Externship Rotations
Our externship program provides a rich variety of clinical intervention and evaluation experiences, in a range of settings, under supervision by our faculty. Rotations are organized by type of training experience (i.e., intervention, pediatric psychology, integrated primary care), and some rotations include a combination of intervention and evaluation opportunities. Specific days of the week in which rotations are offered is noted where applicable. If a rotation has flexibility for another day of the week, that will be noted in the description.
Intervention Rotations
2025–2026 Training Year
Autism Behavior Consultation Clinic/Autism Testing
The Autism Behavior Consultation Clinic (ABC) housed in the Swank Autism Center is designed to provide brief, targeted behavioral services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disorders and their caregivers. Intervention focuses on psychoeducation and empirically based approaches to behavior management within a neurodiversity affirming lens. Intervention targets include aggression, emotion regulation, tantrums, compliance, self-help skills, picky eating and toileting concerns. Appointments in ABC are 45 minutes and therapy focuses on evidence-based techniques to support autistic children’s identity development, coping skills, skill development, emotional regulation and increase caregivers’ ability to understand and support their child. Onsite telehealth opportunities are available contingent on family preference. This experience often involves coordination with schools and/or other multidisciplinary team members as appropriate.
Externs see patients on Wednesdays and will obtain 4–5 intervention hours per week. Individual and live supervision via one-way mirror and opportunities to shadow advanced trainees are available. Third-year students and above are encouraged to apply. Externs in the ABC clinic are able to combine this with another Nemours rotation or add an autism testing day within Swank for a 2-day placement. Autism testing experience may include diagnostic interviewing, administering diagnostic assessments (e.g., ADOS-2, Tele-ASD-PEDS, WISC-V, DAS-II), leading feedback sessions and writing integrated reports. The autism rotation is only available as an add-on experience to externs in the ABC clinic and is to occur on Monday or Thursday. If interested in a 2-day practicum including autism testing, please note this in the cover letter. Experience delivering caregiver-mediated behavioral interventions, conducting diagnostic evaluations and/or working with autistic youth in another capacity is preferred. Autistic trainees are strongly encouraged to apply. Preferred start date is June 2025.
Supervisor: Lily Slavin, PhD and Emily Bernabe, PhD
Behavior Consultation Clinic
The Behavior Consultation Clinic (BCC) is a consultation and short-term intervention experience designed to provide evidence-based intervention services for children under 5 and their caregivers. Patients present with a wide range of behavioral and developmental concerns that commonly occur in early childhood, including disruptive behavior, separation anxiety, specific phobias, selective mutism, emotion regulation difficulties, sleep problems, toileting concerns and selective eating. Referrals to this clinic come from a wide range of sources including primary care, developmental medicine, medical subspecialists as well as self-referrals. As a result, some patients in this clinic have co-occurring medical and/or developmental complexities.
Externs will implement empirically-supported, caregiver-mediated interventions in a fast-paced, hospital outpatient clinic setting. Evidence-informed strategies with foundations in PCIT, PMT and behavioral therapy will be flexibly implemented to meet the individual and cultural perspectives of each family.
Clinic is on Friday mornings from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with externs seeing up to five 45-minute visits. In-person visits and onsite telehealth opportunities are available. Group supervision is provided at the start of each clinic, live supervision is provided via a one-way mirror during clinic, and additional individual supervision is available. Friday afternoon is typically used for supervision, telephone consultation with medical and childcare providers and documentation. Externs participate in a cohort with 2–4 other learners and have opportunities to learn from observing their cases from behind the mirror. There are also opportunities to participate in medical resident teaching during clinic.
Fourth-year students and above are encouraged to apply, externs are able to combine this with another rotation for a 2-day placement. Preferred start date is September 2025.
Supervisor: Meghan McAuliffe Lines, PhD and Zach Radcliff, PhD
Clinical Child Therapy — Parent Child Interaction Therapy and Behavioral Feeding
This externship provides intervention services for children with feeding difficulties (ARFID) often comorbid with depression, anxiety and disruptive behaviors and for young children with moderate to severe disruptive behavior problems (PCIT). We are recruiting for one student to participate in this 2-day experience.
