The Department of Mental Health offers a one-year Clinical Psychology Internship Program to prepare students for entry level practice in professional psychology. Training is provided at the State hospitals and psychiatric facilities in a variety of settings, in the areas of forensic psychology and/or in the treatment of patients with severe mental disorders. Although each hospital/facility provides specific training unique to its own hospital population, the primary objectives of the internship program are to provide interns with entry levels of competence in the following areas: individual and group psychotherapy, theories and methods of psychological assessment and treatment, working with patients of diverse backgrounds, and the role and function of an inpatient psychologist.

This Clinical Psychology Internship Program accepts applicants who are either enrolled in and have completed at least one year of postgraduate work in a clinical psychology program at a recognized university or professional school or who possess a Doctoral Degree in psychology (with sufficient graduate coursework for clinical specialization) from a recognized university department of psychology.

Psychiatric Fellowship Program for Child


Psychiatry: Metropolitan State Hospital has an affiliation with the University of California School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Los Angles/ Harbor to provide clinical & didactic training to Psychiatric Fellows on rotation at Metropolitan Psychiatric Residents. Under this agreement Metropolitan has a contract with the University to support a public service psychiatric fellowship training program. Administrative and financial status are determined by a contract which is renewed annually, reflecting changes whenever indicated. The fellows receive supervision from both hospital and University staff and joint appointments are encouraged. The fellowship affiliation at the hospital is under the joint monitoring of the UCLA/Harbor Child Psychiatry Director of Training and the Metropolitan Chief of Professional Education.

F.M.G. (Foreign Medical Graduates):

This is a special program offered to Foreign Medical Graduates, who need to correct their deficiency in psychiatry as mandated by the California Medical Board, to be qualified for Medical licensing. Participation in this program requires approval from the California Medical Board on individual basis. This FMG program consists of the same components of the Medical students clerkship program but of shorter duration, 4 weeks instead of 6.