Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and Metro East Public School Districts

Training at the SIUE/Metro East Schools site consists of opportunities to engage in the many activities that are part of doctoral school psychology practice. During the academic year, interns spend two days per week in the Attention and Behavior Clinic, where they conduct clinical evaluation and intervention activities for youth with/suspected of having autism or ADHD, these responsibilities include supervising two practicum students assisting with evaluations and interventions each semester. The doctoral intern also teaches an undergraduate Psychology course during the spring semester, thus, interns matriculating at our site are well prepared for future roles in academia and/or clinical supervision of graduate trainees. Interns spend the remaining three days per week in either the Triad or Edwardsville district (the partnering district varies from year to year), where they are supervised by licensed school psychologists while they provide evaluation, consultation, and mental health intervention services. Experiences range across age levels, student needs, student background characteristics, and professional role, thereby ensuring that interns receive a well-rounded culminating training experience. During the summer months, interns typically spend three days per week in the Attention and Behavior Clinic, engaged in ongoing autism evaluation services, and two days per week in their district placement, supporting summer evaluation and intervention services.

The settings at Triad CUSD 2, Edwardsville CUSD 7, and the SIUE Attention and Behavior Clinic provide real-world environments where interns can apply their academic training in service delivery contexts. As service providers, these sites contribute to the holistic development of students and clients, aligning with ISPIC’s objectives of offering comprehensive psychological and educational services. Our sites allow interns to engage in professional roles, working alongside educators, psychologists, and other service providers, ensuring they receive practical, hands-on experience. Interns work in full-time roles that immerse them in direct service provision, which ensures they meet the necessary experiential requirements for licensure and professional development.

Clinical supervision is provided by a licensed psychologist who supervises the SIUE Attention and Behavior Clinic. In addition, the intern receives periodic supervision from the teaching supervisor, another licensed psychologist, in preparation for and during spring semester teaching. The clinical supervisor is on campus and available for in-the-moment supervision each time that the intern is on campus working. When the clinical supervisor needs to be away, another licensed psychologist familiar with the operations of the clinic is identified as an emergency point of contact, if needed. School-based supervision is provided by each school-based supervisor via both formal, scheduled meetings and informal, in-the-moment supervision. The intern is always located in the building in which the assigned school-based supervisor is working, so that in-the-moment and/or crisis supervision can be provided. Clinical and school-based supervisors convene every other week via teleconference to discuss the intern’s activities and to confer with one another about upcoming opportunities and training goals.

SIUE, Edwardsville District 7, and Triad District 2 each have multiple efforts underway to recruit, retain, and sustain a diverse faculty and staff, and to provide culturally responsive services to students and families. These efforts include hiring procedures and professional development focused on prioritizing equity, respect, and justice; retention efforts focused on culturally responsive mentorship and how to respond to microaggressions; clear reporting procedures for discrimination or harassment; creating affinity groups for district employees; and establishing committees and positions focused on equity and inclusivity, among others. One of the goals of the SIU System strategic plan is that, “We will be a national model of anti-racism and anti-oppression that promotes diversity, inclusion and equitable access and opportunity for all individuals.”

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Attention and Behavior Clinic

The Attention and Behavior Clinic provides comprehensive evaluations of children and college-age adults suspected of having Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and/or autism. The intern provides direct client services and assists in supervision of graduate practicum students, providing valuable experience in doctoral level practice and preparing interns for future graduate training roles. Families and individuals who receive services in the AB Clinic pay on a sliding scale according to income.

Our comprehensive evaluations include the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – 2nd Edition (ADOS-2), cognitive and/or academic assessment as appropriate, school-based observations and interviews, and thorough developmental histories. The physical space of the Attention and Behavior Clinic includes two treatment/evaluation rooms, an administrative office, and a waiting area. Commonly used test kits are readily available within the clinic, and additional materials may be accessed via the Psychology Resource Center at SIUE when needed.

Pediatricians, psychologists, school staff, Board Certified Behavior Analysts, and other mental health professionals in the St. Louis and Metro East areas make referrals to the Attention and Behavior Clinic throughout the year. In addition, the AB Clinic is now partnering with St. Clair County Head Start to provide evaluation services to young children suspected of having autism. Thus, interns receive the opportunity to work with a racially and socioeconomically diverse clientele, including families from the urban core of St. Louis, MO and East St. Louis, IL, as well as suburban and rural communities surrounding the Edwardsville area.

