FERKAUF GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY OF YESHIVA UNIVERSITY
PROGRAM IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY (PSY.D.)
FERKAUF OLDER ADULT PROGRAM
Richard Zweig, Ph.D., Director, Ferkauf Older Adult Program
The Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University supports an APA-accredited doctoral program in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) that offers specialty training in Clinical Gero-Psychology through the Ferkauf Older Adult Program. The Ferkauf Older Adult Program, a “concentration area” within the Clinical Psychology Program (PsyD), offers didactic coursework and clinical training experiences in the newly emerging field of Clinical Gero-psychology. Ferkauf doctoral students who seek preliminary training in the assessment and psychological treatment of older adults have varied options regarding specialty coursework and/or supervised clinical training with older adults.
Didactic Training Sponsored by the Ferkauf Older Adult Program:
1. Research in Depression and Personality Disorder in Older Adults I, II:
Research Seminars offered in Fall and Spring semesters, respectively. Register w/ permission of instructor. Fulfills Clinical Program research seminar requirement.
2. Assessment and Treatment of Older Adults:
Overview of issues critical to the diagnosis and psychological treament of psychological problems in older adults. Offered Fall semester (PSC 6446 & 6447 or equiv. pre-requisites). Fulfills Clinical Program “Category C” interventions requirement. Required for Gero-Psychology practicum trainees.
3. Gero-Psychology Externship Group Supervision (Lab):
Advanced seminar for gero-psychology practicum trainees. Offered in Fall and Spring (year-long course). Required for Gero-Psychology practicum trainees. Fulfills Clinical Program “Individual Psychotherapy Practicum” requirement.
4. Clinical Neuro-psychology I, II
5. Colloquia and Workshops sponsored by Ferkauf Older Adult Program
Concentration in Clinical Gero-Psychology: Students who seek a concentration in Clinical Gero-Psychology must take “Assessment and Treatment of Older Adults” as well as two other courses in gero-psychology from the list above, and receive advanced clinical training through a one-year clinical gero-psychology externship.
Clinical Training Sponsored by the Ferkauf Older Adult Program:
The development of the Ferkauf Older Adult Program was spearheaded by 1-year (2002-2003) and 3-year (2003-2006) Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) grant awards from the Bureau of Health Professions (US-DHHS) for training in Clinical Gero-psychology. The training grant established Ferkauf as one of seven sites in the US, and the only site in the NY metropolitan area to provide programmatic doctoral level training to psychology graduate students in clinical work with the elderly. The training program is a collaborative effort of the faculty of the Ferkauf Graduate School, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Jacobi Hospital Medical Center.
1. Ferkauf Older Adult Program Externship
The overall goals of the one-year clinical gero-psychology externship practicum include: Didactic training in mental health and aging; Interdisciplinary training in the principles and practice of gero-psychological assessment, psychotherapeutic intervention, and consultation; Training in the provision of culturally sensitive interventions to ethnically-diverse and disadvantaged older adults. In an innovative effort to provide the most disadvantaged elderly with comprehensive mental health care, the program has an emphasis on pairing psychology trainees with medical residents to optimize integrated mental health service delivery to older adults in a primary care setting.
The externship includes training in evidence-based techniques for psychological problems of older adults, including interpersonal (IPT), psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, and family-systems psychotherapy.The externship program includes the following sites and training activities: (1) Ferkauf Graduate School, Yeshiva University: Specialized coursework in geriatric psychology; Specialized inter-disciplinary gero-psychology symposia. (2) Jacobi Hospital Medical Center: Adult Primary Care Clinic: Training in diagnostic interviewing and brief psychotherapy with culturally-diverse and disadvantaged elderly, as well as consultation to primary care staff; (3) Einstein Aging Study Research Clinic: Training in diagnostic interviewing, and psychological/ neuropsychological assessment; (4) Parnes Clinic (University Clinic), Ferkauf Graduate School: Training in diagnostic interviewing, psychological assessment, and individual psychotherapy; participation in geriatric psychology seminar/ group supervision. Externs are responsible for diagnostic evaluations (intakes) of older adults, on a rotating basis, throughout their externship year. Externs will typically treat a caseload of two to four older adult patients in the Parnes clinic.
Clinical Supervision
Individual and/or group supervision is provided for all clinical training experiences by faculty with advanced training and/or experience in Clinical Gero-psychology. Additionally, as a collaborative training endeavor, the Ferkauf Older Adult Program features interdisciplinary instruction from faculty representing the Departments of Internal Medicine, Neurology, and Psychiatry of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Ferkauf Older Adult Program Externship Application Procedures
Prior gero-psychology related course work is strongly recommended. Prefers students entering 3rd or 4th year. Runs Sept-August. 20 hrs. / week. Apply in December/ January- Send letter of interest, CV, 3 reference letters, and work sample (test report, intake, etc.). Contact Dr. Zweig for more information.
2. Gero-Psychology Clinical Training within Parnes Clinic:
Third or fourth-year doctoral students seeking a trial gero-psychology training experience may elect to treat an older patient in the Parnes Clinic. Such students should make this preference known to the Parnes Clinic Director and Dr. Zweig early in the training year. All students treating older adult patients will be supervised by faculty with expertise in Clinical Gero-psychology. Should clinical gero-psychology faculty not be available, students are advised to consult with the Director of the Ferkauf Older Adult Program (Dr. Zweig) and the Director of the Parnes Clinic before choosing an alternate supervisor.
Contact for More Information: Richard Zweig, Ph.D., Director, Ferkauf Older Adult Program, Assistant Professor, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Rousso Building, Rm. 143. Email: rzweig@aecom.yu.edu. Phone: 718-430-3958.