In the PCIT rotation, externs will learn how to provide PCIT to young children (2–6 years old) with disruptive behaviors and/or emotional concerns and their caregivers. Training in the implementation of PCIT with fidelity is provided in accordance with PCIT International standards for certification. It is sometimes possible for externs to become certified in PCIT upon completion of the rotation. On occasion, PCIT modifications and/or other evidence-based treatments may also be offered in conjunction with standard PCIT, as children may also present with anxiety, emotion regulation difficulties, attention concerns and toileting/sleep concerns. The PCIT day begins at noon on Mondays with group supervision, followed by clinic Monday afternoons from 1–5 p.m. Live supervision is provided via one-way mirror, individual supervision can also be provided as needed. This experience often involves coordination with schools and/or other multidisciplinary team members as appropriate.
In the Behavioral Feeding Treatment rotation (Thursday), externs will gain therapy experience by providing family-based behavioral treatment to children (early and middle childhood) with eating disorders/feeding concerns that may be comorbid with depression, anxiety and other disruptive behaviors. Some opportunities to see adolescents with eating disorders may also be available. Externs can expect to receive 6–8 hours of intervention experience weekly and will also have the opportunity to learn from and observe other trainees in clinic. Behavioral Feeding begins with supervision at noon on Thursdays followed by clinic from 1–5p.m.
Fourth-year students and above are encouraged to apply. Experience in cognitive behavior therapy and early childhood is preferred. Onsite telehealth work may also be available dependent on family preference. Externs are required to be onsite Monday and Thursday afternoon. Preferred start date is July 2025.
Supervisor: Zohal Heidari, PhD
Clinical Child and Adolescent Therapy — Youth Mood and Anxiety
The Clinical Child and Adolescent Therapy — Youth Mood and Anxiety (CCAT-YMAP) externship provides intervention services for children and adolescents with depression, anxiety and other mood disorders.
In this rotation, externs will gain therapy experience by providing individual treatment to children and adolescents with depression, anxiety and other mood concerns. They will have the potential to gain experience in and/or receive didactic training in evidence-based therapies for children and adolescents, such as DBT, ACT and CBT-informed interventions. Externs can expect to receive 4 hours of intervention experience weekly and will also have the opportunity to learn from and observe other trainees in clinic. Date and time of extern’s placement is flexible and can be completed either in the morning or afternoon. Specific day of the week will vary depending on your supervisor placement with Wednesday and Thursday available. Externs have the opportunity to see patients in the morning or afternoon depending on supervisor. Onsite in person and onsite telehealth service delivery is available contingent on family preference. Fourth-year students and above with experience providing evidence-based therapies, work with diverse populations and experience with adolescents/youth are encouraged to apply. Preferred start date is July 2025.
Supervisor: Lian Liu, PhD, Chesha Simon, PsyD, Robert Washington, PhD
Early Childhood and Adolescent Therapy at Milford
The Early Childhood & Adolescent Therapy (ECAT) rotation at our Milford clinic offers a unique opportunity to gain intervention experience for early childhood and adolescent concerns in a one-day placement. The Milford clinic is located in a rural community and aims to increase access to therapy services for youth and their families. The day is structured where the extern will see 2–3 early childhood patients in the morning, receive an hour of supervision, and then see 2 adolescent patients in the afternoon. Externs will gain experience implementing culturally humble, evidence-based interventions for common early childhood concerns (e.g., disruptive behavior, sleep, toileting) while also gaining experience working with children and adolescents presenting with internalizing concerns and associated challenging behaviors. Externs can expect 4–6 intervention hours per week with opportunities to consult with daycares, schools and other providers. If interested, externs may also have the opportunity to partner with the psychologist to complete diagnostic interviews and developmental assessments for children (0–5 y.o.) presenting with behavioral and developmental concerns. Opportunity for onsite telehealth services is available contingent on family preference. Externs to participate in training activities onsite. However, participating in training activities through a hybrid model of in-person and telehealth service delivery can also be discussed.
Date of placement is flexible with Wednesday or Thursday availability preferred. Fourth-year students and above are preferred with experience in cognitive behavior therapy, exposure-based interventions and early childhood. Opportunities to learn from and observe other trainees in clinic is available. Preferred start date is June or July 2025.