The intern has a dedicated office within the Attention and Behavior Clinic, including a desktop computer, email account, and access to SIUE library services as needed for research materials. More information about the Attention and Behavior Clinic can be found at https://www.siue.edu/education/psychology/about/attention-behavior-clinic.shtml

SIUE Psychology Department

During the fall semester of the intern year, the intern receives mentorship regarding undergraduate and graduate teaching. The intern has the opportunity to attend and present several guest lectures, dependent upon previous experiences. The teaching mentor provides feedback to shape development goals for future teaching efforts. During the spring semester, the intern teaches one undergraduate psychology course pertaining to typical school psychological expertise. Courses taught by recent interns include Applied Behavior Analysis, Multicultural Psychology, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

The teaching mentor assists with the development of the syllabus and provides pedagogical supervision via observation and regular meetings. The specific course to be taught will be selected prior to the internship year. Thus, the intern will gain valuable experience in preparing and executing an advanced undergraduate course in topics that are relevant to future graduate trainers and supervisors in school psychology.

Edwardsville Community Unit School District

The school psychology staff of Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 has worked collaboratively with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for over a decade. In recent years, District 7 has invested in updating and improving its MTSS frameworks for the benefit of all students, and doctoral interns are enthusiastically welcomed into that work. The district takes pride in providing comprehensive evaluations and interventions to all students who need them. School psychologists are building-based to the greatest extent possible, to allow them to be fully integrated into the school community. School psychologists serve as a resource for students in general education and special education, and to teachers, administration, and parents.

Internship experiences are scaffolded as the school year progresses, to increase independence over time. The goal of the internship program in ECUSD7 is to provide the intern with a rich and varied experience so that the intern develops a systematic understanding of a preschool through twelfth grade public school district. Interns will participate in MTSS initiatives, as well as a collaborative model supporting teachers in their implementation of specialized supports for students. Given the significant obstacles that students and families often experience in accessing mental health services, the doctoral intern is invaluable in the integration of behavioral supports across both clinic and educational settings.

The Edwardsville School District operates on a staggered schedule for the high school, middle schools, and elementary schools. The high school workday is from 7:00-2:45, middle school is from 7:45-3:30, and the elementary school workday is from 8:00-3:45. The Office of Student Services and Special Education is located at the central office. According to U.S. News and World Report, 7.3% of students in the district identify as Black or African American, 5.9% as two or more races, 4.1% as Hispanic/Latino, 2.75 as Asian or API, 0.4% as American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.

The special education director, special education coordinators, and administrative office staff are available to answer questions and assist in technical cases and transition to the district. Intern schedules are developed to allow exposure to the full range of students served by the district. Interns are provided with an office equipped with a desktop computer, office telephone, access to a printer, testing materials, and ISPIC-related mileage reimbursement.

The mission of Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 is Empowering each student to achieve personal success. See more here: https://www.ecusd7.org/district/2022-2027-strategic-plan  

Triad Community Unit School District

Triad Community Unit School District #2 is excited to collaborate with SIUE as an ISPIC site. The district is committed to providing more support for our students and staff, and recently hired additional school psychology staff. This allowed each of our four larger buildings to have one dedicated school psychologist in the building at all times, and for our two smaller buildings to share a school psychologist. We look forward to working with a doctoral intern who will have full access to all of our buildings and programs. School psychologists serve as a resource for students in general education and special education, to teachers, administration, and parents.

The intern will have a school-based supervisor who will support and facilitate a variety of learning options. These opportunities include working alongside our staff to offer MTSS and mental health services to our students, in addition to the full array of typical school psychological services (e.g., consultation, evaluation, and direct intervention). Consistent with the Developmental, Ecological, and Problem-Solving (DEP) supervision model that is used throughout ISPIC, the intern’s experiences vary over time, with greater expectations for independence as the year progresses. 

Triad has an overall enrollment of about 4,500 students and 550 staff members who serve students grades Pre-K through 12. The Triad School District consists of the communities of Troy, St. Jacob, and Marine, which are all located in Madison County, Illinois. The district covers a total of 121.5 square miles. Triad is located in the southwestern sector of Illinois – just 18 miles northeast of St. Louis. The biggest part of the District sits at the crossroads of Interstates 55, 70, and 270. Per the Illinois Report Card, 1.9% of students in the district are Black, 3% are Hispanic, 0.4% are Asian, and 3.5% report being 2 or more races. In 2023, 18.6% of students in the district are described as being from low-income backgrounds.

Doctoral interns will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of settings and grade levels, from working with our smallest learners with developmental delays to our oldest learners with low and high incidence disabilities. The doctoral intern will have access to Early Intervention Programs, Early Childhood Special Education and Preschool Programs, Self-Contained Behavioral Programs, Life Skills Programs and of course, The Success Center. 

