Chatham expanding psychology internships with support from the Citrone Foundation

With grant funding from the Citrone Foundation, Chatham University is set to launch a four-year initiative that will support six internships for students from all health service psychology doctoral programs across the U.S., including Chatham, to provide counseling services through the University’s Counseling Center. Similar to a medical residency, these new doctoral internships give students the opportunity to gain full-time practice experience while receiving academic training. 

Student interns working in the counseling center will address critical concerns on campus such as: academic performance, time management, stress, anxiety, as well as improved support for vulnerable groups like BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students. While this initiative assists Chatham, it also assists the city at large as the Pittsburgh region has seen a shortage of internship training slots, and psychology students frequently must leave the city to complete their training. This program seeks to keep students in the Pittsburgh region following graduation, in turn enhancing the availability of mental health care in the area. 

The four-year grant from the Citrone Foundation will support six internship positions, APA accreditation for the internship site, and other costs associated in working with the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Careers. 

The Citrone Foundation is local to Pittsburgh and works to invest in education, health, and human service programs. It was founded by Cindy Citrone and has partnered with other nonprofits such as the Pittsburgh Foundation, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation.