Internship Overview and Tour

Match #:  228813

Internship positions available: 3

Number of Residency/Job Positions: Varies

Our Mission

We’re the Hope.

As the largest Community Mental Health Center in Indiana, our mission is to strengthen our communities and to improve the health and well-being of those we are privileged to serve. We use evidence based practices that treat the whole person. Our team of board-certified psychiatrists and psychologists, highly trained and certified therapists, nurses, case workers, and medical staff deliver comprehensive care and treatment for mental and physical health conditions.

In order to accomplish this, it is our shared mission to interrupt (or at least lessen) the inter-generational transmission of toxic traumatic stress, positively impact the quality of life of those we serve, and provide professional, caring, cost-effective healthcare services.

 

About Our Site

Otis R. Bowen Center for Human Services, Inc. (Bowen Center), is a private not-for-profit, comprehensive community behavioral health center that serves over 30 counties in Northern Indiana. The Center employs over 1,300 staff members. Bowen has been accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) since 1980. We provide a full continuum of services including acute inpatient care, residential/transitional services, community-based rehabilitation, medication-assisted treatment, primary care, and comprehensive outpatient services. During the 2018 fiscal year, Bowen Center served 24,558 individuals residing in 55 counties. Those served are predominantly rural and of low income. You may view a copy of Bowen’s 2021 annual report here.

Bowen Center has a large cohort of licensed psychologists. We have close, collaborative “first name” relationships with our schools, medical community, child protective services, courts, probation departments, and many other community stakeholders. We seek to be true to the mission of a comprehensive behavioral health system to serve the otherwise under-served, the disenfranchised among us who are very much in need of professional care but too often encounter barriers to access. We are strengths-based, goal-directed, evidenced-based, trauma-informed, consumer-driven, and focused on improving our cultural sensitivity so we can fulfill our responsibility to provide patients with quality care.

More information about Bowen can be found on our website and our YouTube page. You can also watch the interview with Dr. Hunter and NPTC from 9-26-19 here.

About this Experience

Bowen Center has three internship positions available that take a choose-your-own-adventure approach. As such, interns are able to shape their experience based on their preferences, goals, and the needs of patients and the organization. This internship offers psychologists-in-training an intensive and wide-ranging clinical and educational experience, firmly rooted in values of community service, multiculturalism, stewardship of healthcare resources, and adherence to the highest standards of ethical practice. The primary emphasis of the year-long program is the professional development of the psychology practitioner. To that end, the internship provides an opportunity to gain proficiency in a wide array of therapeutic and assessment techniques in a variety of clinical modalities and settings with a variety of populations. Interns will develop their skills in intervention, assessment, diagnosis, and testing. Most of the patient contact opportunities involve delivering outpatient interventions to individuals, families, couples, and groups, and providing testing services, especially diagnostic consultations, parenting assessments, and fitness for duty evaluations. There are also learning opportunities available at our primary care clinics, inpatient hospital, transitional living facilities, and opioid treatment program, including the opportunity for an optional rotation gaining experience working at our psychiatric hospital. We work with interns to honor their preferences and training wants/needs to help them achieve their goals.

Across our settings, Bowen Center places a strong emphasis on learning and implementing consensus evidence-based practices as well as participation in principles and practices of trauma-informed care. We also value joining the patient in their goals and developing care plans and completing progress note documentation collaboratively. We find this helps us improve patient engagement as well as assists us in being more culturally competent when we align treatment with the patient’s goals and context.

Interns can also expect to learn about a rapidly changing healthcare environment and to develop a greater understanding of fundamental business principles of the marketplace. Bowen Center has developed a number of partnerships with primary healthcare providers, major health systems, and managed care organizations. We are growing our expertise in providing integrated whole-person healthcare as both “the right thing to do” and to be a leader and successful in the era of healthcare reform.

Interns work in multidisciplinary teams and have ready access to psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, licensed psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, and community-based caseworkers. We place a strong emphasis on mutual support, practitioner wellness, and the organizational prevention of secondary trauma. We discuss self-care during supervision and will incorporate self-care activities during group supervision times based on the group’s interests and needs. Interns can expect to be valued members of clinical teams who are treated with the respect they are due as knowledgeable and experienced professionals.

