Clinical Experiences

Our interns have the opportunity to participate in a variety of clinical experiences unique to correctional settings.

Outpatient

Outpatient services involve initial assessments of offenders requiring or seeking services at any point during their incarceration. Interns conduct individual therapy with assigned offenders as well as group therapy. 

Diagnostics Processing

Diagnostic services involve a multi-disciplinary screening and assessment of individual offenders as they enter the prison system. Each offender typically spends 2 - 6 weeks in a processing center before being transferred to a more permanent facility or housing location. Behavioral health services in processing include what is considered outpatient services, comparable to an intake screening or assessment.

Residential Mental Health

Residential services include a program of activities designed to assess, stabilize, treat, and transition seriously mentally ill offenders to their greatest level of independence. Participation on a multidisciplinary team within the defined program is required. 

Inpatient Mental Health 

Crisis admissions, stabilization and transfer, and long-term management of the most seriously mentally ill offenders are provided at this level of care. Participation in treatment teams is a key element.

Therapeutic Diversion Units

The purpose of Therapeutic Diversion (TDU) is multifaceted, including goals of decreasing time spent in closed supervision by seriously and persistently mentally ill offenders and selected offenders currently receiving behavioral health services, decreasing offender violent, self-injurious/suicidal, or otherwise disruptive behavior; providing evidence-based and multidisciplinary behavioral health-oriented therapeutic programming to offenders; and preparing offenders for successful transition from more to less restrictive environments.

Parole Commission Evaluations

The North Carolina Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission is an independent agency responsible for approving and establishing conditions for the release of incarcerated individuals. Psychological evaluations are completed upon referral to provide additional information regarding individual risk factors and psychological needs, with a goal of increasing the likelihood that those who are released are successful in their reentry to the community at large.

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For complete details, click the link below to view/download the NCDAC Behavioral Health Services Doctoral Psychology Internship Program - 2026-2027 Brochure.

 NCDAC Behavioral Health Services Doctoral Psychology Internship Program - 2026-2027 Brochure