Health Psychology Practicum/Externship 

Division of Pediatric & Adult Medical Psychology
Health Psychology Services
Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute
Sinai Hospital

Sarah McQuide, PsyD is pleased to offer a Health Psychology practicum/externship at Sinai Hospital (Lifebridge Health), beginning in Fall 2025.  Dr. McQuide is the Clinical Director of Health Psychology and the primary clinical supervisor of the externship.  

Summary of Sinai Hospital Health Psychology Practicum/Externship:
Under the supervision of Dr. McQuide, externs will have the opportunity to provide clinical intervention for the ethnically and socio-economically diverse patient population in Baltimore.  Moreover, externs will be able to engage in multi-disciplinary collaboration with neurologists, physiatrists, neuropsychologists, and other referring providers to coordinate care.  Externs will receive a minimum of one hour per week of individual clinical supervision.  

A health psychology extern’s role may potentially include the following:

•	Conducting clinical health and behavior interventions with Neurology and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) outpatients at the Brain and Spine Institute (BSI) who are having difficulty adjusting to medical symptoms or diagnoses, struggling to cope with chronic illness, or having trouble adhering to medical recommendations.  Treatment may be provided for individuals, couples, families, or groups.  Medical illnesses often treated at the BSI include chronic pain, epilepsy, migraine, mild traumatic brain injury (concussion), Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, post-stroke symptoms, somatic symptom disorders, etc.   Behavioral treatment for sleep disorders, including chronic insomnia, is offered as well.  

•	Providing caregiver support services for family members of patients with chronic illness, both in individual and support group format

•	Co-facilitating group treatment programs (i.e., Behavioral Pain Management), support groups for patients living with chronic illness (i.e., Parkinson Disease, Chronic Pain), and support groups for caregivers of patients with dementia

•	Participating on multidisciplinary treatment teams for Mild Brain Injury, Epilepsy, Movement Disorders, or the Emerging from Chronic Pain program

•	Attending didactic presentations about health psychology-related topics

•	Conducting Health Psychology program development.  Externs may collaborate with BSI administrators and clinicians to design, implement, and assess new clinical programs.  Possible programs externs may choose to design include disease-specific support groups or psycho-educational classes

•	Gaining exposure to administrative matters related to health insurance and advocacy for behavioral health services within a medical setting

•	Conducting treatment in both in-person and telehealth formats

Requirements for Application:

CV and cover letter are required to apply; please submit them via email.  Additional clinical/professional references are not required with the initial application but may be requested. This externship will be available for a full year running from fall 2025 through summer 2026 (with flexibility regarding those dates as needed).  A Master’s degree or clinical license is not required to apply, but status in the second year (or above) of a PhD or PsyD program is preferred.

Externs will be asked to commit approximately 16 hours per week to practicum training, yet this time frame is negotiable based on the extern’s interest and availability.  One student will be selected for this externship. 

Please feel free to call or email Dr. McQuide with any additional questions.  

Contact Information:

Sarah McQuide, PsyD

Address: 	5051 Greenspring Avenue, Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21209

Phone: 		410-601-7375

Email:		smcquide@lifebridgehealth.org