Please follow this link to view the current Internship Manual.

Internship Admissions, Support and Initial Placement Data
 

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM TABLES

Date Program Tables were updated: August 2020

Internship Program Admissions

Texas law requires psychologists working in the schools to hold the Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) credential. In recognition of the unique skills that are necessary for practice in the schools, internship applicants from School Psychology Training Programs are considered strong candidates. However, applicants from Clinical and Counseling Programs with experience working in school systems or who have experience working with school age children and are considering a career in providing psychological services in the schools are encouraged to apply.  

Does the program require that applicants have received a minimum number of hours of the following at time of application? Yes

Total Direct Contact Intervention Hours: 300

Total Direct Contact Assessment Hours: 300

Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants:

We require at least 800 practicum hours in the provision of a variety of psychological services including assessment, consultation, and interventions and treatment. Those candidates who do not meet the Direct Contact Intervention Hours and/or the Direct Contact Assessment Hours, but who have at least 800 practicum hours in the provision of a variety of psychological services are encouraged to apply.  

A completed application to our program will consist of:

• APPIC "universal" application including Program Verification of Eligibility for Internship including curriculum vitae, all official Graduate school transcripts and three letters of recommendation
• One sample psychological evaluation

All applications are processed through the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) Internship Matching Program. The Match is sponsored and supervised by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). The Match is administered on behalf of APPIC by National Matching Services Inc. This internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant.

OUR MATCH NUMBER IS: 157811

Financial and Other Benefit Support for Upcoming Training Year*

Annual Stipend/Salary for Full-time Interns:	$28,000
Annual Stipend/Salary for Half-time Interns:	N/A
Program provides access to medical insurance for intern?	Yes
Trainee contribution to cost required?	Yes
Coverage of family member(s) available?	Yes
Coverage of legally married partner available?	Yes
Coverage of domestic partner available?	No
Hours of Annual Paid Personal Time Off (PTO and/or Vacation):	5.0 Personal Days
Hours of Annual Paid Sick Leave:	5.5 Sick Days
In the event of medical conditions and/or family needs that require extended leave, does the program allow reasonable unpaid leave to interns/residents in excess of personal time off and sick leave?	Yes

Other Benefits: Mileage reimbursement; funds for continuing education; office space; laptop computer; school district holiday schedule; clerical and professional supplies and support; and access to department professional library

* Note. Programs are not required by the Commission on Accreditation to provide all benefits listed in this table.

Initial Post-Internship Positions

2017-2019

Total # of interns who were in the 3 cohorts: 25

Total # of interns who did not seek employment because they returned to their doctoral program/are completing doctoral degree: 0

	PD	EP
Community mental health center	2	0
Federally qualified health center	0	0
Independent primary care facility/clinic	1	0
University counseling center	0	0
Veterans Affairs medical center	0	0
Military health center	0	0
Academic health center	0	0
Other medical center or hospital	1	0
Psychiatric hospital	0	0
Academic university/department	2	0
Community college or other teaching setting	0	0
Independent research institution	1	0
Correctional facility	1	0
School district/system	0	15
Independent practice setting	0	3
Not currently employed	0	0
Changed to another field	0	0
Other	0	0
Unknown	0	0

Note: "PD" = Post-doctoral residency position; "EP" = Employed Position.
 

IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES

The 2021-22 internship begins the first week of August and ends by mid-June. The number of contract days is 197 and interns are expected to accumulate at least 2000 hours during that span. The internship is considered a 10-month/2000 hour internship. It is recommended that intern applicants explore the licensing requirements of all states in which they may wish to practice upon the completion of their internship.

The application deadline is NOVEMBER 13, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.

We will contact you by December 15 regarding your application status and interview scheduling in order for you to obtain lower travel fares with advance notice.

Interviews are scheduled to take place in person at CFISD January 5, 7, 8, 11, 13, & 15. However, COVID-19 and health risks are being monitored and virtual interviews may be requested or required depending on national, state and local guidance. There are a limited number of interview slots reserved each date and they are filled on a first request basis.

If interviews occur in person please plan on spending at least four hours with us. If you are interviewing before lunch, you will begin your day with us at 8am for a brief presentation and Q&A session with the current interns, designed to help you learn more about our internship program and district. In between (or after) this orientation and your interviews, you will be taken on a tour of campuses within our district and spend time with current interns and staff. At noon, you will be provided lunch and the opportunity to visit with available department staff and interns. 

If you are interviewing after lunch, please join us for lunch at noon (our treat). Your orientation will begin at 1pm. The remainder of your afternoon will be spent in the interview, campus tour, and visits with staff (as detailed above). 

During your interview time, we will ask to take a photo of you in order to assist us in remembering you after we have conducted all interviews. You may, however, elect not to have your photo taken if you choose. This choice will have no impact on your interview or status.

Interviews may be requested or required to occur virtually for the 2021 Match. Three hours should be reserved for interviews, time for current intern and staff Q&A's and a virtual tour.   

For more information, please contact:

Jamie Griffin, Ph.D., Coordinator of Interns
[email protected]
CFISD Dept. of Psychological Services
Cy-Fair Annex
22602 Northwest Fwy
Cypress, TX 77429
(281) 807-8180 (phone)
(281) 807-8183 (fax)

Thank you for your interest in our department and internship program.

 

2020-2021 INTERNS