Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa, Inc. (IHCRC) is a nonprofit comprehensive health care facility serving the Tulsa-area American Indian community. The mission of IHCRC is to provide quality, comprehensive health care to Tulsa-area American Indian people in a culturally-sensitive manner that promotes good health, well-being, and harmony. IHCRC provides medical, health and wellness education, dental, optometry, substance abuse, pharmacy, and behavioral health services. IHCRC serves individuals across the life span with economically diverse backgrounds.

IHCRC has a multidisciplinary behavioral health department comprised of psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, and substance abuse counselors. The behavioral health department of IHCRC provides comprehensive outpatient services utilizing evidenced-based practices. Services include clinical interviews, diagnostic assessments, substance abuse treatment, medication management, and therapy with individuals, families, and couples.

IHCRC provides three full-time placements for interns. The internship is focused on training interns to provide behavioral health services in an interdisciplinary medical facility while emphasizing cultural competency in providing service in American Indian communities. Interns are valued members of our multidisciplinary clinic and work collaboratively with a variety of mental health and medical professionals.

The general responsibilities of the interns include:

Psychotherapy/Counseling Services: Interns provide primarily individual therapy services, but some opportunity for couples and family therapy are available.  Therapy services are offered to patients across the lifespan, including children, adults, and older adults.  Group therapy opportunities are also available.  For example, interns provide monthly smoking cessation sessions on a rotating basis to patients referred by their primary care providers.  Interns are also encouraged to form new therapy or psychoeducational groups as needed to address patient needs and intern interests.

Psychological Assessment: Interns have an opportunity to conduct a variety of assessments over the course of the training year. The most commonly requested assessments include ADHD, learning disability, and diagnostic clarification.  Screenings for autism and dementia are also regularly requested.

Consultation: Interns are available to provide on-call consultation services to our medical providers.  These services can include conducting providing brief interventions during medical appointments to patients with alcohol or other substance use disorders and providing connection to IHCRC behavioral health services.  In addition, observation of psychiatric appointments can be arranged with our psychiatric providers. Interns regularly engage in consultation with our Systems of Care program, which provides community-based wrap-around services to children and adolescents experiencing behavioral or emotional difficulties.

Community Outreach: Interns participate in community activities, including attending Tulsa Indian Community Advisory Team meetings and annual powwow planning meetings. They have opportunities to be involved in multiple community events, including volunteering at the annual powwow, attending stomp dances, observing youth drum group practices, chaperoning youth dances, and assisting with events for families in the community. 

To learn more about Indian Health Care Resource Center, please visit www.ihcrc.org.