The doctoral intern will be provided with an office equipped with a laptop computer, office telephone, access to a printer anywhere in the district, and a variety of assessment tools. The psychology intern spends approximately 3 days per week in the Triad Community School District # 2 (TCUSD2) and the remainder of his/her time at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). This schedule may fluctuate during the year as needed to accommodate ISPIC intern activities, conference attendance, and other scheduling needs at both TCUSD2 and SIUE. Elementary certified staff members work 8:00am-3:45pm. Middle School certified staff members work 7:15am-3:00pm. High School certified staff members work 7:30am-3:15pm. Interns must pass a background check and maintain their own malpractice and health insurance.

The mission of Triad Community Unit School District 2 is to Provide a challenging education ensuring students reach their full potential in a safe, positive and accessible environment that inspires life-long learning.  See more here: https://go.boarddocs.com/il/triad/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=CLVP365B1CBF

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SUPERVISORS

Elizabeth L. W. McKenney, Ph.D., NCSP, is a certified school psychologist and licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Tulane University and a doctorate in school psychology from the University of Florida. She completed her doctoral internship and post-doctoral residency in Round Rock, Texas, prior to joining the faculty at SIUE in 2011. Dr. McKenney is a Professor in the Psychology Department and Director of the Clinical Child and School Psychology graduate program. She studies consultation and implementation support strategies to promote evidence-based service delivery for students with autism, and has related interests in how school psychologists can foster cultural responsiveness and engage in advocacy in the service of social justice for students and families.

Sarah J. Conoyer, Ph.D., NCSP, is a certified school psychologist and licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois. She earned a doctorate in school psychology from the University of Missouri in 2013. She is an ISPIC alumna, completing her doctoral internship and post-doctoral residency at Township High School District 211 in Palatine, IL. Dr. Conoyer is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at SIUE, where she studies the use of formative assessments to assist schools in identifying and monitoring students at-risk for academic difficulties. Dr. Conoyer has consulted with ECUSD7 across multiple years to develop, advance, and evaluate MTSS practices at the systems level. Currently, she is developing the Partnerships in Academic and Community Engagement (PACE) Scholars program. The PACE Scholars program is a before and after school program devoted to increasing community based academic skills intervention opportunities in the area at local school districts. PACE is the newest service provided through the Attention and Behavior Clinic.

Kirsten Potter Wilkerson, Ph.D. is a certified school psychologist in Illinois. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Saint Louis University in 1992 and a doctorate in school psychology from Illinois State University in 1998. She completed her doctoral internship in the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) in Fort Worth, Texas. In 2008, Dr. Wilkerson graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a Master’s degree in Educational Administration with an endorsement as a Director of Special Education.  

Dr. Wilkerson began working in 1998 as a school psychologist with Special School District (SSD) in St. Louis County. She was hired in 2001 by the Triad School District to serve as a Violence Prevention Coordinator as part of a state grant. In 2002, Dr. Wilkerson took a position working as a school psychologist in the Triad School District in a more traditional role and has worked at the Pre-K/ECSE, elementary and secondary levels. Her current position includes providing services to the Pre-K/ECSE program as well as one elementary building (K-5).

Dr. Wilkerson has provided services to a wide variety of district level programs, including transitioning young students from state-funded early intervention services, development and implementation of a play-based pre-k screening as part of child find, and development of a multi-tiered systems of support, including progress monitoring activities. Dr. Wilkerson has provided training at the state level as part of the ISPA Supervisor Credential Training and uses the DEP supervision model in her work with practicum students and interns. She serves as a member of the SIUE School Psychology Advisory Board and is a board member for Community Link, an organization that provides a variety of services to children and adults with developmental disabilities. Dr. Wilkerson currently serves on the Triad District special education team, the Triad District progress monitoring team and participates in the district’s MTSS initiatives. Dr. Wilkerson’s role has allowed for delivery of services to students, teachers, administrative teams, parents and community members.

Cindy Steele (not pictured) has served the Edwardsville School District for over 25 years as a school psychologist, with twelve of those years also serving as a special education administrator. Ms. Steele has provided administrative coordination for a wide variety of district level programs and projects, including transitioning young students from state-funded early intervention services, ongoing development of more inclusive early childhood settings, development of multi-tiered systems of support, curricular studies targeting the instructional needs of students with specific learning disabilities in the areas of reading/dyslexia, prevention programs targeting mental illness and suicide, educational programs for English Language Learners, study and implementation of evidenced based programs for students with Down Syndrome, and staff development specific to anti-bullying campaigns and creating a culture of student bystanders. Ms. Steele has been part of the Collaborating for Autism Spectrum Teaching, Learning, and Excelling (CASTLE) program with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville since its beginning and is currently on the leadership team of the district’s MTSS initiatives. Ms. Steele’s role has allowed for delivery of services to a number of constituents, including students, teachers, administrative teams, parents and community members. She currently supervises a team of ten school psychologists.

Financial and Other Benefit Support for Upcoming Training Year

Updated 9/16/25