Application Qualifications & Process
Thank you for your interest in the Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology. Here you can learn more about applying to the CAPS internship training program.
Important Information and Details
Applying to the Internship Program
- Stanford CAPS program code number for the APPIC Match is 1166
Dates of Training
August 11, 2025 - August 7, 2026
CAPS is a full-time, 12-month internship, and interns accrue 2,000 hours of supervised professional experience based on a 44-hour work week, the maximum amount of supervised professional experience permitted by the California Board of Psychology.
Qualifications
Applicants must be advanced doctoral students who have fulfilled all of the following requirements:
- Currently enrolled in an APA accredited doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology.
- Successful completion of all required coursework, comprehensive exams, and practica prior to start of internship.
- Completed a minimum of 450 hours of direct supervised clinical intervention practicum experience by November 1.
- Verification by the Director of Training (DCT) of readiness for internship.
- Favorable consideration will be given to applicants who will have completed or have made substantial progress towards completion of their dissertation by the start of internship.
Application Procedures
To apply for our Psychology Internship, we require that you apply via the AAPI Online site. Once on the site, please navigate to "AAPI Online." Your online application must include the following:
- A completed APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI) form. Download the AAPI on the AAPI site.
- In your cover letter, please describe your qualifications and professional experience you believe make you a good match with our site. In your letter, please clearly identify your experience conducting triage, intakes, providing crisis assessment and intervention, your experience with brief therapy/single session therapy, group therapy, and elaborate your specific goals for internship.
- Current curriculum vita.
- Official transcripts of all graduate work.
- Three letters of recommendation, at least two from supervisors who are familiar with your more recent clinical work.
Deadline for Applications
Interview Process
Your application will be reviewed by the selection committee. Selected applicants will be contacted for interviews by email. We make every effort to notify all applicants of their status by December 1, 2024. We typically begin interviews in early December over the course of two weeks.
Applicants are invited to interview by Zoom and interviews typically last approximately an hour. The structured interviews are conducted by two members of the selection committee. For approximately 35 minutes, applicants are asked to expand on general questions related to their prior experience and training. In addition, applicants are presented with a clinical vignette. Applicants are provided with 10 minutes for questions at the end. Applicants are also encouraged to contact current interns to inquire about their experience and to gain helpful information that may facilitate their selection decision making process. The Training Director may also be able to put you in contact with former interns.
Additionally, we offer a virtual open house for applicants invited to interview for an opportunity to meet the multidisciplinary staff and current trainees and to learn more about the internship program. Please note that the virtual open house is not required nor is it part of the interview process and is only for applicants we have invited to interview. We cannot accommodate on-site visits at this time. The virtual open house will be offered on Friday, January 10, 2025.
Selection can be a stressful process and we want to provide you with as much information as possible. If you have additional questions not answered from the website or APPIC listing, please contact Dr. Mary Mendoza-Newman at marymn@stanford.edu or call 650-723-3785. You may also request the contact information for current and past interns for more details about their experience by sending Dr. Mendoza-Newman an email.
As an APPIC member, we follow all APPIC policies and procedures regarding selection and notification. 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. These policies are available on the APPIC website.
We will be participating in the APPIC match process coordinated by National Matching Services, Inc. In order to participate and be considered by our site, you must register with National Matching services by requesting a packet of materials. This can be done by phone at 416.977.3431 or online at natmatch.com/psychint.
- Our program code number is 1166.
Appointments and Benefits
CAPS offers three full-time (40 hours per week), twelve-month psychology internship appointments, beginning Monday, August 11, 2025 and ending Friday, August 7, 2026. The stipend for the internship is $43,680 for the year. This includes personal leave, a $3,200 healthcare stipend for the purchase of part or all of a healthcare plan, and a $250 educational stipend to be used towards conference registration, licensing materials, or books.
COVID-19 Health and Safety
Updated information on Stanford's COVID Guidelines can be found here.
Background Check
Stanford University conducts background checks. All incoming interns authorize a lawful background check as part of the application packet. An offer of employment is contingent upon verifying the accuracy of the information provided by the candidate and the background check results will determine suitability for employment at the University.
Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy
Stanford University does not discriminate on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law, in connection with any aspect of employment at Stanford.