Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
G.V. (Sonny) MontgomeryVA Medical Center
Jackson, Mississippi
Updated: September 2016
/Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
/G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery
Veterans Affairs Medical CenterPsychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
/Mental Health Service (11M)
1500 East Woodrow Wilson Drive
Jackson, MS 39216-5116
601.364.1350
/Jackson VA hospital website
Postdoctoral Fellowship website
Application due: January 6, 2017Accreditation Status
The Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at the G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center (GVSMVAMC) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA). Our next site visit is scheduled for 2019.
APPIC Membership
In 2011, our fellowship program was approved for membership in the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Center (APPIC). Our APPIC member number is 9929.
Contents
Eligibility Requirements 3
Application Procedures 3
Interview and Selection Process 4
Stipend and Benefits 4
Psychology Setting and Training Programs 5
Training Model and Program Philosophy 6
Postdoctoral Fellowship Program’s General Goals and Objectives 7
Emphasis Areas 8
Addictive Disorders Emphasis Area 8
Geriatric Mental Health Emphasis Area 12
HIV/Liver Disease Emphasis Area 17
Neuropsychology Emphasis Area 21
Psychosocial Rehabilitation Emphasis Area 27
Supervision 30
Didactic Training 31
Requirements for Completion 31
Facility and Training Resources 32
Administrative Policies and Procedures 32
Postdoctoral Training Faculty 32
G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery VAMC 33
University of Mississippi Medical Center 38
Mississippi Methodist Rehabilitation Center 38
Past and Present Trainees 39
Local Information 39
Eligibility Requirements
Fellowship applicants must show a genuine interest in and aptitude for clinical psychology training and an expressed desire to learn how to provide state-of-the-art assessment and intervention to Veteran populations and their families who are experiencing difficulties with behavioral health, cognitive, and/or addictive disorders. Applicants are expected to have acquired a solid skill-set in assessment, intervention, and scholarly activity (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, educational or conference presentations) by the time they begin fellowship training. This can be documented through previous training experiences, letters of recommendation, statements of interest, and interviews.
The following are the eligibility crieteria to be considered for the fellowship:
· Completion of an APA-accredited doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology.
· Completion of a psychology pre-doctoral internship in clinical psychology which is both accredited by the APA (or VA internship in the process of accreditation) and listed, in good standing, with APPIC.
· Citizenship in the United States of America. Verification of citizenship is required following selection. All fellows must complete a Certification of Citizenship in the United States prior to beginning VA training.
· Male applicants born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the draft by age 26 to be eligible for any US government employment, including selection as a paid VA trainee. Male applicants must sign a pre-appointment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration before they can be processed into a training program. Exceptions, which are very rarely granted, can only be approved by the US Office of Personnel Management.
· Completion of and passing fingerprinting and background checks.
· Willingness to accept a full-time, 1-year appointment. Fellows choosing the neuropsychology emphasis area have the option of pursuing a second year of training.
Note: the VA conducts drug screening exams on randomly selected personnel as well as on new employees. Fellows are not required to be tested prior to beginning work, but once on staff they are subject to random selection for testing as are other employees.
Application Procedures
Applicants should submit the following mateials via e-mail or regular mail to the address below by January 6, 2017:
· Cover letter expliciting indicating the emphasis area under consideration (i.e., Addictive Disorders, Geriatric Mental Health, HIV/Liver Disease, Neuropsychology, or Psychosocial Rehabilitation)
· Curriculum vitae
· Three (3) letters of recommendation with at least one (1) from an internship supervisor
· Official transcripts of graduate work
· Two (2) scholarly or clincial work samples (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, de-identified assessment reports, published case reports)
E-mail Address:
Mailing Address: Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
Attention: Andrew Voluse, Ph.D.
Director of Training, Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (116A4)
G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center
1500 East Woodrow Wilson Drive
Jackson, MS 39216-5116
Interview and Selection Process
All completed applications will be reviewed by members of the training faculty. Based on this review, applicants who appear to be a good fit with our program will be invited for an in-person or telephone interview at the GVSMVAMC.
In-person interviews are highly encouraged in order for applicants and faculty to make more informed decisions about fit between applicants’ training goals and those offered by our programs. Full-day interviews will be conducted in early February. They will include a meeting and orientation with training leadership and interviews with different psychology staff members, including track coordinators and current fellows. Applicants with a disability who require accommodations for the application process or interview are encouraged to directly contact the training director () to discuss their needs. We will make every effort to create reasonable accommodations upon request.
