Chicago Area Christian Training Consortium
Applying to the program

application process

Internship Program

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How To Apply

Interested applicants are to apply directly to CACTC, but are able to rank each consortia site separately according to their primary rotation interests. All application documents must be received by November 10th.

Each site within CACTC that an applicant wishes to apply MUST be indicated on the CACTC Application Face Sheet and applicant’s cover letter. Secondary rotations will be decided upon intern's acceptance to the CACTC internship program based on intern preference, best fit between intern and program/rotation availability.

All applicants are to use the AAPI Online, which may be accessed at www.appic.org, click on "AAPI Online”. Applications received through the AAPI Online service will include the following items: a cover letter, a Curriculum Vitae, the actual application (which includes essays and the DCT's verification of eligibility and readiness), all graduate transcripts, and three letters of recommendation.

In addition, CACTC also requires supplemental materials. Please see the “Checklist for Required Application Materials” below for a comprehensive list of the specific documents required for an application to be considered complete:

Checklist For Required Application Materials:

Checklist for Required Application Materials - PDF format

(Checklist in Microsoft Word format)

The following are the APPIC Internship Matching Program- Program Code Numbers for the 4 primary sites through the Chicago area Christian Training Consortium-Internship in Professional Psychology (Program #1673):

Applicants must register for the NMS match in order to be eligible to match with CACTC. Applicants may request an Applicant Agreement Package from NMS through the Matching Program web site at www.natmatch.com/psychint or by contacting NMS directly (716) 282-4013. The Rank Order List will be submitted to the National Matching Service by the first Wednesday in February. Results of the Match will be released to all parties at the end of February.

Personal interviews will be coordinated with qualified candidates in January. Persons no longer under consideration will be notified by December 15. Because "goodness of fit" between intern and internship program is important, CACTC encourages interns to participate in on-site interviews in order to obtain sufficient information regarding consortia sites and supervisors. Even so, CACTC is aware of the expensive nature of the interviewing process and will grant phone interviews in very exceptional cases.

The intern selection process involves both the criteria established by the Consortium Steering Committee and the employment standards of the primary site. 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. CACTC will follow all APPIC guidelines, including those pertaining to the Internship Matching Program, which is considered legally binding.

Applicants who are matched with CACTC for internship need to successfully complete the employment process requested by their primary site: application for employment, reference checks, physical exam, background check, and other state required forms for working with children in state custody. Consistent with APPIC policy 4a, appointment of interns is contingent on interns satisfying all of the aforementioned aspects of the employment process in a satisfactory manner. Applicants may visit the APPIC web site at http://www.appic.org/ for more information about this policy.

Important Dates

November 10th   All application materials due
December 15th   Applicants will be notified of their application status
January   On-site personal interviews will be conducted
February   Match results will be released to all parties the last Friday of the month
August   Internship year starts on the 2nd Monday of August

Criteria For Selection:

To be considered for internship through CACTC, applicants must have:

1. Completed all graduate course work for the doctoral degree,

2. Passed doctoral comprehensive exams,

3. Completed a minimum of 1200 total hours of supervised doctoral practica (which includes direct service hours, supervision and support        time),

4. Demonstrates an interest in the integration of Christian faith with clinical practice in work with diverse range of persons,

5.  Demonstrates an interest in work with underserved persons and their communities,

6.  Demonstrates excellent skills both interpersonally and in written form, and

7. Experience providing psychological evaluations to children, adolescents and/or adults.

Applicants are considered based on coursework, practica and/or experience that demonstrates preparation for practice in a multi-disciplinary community treatment setting.

Applicants will also be considered on the basis of their articulated goals, previous experience, writing skills and solid clinical training in assessment and intervention. Given CACTC’s emphasis on a collaborative team approach, individuals who demonstrate good interpersonal skills, emotional maturity, the ability to take initiative and to be adaptable will be more strongly considered.

Congruent with the CACTC mission, priority will be given to those applicants who demonstrate an interest in learning to work more effectively with underserved populations and a commitment to the integration of Christian faith with clinical practice.