A crucial factor for selecting an internship for many applicants is the emphasis on diversity. Here are some factors that you might want to consider about VA Chicago:
We endeavor to provide ample didactics on diversity-related issues. Please see our seminar listing on the internship information page for a complete listing of seminars. Additionally, we have a diversity journal club that meets monthly. You can review a recent list of readings here.
As the training director, I have ensured that all the written feedback that interns provide to staff, for both didactic presentations and supervision, includes whether the staff member has adequately addressed diversity issues.
Some specific diversity issues about the Chicago VA patient population that might be of interest to applicants include:
· Age
Older patients are well-represented in this population, and interns with an interest in geriatrics can get ample experience. However, younger patients also attend VA Chicago, and ages from early 20s on up are represented on intern psychotherapy caseloads, as well as in other training experiences.
· Disability status
While persons who are disabled are not allowed to enter the military, many veterans develop disabilities later in life. In fact, one of the factors that enables a veteran to be eligible for VA care is to be disabled. Thus, experience treating disabled clients is readily available in all VA mental health areas.
· Educational level
While many of our veteran patients come from disadvantaged backgrounds and have a low educational level, some have also taken advantage of the opportunities offered to them through the military and the VA for higher education. In fact, we often see veterans of all ages who are currently college students. So a variety of educational levels can be seen in the veteran population.
· Ethnicity and Race
Interns at VA Chicago serve a predominately African-American population. White and Latino patients are also seen. Our Latino veterans are mostly Puerto Rican and Mexican-American. As Chicago has many white ethnic neighborhoods, interns are likely to see white Americans who strongly identify with being Polish, Irish or other European ethnic groups.
· Gender
About 95% of our veteran patients are
male, thus male patients predominate in all treatment settings. Since many psychology
graduate students have previously worked in clinical settings where female patients
predominated, a VA internship is ideal for anyone who would like additional
experience with the psychological treatment of male patients. Issues with male
veterans frequently include: combat trauma, masculine identity issues, childhood
physical abuse, men's sexuality issues (including sexual dysfunction and safe
sex), anger management, relationship and communication issues, addictions, adjusting
to chronic illness (including prostate problems, cancer, severe mental illness,
diabetes, back problems, and orthopedic problems), chronic pain, adjusting to
aging (including developmental issues and cognitive and physical changes), cardiovascular
dementia, and vocational issues (including need for job skills training, education
and job placement).
About 5% of our veteran patients overall are female.
Interns can have one to three female patients on their individual therapy caseloads
of four patients. Women's psychotherapy groups are also available as training
experiences. Additionally, female patients are seen disproportionately frequently
in the Day Hospital Program. VA Chicago attracts female veterans from throughout
the Chicago area due to the presence of the Women's Health Clinic. Issues frequently
seen include: military sexual trauma, childhood trauma, parenting problems,
vocational struggles, adjusting to chronic illness and chronic pain.
· National origin
The veteran population is not diverse on this factor. Almost all veterans are U.S. citizens.
· Religious background
The veterans seen at VA Chicago are predominately Christian. However, a significant minority of the African-American patients are Muslim. Other religious practices of some of our patients include Buddhism and Native American spirituality.
· Sexual Orientation
Interns treating females, especially in group therapy, usually have contact with self-identified lesbian patients. Few males who present for care at the VA self-identify as gay, even to their individual therapists. It is likely that gay male veterans may be seeking care at community organizations instead.
· Socio-economic Status
Most of our veterans are from lower SES groups. In part, this is due to the eligibility criteria for VA services; free health care is provided to most impoverished and disabled veterans. Treatment needs of disadvantaged populations are thus emphasized in supervision.
· Spanish-speaking clients
If an intern has fluency, Spanish-speaking clients can be assigned.
Many applicants are curious about the diversity of the psychology staff at VA Chicago. We have a large psychology staff, about half women and half men, all over 40. Few are ethnic minority members. This is a concern that applicants may have regarding many VA sites, nationwide. Due to federal budget cuts in recent years, as well as the shrinking veteran population, the VA has hired few psychologists, especially in northern states such as Illinois, for many years. During the last 10 years, the field of psychology has become markedly more diverse in many ways. As older staff retire, we hope to have an opportunity to hire new staff who more accurately reflect the diversity of psychologists today.
Currently, interns meet and work with ethnically diverse mental health professionals through multidisciplinary teams and didactic presentations. And we remain committed to training all interns to serve the needs of minority populations, such as our VA Chicago veterans.
I hope that this Diversity Statement has addressed any questions or concerns that you might have about this aspect of psychology training at VA Chicago. Please feel free to ask me any remaining questions that you may have during interviews. Thank you for considering our internship program.
Sincerely,
Jan Willer, Ph.D.
Director of Training.