In the event that an applicant is unable to arrange for an on-site interview, we will consider making accomodations to conduct the interview by telephone.
After interviews have been completed, members of the training faculty will meet to rank order applicants for each of the emphasis areas. For the Addictive Disorders, Geriatric Mental Health, HIV/Liver Disease, and Psychosocial Rehabilitation emphasis areas, offers are made by telephone to the highest ranked applicant. For the Neuropsychology emphasis area, we participate in the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology (APPCN) Resident Matching Program (APPCN Match Website) and maintain full compliance with the procedures required by APPCN, including ranking and uniform notification dates. For all emphasis areas, once it has been confirmed that a particular applicant has accepted our offer, written and/or electronic notification is sent out to the new psychology postdoctoral fellow.
Stipend and Benefits
Stipends and benefits are competitive with similar training programs nationally and consistent with VA personnel policies. The salary for all first-year fellows is set at $42,239 per annum by VA Central Office. Fellows are expected to work full-time, accruing 2080 hours per year. Benefits include 13 paid vacation days, 13 paid sick leave days, 10 paid federal holidays, health insurance, and authorized absences (to attend professional conferences and other approved educational activities) may also be granted. Fellows have the opportunity to pursue a without compensation (WOC) appointment with UMMC to take advantage of their library, lecture series, and other educational resources.
Psychology Setting and Training Programs
The primary catchment area of the GVSMVAMC is home to more than 125,000 Veterans and their families. We serve approximately 45,000 unique Veterans who make more than 300,000 outpatient visits per year. The GVSMVAMC has 163 operating beds and provides primary, secondary, and tertiary medical, surgical, neurological, and psychiatric inpatient care. Among the inpatient services available to Veterans are radiation therapy, magnetic resonance imaging, hemodialysis, cardiac catheterization, sleep studies, hematology/oncology, and rehabilitation programs. Both primary and specialized outpatient services are also available, including ambulatory surgery, spinal cord injury, neurology, infectious disease. We have a 120-bed Community Living Center, several community contract nursing homes, four 150-bed state Veterans’ nursing homes, and a variety of outpatient programs aimed at serving the needs of aging and/or disabled Veterans and their families. Given that many of our Veterans reside in rural or geographically isolated areas, the GVSMVAMC also has seven Community Based Outpatient clinics (CBOCs) located across the state of Mississippi.
Psychology services at the GVSMVAMC are largely provided in the context of interdisciplinary programs that offer assessment and treatment in inpatient, residential, and outpatient settings. Psychologists at the GVSMVAMC are well respected and serve in important mental health and facility leadership positions (e.g., Team Leaders, Research & Development Committee, IRB Committee). Psychologists are team leaders for the Addictive Disorders Treatment Program, the Trauma Recovery Program, and the Evidenced-Based Psychotherapy Clinic. Psychologists also serve as coordinators of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center. Psychology positions are also allocated to the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Community Living Center, and Primary Care Mental Health. Several psychologists serve in other leadership roles including the Evidence-Based Practice Coordinator and Local Recovery Coordinator.
The psychology faculty at the GVSMVAMC has a variety of interests and ongoing collaborations at local and national levels. Some of our current and recent projects are focused on cognitive behavioral interventions related to heavy drinking, improving continuity of care following primary substance use disorder treatment, tobacco cessation, resilience and recovery after trauma, factors associated with medically unexplained illness among troops deployed to the Middle East, the neuropsychology of PTSD, and medication adherence to Hepatitis C Treatment regimes in a substance use disorder population.
The GVSMVAMC serves a major role as a teaching hospital offering training programs in psychology, psychiatry, occupational therapy, social work, nursing, and numerous other medical specialties and disciplines. We are closely affiliated with the adjacent University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), and for over 45 years we have been a full partner in the Psychology Predoctoral Internship Consortium with the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at UMMC. This predoctoral internship has been APA-accredited since 1964 and provides 2,000 hours of clinical training with diverse Veteran populations in both inpatient, residential, and outpatient settings. Ratings by the interns have consistently been excellent and graduates typically receive competitive positions at postdoctoral fellowships, medical centers (including VAMCs), or academic institutions.
