Supervisors: Deborah Mazzarella, Ph.D., Director of Psychology, J. D. Ball, Ph.D., Rene Del Rio, Psy.D., Stephanie Eppinger, Ph.D., Margaret Fahey, Ph.D., Kim Gronemeyer, Psy.D., Mike Kohn, Psy.D., Peter Lielbriedis, Psy.D., and Dan Longo, Ph.D.

Eastern State Hospital, the nation's first public mental health hospital, opened in 1773 and is now located three miles west of Williamsburg on 638 acres of land once known as Dunbar Plantation. The hospital, with a physical plant of more than 30 buildings, offers active treatment programs to residents of southeastern Virginia.

Eastern State Hospital

Approximately 500 patients are housed and treated in semi-autonomous buildings or building groups. The Hancock Geriatric Treatment Center provides care for patients over the age of 65. The Acute Admissions Unit Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program treats adult populations. The Forensic Program consists of both jail transfer patients and patients with Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity status. The Neuropsychology service is a consultant service responsible for neuropsychological evaluations of patients throughout Eastern State Hospital when known or suspected brain dysfunction is an initial aspect of treatment planning.

Patients are housed on single sex and/or co-ed wards within each building. The program includes a level system which allows patients to gain increasing privileges and responsibilities as they improve during their stay, in preparation for their re-entry into the community.

Treatment is provided by multi-disciplinary teams comprised of physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and activities therapists. Many treatment approaches, such as individual and group psychotherapy, behavior modification, pastoral counseling, milieu therapy, and drug therapy, are used. The hospital offers a full program of activities including music, art, and recreation. A library, gymnasium, auditorium, game room, greenhouse, swimming pool, and picnic area are located on the hospital grounds. Vocational rehabilitation is available at the hospital through the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services. The hospital maintains a professional library with over 65 subscriptions to mental health related journals as well as a subscription to PsychLit on CD-ROM.

Eastern State Hospital maintains cooperative educational programs with many area universities, including The College of William and Mary, The Medical College of Virginia, Old Dominion University, and Eastern Virginia Medical School. Eastern State Hospital's rich historical, educational, and community-oriented background contribute to the clinical experience available in its training programs.

Internship rotations at Eastern State Hospital will typically include opportunities to engage in psychological and/or neuropsychological assessment, inpatient work with severe psychiatric disorders including dual diagnosis, geropsychology, forensic evaluations, and behavior treatment plans. Interns with special interests or skills in any of these areas should make this known to the training director.

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