POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Dec 05, 2014
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
The John D. Dingell Medical Center located in Detroit, Michigan will be accepting applications for six one-year, postdoctoral fellowships in clinical psychology. Emphasis areas are described below. The training program for the Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship program is based on a Practitioner-Scholar model.
Each postdoctoral fellowship position is 2080 hours, full-time for one year. The Fellowship will begin in late August 2015, and the current stipend is $45,913. VA postdoctoral fellows are eligible for health insurance (for self, spouse, and legal dependents) and for life insurance, just as are regular employees.
Applicants must be US Citizens, have completed an APA Accredited graduate program in clinical or counseling psychology, and an APA accredited internship prior to beginning the fellowship. The Postdoctoral Fellowship program at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center is open to all qualified applicants regardless of race, gender, age, religion, or national origin. The training program is concerned with the multi-dimensional richness of all the identities that a person (client, trainee, staff member) brings to the setting, including ethnicity, sexual preference, race, cultural attitudes, and individual personality. The aspirations of the training program staff are toward cultural competence without overlooking individuality. We invite and encourage applications from members of ethnic and racial minority groups.
POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER SPECIALTY FELLOWSHIP
The postdoctoral fellow will receive training and experience in the assessment and treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and related difficulties. The fellow will be integrated as part of the interdisciplinary PTSD Clinical Team. Training in and provision of evidenced based treatments, such as Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy, will be a core portion of the postdoctoral experience. In addition, the fellow may also receive training in provision of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP) to veterans also diagnosed with PTSD. The fellow will also receive training and experience in evaluation of PTSD through administration of the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS5), which is the gold standard for PTSD assessment. Depending on the interest of the fellow, there may be opportunities to consult and participate in some complementary and alternative treatments, such as Mindful Yoga for PTSD, acupuncture, and aromatherapy.
ADDICTIONS PSYCHOLOGY
The training goal of the addictions psychology fellowship is for fellows to end the year with the ability to function at the level of an entry level psychologist in multiple settings where addiction is treated. During the year, fellows gain experience providing individual and group treatment to patients who present with diverse substance-based addictions, ethnic backgrounds, levels of education, and socioeconomic status. Fellows are encouraged to participate in a number of professional activities such as presentations, participation in multidisciplinary conferences and team meetings, research, and supervision of pre-doctoral interns. The major training rotations are the Intensive Outpatient Program for Addictions (IOP) and the Outpatient Substance Use Disorder Clinic; the fellow will provide assessment as well as individual and group psychotherapy focused on the treatment of addictions. The fellow will participate in these rotations for the full-year (approximately 16 hours each per week); the fellow may also elect a minor rotation to gain experience treating veterans presenting with comorbid substance and psychiatric and/or medical problems. In the past, addiction fellows have elected to complete minor rotations in the PTSD clinic, Sleep Clinic, Pain Clinic, and Neuropsychology. The fellow will spend about 4 hours per week in the specialty rotation.
HIV AND HEPATITIS C (HCV) SPECIALTY FELLOWSHIP
The fellow will receive training and experience in assessing and treating psychological comorbidities and substance use disorders in veterans with infectious disease (primarily HIV and HCV). Core educational objectives include the following: implementing health behavior interventions for the promotion of general health and reduction of health risk behaviors; gaining a depth of knowledge of the mental health complaints most commonly associated with HIV and HCV; receiving training in and implementing motivational interviewing techniques to address ambivalence towards improving self-care behaviors related to HIV and HCV symptom management; and receiving didactic and experiential learning in principles of shared decision-making and patient-centered communication. In addition, the postdoctoral fellow will spend time in the HIV, Liver, and Substance Use Disorder clinics, and will serve as an interdisciplinary team member. The fellow will provide consultation and coaching services to team members on mental health and behavioral change strategies, and will also conduct shared medical appointments with other providers for patients with chronic health issues related to HIV and HCV diagnoses.
INTERPROFESSIONAL GENERAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE
This fellowship position is dedicated to training psychologists to provide veteran-centered care in close consultation with mental health professionals from other disciplines. In 2012, the Mental Health Clinic was re-organized into four teams, each composed of at least one psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker case manager, and liaisons from the Homeless Veterans and Chemical Dependency Programs. Though the fellow's primary supervisors will be licensed psychologists, learning to work collaboratively, provide supervision to and receive supervision from professionals from other disciplines will be an important element in this fellowship. The fellow will also be trained in systems redesign approaches to process improvement and will be involved in their own performance improvement project. The fellow will spend the entire year in the Mental Health Clinic, and will have the opportunity to provide individual, couples, and group psychotherapy. The fellow will also supervise at least one psychology intern, under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.
PRIMARY CARE-MENTAL HEALTH INTEGRATION & HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
Two postdoctoral fellowship positions are available in clinical psychology with an emphasis on health psychology and primary care-mental health integration (PC-MHI).
Fellows will receive training to function effectively as independent clinicians and as members of interdisciplinary, Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) in the primary care setting. Core educational objectives include: 1) Provision of health psychology and integrated mental health assessment/intervention through participation in individual and group treatment; 2) Participation in the training/coaching of PACT team members and other hospital clinicians in evidence-based methodologies to effectively communicate with, motivate, coach, and support patient-centered care and health promotion and disease prevention; and 3) Provision of curbside and formal consultation with interdisciplinary PACT team members and others in supporting patient health promotion and disease prevention and integrated mental health. Fellows will rotate through health psychology and PC-MHIservices, and may also have the opportunity to elect specialty tracks such as with Geriatric Medicine, Pain Clinic, or Sleep Clinic. The medical center seeks to foster research and provides a strong interdisciplinary environment that allows for seamless collaboration between disciplines.
The deadline for applications is January 9, 2015.
For additional details and application materials, please visit the website:http://www.psychologytraining.va.gov/detroit/ For questions about the Fellowship, please contact Dr. Eileen Bent atEileen.Bent@va.gov or 313-576-1000 ext. 65908.