FATHER FLANAGAN’S BOYS TOWN
Match Code - 141613
Omaha, Nebraska 68010
Training Director
Connie J. Schnoes, Ph.D.
Phone: (402) 498-3116
Fax: (402) 498-3375
E-mail: schnoesc@boystown.org
About the Facilty
Boys Town is located at the famous Father Flanagan's Boys Home. The Home serves over 500 youth per day in its 75 family homes and two schools. More than 2,000 youth a day are served in its multiple continuum of care programs. As a result, the Boys Town program offers interns an exceptionally diverse training experience. Children who come to Boys Town are primarily referred from court systems, human service agencies, and families from across the US. The average age of the youth is approximately 14 years and about 60% are male. The typical length of stay is approximately 18 months.
The treatment philosophy at Boys Town is operant behaviorism and social learning theory traditions. The dominant perspective is a skills-based model where youth learn progressively more complex social skills. A motivation system (i.e., token economy) is employed where points are exchanged for privileges. The primary care agents are Family-Teachers (trained married couples) who are responsible for implementation of individual treatment plans. Normalization of the youth's environment is also considered essential. Youth partake in daily-living chores, prepare their own meals, walk to free-standing schools, and are involved in extracurricular activities.
Clinical Services and Research
Interns operate at Boys Town under the auspices of Clinical Services and Research. Clinical Services & Research is the primary psychological services department for the Treatment Family Home Program. The department typically accepts 6 interns per year, and hosts post-doctoral fellows, as well. In keeping with an emphasis on normalization, most youth at Boys Town are not referred to Clinical Services & Research. Youth are referred for services when they are not responding appropriately to the therapeutic milieu.
Research during internship at Boys Town is expected. Boys Town is not a research institution, but administrative staff supports projects that have the potential of improving services to youth. There are ongoing lines of research available for interested interns. New lines can also be developed providing that the projects have evident potential for directly improving the lives of Boys Town youth. Research is conducted under the tutelage of a supervisor. Past interns have had opportunities to publish clinical research with their supervisors in a variety of psychology journals:
Bowers, F.E., McGinnis, J.C., Ervin, R.A., & Friman, P.C. (1999). Merging research and practice: The example of positive peer reporting applied to social rejection. Education and Treatment of Children, 22(2), 218-226
Field, C.E., Nash, H.M., Handwerk, M.L., & Friman, P.C. (In Press). Functional assessment and experimental functional analysis as a guide for individualizing treatment within a residential care setting. Clincial Case Studies.
Handwerk, M.L., Field, C. E., & Friman, P.C (2000). The Iatrogenic effects of group intervention for antisocial youth: Premature extrapolations? Journal of Behavioral Education, 10 (4), 223-238.
Jones, K.M., Swearer, S.M. & Friman, P.C. (1997). Relax and try this instead: Abbreviated habit reversal for maladaptive self-biting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 30 (4), 697-699.
Woods, D.W., Hook, S.S., Spellman, D.F., & Friman P.C. (2000). Case study: Exposure and response prevention for an adolescent with tourette's syndrome and OCD. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, (7).
Under guidance from their supervisor, interns typically spend a significant proportion of their time initially generating relationships with potential referral sources and establishing competencies within the Boys Town clinical community. Gradually, interns gain more autonomy and influence within the community. The philosophy of the department is that children are best served not only by provision of individual therapeutic services but also by sagacious support and empowerment of those who work most closely with the youth. To serve this philosophy, the internship emphasizes three areas: clinical experience, training, and professional development.
Clinical Experience
Clinical experiences at Boys Town are focused on direct services to BT youth (e.g., individual and family therapy), and consultation with professional staff. Interns provide treatment to BT youth who present a broad range of clinical problems. Diagnostic profiles of youth vary and include conduct disorder, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, and clinical exotica (e.g., Tourette's syndrome, trichotillomania, enuresis/encopresis). Boys Town youth typically have two to three DSM diagnoses at admission. Interns conduct family therapy with resident youth and their own families when appropriate and feasible.
