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About Us
Mission: Valley Oaks Health’s mission is to improve the health and happiness of our communities, one person at a time. Valley Oaks Health strives to create an inclusive environment for all who embark on this journey with us. Our number one priority is for everyone to feel emotionally and physically safe to be their true self.
Valley Oaks Health is a community mental health center serving nine predominantly rural counties in north-central Indiana. Headquartered in Lafayette, we operate 17 physical locations and provide care in outpatient clinics, schools, homes, and community settings. Our service array includes:
- Individual, group, and family therapy
- Psychiatric services and medication management
- Integrated primary care
- Case management and life skills training
- Peer support
- Residential programs, including group homes and supported living
We serve as the region’s primary safety-net provider, meeting the mental health and substance use needs of individuals across the lifespan.
Training at Valley Oaks
As an intern, you will join a multidisciplinary team working with a diverse client population across a wide range of clinical presentations. Each year, Valley Oaks Health serves over 10,000 unique individuals across our service area. Common diagnoses include mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD, PTSD, substance use disorders, and schizophrenia. You’ll receive supervision from licensed psychologists who are active in both clinical work and intern training, offering strong support and guidance throughout your professional development.
Our Community
Valley Oaks serves the Lafayette–West Lafayette metropolitan area and surrounding counties. The metro area has a population of approximately 226,000 as of 2023 and is one of the fastest-growing regions in Indiana. Lafayette and West Lafayette, with a combined population of about 116,000, offer a blend of small-town accessibility and cultural vibrancy.
Purdue University—a top-ranked Big Ten institution—adds to the region’s diversity and international flavor, drawing students, faculty, and professionals from across the globe. The area’s economy is equally diverse, with key industries in higher education, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and advanced research. Employers include Subaru, Caterpillar, GE, Alcoa, Rolls-Royce, and Indiana University Health. The Latinx population in our service area is also steadily growing, expanding the cultural richness of the communities we serve.
Training Opportunities
228821 – Valley Oaks Health: Crawfordsville Generalist Track
Positions: 1
Setting
Outpatient
Services Provided by Interns
In this track, the intern’s main placement will be four days a week at our rural office in Crawfordsville, Indiana, which is about a 35-45 minute drive from Lafayette. The secondary rotation will be one day a week with the Community Living Program for Children & Adolescents in Lafayette.
In this position, there may also be opportunities to work with a full range of outpatient addiction services, provide clinical services in both jail and school settings, and participate in supervision of interns. Interns in this track also regularly work with clients referred by DCS, the court system, and probation. The majority of the internship is focused on traditional community mental health generalist practice: initial assessment, individual/family/group therapy, crisis intervention, etc. Specialized services are provided at select locations within the Valley Oaks system.
Schedule Considerations
Interns in the Generalist Track (Crawfordsville) will generally work a Monday – Friday schedule from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm each day. There may be some flexibility to work later hours such as 9:00 am – 6:00 pm or longer days balanced with shorter days such as 8:00 am – 6:00 pm one day and 8:00 am – 4:00 pm another day (as long as the intern is scheduled to work 40 hours in a given workweek). Such variations are not guaranteed and must be approved by both the main primary supervisor as well as the site supervisor for the clinic affected by the change in schedule.
The intern will spend four days per week at the Crawfordsville office and one day per week in the Community Living Program for Children & Adolescents. Part of the four days at their primary site will include time devoted to psychological assessment.
228822 – Valley Oaks Health: Child Track
Positions: 1
Setting
Outpatient
Services Provided by Interns
In the child track, the intern’s primary placement will be four days a week at our main Lafayette outpatient office. The secondary rotation will be one day a week at the Crawfordsville office.
In this position, there may be opportunities to provide clinical services in a school setting as well as learn how to supervise treatment plans or be involved in supervision of practicum students. Interns in this track also regularly work with clients referred by DCS, the court system, and juvenile probation. The majority of the internship is focused on traditional community mental health practice, with a focus on children and adolescents: initial assessments, individual/family/group therapy, crisis intervention, etc. Specialized services are provided at select locations within the Valley Oaks system.
