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​The Connections Internship Consortium (CIC) offers 14 Full-Time Internship positions across our 4 CIC sites: CDS, SC, NCA, and CAE. Students from Psychology Doctoral Training Programs who have met all the requirements of their program for application for Doctoral Internship are invited to apply for internship at the CIC. Interns must complete the AAPI and submit it to CIC (Member Number 2134).  In their cover letter, Interns must indicate for which site/s they would like to be considered. Connections Internship Consortium adheres to the APPIC Match policies and participates in APPIC Match and uses the online AAPI. (www.appic.org).  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.

Applicant Qualifications

At a minimum, applicants who wish to be considered for the CIC must meet the following qualifications prior to beginning internship:

  • A minimum of 400 Direct Contact hours (100 Assessment & 300 Intervention)

  • 3 Standardized Reference Forms, at least 2 of which are from current/former supervisors familiar with the applicant’s clinical work

 

In addition to these minimum requirements, preferred requirements include:

  • Some experience working directly with children and adolescents;

  • An interest in working with high-risk children and adolescents and their families;

  • Students from clinical, school, and counseling programs;

  • Students from APA- and CPA-accredited programs;

  • An interest in working in a school setting;

  • Experience providing family therapy services;

  • Experience working with a wide variety of presenting issues.  

 

The list of minimum and preferred requirements is listed on our APPIC profile so that it is readily accessible by prospective applicants.  The CIC Program strives to consider applicants from a holistic lens, taking into account the wide variety of strengths, potential, experiences, and perspectives they possess that may not be reflected in a list of stringent requirements.

 

Please note: Applicants must indicate to which site/school(s) they are interested in applying in their cover letter, but are reviewed by the CIC Consortium as a whole.  Appropriate applicants to the CIC Program must demonstrate the absence of any legal history that would preclude them from working with children and adolescents in a school setting.  

Application Process

Applicants must register with APPIC as a prospective Intern through the National Matching Services: www.natmatch.com/psychint.  Applicants must obtain an APPIC registration number to be eligible to participate in the matching process.

 

  • Site Specific Match Numbers:​​

    • Connections Day School (CDS): 213413

    • South Campus (SC): 213411

    • New Connections Academy (NCA): 213412

    • Connections Academy East (CAE): 213414

 

  • Applicants must complete and submit the online AAPI (APPIC standard application) which includes the following:

    • Cover letter specifying the site/s for which you would like to be considered

    • Completed Program’s Verification of Internship Eligibility and Readiness from Director of Training

    • Current Curriculum Vita

    • Three Standard Letters of Reference, two of which should be from direct supervisors of your clinical work

    • Official Transcripts of ALL graduate work

    • In addition to the required AAPI components, we ask that all applicants also include a professional writing sample, such as a Case Conceptualization or De-identified Report.

​

 

Please note: All application materials must be received by the date noted in the current APPIC directory listing in order to be considered.

Screening & Interview Process

  • The CIC site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking related information for an Intern applicant.

  • All applications will be screened by the CIC Training Committee, using a standard CIC Application Review Form, and evaluated for potential goodness of fit with the Internship program.

  • The CIC Training Committee will hold a selection meeting to determine which applicants to invite for interviews based upon the results of this screening process.

  • All applicants will be notified by email by December 16th whether they have been chosen for an interview.  

  • Interviews will be scheduled in December and January and will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.  

  • Interviews for the 2025-2026 training year will take place virtually via Google Meet.  To reduce the financial expenses for potential applicants CIC will continue to offer virtual interviews; however, the option for in-person visits and tours will be offered to all interviewed applicants but are not required and will not impact consideration for placement. 

  • Applicants interview with a panel of Training Committee Members so that they have the opportunity to meet clinical supervisors from each of the sites.  Applicants are welcome to visit and tour at any sites.

  • During the interview process, each interviewer uses a standard set of questions outlined on the CIC Applicant Interview Form and has the opportunity to ask any site-specific questions.  The candidates are rated on a numeric scale during the formal interviewing process.

  • After all prospective Interns have been interviewed, the Training Committee meets and ranks the candidates according to their application materials and their interview responses.

  • The Training Committee will hold a meeting after all interviews are complete, in order to determine applicant rankings. The full application package and overall impressions gleaned from the interview process will be utilized in determining applicant rankings.


Please Note: All Interns who match with CIC must complete a fingerprint-based criminal background check, medical examination (i.e. TB test), and drug screening before beginning employment. Instructions for providing this information or completing the background check and drug screening will be sent out to all matched Interns after the match process is complete.  The offer of employment/training opportunity is contingent upon administration reviewing the results of the background check and drug screening, submitting fingerprint data, and all required health and medical examination forms. Interns with history of a Felony Conviction or other charges on their background check may be ineligible for employment with our agency.  Should background checks indicate a Felony Charge or any misdemeanor, the Intern will be asked to explain the charges or convictions to the Training Director, who will take this information to the Training Committee for a decision on whether or not to discuss termination of the Match Agreement with APPIC.  Drug testing consists of testing for controlled and illegal substances.  Should the Intern drug test return with any concerning results, the Intern will be asked to provide a letter from a prescribing medical practitioner indicating a medical reason for the substance detected in a drug screen.  CIC understands that the medical use of marijuana is becoming a more standard practice; however, given the school setting and population of the clientele, CIC maintains a drug-free work environment in its programs.  CIC strictly prohibits Interns with medical marijuana cards from consuming cannabis, being under the influence of cannabis, and/or being impaired from the use of cannabis during work hours. It is also important to note that random drug screenings may be conducted during the training year for staff and Interns, and these standards remain policy over the course of the training year.  In addition, all Interns without US citizenship who match to CIC must provide proof that the Intern is allowed to work in the US.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION POLICY

OUR PROGRAMS

Connections Day School - Libertyville, IL

South Campus Day School - Palatine, IL

New Connections Academy - Palatine, IL

Connections Academy East - Lake Forest, IL

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