Doctoral Practicum Experiences

Description:  Vona is rule 29 essential community provider clinic that serves people across the life span. It is part of the Behavioral Health Division of Volunteers of America which includes mental health, medication management, case management, functional family therapy, wraparound, and educational services to the community.  Practicum students are able to choose between an assessment only or advanced (assessment and therapy) experience. 

Time Commitment:  16-20 hours per week for 12 months starting in late August or early September. Practicum students are required to attend the multidisciplinary consultation meetings every Thursday from 9:00 to 10:00am and the monthly staff meeting on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 10:00 to 11:00am.

Supervision:  Rebecca Goffman, Psy.D., LP is the primary supervisor for all doctoral practicum students.  She is solely responsible for assessment work.  Tiffany Johnson, MSW, LICSW provides additional supervision for therapy work.

Assessment Specific: 

• Psychological assessments are done in the outpatient clinic in New Hope, and at any of the four VOA Youth Residential Services (YRS) programs: Avanti Center in Blaine, Children’s Residential Treatment Center in Minnetonka, and Bar None/Omegon Residential Services in St. Francis.
• Dr. Goffman’s approach to assessment is collaborative with strong leanings toward therapeutic assessment. 
• Testing opportunities include cognitive, executive functioning, social-emotional, personality, and projective tools.

Therapy:

• Therapy services are provided in the outpatient clinic in New Hope and several schools throughout the Twin Cities.
• Therapeutic approaches include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Play Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE).

Specialty Areas: 

• Vona has a large mental health program for deaf and hard or hearing individuals and their families.  Candidates fluent in ASL are offered the opportunity to work within this program.