Clinical Training

2025-2026 Hall Mercer Clinical Internship Application Process: 

Please send the following information to Rachel.bradis@pennmedicine.upenn.edu by February 28, 2025.     2025-2026 Hall Mercer Clinical Internship Application Process is CLOSED.

1. Resume 
2. 1–2-page personal statement with information about your social location, perspective on trauma informed and anti-racist practices, clinical interests, and training goals. In your statement, please include the reason for your interest in community mental health. It is important to Hall Mercer to select students who are the best fit and have a desire and passion to serve the Philadelphia community.  
3. Intended start and end date of Internship   

The Hall Mercer Internship Experience:

This internship can be broken down into three parts 

1. Individual therapy  
2. Clinic rotations 
3. Supervision

Individual Therapy: Internship is the perfect time to explore what populations and ages you really enjoy working with. Hall Mercer is unique in that you get the opportunity to provide therapy to children, teenagers, families, and adults. Therapy at Hall Mercer is rooted in offering being trauma-sensitive, anti-racist, and strength-based services. While providing therapy, you will be expected to: 

• Maintain a caseload of 8-10 therapy clients  
• Complete timely progress notes and treatment plans for each client  
• Complete safety plans on an as needed basis  
• Collaborate with treatment team members such as psychiatrists, staff clinicians, and case managers 

Clinic Rotations at Hall Mercer: You will be assigned 1-2 clinic rotations per semester. You will be pre-placed during your first semester and will have the opportunity to select more preferred clinics during the second semester. Second semester clinics are not promised, but we will try our best to connect you with one of your top three choices. Please see below for an overview of each clinic rotation:  

Adult Level of Care Assessment

You will be trained to engage potential Hall Mercer clients in the triage process to ensure they are a good fit for an outpatient level of care clinic. First you will observe a clinician complete an Adult Level of Care Assessment, then you will have opportunities to do the Adult Level of Care Assessment on your own. FYI…Level of Care Assessments are prerequisites to receiving an intake at Hall Mercer. Typically, potential clients will call to schedule an appointment at Hall Mercer, and the Level of Care Assessment clinic will be their first encounter. This screening process is all done over the phone.   

Adult Intake Clinic   

During the beginning of your time in this rotation, you will be observing a psychiatrist completing the comprehensive biopsychosocial evaluation (CBE). Once you are feeling ready and comfortable to engage clients in the evaluation process, you will have the opportunity to complete your own CBE’s! Once a CBE is complete, a referral can be made to appropriate services (often the referral suggestions will be medication management (aftercare clinic) and/or therapy at Hall Mercer).   

Adult Aftercare Clinics    

This is an observational clinic made up of medication management and case management services. You will have the opportunity to shadow medication management appointments and gain a greater understanding of psychiatric medications. You will be sitting with a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner during a client’s appointment; the best part of this clinic is that you will be learning a lot about psych meds and gaining exposure to many different types of diagnosis.  

Adult Drug + Alcohol Support Group  

This is a drug and alcohol support group. You will have opportunities to co-facilitate these established groups with a trained clinician.

Adult Wellness Program  

In this clinic, you will be facilitating groups for clients who have learning disabilities. There is a lot of room for creative group ideas to be implemented into this space! 

Inpatient Psychiatric Unit:  

In this setting, you will co-facilitate pre-designed therapy groups for clients in an inpatient psychiatric unit. There are two units, a general adult psychiatric unit and a geriatrics psychiatric unit.   

Note: We are fortunate to be connected to many other programs such as the Juvenile Justice Service Center, Beyond Birth, the Southeast Asian Program, and a therapeutic nursery for children with Autism. With that said, there may be options to connect with these other programs during your second semester, if interested in these populations.  

Supervision: As you begin to learn the art and science of therapy, supervision will be one of the most important parts of your training and development as new therapist. Supervision will be a space where you can expect to gain competency in your style as a clinician and learn and practice new therapy interventions. Your supervisor is trained in evidence based practices and has a passion for serving the hall mercer community. Your supervisor takes a relationally based approach to supervision and focuses on person of the therapist work, clinical skill-building, role-playing, case conceptualization, and will provide ongoing feedback. Supervision is a combination of structure and process and is always tailored to meet the needs and goals of the trainee. Clinical interns are expected to engage in:  

• Weekly individual supervision.
• Weekly group supervision on Mondays from 12-1pm. During the second semester, group supervision will be replaced with round table case presentations, while focusing on highlighting treatment stuck points and progress points. You will be given feedback by your cohort peers and supervisors.  

Qualified students:  

• Students who are available to be onsite every Monday  
• Students who are available during regular business hours, 8am – 6 pm, Monday through Friday 
• Students with exposure to cultural humility training/work  
• Students who have completed their first-year clinical foundation courses  
• Students who thrive with supportive autonomy and can engage in self-guided initiatives with supervisory support  

• Students with clinical comfort/openness with supporting diverse client populations