Interns also conduct psychological assessments. Interns will have opportunities to conduct various types of diagnostic and psychoeducational assessments throughout the year. Interns work in both the home and school settings. Clinical opportunities also exist within the Behavioral Pediatric and Family Services Clinic. The clinic is designed to provide services for families and youth within the Omaha community and adds a new dimension to the Boys Town continuum of care. In the clinic, services are provided for children of all ages who are experiencing a range of behavioral problems, although a primary emphasis is placed on serving children from within a behavioral pediatric model of care. The size and composition of caseloads is adjusted according to intern interest, overall need, and available time.
Interns provide clinical consultation to Boys Town professional staff. Consultation occurs in a variety of formats (formal and informal), settings, and consultative perspectives (e.g., behavioral, problem-solving). Interns have the opportunity to consult with direct care staff, administrators, school staff, and psychiatrists.
Training
Interns also receive extensive clinical training. Besides weekly individual supervision, interns participate in twice-weekly group supervision focusing on analyzing, interpreting, and applying current psychological theory to clinical practice. Clinical training focuses on enhancing the competencies of interns to efficiently conceptualize their cases, to provide empirically-supported therapeutic services, and to proficiently communicate with consultees and other consumers. Interns also attend monthly and quarterly training seminars on a variety of psychological topics, and occasional off-site conferences.
Professional Development
The professional development area involves direct training of public speaking skills, cultivating referral resources, dealing with difficult persons, and maintaining professional alliances. Interns have opportunities to develop consultation skills, improve presentation skills, and polish presentation style. Interns are encouraged to develop professional talks, practice dissertation defenses, engage in mock job interviews, and participate in other activities where public presentation is essential. Opportunities exist to provide professional presentations to a variety of audiences within Boys Town programs. Topics for professional presentations have included but are not limited to psychological diagnostic information, treatment planning, assessment, and interpretation issues. There is an on-going platform for interns to present on specified topics (e.g., eating disorders, psychopharmacology, functional assessment) to a Boys Town audience.
Future Prospects
Interns who complete their internship training at Boys Town subsequently enter a variety of professional settings including academics, service agencies, private practice, school systems and medical settings. Boys Town interns can expect training experiences that will prepare them for clinical, school, research, and teaching positions that focus primarily on child, adolescent, and family care. Examples of the recent employment by Boys Town interns include:
| Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD | |
| Minnesota Consortium in Advanced Rural Psychology Training | |
| Louisianna State University | |
| University of Cincinnati | |
| Illinois State University | |
| Utah State University | |
| James Madison University | |
| Texas A&M at Commerce | |
| R.E.A.C.H. of Louisville, KY | |
| Judge Rotenberg Center, Boston, MA | |
| Catholic Social Services, Lincoln, NE | |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | |
| Cincinnati Children's Hospital | |
| Private Practice, Lincoln, NE | |
| Priviate Practice, Boise, ID | |
| School Psychologist, Lincoln Public Schools |
Benefits
Interns have (a) access to individual computers equipped with a variety of statistical packages, access to the Internet and on-line library search systems, and e-mail, (b) statistical and computer technical assistance, and, (c) individual desk areas. Stipend for the year is $23,650. Health and dental insurance is available. Paid days off are provided. Employment will be contingent on satisfactory completion of a background check and drug screen.
Optimal candidates for the internship at Boys Town would be highly interested in several of the areas of emphasis. Well-developed social skills are desired. The Boys Town internship involves a collegial atmosphere with a spirit of mutual cooperation, social support and team play. The required work load is manageable and the emphasis is primarily on professional training with each individual intern determining the focus of his or her internship experience. The Training Director is Connie Schnoes, Ph.D. Patrick C. Friman, Ph.D., ABPP is the Director of Clinical Services and Research, and Tom Reimers, Ph.D is the Clinic Director.
The Boys Town Internet Homepage address is www.boystown.org.
