The fellowships listed here have been provided by the training organizations; please direct all questions to the contact provided in the listing.
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The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System is recruiting applicants for our specialty postdoctoral fellowship program in Professional Geropsychology. The mission of this fellowship program is to provide advanced training in the science and practice of geropsychology. Consistent with the Pikes Peak Model and the Training Guidelines for Postdoctoral Training in Professional Geropsychology Education, the aim of our fellowship is to prepare geropsychologists for independent clinical practice with older adults in a range of professional roles and health service settings using evidence-based practices. Thus, the focus of training is on developing advanced competence in geropsychology and it is expected that incoming fellows will possess at least intermediate level in knowledge of and foundational skills in professional geropsychology. During the postdoctoral year, fellows will gain advanced knowledge through their supervised clinical and scholarly activities. Individual supervision sessions at minimum of two hours per week with staff geropsychologists will promote an integration of case conceptualization, clinical findings, testing results, and psychological interventions. The fellowship program will be truly interdisciplinary in that a portion of clinical activities will occur when working not only with psychologists, but also a variety of other healthcare professionals. Our training philosophy reflects the scholar-practitioner model in that fellows are expected to develop proficiency in both clinical work and scholarly thinking. Consistent with this model, fellows will become familiar with state-of-the art, evidence-based practice in geropsychology and will integrate scholarly research into clinical practice. It is expected that, by the conclusion of the fellowship year, fellows will develop skills within the following core competency areas: Assessment, Intervention, Consultation/Interdisciplinary Team Involvement, Supervision Skills, Ethics and Professional Behavior, Understanding of Diversity, and Scholarly Skills.
During the course of the training year, the fellows complete two six-month rotations:
1. GRECC Rotation—Fellows have the opportunity to provide psychological services to older adults in their homes through the Home Based Primary Care Clinic and in an outpatient setting. These services include diagnostic evaluation, individual psychotherapy including interventions with caregivers, and cognitive assessments, including decisional capacity evaluations. In addition, fellows complete cognitive evaluations with older adults through the outpatient GEM team, including driving safety evaluations in the Geriatric Driving Safety Clinic. Fellows are also active members of interdisciplinary teams on this rotation.
2. Neurobehavioral Program-CLC Rotation—Fellows have the opportunity to conduct comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations with older adults and facilitate a memory skills group. Within the CLC, fellows provide psychological consultative services, conduct decisional capacity evaluations, and provide individual and group psychotherapy to residents in the Community Living Center.
In addition to clinical experiences, fellows provide supervision to doctoral interns, are members of the Clinical Training Committee, and attend didactics to facilitate development as a supervisor. Fellows also attend weekly didactics with the fellows in our clinical psychology program in addition to Geropsychology Journal Club, GRECC didactics, Neuroanatomy Seminar Series, and Neuropsychology Case Conference. Our training program has numerous strengths, including training in supervision and working with various interdisciplinary teams. Fellows are encouraged to join our Diversity subcommittee of the Clinical Training Committee, which promotes diversity training for staff and trainees as well as appreciation for the diversity of Pittsburgh. The diversity of Pittsburgh can be enjoyed through the various links available on our website. Interested applicants can obtain additional information from our website: https://www.va.gov/pittsburgh-health-care/work-with-us/internships-fellowships/psychology-internships-and-fellowships/
How to Apply: We are recruiting for two postdoctoral fellowship positions for the 2021-2022 training year; applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. The stipend for the training year is $47,293. Given the diversity of the veterans receiving treatment through the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, we encourage applicants from graduate and internship programs with a multicultural focus and experience with ethnic, cultural, and social minority groups. Our fellowship program values cultural and individual diversity and strongly encourages qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply.
To submit an application, please send the following documents to Dr. Pasquale at the email address below:
Cover letter indicating your training goals and dissertation status
Curriculum Vitae
3 Letters of Recommendation
Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must have received a doctorate from an APA or CPA accredited graduate program in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined Psychology or PCSAS accredited Clinical Science program. Persons with a doctorate in another area of psychology who meet the APA or CPA criteria for respecialization training in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined Psychology are also eligible. Applicants must also have completed an internship program accredited by APA or CPA or have completed a VA-sponsored internship. The Federal Government requires that male applicants to VA positions who were born after 12/31/59 must sign a Pre-appointment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration before they are employed. All postdoctoral fellows will have to complete a Certification of Citizenship in the United States prior to beginning the fellowship. VA will not consider applications from anyone who is not currently a U.S. citizen. VA conducts drug screening exams on randomly selected personnel as well as new employees. Postdoctoral Fellows are not required to be tested prior to beginning work, but once on staff they are subject to random selection as are other staff. Postdoctoral Fellows are also subject to fingerprinting and background checks. Selection decisions are contingent on passing these screens.
Accreditation Status: The Professional Geropsychology specialty postdoctoral fellowship at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. Our next site visit will be in 2021. For accreditation questions, please contact APA at:
American Psychological Association
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
202-336-5979
Questions: Contact Dr. Pasquale at [email protected]
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