DEPARTMENT OF
SUPPORTIVE CARE MEDICINE
CLINICAL HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Introduction
The Clinical Health Psychology Post-doctoral Fellowship Program at the City of Hope is a 12-month fellowship program. Fellows will be required to work 40 hours per week with a stipend of $45,000.
City of Hope National Medical Center
City of Hope is an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. It is located in Duarte, California, just 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles, and 10 miles east of Pasadena, California. It is comprised of inpatient and outpatient medical facilities, in addition to the Beckman Research Institute. City of Hope is one of only 40 national comprehensive cancer centers and is a founding member of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Network. A pioneer in bone marrow transplantation,
City of Hope has performed more than
10,600 bone marrow and stem cell
transplants and operates one of the largest,
most successful programs of its kind in the
world. City of Hope is nationally recognized for research in the areas of clinical oncology, bone marrow transplantation, and endocrinology. Please visit the City of Hope’s website at for additional information.
Training Program Philosophy
The primary goal of the City of Hope Health Psychology Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program is to provide clinical health psychology training within a medical setting, with a special emphasis on psycho-oncology. Most of the training opportunities that we provide have an emphasis on behavioral medicine, health psychology, and end-of-life issues. The goal is to prepare the post-doctoral level candidate for professional service as a clinical psychologist in a medical setting. We provide opportunities for training in both inpatient and outpatient psychological treatment.
City of Hope strongly values a multidisciplinary approach to patient and family care from time of diagnosis, through treatment, recovery, and end-of-life. Supportive care services are offered through the Department of Supportive Care Medicine, and navigators, pain and palliative care physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, spiritual care chaplains within this department offer healing arts workshops, peer support groups, health information, complementary medicine, nutrition education, counseling, consultation and much more. Staff members work one on one and in groups with patients and their loved ones, focusing on strengths, resilience and hope. Psychology at City of Hope is an integral part of the medical and supportive care teams throughout the continuum of care.
Fellows will gain experience with multiple psychological issues associated with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. There will be an opportunity to have experience in providing consultation liaison services focused on acute stabilization for inpatients. Fellows will also have the chance to conduct short-term individual and family therapy as well as group interventions for outpatients. Issues related to a life-threatening diagnosis include: depression, anxiety, existential issues, poor body image, pain management, adapting to loss of physical level of functioning, side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, treatment decision-making, suicidality, noncompliance with treatment, marital and family issues, substance abuse, end-of-life issues, and communication with medical team.
Specific Goals of the Fellowship Include:
1)Recognize and address mental health concerns in patients with cancer and other medical problems.
2)Increase awareness of cancer-site and treatment-specific psychological problems.
3)Learn about the timing and appropriateness of interventions for patients (e.g. individual, group, family, couples, cognitive-behavioral, crisis intervention, acute stabilization, bereavement counseling, and supportive)
4)Interact meaningfully with a number of interdisciplinary teams including physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers etc.
5)Increase knowledge of cancer sites, treatment, and clinical course of cancer.
6)As a liaison, be able to provide support to oncology staff, and facilitate a greater understanding of patients and families by treatment teams.
7)Expand consulting skills to assess, triage, make recommendations and provide treatment as appropriate.
8)Develop identity as a competent, ethical, professional psychologist.
Clinical Training Opportunities, Seminars, and Meetings
The program is designed to provide advanced competence in the area of clinical health psychology. Fellows receive year-long training in the provision of inpatient and outpatient consultation and liaison services for a Comprehensive Cancer Center. The degree of responsibility given the fellow and the amount of structure provided depends on his or her level of prior experience. The fellow will participate in regularly scheduled supervisory sessions on a weekly basis. These sessions will include individual face-to-face supervision with licensed psychologists twice each week, bi-weekly didactics and psychology case rounds, and weekly psychosocial case rounds. In addition, fellows will have the chance to participate in medical team rounds, tumor boards, case conferences and neuropsychology didactics as appropriate.
Training Opportunities:
- Provide psychological consultation and treatment to oncology patients/families on an outpatient and inpatient basis.
- Provide pre-BMT (bone marrow transplantation) assessment.
- Provide crisis management to oncology patients.
- Co-facilitate therapy and support groups for patients and families
- Attend weekly hematology and oncology rounds, didactics and neuropsychology seminar.
- Engage in clinical research.
The focus of the training year will be on working with an adult oncology population. However, opportunities in pediatric psycho-oncology will be included as part of the training. In addition, an introduction to working with endocrine disorders may also be available for those who are interested.
Evaluation Process
Fellows will meet with the primary supervisor to determine individualized training goals at the start of the training year. These goals will be reviewed every three months to ensure that the training goals are being met. A formal, written evaluation will be provided at mid-year and at the completion of training. Fellows are also expected to write self-evaluations, based upon their goals.
Application Procedure
Applicants must meet all standards and prerequisites of their accredited graduate program, have completed an APA accredited internship, and be certified by their graduate school as candidates for fellowship.
To submit an application for the City of Hope Psychology Fellowship Program, please send the following information:
- Cover letter
- Current curriculum vitae
- 2 Letters of recommendation (At least 1 from the internship training director and one from another supervisor familiar with the applicant’s work)
- Letter from dissertation chairperson (Letter must document that the applicant’s dissertation will be completed by August 1st)
- Graduate Transcripts
Application materials for the 2018-2019 training year should be received no later than January 25, 2018. Applicants should be available for interview in late January through February. Notification of selection for all positions will occur on March 9, 2018.
Please send application materials to:
Jeanelle Folbrecht, Ph.D.
Division of Psychology
Department of Supportive Care Medicine
City of Hope
1500 E. Duarte Road
Duarte, CA 91010-3000
E-mail:
Personal Interviews
Individual interviews will be conducted in person by invitation only. Interviews are an opportunity for us to learn more about you and for you to become more familiar with City of Hope and the Health Psychology Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program. City of Hope will fully adhere to the guidelines established by the California Board of Psychology for supervision and accrual of hours