Student Training Opportunities

Pathways to Housing offers training opportunities for clinicians studying psychology, nursing, and social work.

Pathways to Housing Clinical Psychology Externship Program

About the Externship Program: By working at Pathways, psychology externs gain the opportunity to work with formerly-homeless adults diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI) in a unique, community-based setting.  Working collaboratively with other ACT team members, externs obtain the opportunity to provide individual psychotherapy, co-facilitate treatment groups, attend team meetings, and (occasionally) conduct psychological assessments to facilitate treatment decisions.  Externs work with clients with a wide-range of clinical issues that can be the focus for treatment, including substance use/abuse, depression and other mood disturbance, persistent psychotic symptoms, anger management, personality disorders, and the development of life goals/meaning.  Treatment manuals such as the Illness Management and Recovery workbook are made available to students to facilitate clinical work.

Time Commitment: A minimum one-day (8 hrs.) per week commitment is required.  A two-day per week (16 hr.) commitment is preferred.  Students are expected to commit approximately 9 months to the externship.

Supervision: One hour of weekly individual face-to-face supervision is offered by a licensed clinical psychologist with extensive experience with adults with SMI.  In addition, students are expected to attend a bi-weekly group supervision/article discussion meeting which combines education in clinical issues and approaches with discussion of the clinical experiences of externs.  Supervision is primarily cognitive-behavioral in focus, but psychodynamically-oriented students are welcome to apply. 

Other Program Features: In addition to supervisory activities, externs are expected to attend regular team meetings and monthly in-service training events that are made available to all Pathways staff. 

To Apply: To apply to the program, send an email describing your interest in the externship program along with a copy of your CV to Dr. Philip Yanos at pyanos@jjay.cuny.edu .  Dr. Yanos can also be contacted by telephone at 212-237-8773.

Pathways to Housing Student Nursing Program 

About the Program: At Pathways, nursing students gain the opportunity to experience community psychiatric nursing by working with formerly-homeless adults diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI) in a unique, community-based setting.  Working collaboratively with other ACT team members, students obtain the opportunity to provide nursing care, co-facilitate groups, attend team meetings, and learn to conduct health assessments to facilitate treatment decisions.  Students work with clients with a wide-range of clinical issues that can be the focus for treatment, including substance use/abuse, depression and other mood disturbances, persistent psychotic symptoms, chronic illnesses, anger management, personality disorders, and the development of life goals/meaning. 

Time Commitment: Students work 9am-5pm on-site, once a week for one semester.

Supervision: Nursing Students are supervised by the on-site RN/Service Coordinator and by the Nursing Services Team Leader.  Students spend the majority of their time with the on-site RN/SC but may also go out in the field with other team members. 

How to Apply: Contact: Lied Eckblad at 212-289-0000 for further information

Pathways to Housing Clinical Urban Health Externship Program

About the Externship Program: By working at Pathways, nursing externs gain the opportunity to work with formerly-homeless adults diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI) in a unique, community-based setting.  Working collaboratively with other ACT team members, externs obtain the opportunity to provide nursing care, co-facilitate groups, attend team meetings, and learn to conduct health assessments to facilitate treatment decisions.  Externs work with clients with a wide-range of clinical issues that can be the focus for treatment, including substance use/abuse, depression and other mood disturbances, persistent psychotic symptoms, chronic illnesses, anger management, personality disorders, and the development of life goals/meaning. 

Time Commitment: Students work onsite during regular operating hours: 9-5, Monday-Friday.

Supervision: Nursing Externs are supervised by the on-site RN/Service Coordinator and by the Nursing Services Team Leader.  Externs spend the majority of their time with the on-site RN/SC but may also go out in the field with other team members. 

Other Program Features: In addition to supervisory activities, externs are expected to attend regular team meetings and monthly in-service training events that are made available to all Pathways staff. 

How to Apply: Contact: Lied Eckblad at 212-289-0000 for further information

Social Work and Psychiatric Rehabilitation Internship Programs:

About the Internship Program: Internship at Pathways affords graduate students a variety of opportunities within the Agency. Interns may choose to work in direct clinical practice, or in more administrative, areas such as program development, research, or grant writing. Interns who choose direct practice work as a member of one of our Trans-Disciplinary, Assertive Community Teams. As a Team member, Interns assist in the delivery of a full array of services to formerly homeless, severely mentally ill (often dually diagnosed) participants. Interns are exposed to a variety of evidence based practices utilized in the delivery of these services along with exposure to the Recovery and Harm Reduction model, with an emphasis on shared decision making. Interns are actively involved in all aspects of client care including accompanying ACT staff on visits to participants in the Community, providing 1 to 1 clinical sessions, and facilitating therapeutic groups. In addition, they develop the necessary skills to perform comprehensive assessments, formulate client-driven service plans, and generate effective documentation of their practice. 

On the administrative side, interns have worked directly with Pathways participants developing new and innovative projects and programs. They have also engaged in writing grants to enhance Pathways services or worked in conjunction with research staff.

Time Commitment: 9 mos (2 full semesters)

Supervision: Supervision is provided on an individual basis by approved licensed clinicians. In addition, group supervision is provided on a bi-weekly basis where cases are presented and discussed, and timely clinical practices and articles are examined and discussed. 

Other Program Features: Since ACT subscribes to a trans-disciplinary approach interns work alongside practitioners from a variety of disciplines(Nursing,Psychiatry,Vocational,Substance Use etc.) Interns are also invited to attend all Pathways Clinical trainings and In-service presentations.

How to Apply: Contact: Sheryl Silver-Clinical Dir at 212-289-0000 for further information