Compass Health conducts background checks on interns prior to orientation. 

Note these key factors that could cause the site to release an intern from match:

• Unsatisfactory background check where actions and/or crimes which prohibit patient/client contact pursuant to state law and regulations of accrediting entities.
• Found to be convicted of, guilty of, pleaded guilty to or nolo contendere to any of the following crimes:
  • Physical abuse of Class I Neglect of a patient, resident, or client
  • Furnishing unfit food to patients, residents, or clients
  • Is listed on the DMH disqualification registry
  • Is listed on the employee disqualification list of the Department of Health and Senior Services or Department of Social Services
  • Failure of a specified professional to report suspected abuse or neglect of a patient.
  • Found to be convicted of, guilty of, pleaded guilty to or nolo contendere to any of the listed felonies in the following website: http://dmh.mo.gov/about/employeedisqualification
  • Found guilty or pleaded guilty to a violation of Driving While Intoxicated or Driving with Excessive Blood Alcohol Content and who is found by the court to be an aggravated (3 or more) or chronic (4 or more) violator
  • Found to be guilty of any felony drug offense.

Please note that a criminal background check that reveals an intern’s past alcohol or drug-related crimes does not automatically release an intern from match. If otherwise qualified, if two (2) years have passed since the intern was convicted or found guilty and they are not currently on probation or parole, the intern is still eligible to be matched.

IHC Track Requirements

Due to the requirements of the HRSA grant, any intern applicants for the IHC-Grant Funded positions must be citizens of the United States, a noncitizen national of the United States, or a foreign national who possesses a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible to participate. Please note that this requirement only applies to the Grant-Funded positions and not the traditional positions available at each of our sites. If you have any questions about eligibility for the program please contact Katherine Dixon at kdixon@psychologyinterns.org.

At Compass Health, the Director of Clinical Training and several intern supervisors review the applicants to determine who might be good fits for the various locations and tracks. From those they determine who will be offered interviews. These interviews are conducted by psychologists who supervise throughout the agency.

After interviews are completed, the DCT and supervisors involved in the interview process review all applicant data, including their qualifications and goodness of fit with the training program to determine their rank for each location. Interns are encouraged to apply to and rank any of the sites at which they are interested in being placed. Applicants are evaluated on a number of criteria, including:

• Application to a Compass Health site.
• Previous experience and/or interest in the opportunities provided at the location(s) to which they applied.
• Overall experience in intervention and assessment prior to internship.
• Relevant previous experience, depending on the track(s) of interest:
• • Experience with treating severe and persistent mental illness and/or in a community mental health setting (outpatient & dual-track)
  • Experience providing services in an integrated healthcare setting (IHC track)
• Stated training goals for internship that can be met at our site(s).
• Likelihood to stay with Compass Health following internship.

The interview process with Compass Health is entirely virtual. However, any applicants that are nearby a Compass Health location are welcome to coordinate a visit. We host virtual Interview Days, during which applicants are able to experience an Informational Session, Q&A with Current Interns, and Q&A with Potential Supervisors. In the afternoon, 30-minute interviews are then conducted for each applied rotation. Current intern and potential supervisor contact information is available upon request. Specific details of interview scheduling will be determined closer to the 25-26 Match cycle.

Compass Health is strongly invested in ensuring both a quality training experience as well as the physical health and well-being of our trainees. Due to COVID-19, these are the changes that might be made to the training experience:

• Interns will be provided with any needed technology to work from home, including a laptop with a webcam, wireless mouse, etc.
• Client contact may include telehealth contacts utilizing approved platforms. This may include:
  • Individual and/or group therapy
  • Clinical/Diagnostic interviews
  • Psychological testing (as appropriate)

Compass Health also follows CDC guidelines for COVID-19 safety protocols, and as the pandemic shifts our policies are subject to change. As of March 2023, masks are no longer required unless respiratory or other illness symptoms are experienced (e.g., runny nose, cough). Masks are always available for employees in each clinic, and testing is available but voluntary.

Generally, Compass Health has increased cleaning protocols in offices, and individual providers are given additional cleaning supplies to keep on hand. Interns with Compass will be providing both in-person and telehealth services from their office location. Compass Health reviews their safety protocols on a routine basis, and updates are sent to all staff regarding any policy changes. While this was previously done weekly, as the pandemic has slowed, the review of protocols and related updates are done on an as-needed basis.