Bowen Center generously supports the continuing education of all our staff, including our interns. Interns can expect to have opportunities to attend on-site professional workshops in areas of interest as well as have opportunities to provide informal and/or formal trainings to their colleagues at Bowen based on areas of interest and expertise. Bowen Center provides its employees, including interns, several opportunities to attend in-house trainings, including C-SSRS for Suicide Risk Assessment, ACT, CBT-I, MRT, Hypnotherapy, DBT, Matrix Model, MI, and more.

At Bowen Center, we value our interns and invite them to participate in our psychology team meetings for socialization into the profession. We have several opportunities for all of the interns to meet together with psychologists to address self-care, learn about the business and administration side of psychology, and learn about other topics of interest (e.g., court testimony). We also provide four hours of supervision weekly. At least two of those hours include individual supervision with at least two different licensed psychologists and one hour of group supervision with the training director.

Interns are also eligible to apply to Bowen’s internal leadership development programs: the Everyday Leaders Program (ELP) and the Bowen Leadership Development Program (BLDP). ELP is intended for individuals wanting to learn and grow as a leader no matter their position by (1) offering connection opportunities for colleagues across roles, departments, and shifts; (2) encouraging individual leadership reflection; and (3) promoting personal and professional growth. ELP is a flexible 8-week program that provides opportunities to learn and practice the basics of leadership through reviewing pre-developed leadership training content at a time convenient for participants’ schedules as well as engaging in live cohort discussions. It is a great program that both leads up to the BLDP as well as functions a standalone. BLDP is an intensive program intended to identify and develop employees to be prepared, competent, and confident to be a leader and to establish formal succession planning for the Center. This program lasts six months and goes from January to June and July to December each year. The application process includes submitting an electronic application and writing a leadership essay.

In addition, interns are also able to join various committees of interest in their local offices (e.g., morale committee, wellness committee) as well as in some organization-wide committees (e.g., Zero Suicide Committee). The committees in the local offices can vary by location.

The Otis R. Bowen Center for Human Services is a member of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) loan repayment program.

Training Opportunities

Specialty Mental Healthcare

All interns are required to spend at least some time in one or two outpatient specialty mental healthcare clinics, providing outpatient therapy and testing as described above. In addition, interns have the opportunity to engage in optional learning experiences based on their interests and goals. These opportunities are described below.

Integrated Healthcare

In January 2020, Bowen Center opened its first full-service primary health clinic in Warsaw, Indiana, and in spring 2021, the Clinic received Federally Qualified Health Clinic (FQHC) Look-Alike Status. Since then, the Center has opened Health Clinics in Fort Wayne, Huntington, and Wabash with more planned throughout its service area. The modern health clinics integrate primary healthcare, family medicine, and behavioral health. The clinics are staffed by a Bowen Center physician, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, and reception staff; in addition, optometry and dental services will be contracted. Bowen Center is committed to providing quality, cost-effective services; that’s why the treatment team consists of providers we would want to see ourselves.

The clinics are co-located with or within walking distance of Bowen Center Outpatient Specialty Mental Health Clinics, where the lab and pharmacy are located. The intention is to increase access and reduce healthcare disparities for underserved populations and those facing barriers to care. Bowen Health Clinics offer both walk-in and scheduled appointments to further increase access to care. Our medical staff treats children, adolescents, and adults, providing physicals, wellness exams, sick visits, assessments of major body systems, treatment planning and progress review, patient and family education, vaccination education and administration, orders for laboratory testing, and referrals for specialty care. We also accept many insurance plans, have a sliding fee scale, and have Indiana Navigators to assist patients in obtaining healthcare coverage, if needed.

Interns wanting integrated care experience are able to

  • Tour the facilities
  • Meet with providers to learn more about integrated care
  • Participate in inter-disciplinary huddles
  • Scrub schedules for educational purposes
  • Shadow Medical staff
  • Provide Integrated Care didactics for clinic staff as requested
  • Provide educational case consultation


Psychiatric Hospital

Bowen Center’s 20-bed hospital provides a safe, therapeutic environment for adults in crisis delivering intervention and stabilization for patients suffering with mental illness, suicidal thoughts or behaviors, homicidal thoughts or behaviors, and detoxification from substances. Patients are treated with a combination of assessment, examination, medication, and therapy and referred for ongoing outpatient care upon discharge. Interns wanting experience in inpatient care are able to

  • Tour the facility
  • Meet with providers to learn more about inpatient psychiatric care
  • Shadow services
  • Participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings
  • Provide group and individual therapy
  • Participate in the therapeutic milieu
  • Engage in testing services

Transitional Living Facilities

The Transitional Living Program is designed to equip patients with the skills and resources necessary to progress through a continuum of supports that are individually tailored to assist each patient to achieve maximum independence. Our transitional living centers offer the following services for adults with a serious mental health diagnosis with impairment in one or more life areas:
*On-site evidence based skills coaching
*Case management
*Medication management
*Referral and coordination of community services
*Inpatient crisis stabilization

Interns wanting experience in transitional living are able to

  • Tour the facilities
  • Meet with providers to learn more about transitional living services
  • Shadow services
  • Provide intervention and testing as needed

Opioid Treatment Program: Bowen Recovery Center

Bowen Recovery Center is a comprehensive treatment approach to helping those suffering from Opioid Use Disorder. It is an expansion of the Medication Assistance Treatment (MAT) Program and includes Methadone. When taken under a doctor’s care, Methadone has been determined to be a safe medication to treat the physical withdrawal symptoms of Opioid use. The following services are provided as part of the Bowen Recovery Center experience.

MEDICAL SERVICES: A medical doctor specializing in addictions is on site daily. All new patients are required to meet with the doctor the very first day and undergo a comprehensive history and physical assessment.

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING: Licensed counselors are on-site daily. They meet with new patients the first day and conduct a Psychosocial Assessment. Patients are then matched with a therapist and required to participate in weekly counseling and case management sessions.

NURSING SUPPORT: Licensed nurses are on-site daily to administer the medication to ensure the proper dose is received and monitor for symptoms of withdrawal or side effects.

GROUP SUPPORT: Patients are required to participate in one of the many different support sessions that are offered.

RESOURCE ROOM: Patients are encouraged to utilize information and community resource materials available in the Bowen Recovery Center Resource Room. It is a safe environment where patients can learn more about rebuilding the social, psychological, and physical aspects of their lives.

Interns are able to

  • Tour the facility
  • Meet with providers to learn more about opioid treatment
  • Shadow services

Rotation Schedule

Interns at this site generally work 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday – Friday for 40 hours per week. Interns are expected to work at least one evening each week (i.e., until 7 or 8 PM) to enhance patient access to care. Intern schedules will be adjusted at the local level to accommodate evening work time. Within reason, Bowen Center is flexible with scheduling and works with interns to accommodate needed schedule changes. The following is an example of a current intern’s work week:

Please note that not every experience is identical and site schedules are a general guideline. Interns may be required to make themselves available at other times as needed. What is provided above is an example of what the work week might look like for an intern at this site.

Example Schedule
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
AM
Client Contact, Paperwork, Travel
Client Contact
Paperwork, Group Supervision, Client Contact
Paperwork, Play Therapy Group, DBT Group
Paperwork, Client Contact
PM
Supervision, Group Supervision, Travel, Client Contact, Paperwork
Paperwork, Supervision, Client Contact
Client Contact, Supervision, Client Contact
Client Contact
Client Contact, Paperwork, Journal Review

Please note that not every experience is identical and site schedules are a general guideline. Interns may be required to make themselves available at other times as needed. What is provided above is an example of what the work week might look like for an intern at this site.

Placement Locations

Bowen Center internship placements vary from year to year, though interns are only eligible for placement in our 10 counties with outpatient offices (Locations — Bowen Center). The office locations are assigned by the Center based on need and matched with interns based on interns’ skills and interests. Potential office locations include:

Huntington, IN
Warsaw, IN
Ft. Wayne, IN
Columbia City, IN
Plymouth, IN
Albion, IN
Wabash, IN
LaGrange, IN
Angola, IN

It should be noted that quarterly in-person didactic training is located at the 4C location in Peru, IN. Depending on office assignment, interns may be required to travel approximately one-to-two hours for didactic training. Due to the distance, additional benefit considerations are taken as detailed in the benefits and support section below.

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APPIC Training Experiences

Treatment Modalities

Example treatment modalities (as listed by APPIC):

Supervised Experiences

Given the large number of patients and families served, all major diagnostic groups are represented among those we are privileged to serve. Depressive disorders, trauma, bipolar and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, anxiety disorders, substance-related disorders, and child-adolescent disruptive behavior disorders are the predominant diagnoses of record. Research indicates that 75-90% of persons served in publicly supported comprehensive behavioral health centers have a history of multiple domains of childhood trauma (adverse childhood experiences). Thus, interns can expect to have ample opportunity to refine their knowledge and skills with respect to trauma identification and intervention. Bowen Center also has a comprehensive and expanding program for children and families affected by autism spectrum disorders and co-occurring emotional-behavioral disorders.

Example supervised experiences (as listed by APPIC):

Patient Populations

 

 

 

Interns will develop a keen understanding of the “culture of poverty.” The region we serve has a large Latino/Latinx/Latine population, and Allen County/Fort Wayne is the home of the largest Burmese community outside of their native country. In addition, some counties have a large Amish population. Bowen Center is committed to serving the unique needs of our military veterans and their families. The Center is a Star Behavioral Health Providers (SBHP) of Indiana member. SBHP is a resource for veterans, service members, and their families to locate behavioral health professionals with specialized training in understanding and treating military service members and their families.  Bowen Center offers formal trainings focused on a variety of topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, including trainings in working with members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Our Supervisors

Site Training Director

Aurora Griffin, Psy.D., HSPP 

*Site training director working out of the Huntington office.

Dr. Griffin earned her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University, School of Graduate Psychology. She completed her pre-doctoral training at Bowen Center as a member of the National Psychology Training Consortium. She is a licensed psychologist with an endorsement as a Health Service Provider in Psychology in the State of Indiana. She is trained in CBT, DBT, MI, EMDR, and Hypnotherapy. Areas of focused interest and training include substance use, intimate partner violence, intergenerational trauma, and multicultural training/creating inclusive environments. In her current role, she has a balance between assessment and therapy. Assessment includes parenting risk assessments, diagnostic evaluations, and autism testing. Therapy includes individual therapy with primarily adolescents and adults and couples/family therapy. In addition to the clinical services she provides, she has a strong passion for social justice and is an advocate in her personal and professional lives.

Primary Supervisors

Siquilla Liebetrau, Psy.D., HSPP
*Supervisor at site in Warsaw, IN

Dr. Liebetrau is the Vice President of Clinical Services at Bowen Center. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University, Illinois School of Professional Psychology and is currently a licensed psychologist in the state of Indiana. She integrates evidence-based practices into her patient-centered orientation. She has had training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as well as Trauma-Informed Therapy and has had extensive assessment experience including Parenting Risk Assessments for the Department of Child Services and the courts, Fitness for Duty assessments of probation officers, pre-bariatric evaluations, opioid risk assessments, bonding assessments, hearsay evaluations, intelligence and personality testing. In her roles at Bowen Center, she has worked with children, adolescents, and adults, and provided addiction recovery treatment for groups and individuals, psychological testing, and supervision of bachelor’s level home-based and school-based service providers, master’s level counseling staff, and pre-doctoral interns. Her main research interest includes trauma. She serves as member of Bowen Center’s Zero Suicide Committee and is an executive team leader in driving more inclusive services.

 

Richard Ruhrold, Ph.D., HSPP
*Supervisor at sites in Warsaw, IN and Ft. Wayne, IN

Dr. Ruhrold is the Senior Psychologist and Clinical Educator at Bowen Center. He completed his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1986. He is currently licensed and endorsed as a Health Service Provider in the state of Indiana. He is also a National Board Certified Fellow in Clinical Hypnotherapy. As the Site Training Director, he provides supervision for interns at both the Warsaw and Ft. Wayne locations. He also supervises 1-2 psychology graduate students per year from Purdue’s Clinical or Counseling programs in practicums at the inpatient psychiatric program at River Bend. He specializes in cognitive therapy from the Rational Emotive Therapy approach and utilizes the scientist-practitioner model of training and supervision and his research interests include trauma-informed care, staff wellness, the organizational prevention of secondary trauma, and clinical outcomes. He serves as member of Bowen Center’s Zero Suicide Committee.

 

Tammy Truijens, Psy.D., HSPP
*Supervisor at site in Fort Wayne, IN

Dr. Truijens is the Testing Coordinator at Bowen Center. She earned her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University, School of Graduate Psychology, and completed her pre-doctoral training at Bowen Center as a member of the National Psychology Training Consortium. She is a licensed psychologist with an endorsement as a Health Service Provider in Psychology in the State of Indiana. She is trained in DBT, EMDR, Hypnotherapy, and evidence-based approaches for patients with substance use concerns. She sees patients of all ages, although primarily adolescents and adults. She also has a strong interest in serving LGBTQIA patients and completes independent assessments for transgender and gender nonconforming patients seeking gender-affirming medical interventions. In her current role, she is focused more heavily on psychological assessment, including parenting risk assessments and diagnostic evaluations for the Department of Child Services, state, and federal probation, as well as fitness for duty evaluations, pre-surgical evaluations, and autism testing. She provides regular trainings related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Megan Marsh, Psy.D., HSPP

Dr. Marsh earned a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Wright Institute and a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from The School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute. She completed her pre-doctoral training at Bowen Center as a member of the National Psychology Training Consortium and continued to work at Bowen Center as a Behavioral Health Service Provider and as a Post-Doctoral Fellow before becoming a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the state of Indiana. While she has experience with Parenting Risk Assessments for the Department of Child Services and with psychological testing for diagnostic clarification, her primary focus has been working with teenagers, adults, and couples in a therapeutic setting. She utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused techniques when working with patients, though often incorporates EMDR and DBT skills as needed. She has a particular interest in working with those struggling with relationships, grief, depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use. She is diversity and inclusion advocate and prefers to utilize an interdisciplinary approach to treatment whenever possible.

 

Life in Northeast Indiana…

While Bowen Center services a predominantly rural population, we are not “in the middle of nowhere.” In fact, Fort Wayne is the second-largest city in Indiana, and many of our interns choose to live there. The region offers a relatively low cost of living and is conveniently located near several large cities and interesting towns for fun day trips and weekend getaways.

For those who like to access the “big city,” both Indianapolis and Chicago are within ready driving distance. You can board a train in South Bend and be in downtown Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile” within about an hour. Fort Wayne and South Bend have many fine restaurants (not to mention some amazing chocolate shops), shopping and concert venues, and professional sporting events. Brown County, Indiana; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and the many charming towns along the Lake Michigan shoreline are great places for a weekend getaway. For any thrill-seekers among us, Sandusky, Ohio, about a three-hour drive away, boasts Cedar Point, voted year after year as America’s best rollercoaster park. Many festivals take place throughout the area during the summer and fall, and there are lots of outdoor adventures to go on, including many area bike trails, hiking trails, and state parks.

Fort Wayne is the second-largest city in the state of Indiana, and the hub of Northeast Indiana, earning awards from Money Magazine, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, All-America City Awards, Business Week, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for its outstanding quality of life. Fort Wayne boasts a low cost of living, top-notch medical care, excellent educational opportunities, and fun activities for all individuals. Fort Wayne has fantastic eateries and shops, arts and cultural events, parks and trails, and sporting events. For example, Sweetwater hosts several great musical events in addition to concerts at other venues. There are a number of chain and independent restaurants, offering a wide variety of cuisines from American to Middle Eastern to Asian to Mexican to Italian and more. Fort Wayne is also home to several craft breweries, a distillery, a zoo, Science Central, as well as multiple other museums, escape rooms, nature parks, preserves, and walking trails. In addition, there are several local wineries nearby.

To learn more about Northeast Indiana, check out the following resources:

Note: Interns moving to Indiana will need to get their license plates switched to Indiana plates per state guidelines. Read more here.

Annual Pay, Benefits, and Support

Annual Pay for the 2024-2025 Training Year:    $40,000

Benefits provided at this site include:

      • 112 hours of PTO (vacation / sick leave)
      • 24 hours of Professional Development
      • Funeral Leave
      • Discounted health insurance
      • Vision insurance
      • Dental insurance
      • Short Term Disability
      • Life Insurance
      • Employee Wellness Program
      • Flexible Spending Account
      • Health Savings Account
      • Student Loan Repayment Program
      • Retirement – tax-deferred annuity
      • Employee Assistance Program
      • Fitness Reimbursement Program
      • Professional liability insurance (for those not already covered)
      • Leadership development programming

As Bowen Center moves into primary care, we are looking at minimizing the number of days that our outpatient offices are closed to ensure we are available to see patients. As a result, the Center has revised our schedule to only include the 6 core holidays that typically most outpatient healthcare facilities are closed. These include

  • New Year’s Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day

Despite only closing our Outpatient offices for 6 days per year, all eligible employees will still receive 10 holidays per year. The other 4 holidays will be provided to employees as floating holidays. Floating holidays are required to be utilized by the end of the internship year or will be forfeited and not paid out when an employee terminates from the Center. If an intern continues employment with Bowen beyond the internship year, floating holidays must be used by the end of the calendar year or will be forfeited.

In addition, by providing 4 floating holidays per year, this allows individuals to celebrate a holiday that is important to them (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Juneteenth, Eid al-Adha, Yom Kippur, Canada Day, etc.), without having to utilize their PTO if they choose.

Due to the distance necessary to travel to didactic training, Bowen Center provides additional benefits to interns. Bowen does pay for a hotel room for each didactics lasting two or more consecutive days and our training department will actually cover booking it for them, as well, so interns won’t have any out-of-pocket expense for the room. The only night that will be covered will be between the days of didactics. Bowen uses the Holiday Inn Express in Logansport. Bowen Center will also reimburse the intern’s mileage according to the IRS guidelines and the cost of meals during didactics as an added benefit. Bowen Center will reimburse interns for the cost of lunch (up to $15) each day, and if interns stay overnight in Logansport, Bowen Center will also reimburse the cost of dinner (up to $25) for only the night(s) of the hotel stay. Interns will need to keep their receipts for documentation of this.

Interns also receive comprehensive clerical technical support. Every outpatient office has an office manager and client service personnel who are responsible for client check-in, assistance with scheduling, front desk collections, etc. Each office also has at least one administrative assistant who can assist with scoring most testing protocols and completing prior authorizations for clients to receive/continue to receive services; Health Information Management Specialist (HIMS); and housekeeping staff. We maintain a transcription department and phone-based dictation system and interns will be a part of the Electronic Medical Record system. Every consulting office where interns provide services has a networked computer terminal and access to a library of reference materials. Bowen also maintains a generous staff development budget, which provides interns the ability to request necessary educational and reference materials during the year.

Please note that available benefits and observed holidays are subject to change. The 2022 benefits guide can be found 2023 Bowen Benefit Guide with more details regarding these benefits. Matched interns will receive full benefit orientations at their site which will go over all benefit information for the training year. More information about the Support and Benefits offered in each of our regions can be found here.

Employment Requirements

Drug Testing

Although Bowen Center does not routinely require drug testing as a part of the employment process, if they have reason to believe that an intern/employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol they may require a drug screen. If the person fails the drug screen, they typically place the individual on leave and require them to get a substance use assessment. They will then meet with the individual to evaluate if they can put accommodations in place in order for them to continue work.

Vaccination Requirements

Employees are required to sign a health certification form, which certifies that the intern/employee is free of all communicable and/or contagious disease and free of medical, emotional, and addiction problems, which could significantly interfere with the performance of job responsibilities.

Flu Shot Policy – Annual flu shots are mandatory for all Bowen Center staff unless they have one of the following approved exemptions:

    • Medical Exemptions: Documentation from your medical provider detailing the reason you are not able to receive the flu vaccine will need to be sent to the Infection Prevention Nurse to review. If approved for a Medical Exemption, masks must be worn the entire flu season (October through March) even if the Covid-19 mask mandate were to be lifted.
    • Religious Exemptions: Staff may request a Religious Exemption request form from their HR Coordinator. Religious Exemption requests will then be evaluated by Bowen Center’s attorney who will make the final decision to approve or deny the Religious Exemption request. If approved for a Religious Exemption, masks must be worn the entire flu season (October through March) even if the Covid-19 mask mandate were to be lifted.

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy:

Bowen Center requires employees to be fully vaccinated or have an approved accommodation as a term and condition of employment to safeguard the health of our employees from the hazard of COVID-19, as required by CMS Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule.

All employees are required to report their vaccination status and to provide proof of vaccination. Employees must provide truthful and accurate information about their COVID-19 vaccination status, and, if applicable, their testing results. Employees not in compliance with this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.

Employees are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after completing primary vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine, with, if applicable, at least the minimum recommended interval between doses. For example, this includes two weeks after a second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or two weeks after the second dose of any combination of two doses of different COVID-19 vaccines as part of one primary vaccination series.

Employees may request an exception from this mandatory vaccination policy if the vaccine is medically contraindicated for them or medical necessity requires a delay in vaccination. Employees also may be legally entitled to a reasonable accommodation if they cannot be vaccinated and/or wear a face covering (as otherwise required by this policy) because of a disability, or if the provisions in this policy for vaccination, and/or testing for COVID-19, and/or wearing a face covering conflict with a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance. All such requests will be handled in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Potential candidates for employment will be notified of the requirements of this policy prior to the start of employment. Any applicant may submit documentation to be considered for a reasonable medical or religious accommodation as it relates to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate. All accommodation requests must be submitted to the Talent Acquisition Coordinator prior to date of hire. All new employees are required to comply with the vaccination requirements outlined in this policy as soon as practicable and as a condition of employment. All new employees will need to show proof of vaccination or have received an approved accommodation within the first seven (7) days of employment.

All medical information collected from individuals, including vaccination information, test results, and any other information obtained as a result of testing, will be treated in accordance with applicable laws and policies on confidentiality and privacy.

Background Checks

Bowen Center does complete background checks pre-internship, and some are completed once an intern starts at the Center. The background check requirements are dictated by the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) and by company policy. Below is a breakdown of what background checks will be completed.

National Criminal History Check (Initial Online Check and through Fingerprinting)– This check provides general information regarding misdemeanor or felony history. A County Criminal History Check may need to be conducted to get more details if negative criminal history comes back on the National Criminal History Check.

County Criminal History Check– This is conducted for every county the candidate has lived in during the past 5 years.

For both the National Criminal History and the County Criminal History Bowen Center initially looks to see if an intern has any misdemeanors in the last 7 years or felonies in the last 10 years. If they have been convicted with one of these charges within these time frames the results are given to the VP of Human Resources and the VP of Risk Management. They will evaluate the results on a case-by-case basis to determine if they are eligible to be hired. When the conviction was charged and the type of conviction will be factored into their decision. These results will also have to be reported to the Department of Children Services per their contract with them.

Indiana Child Protective Services (CPS) Check– If any record is found while conducting this check this information must be presented to our representative at DCS. They will make the determination if they can be cleared. This is determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the severity of the report and when it occurred.

Out of State CPS Check– Conducted in every state the candidate has lived in in the past 5 years. If any record is found, this information must be presented to our representative at DCS. They will make the determination if they can be cleared to serve our DCS patients. This is determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the severity of the report and when it occurred.

Motor Vehicle Record

Bowen Center guidelines for Motor Vehicle Record is no more than 2 speeding tickets in the past 3 years, no speeding tickets of 21 mph or more in the past 3 years, and no major moving violations in the past 5 years (reckless driving, OWI/DWI, etc.). This will not disqualify an intern for the position if the position does not require them to transport patients. A pre-doctoral intern would not be expected to transport patients so this would not disqualify them, BUT they would be required to sign a No Driving Form, which indicates that they cannot drive patients, Bowen Center vehicles, or drive during working hours as they will not be covered under the site liability insurance.

Again, please note that, if a negative criminal history is found, Bowen Center, as the employer, determines the eligibility of internship on a case-by-case basis depending on the severity of the charge and when the intern was convicted of the charge.

Intern Selection Process

When ranking and selecting interns for Bowen Center, the primary criteria include (but are not limited to):

  • Receipt of a master’s degree that is license eligible is required (not education-equivalent)
  • Experience and interest in working with folks across the lifespan
  • Experience and interest in working in a community mental health center (or similar fast-paced environment) and integrated primary healthcare doing intervention and assessment
  • Solid testing experience, including completion of multiple assessment and testing batteries (required, preferred if experience with children, adolescents, and adults)
  • Experience and desire to work with a low-income population, many of whom have co-occurring addiction, mental health, and medical issues
  • Interest in receiving a generalist internship experience
  • Ability to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team and to coordinate care among members of the treatment team in a fast-paced setting requiring flexibility
  • Passion for patient advocacy and commitment to providing ethical, culturally responsive care
  • Strong communication skills with patients, colleagues, and stakeholders, including self-advocacy skills
  • Personal and professional values aligning with organizational values of mission, stewardship, respect, and integrity

Any interviews conducted outside of the consortium-wide interview day can be completed via teleconference or on-site if it is not an undue hardship to travel. This site may be able to provide some financial assistance to support an on-site visit.

Bowen Center is willing to pay for all associated costs for testing and licensing in Indiana as a Mental Health Counselor for those applicants with enough post-Master’s degree experience to qualify. For more information about this process see the page on Indiana licensing information here.

Interview Process

Most interviews occur virtually; however, if an applicant would prefer to interview on site, arrangements can be made. Virtual interviews last approximately 60 minutes. Applicants will be notified of available time slots to interview when the invitation to interview is emailed. If an on-site interview is preferred, candidates can let us know at that time. On-site interviews will also last approximately 60 minutes, and the visit can also include tours of the facilities and the ability to meet Bowen Center staff.

Interviews will be conducted by 1 or 2 members of our psychology team and may also include a Talent Acquisitions representative. Interviews are designed to help determine whether candidates will be a good fit for Bowen Center. Interviewers will ask questions to help assess fit and get to know the candidate, and the interviewee will also have an opportunity to ask questions of the interviewers.

COVID-19 Response

Throughout the pandemic, Bowen has remained committed to the safety and well-being of our patients and staff. Our interns will be able to continue to accrue internship hours, including patient contact hours, should further outbreaks/changes during this pandemic create extended/additional situations to work remotely. Currently, services occur in-person with a hybrid option available only if the provider or patient has COVID-19 but is well enough to keep the appointment. Bowen Center follows all CDC recommendations for social distancing, use of PPE, etc. and adapts procedures and workflows to best protect patients and staff when in-person services are required.  Policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated based on CDC and ISDH guidance.

Our current policy allows fully vaccinated staff the option of mask usage if the vaccination record is submitted to Bowen Center’s Infection Preventionist. Unvaccinated staff are required to wear a mask. As a condition for employment Bowen Center requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or qualify for an approved accommodation. See Employment Requirements for additional details. Offices are provided disinfectant spray and disinfectant wipes for use before and after each patient service and offices are also sprayed routinely with microbial spray. Hand sanitizer is widely available in offices, and protocols are visited frequently per CDC and ISDH recommendations and updated accordingly. All staff are educated on hand washing and infection control measures and are expected to report any symptoms of illness to their director prior to reporting to work. 

Employee Notification of COVID-19 and Removal from the Workplace

Bowen Center will require employees to promptly notify their supervisor when they have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 by a licensed healthcare provider.

Employees are also required to promptly notify their supervisor with specific details of any symptoms of illness the same day they occur and are not permitted to perform any face-to-face appointments or go into a Bowen Center facility until clearance to return to work has been approved by the supervisor. Clearance to return to work may require a COVID-19 test.

The following procedures apply for any employee who test positive or are diagnosed with COVID-19:

  • Reach out to your Director and HR Coordinator immediately to report a positive test.
    • If employee is positive, but able to work remotely, it will be determined if remote work options are available.
    • If employee is positive and unable to work remotely, leave options will be presented, including FMLA and Non-FMLA Medical leave.
    • Employees who need to take time off work due to COVID-19 and have Paid Time Off (PTO) available can choose if they would like to utilize their PTO to cover that time off or to take the time unpaid.
  • Provide a “contact tracing” list to your Director of those that may have been exposed in the workplace.
  • Submit proof of the positive test through Verge using the Infection Control Reporting form.
  • Isolate at home for 10 days.
  • Do not return to face-to-face services or enter a Bowen building until officially approved to return by your Director.

Return to Work Criteria

  • For any employee removed because they are COVID-19 positive, Bowen Center will keep them removed from the workplace until the employee meets the return-to-work criteria or receives a recommendation to return to work from a licensed healthcare provider.
  • Asymptomatic employees may return to work once 10 days have passed since the positive test, and symptomatic employees may return to work after all the following are true:
    • At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared, and
    • At least 24 hours have passed with no fever without fever-reducing medication, and other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving (loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months and need not delay the end of isolation).
  • In crisis situations where staffing levels are low and patient care is at risk, deviations from these requirements may be made with executive approval.
  • If an employee has severe COVID-19 or an immune disease, Bowen Center will follow the guidance of a licensed healthcare provider regarding return to work.

Masks

When at the Bowen Center inpatient hospital, transitional living, Bowen Recovery Center, or one of the Bowen Health Clinics, masks are required regardless of vaccination status. Employees who are fully vaccinated are encouraged to wear face coverings. Employees who are not fully vaccinated must wear face coverings over the nose and mouth when indoors, when working with patients, and when occupying a vehicle with another person for work purposes. Policies and procedures for face coverings will be implemented as part of a multi-layered infection control approach for unvaccinated workers. Employees are required to self-provide face coverings. If the employee is unvaccinated, proper use of face coverings is required when working in any Bowen Center facility or when working one on one with patients.

The following are exceptions to Bowen Center’s requirements for face coverings:

  • When an employee is alone in a room with floor to ceiling walls and a closed door.
  • For a limited time, while an employee is eating or drinking at the workplace or for identification purposes in compliance with safety and security requirements.
  • Where Bowen Center has determined that the use of face coverings is infeasible or creates a greater hazard (e.g., when it is important to see the employee’s mouth for reasons related to their job duties, when the work requires the use of the employee’s uncovered mouth, or when the use of a face covering presents a risk of serious injury or death to the employee).