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Postdoc Description
The Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Health Care System invites applications for two fulltime one-year postdoctoral residencies in Clinical Psychology.

RESIDENCY GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

This clinical psychology postdoctoral residency provides advanced interdisciplinary education and training across a variety of settings in outpatient mental health for the purpose of training future psychologists who are capable of providing the next generation of psychological services within Veterans Affairs. Even though this is classified as a general residency training, this program emphasizes the assessment and treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Polytrauma associated with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and readjustment problems in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) veterans. Residents also gain expertise in the complementary areas of trauma including, combat and military sexual trauma, substance abuse, couple/family therapy, and polytrauma.

RESIDENCY TRAINING EXPERIENCES

Postdoctoral residents are active members of two interdisciplinary treatment teams:

1. The PTSD Clinical Team through the Outpatient Mental Health

2. The Polytrauma Treatment Team through the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department

PTSD CLINICAL TEAM

As a member of the PTSD Clinical Team (PCT), residents provide assessment, education, and treatment to veterans with military-related PTSD and Military Sexual Trauma (MST). In addition, residents provide clinical coverage of the OEF/OIF/OND Primary Care Clinic as a part of their interdisciplinary Team. In these settings, residents work to develop their competencies in the assessment of military related PTSD, become familiar with dynamics of PTSD, and to institute evidence-based treatments in individual and group settings, and take on some supervisory and mentorship roles.

POLYTRAUMA TREATMENT TEAM

The VA Salt Lake City Health Care System is a Level III Polytrauma Support Clinic Site that provides outpatient assessment and treatment services to returning OEF/OIF/OND service members and veterans with Polytrauma and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Residents are members of the Polytrauma treatment team This interdisciplinary rehabilitation team includes members from Medicine, Nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Pathology, Social Work, and Psychology. The team works together to evaluate and treat patients with complicated physical and psychological presentations. Residents assist in evaluating and treating OIF/OEF/OND veterans with TBI and other co-morbid physical injuries and psychological concerns.

Residents gain knowledge and understanding about TBI and the associated physical, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional sequelae through individualized training and supervision. Residents receive comprehensive training in the neuropsychological assessment of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), evaluation of comorbid psychological disorders, and individual/couples treatment for patients adjusting to traumatic injury. These experiences expose residents to patients with challenging neuropsychiatric presentations in a variety of evaluative and therapeutic settings.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Residents develop presentation and teaching skills by preparing and delivering seminars in a variety of formats including formal staff presentations, training of interns, and project presentations. In addition, some residents are interested in conducting research during the course of the postdoctoral year and may have opportunities to do so.

LEADERSHIP

Residents have many opportunities to gain leadership and administrative experience. There are a variety of ways that residents can be involved in these experiences throughout the year.

OUTREACH

In the Utah valley, there are bases for the Utah National Guard, Army Reserves, Marine Reserves, Navy Reserves, and the Air Force. The goal of OEF/OIF/OND outreach is to establish a good relationship with all of these branches. One component of interaction is in conducting Post-Deployment Health Re-Assessments (PDHRA) over the Salt Lake City VA's large geographical catchment area.

STIPEND AND BENEFITS

Residents receive a stipend of $41,069.80 paid in equal installments over 26 bi-weekly pay periods. Residents are not covered by civil service retirement, but are eligible for federal employee group life insurance and health benefits. Over the course of the year, residents earn approximately 13 vacation days and 13 sick days, in addition to 10 federal holidays.

Postdoctoral Resident Application Due Date: January 11, 2013

Start Date: Late August 2013

ACCREDITATION STATUS

The Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association accredits the Psychology Internship Program. We have been accredited by APA since 2011 with the next anticipated site visit during 2018. For information regarding APA accreditation of this or other accredited training programs, please contact:

Commission on Accreditation (CoA)

American Psychological Association

750 First Street, NE

Washington, DC 20002-4242

Phone: (202) 336-5979

FAX: (202) 336-5978