Schedule Considerations
Interns in the child track will generally work a Monday – Friday schedule from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm each day. There may be some flexibility to work later hours such as 9:00 am – 6:00 pm or longer days balanced with shorter days such as 8:00 am – 6:00 pm one day and 8:00 am – 4:00 pm another day (as long as the intern is scheduled to work 40 hours in a given workweek). Such variations are not guaranteed and must be approved by both the main primary supervisor as well as the site supervisor for the clinic affected by the change in schedule.
The child track intern will spend four days with the Community Living Program for Children and Adolescents (CLP C&A) in Lafayette. Part of those four days will include time devoted to psychological assessment. The secondary rotation will be one day a week at the Crawfordsville office, which is approximately 45 minutes from the Lafayette office.
228823 – Valley Oaks Health: Lafayette Generalist Track
Positions: 1
Setting
Outpatient
Services Provided by Interns
In the generalist track, the intern’s main placement will be 3-4 days a week at our main outpatient office in Lafayette serving Tippecanoe county. The secondary rotation will be 1-2 days a week for a full year with at our rural Delphi office, an approximately 20 minute drive from Lafayette.
In this position, there may be opportunities to work with an intensive outpatient addictions program or the chronically mentally ill, depending on availability and intern interest. Interns in this track also regularly work with clients referred by DCS, the court system, and probation. The majority of the internship is focused on traditional community mental health generalist practice: initial assessments, individual/family/group therapy, crisis intervention, etc. Specialized services are provided at select locations with the Valley Oaks system.
Schedule Considerations
Interns in the generalist track will generally work a Monday – Friday schedule from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm each day. There may be some flexibility to work later hours such as 9:00 am – 6:00 pm or longer days balanced with shorter days such as 8:00 am – 6:00 pm one day and 8:00 am – 4:00 pm another day (as long as the intern is scheduled to work 40 hours in a given workweek). Such variations are not guaranteed and must be approved by both the main primary supervisor as well as the site supervisor for the clinic affected by the change in schedule.
The intern will be at the Lafayette Outpatient office 3-4 days a week, working with clients of all ages. Part of those four days will include time devoted to psychological assessment. The generalist intern’s secondary rotation will be 1-2 days per week at our Delphi location, approximately 20 minutes from Lafayette.
Didactics
Didactic trainings are typically held every other Friday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Two times per year interns will attend an all-day training from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm which will allow in-person socialization and interaction. Interns spend a minimum of eight hours each month in seminars and workshops with required learning objectives and a reading list covering relevant journal articles, etc. Please email applicant@psychologyinterns.org for access to our current training manual which includes the full didactic training policy (policies subject to change).
Supervision
All interns receive at least four hours of supervision per week. The requirement includes at least two hours with a licensed psychologist in individual, face-to-face supervision. The other two hours include secondary supervision with a licensed psychologist and/or ancillary supervisor in a group or individual setting. Please email applicant@psychologyinterns.org for access to our current training manual which includes the full supervision policy (policies subject to change).
Clerical and Technical Support
Office locations have support staff on-site, and a full Information Technology department available 24/7.
Training Materials and Equipment
The agency provides access to select web-based and in-person trainings and curated learning materials relevant to interns’ clinical interests and developmental level. Interns are encouraged to pursue additional training opportunities in collaboration with their supervisors, with support tailored to their licensure path and professional goals. Interns are provided with office space complete with a computer and access to the internet and printer. Each location is equipped with the testing and training materials necessary for the interns to complete the requirements of their training year.
Schedule
Each intern’s schedule may vary according to special interests and needs of the training site.
Example Schedule
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| AM |
direct client care and 1 hour of individual supervision
|
2 hours of clinical and administrative team meetings followed by direct client care
|
1 hour of individual supervision followed by direct client care
|
psychological assessment
|
NPTC trainings/didactics
|
| PM |
1 hour of group supervision followed by direct client care
|
documentation; supervision of student; direct client care
|
documentation and direct client care
|
1 hour of assessment focused individual supervision followed by report writing time
|
journal review; client care |
Site Training Director
Monique Kulkarni, Ph.D., HSPP
Dr. Kulkarni received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2012 after completing her APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at the University of California, Berkeley. She is Senior Director of Behavioral Health at Valley Oaks Health (VOH), and in this role oversees outpatient behavioral health operations across VOH’s nine county service area. She has specialized training in early childhood mental health and spearheads the agency’s Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) and Zero Suicide Initiatives. As training director, Dr. Kulkarni strives to expose trainees to the big picture and behind the scenes perspective of working in community mental health, directly informed by her administrative and leadership experience.
