CAPS Launches Flagship Doctoral Internship Program
Counseling & Psych Services (CAPS) at Campus Health has officially launched the CAPS Doctoral Internship Program (CDIP).
CDIP is a full-year, paid internship for doctoral students in clinical or counseling psychology. The 2024–2025 academic year marks its inaugural run, with two interns completing over 2,000 hours each in high-impact mental health work. They are collectively providing direct support to University of Arizona students through individual, group, and couples therapy, crisis response, outreach, and consultations. In the first year alone, CDIP interns have supported hundreds of students.
"CDIP interns do it all," says Dr. Joel Gaffney, CAPS Training Director. "They give evidence-based, whole-person, and at times life-saving services to students in our community."
The program is deeply rooted in the CAPS mission of innovation and education—not just for trainees, but for the entire team. “Training programs like CDIP create a culture of reflection and growth at CAPS,” says Dr. Leslie Ralph, CAPS psychologist and member of the Training Committee. “We’re constantly learning from our interns, just as they learn from us. It’s a shared process that strengthens our work to support students.”
That collaborative model is central to CDIP’s design. “CDIP is a win-win-win,” says Dr. Gaffney. “Interns get excellent training that fulfills a requirement for their doctoral degree, our campus benefits from expanded, high quality mental health care, and CAPS is able to have a hand in the preparation of the next generation of psychologists.”
In addition to their work in-house at CAPS, each CDIP intern also dedicates one day per week to a specialized student population through an “emphasis site” placement:
James Berger, MA (Northern Arizona University) has partnered with Asian Pacific American Student Affairs to expand mental health outreach.
Logan Wiedeman, MA (Azusa Pacific University) has served neurodivergent students at the SALT Center.
Next Up: Expansion and Accreditation
Thanks to its early success, CDIP is expanding, adding a third intern for the 2025–2026 academic year. All three positions have already matched, and the next cohort begins in July, 2025. By hosting this program, CAPS joins an international network of leading training sites and top psychology trainees advancing research, practice, and innovation in the field.
Even bigger news: CDIP is on track to pursue accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA), a key milestone in joining the top tier of psychology training programs across the country. A decision is expected later this year.
With a strong foundation and a bold vision, CDIP is positioning CAPS, Campus Health and the University of Arizona as leaders in both student mental health and future-focused psychologist training.