Supervisor: Joanna Smith, PhD
Gastroenterology Behavioral Health Clinic
This externship provides opportunities to complete initial diagnostic evaluations, therapeutic intervention and consultation services with children and adolescents referred from the Division of Gastroenterology. Presenting conditions include adjustment to organic gastrointestinal diagnoses (i.e., inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, motility disorders, etc.) and disorders of gut-brain interaction (i.e., functional abdominal pain, Irritable bowel syndrome, encopresis, etc.). Externs will gain experience using behavioral, cognitive-behavioral and acceptance-based strategies within this pediatric population. Potential opportunities to work and/or collaborate with other disciplines in multidisciplinary clinics are available.
Placement is available at Nemours Children’s Health in Wilmington, Delaware on Mondays or Wednesdays. Third-year students and above are encouraged to apply. Experience with conducting diagnostic evaluations, cognitive behavioral therapy, caregiver-mediated behavioral strategies and other evidence-based strategies is preferred. Externs are able to combine this with another rotation for a 2-day placement. Externs can expect to gain 4–6 hours of intervention experience weekly in this one-day placement. Onsite telehealth for some patients may be available depending on family preference. Preferred start date June or July 2025.
Supervisor: Kira Branch, PsyD
Sickle Cell Disease Clinic
This externship will provide opportunities for brief evaluation (intakes, developmental screening), intervention (pain management, adherence, stress coping) and inpatient consultation liaison in a multidisciplinary Sickle Cell Disease clinic. The extern will work with providers on the multidisciplinary team including hematologists, nurse practitioners, social work and nutrition. Externs will gain experience using behavioral, cognitive behavioral and acceptance techniques.
Fourth-year students and above are encouraged to apply. Clinic is held on Monday. This rotation can be combined with another rotation for a 2-day placement. Opportunity for onsite telehealth work is available. Preferred start date is July 2025.
Supervisor: Steve Reader, PhD
Integrated Primary Care Consultation and Treatment
This externship focuses on conducting diagnostic assessments, implementing brief therapeutic interventions with children, adolescents and their caregivers, and providing consultation services with medical professionals at Nemours Children's Health primary care offices in Dover, Middletown, Newark and Milford. One full day is spent with clinic patients, students can expect to gain 4–5 hours of direct patient care experience a week. Patient populations are sociodemographically, racially, linguistically and geographically diverse across clinics and include a wide variety of ages and presenting conditions including behavioral disorders, ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, elimination disorders, developmental delays, learning disabilities as well as eating, toileting and sleeping difficulties. Externs will gain experience utilizing brief screening measures (e.g., Wide Range Achievement Test-5, Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing-2, behavior and mood rating forms) as needed to clarify diagnoses and inform therapeutic and educational interventions and complete brief evaluations for ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Externs will have the opportunity to interact with medical providers to participate in joint visits and warm handoffs, and present psychology lectures to office staff.
In our Middletown and Newark clinic, externs are expected to participate in clinic activities in person, opportunities for onsite telehealth service delivery are available contingent on family preference. In the Dover and Milford clinics, preference is for externs to participate in training activities onsite. However, participating in training activities through a hybrid model of in-person and telehealth service delivery can also be discussed with interested applicants. Bilingual (English/Spanish) applicants may have opportunities to provide intervention and receive supervision in Spanish from Drs. Garcia (Milford) and Malkoff (Dover).
Locations and days in which specific rotations are available are listed below. Fourth-year students and above are encouraged to apply. Experience implementing cognitive behavior therapy for mood concerns, caregiver-mediated behavior management techniques and interventions to improve sleep and school functioning for children and adolescents ages 3–18 is preferred. Experience screening for ADHD and ASD is preferred. Rotations can be combined with others to create a 2-day placement. Four to five hours of intervention experience can be expected per week with additional opportunities for brief assessment, shadowing and consultation. Preferred start date is July 2025.
Locations:
Dover
Day Available: Thursday (Tuesday if needed)
Supervisor: Anne Malkoff, PhD
Middletown
Days Available: Thursday
Supervisor: Kathryn, Hoffses, PhD
Newark
Days available: Thursday
Supervisor: Leah Orchinik, PhD
Milford
Day Available: Flexible with Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday availability
Supervisor: Allen Garcia, PhD