Dr. Kulkarni is actively involved in the Indiana Psychological Association (IPA), serving on the Diversity committee and currently serves on the executive committee of the Asian American Psychological Association. She represents Valley Oaks Health on the Public Policy, Child and Adolescent, and Racial Equity and Leadership Committees of the Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers. She is also past co-chair of the North Central Mental Health Legislative Forum Committee and served on the advisory committee for the state’s Assessment of Federal Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards in Indiana’s Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) Workforce and Service Provision.
Primary Supervisors
While we won’t know your exact supervisor assignments until the internship starts, these are examples of some of the individuals you may work with over the course of your year at the site.
Rachel Ploskonka, Ph.D., HSPP
Dr. Ploskonka is the Main Primary Supervisor for the Generalist (Lafayette) Track intern as well as the assessment supervisor for all interns. She received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Purdue University in 2017 after completing her APA-accredited internship at the University of Missouri – Columbia University Counseling Center. Dr. Ploskonka has diverse clinical experiences across populations, modalities (e.g., individual, couples, family, group), and settings (e.g., university counseling centers, community mental health agencies). She also has experience working within numerous theoretical orientations (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal process therapy); however, she most prefers to work within social constructivist and narrative frameworks. She has served as a psychologist at Valley Oaks Health (VOH) since earning her doctoral degree, and her areas of clinical expertise include complex trauma, chronic mental health concerns, and substance use issues.
Dr. Ploskonka has experience working with doctoral trainees at all phases of their clinical development and training, ranging from trainees who are working with clients for the first time to intern-level trainees. Her supervision style focuses on developing trainees’ abilities to engage in both the art and science of psychological practice though a strengths-based approach, which focuses on highlighting trainees’ strengths while simultaneously refining their areas of growth.
Dr. Ploskonka is also actively involved in the Indiana Psychological Association (IPA) where she serves on the Science and Education (S&E) Committee.
Kassy Yarbrough, Psy.D., HSPP
Dr. Yarbrough is a Primary Supervisor for the secondary rotation at the Community Living Program for Children and Adolescents and co-facilitates group supervision with Dr. Kulkarni. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in 2020 after completing her APA-accredited internship with Valley Oaks Health. Her areas of clinical interest include anxiety and substance use disorders. Dr. Yarbrough currently works with youth ages 6-19, providing individual, family and group therapy, in the office and in a high school setting. Her dissertation research focused on the influence of religious and spiritual factors on recovery from a substance use disorder.
Pamela McCombs, Psy.D., HSPP
Dr. McCombs is the Main Primary supervisor for the Child/Adolescent Track. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2015 from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Chicago. Dr. McCombs completed her APA-accredited internship with Valley Oaks Health (previously Wabash Valley Alliance) and NPTC before becoming Director of the Community Living Program for Children and Adolescents at Valley Oaks Health. As Director, Dr. McCombs oversees the treatment of children and young adults ages 0-22 and supervises therapists, interns, and case management team leaders. She specializes in working with children and has an interest in the areas of family systems and issues of diversity. Dr. McCombs currently serves on the Tippecanoe County Child Protective Team. Her dissertation research looked at the effects of infidelity on the marriages of African American couples.
Dale Crowder, Ph.D., HSPP
Dr. Crowder is the Main Primary supervisor for the Generalist (Crawfordsville) Track. He received his Master of Arts from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois and his doctorate from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. He completed his APA-approved doctoral internship at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky with a focus on completing forensic evaluations for the Federal Court system. Dr. Crowder has experience working with adults in outpatient, residential, transitional care, community mental health, and inpatient settings. He has experience working with children and adolescents in outpatient settings. He has worked for Valley Oaks Health since 1999 and serves as the Branch Director for the VOH outpatient clinic in Crawfordsville, Indiana. As Branch Director, Dr. Crowder oversees the operation of the clinic and provides clinical and administrative supervision for therapists, psychology interns and case manager team leaders. His clinical interest include individual and group therapy, addictions therapy and working with the severely mentally ill. Dr. Crowder has served as a board member for the A.H.E.A.D. Coalition which is the local coordinating council for the Governor’s Commission for a Drug-Free Indiana, is a member of the County Crisis Team and served on the Region 9 Child Fatality Review Team. He is a Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Addictions Counselor in the state of Indiana.
Example treatment modalities (as listed by APPIC):
|
Assessment
|
Exposure (1% to 20%)
|
|
Individual Intervention
|
Major Area (50%+) |
|
Couples Intervention
|
Exposure (1% to 20%) |
|
Family Intervention
|
Experience (21% to 30%) |
|
Group Intervention
|
Emphasis (31% to 49%) |
|
Community Intervention
|
Exposure (1% to 20%) |
|
Consultation/Liaison
|
N/A |
|
Crisis Intervention
|
Experience (21% to 30%) |
|
Brief Intervention
|
Experience (21% to 30%) |
|
Long-Term Intervention
|
Major Area (50%+) |
|
Cognitive Rehabilitation
|
N/A |
|
Primary Care
|
N/A |
|
Supervision of Prac. Students
|
Exposure (1% to 20%) |
|
Evidence-Based Practice
|
Emphasis (31% to 49%) |
|
Evidence-Based Research
|
N/A |
Interns at Valley Oaks Health gain supervised experience across a full spectrum of clinical services, preparing them for generalist practice in community mental health. The training year includes opportunities for:
- Individual, family, and group therapy
- Crisis intervention and brief therapy
- Psychological assessment
- Supervision of students when possible
- Caseload management and care coordination
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
Interns work with clients across the lifespan who present with a wide range of concerns. The most common diagnoses include depressive and anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), substance use disorders, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Interns receive in-depth training in tailoring interventions to meet the needs of individuals with complex comorbidities, often shaped by trauma, poverty, and systemic barriers to care.
Clinical work is supported by individual and group supervision, as well as consultation with a multidisciplinary team that includes psychologists, therapists, case managers, and psychiatric and primary care providers. Interns are encouraged to develop their own voice as clinicians while strengthening their skills in diagnostic formulation, therapeutic intervention, and collaborative care.
Example supervised experiences (as listed by APPIC):
| Health Psychology | Exposure (1% to 20%) |
Forensics / Corrections
|
Exposure (1% to 20%) |
| Women’s Health | N/A |
Sexual Offenders
|
Exposure (1% to 20%) |
|
HIV / AIDS
|
N/A | Geropsychology | Exposure (1% to 20%) |
| Eating Disorders | Exposure (1% to 20%) | Pediatrics | N/A |
| Sexual Disorders | Exposure (1% to 20%) | School | Exposure (1% to 20%) |
| Sports Psychology | N/A | Counseling | Exposure (1% to 20%) |
| Rehabilitation Psychology | N/A |
Vocational / Career Development
|
N/A |
| Physical Disabilities | Exposure (1% to 20%) |
Multicultural Therapy
|
Emphasis (31% to 49%) |
| Learning Disabilities |
Exposure (1% to 20%)
|
Feminist Therapy
|
Exposure (1% to 20%) |
| Developmental Disabilities | Exposure (1% to 20%) |
Religion / Spirituality
|
Exposure (1% to 20%) |
| Assessment | Exposure (1% to 20%) |
Empirically-Supported Treatment
|
Emphasis (31% to 49%) |
| Neuropsychology – Adult | N/A |
Public Policy / Advocacy
|
Exposure (1% to 20%) |
|
Neuropsychology – Child
|
N/A |
Program Development/Evaluation
|
N/A |
| Serious Mental Illness | Major Area (50%+) | Supervision | Exposure (1% to 20%) |
| Anxiety Disorders | Major Area (50%+) | Research | N/A |
| Trauma/PTSD | Major Area (50%+) | Administration | N/A |
|
Sexual Abuse
|
Experience (21% to 30%) |
Integrated Health Care–Primary
|
N/A |
| Substance Use Disorders | Experience (21% to 30%) |
Integrated Health Care–Specialty
|
N/A |
Valley Oaks Health serves individuals and families across the lifespan, regardless of ability to pay. We provide care to over 10,000 clients annually through more than 240,000 service encounters, making us the region’s primary safety-net provider.
Our clients represent a wide range of backgrounds, with many navigating complex challenges related to poverty, trauma, and systemic barriers to care. Common diagnoses include:
- Depressive and anxiety disorders
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Substance use disorders
- Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders
Serving ten mostly rural counties in north-central Indiana, Valley Oaks is deeply attuned to the social determinants of health that impact access to care in our region. Clients often face barriers such as limited public transportation, shortages of local providers, housing insecurity, food insecurity, and unreliable internet or phone access. Many also experience stigma related to mental illness or substance use, which can discourage help-seeking—especially in smaller, tight-knit communities.
In addition to Purdue University’s international community, regional employers such as Subaru, Caterpillar, and Tyson bring workforce diversity to the area. Agriculture and food processing industries across surrounding counties also rely on migrant and seasonal workers, particularly from Latin America, contributing to the growing racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity in our service population.
Our integrated, community-based approach is designed to meet clients where they are—both geographically and clinically. Interns will gain experience working with a broad cross-section of the community, including youth and families, older adults, justice-involved individuals, and those with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
| Children | 15% |
| Adolescents | 15% |
| Adults | 50% |
| Family | 30% |
| Older Adults | 6% |
| Inpatients | |
| Outpatients | 100% |
| LBGTQIA+ | 10% |
| Ethnic Minorities | 10% |
| Spanish Speaking | 3% |
| French Speaking | |
| Deaf/Hearing Impaired | |
| Students | 10% |
| International Students | 1% |
| Rural | 90% |
| Urban | 10% |
| Low Income | 100% |
| Homeless | 1% |
| Number of counties served | 10 |
| Total number of clients served | 10000 |
Annual Pay for the 2025-2026 Training Year: $36,000
Benefits provided at this site include:
-
- 112 hours of PTO (vacation / sick leave)
- 24 hours of Professional Development
- Discounted health insurance
- Vision insurance
- Dental insurance
- Short/Long Term Disability
- Life Insurance
- Professional liability insurance (for those not already covered)
Valley Oaks Health observes the following 7 holidays:
-
- New Year’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Day after Thanksgiving
- Christmas Day
Interns with Valley Oaks Health are provided with either a laptop computer and are a part of the electronic health record system at the site. Each office location has an office manager and clerical support staff who assist with appointments and secretarial duties. Interns also have access to online scoring and interpretation services for psychological testing. Interns typically have their own office at their primary site, but may use shared space at their secondary rotation.
Please note that available benefits and observed holidays are subject to change. 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.
Valley Oaks Health does conduct background checks on interns prior to orientation. This site is contracted with DCS of Indiana and DCS requires background checks for all counties and states the intern has lived in for the past 5 years. Please note that having a criminal history does not always have a negative impact on the applicant’s eligibility for an internship. However, if an applicant has a CPS substantiation in any state they have lived in then they are not eligible for internship and that would cause the site to release the intern from a match. A substantiation is when the State’s DCS/CPS feel the person in question has knowingly put a child at risk, such as a DUI with a minor in the car, having altercations in front of child, charges or suspicion of child abuse/neglect, etc. If the applicant feels the substantiation is invalid they can follow up and attempt to clear the substantiation from their record.
DCS also requires a fingerprint and drug screen on each matched intern. A positive drug screen would also cause the site to release the intern from a match.
If the prints come back Conditionally Disqualified, the intern will need to contact DCS and supply them with any additional info or documents they need to make the prints “Qualified” (this info could also prove them to be Disqualified). If the intern does not take care of this, they would also be released from the match. DCS typically allows up to 3 misdemeanors but will disqualify anyone with a felony.
Applicants will be screened, interviewed, and selected by the training director and primary supervisors. Interviews will be via zoom. Candidates selected for interviews will have the opportunity to attend a virtual “Meet the Supervisors” event as well as connect with current and/or past interns to help make their ranking decision.
We are looking for candidates from strong clinical or counseling programs and with an interest or experience in community mental health center settings; a long-term career goal of working with underserved or rural populations is a plus. Interns are expected to work with clients from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of presenting concerns and will graduate with strong generalist training. Supervision follows a supportive, developmental model, and because our system requires a thorough, detail-oriented approach to documentation, self-motivated candidates typically do well in our program. Although assessment is a core competency of the internship program, it should be noted that psychological testing is not a major focus for these internship positions.
Applicants will be screened, interviewed, and selected by the training director and primary supervisors. Interviews will be via zoom. A master’s degree (rather than educational equivalent) is required at this site. Preference will be given to students who envision practicing in Indiana long-term. We hope interns will consider employment with Valley Oaks Health upon graduation.