In 2007, the GVSMVAMC competed for and was awarded two postdoctoral fellowship positions, by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Academic Affiliations, including positions with emphasis areas in Addictive Disorders and Neuropsychology. In 2011, the GVSMVAMC competed for and was awarded a third postdoctoral fellowship position with an emphasis area in HIV/Liver Disease. Finally, in 2013 the GVSMVAMC competed for and was awarded two additional fellowship positions with emphasis areas in Geriatric Mental Health and Psychosocial Rehabilitation. During the course of training, our fellows have opportunities to collaborate with the UMMC-funded postdoctoral fellows, as well as predoctoral interns and other psychology trainees.
Training Model and Program Philosophy
The primary theoretical orientation of our faculty is cognitive-behavioral. However, we believe that any knowledge or principle which is scientifically derived and/or validated may be considered and incorporated into practice.
Fellowship training at the GVSMVAMC is rooted in the Scientist-Practitioner model. Additionally, the training model heavily emphasizes an empirically based, client-centered, and recovery-oriented approach. Fellows receive mentoring in the use of scientific methodology to guide their decision making and skills in the following areas:
· Using scientifically valid assessment methods, tools, and techniques
· Employing clinical interventions
· Utilizing and adapting evidence-based treatment modalities with different clinical populations
· Learning to inform Veterans of scientifically-based findings
· Building and maintaining effective teamwork with other healthcare professionals that supports the delivery of scientist-practitioner contributions
· Evaluating and disseminating clinically relevant, practice-based research
Our underlying philosophy is that clinical psychologists should be well-prepared to apply empirical sciences towards the following:
· Amelioration of maladaptive, dysfunctional, and abnormal behavior in individuals, families, groups, and communities
· Relief of human suffering
· Promotion of adaptive, fulfilling, and more meaningful living patterns in which people can thrive
Postdoctoral Fellowship Program’s General Goals and Objectives
The overarching goal of the Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at the GVSMVAMC is to provide advanced clinical training and educational opportunities to fellows to prepare them to serve as psychologists in settings where clinical service delivery and evidence-based practice, particularly within the context of interdisciplinary teams, are an integral part of their professional activities. A second goal is to provide opportunities for fellows to engage in scholarly activity. We expect our fellows to be able to critically evaluate research and to both employ and disseminate emprically based knowledge through clincial, educational, and/or scholarly activities. In order to meet these goals, the faculty is committed to the following four training objectives which are aimed at building upon and refining each fellow’s previously learned assessment, conceptualization, intervention and scholarly skills through active mentorship, training, and supervision.
Program Objective One: Preparing fellows for independent clinical practice within their chosen emphasis area. Fellows will refine interviewing, assessment, and intervention skills which are based on empirical principles, as well as acquire detailed knowledge of psychometric properties and normative data. They will learn how to critically evaluate and apply empirically-supported treatments within diverse clinical settings, including inpatient, residential, and outpatient programs. Fellows will also refine their assessment and report writing skills such that findings and recommendations are stated using language that is clear, concise, and accessible to the populations with whom they work. Finally, fellows will learn how to establish rapport with diverse Veteran populations and communicate in a way that encourages the Veteran to have a collaborative role in the treatment process.
Program Objective Two: Enhancing fellow educational and teaching abilities. Fellows will refine their presentation skills by developing well organized presentations relating to their area of expertise. The content of these presentations will be appropriate to the sophistication of the audience and employ a style that is engaging and encourages questions. Fellows will also be competent in the use of multimedia technology as a means of enhancing the quality of their presentations. Additionally, fellows may refine their education and teaching abilities through opportunities to receive training in the supervision of predoctoral interns and/or paraprofessional staff. They will employ supervison techniques that are sensitive to issues of cultural diversity and work to enhance the knowledge and skill set of the person being supervised.
Program Objective Three: Developing fellows’ scholarly abilities. Fellows will attain sufficient knowledge of their emphasis area such that they are able to critically evaluate research findings, summarize the current state of knowledge in an area, and discuss directions for future research. Fellows will also be able to apply their knowledge through the use of empirically-supported assessments and treatments within their given emphasis area. Fellows will strengthen their conceptualization and dissemination skills by participating in the development of clinical education projects, program improvement projects, presenting scholarly works at professional meetings, and/or becoming involved in research endeavors. Finally, fellows will have a solid awareness of human studies issues including the protection of human subjects, informed consent, and security of research data.