John Jay College Of Criminal Justice | The City University of New York

Director of Clinical Training: Professor Michele Galietta

Degree Requirements:
90 credits of coursework (including practicum experience)
Dissertation
One-year internship

The Clinical Forensic Psychology track trains students both broadly/generally in clinical psychology and specifically in forensic psychology and meets New York State licensing requirements. This track emphasizes: general clinical assessment, general clinical intervention, and evidence-based practice, all within a scientist-practitioner framework wherein both research and practice are emphasized (although a slightly stronger emphasis on research exists in this program). In addition to general clinical training, this program includes a specific focus on forensic psychology, including: risk assessment with respect to the potential for violence and dangerousness; criminal behavior, aggression and juvenile delinquency; the dimensions and assessment of legal competencies (e.g. competency to stand trial) and insanity; domestic violence and family law including custody evaluations; and treatment of antisocial behavior. In addition to general clinical populations, this track also deals with an array of forensic populations and staff including prisoners, juvenile offenders, criminal defendants, and police personnel. Courses include statistics, research design, foundational courses in clinical psychology, psychological assessment and intervention, research practicum (externships), and courses specifically oriented to issues involved in the criminal and civil justice systems. The program will educate and train students both to provide professional psychological services to and within the law enforcement field and the criminal and civil justice systems and to contribute to the overall development of knowledge in this field.

To view the model curriculum in Clinical Forensic Psychology, click here.

To view the Clinical Psychology Training Program Student Handbook, click here.

For a checklist of course requirements for students in the Clinical Forensic Psychology track, click here.

For a list of faculty who teach in our Clinical Forensic Psychology track, click here.

Clinical Practicum (Externship) Placements

Our central location in New York City affords students the opportunity to do clinical practicum (externship) placements with the most diverse patient populations in the country. John Jay has entered into agreements with most New York area clinical training programs about unified procedures and timelines when applying for practicum (externship) positions. Students apply in early spring for placements the following year. Although the process is competitive, there are more high-quality placements than students seeking practicum (externship) experiences. This allows our students to select from a wide variety of excellent training opportunities. Types of placements include teaching hospitals, state and city public hospitals, outpatient psychotherapy centers, inpatient and outpatient child and adolescent treatment settings, college counseling centers, and specialized neuropsychology placements. We also offer child, adolescent and adult forensic placements in a variety of settings such as Bellevue Hospital Forensic Unit, Danbury Federal Correctional Institute, Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center, The Bakari Project, and The Child Advocacy Center.

Students are encouraged to sample from the many placement options available to obtain a balance of clinical experiences, both general as well as forensic, assessment as well as intervention. Some of the many placement sites available include:

Practicum (externship) placements are chosen by students in consultation with the Director of Clinical Training to provide each student with both the breadth of training to prepare themselves for their APA-accredited Internships, as well as the depth of training needed to complement their own chosen program of study and areas of specialization.

Students are free to develop their own placements in collaboration with the Program’s Director of Clinical Training, provided the site meets program requirements for training and complements the student’s chosen program of study.

A few noteworthy placements include:

• NYU Child Study Center
• NYU Child Study Center: At A Glance
• NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
• Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture
• Bellevue Hospital Forensic Unit