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San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium Post Doctoral Fellowship In Child/Pediatric Psychology

Last updated 18 Oct 2022

Main (Program Overview/Mission/Vision/Aims)

The Child/Pediatric Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship is offered at the Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) as part of the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium (SAUSHEC) in San Antonio, Texas. The training curriculum provides an integrated program of study, using a practitioner-scholar model. Didactic instruction, seminars, case conferences, grand rounds, workshops, national conferences and supervised clinical, instructional and administrative practice are the modalities for training.

The BAMC mission is to effectively and efficiently promote health and provide quality healthcare to eligible patients, while preparing future healthcare leaders to do the same within the full spectrum of military medical operations. The BAMC vision and end-state is to develop and maintain patient trust by being available, accessible and accountable to maintain a quality-, safety- and outcomes-based healthcare system, while increasing health promotion and provider-patient partnerships; to maintain a learning environment focused on training, education, research and leader development and to maintain a work environment that best supports soldiers and their family members. The fellowship training program provides advanced specialty training in Clinical Child/Pediatric Psychology. The program prepares fellows to practice within the military medical setting in order to direct, develop and implement clinical programs in the area of their specialty, conduct research, educate, consult and collaborate with other healthcare professionals.

Training setting: BAMC is a large medical center and teaching hospital that supports the Southern Regional Medical Command. BAMC provides services to a local catchment area that includes more than 200,000 active duty soldiers, airmen, sailors, National Guard and reserve components, retirees, and their family members. In addition, BAMC provides specialty care that is unavailable at the smaller Army community hospitals in the Southern region, which includes 14 states and Panama. BAMC houses the nationally known Institute of Surgical Research's Burn Unit, the Center for the Intrepid (Amputee and Burn Rehabilitation Center), Level One trauma care, and 58 specialty clinics. BAMC is a regional referral center for patients with the most complex and challenging illnesses and provides excellent support for the high quality of its 35 graduate medical education programs.

The Department of Behavioral Health at Brooke Army Medical Center is well established within the BAMC structure. The department has been involved in psychology graduate training since the inception of the Child Psychology and Clinical Health Psychology Fellowships in 1996. That same year, the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Child/Pediatric Psychology was initiated, and the first fellow entered the fellowship on 30 Sept 1996.Three years later the Clinical Psychology Internship was created in July of 1999. The internship received a five-year APA accreditation in November of 2006. The internship and many of the postdoctoral fellowships maintain membership in the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).

The Child/Pediatric Psychology Fellowship program faculty are all part of the Child & Family Behavioral Health Service (CAFBHS). This service is one of several clinics within the larger Department of Behavioral Health.

Aims of the program: The Child/Pediatric Psychology Fellowship is designed to prepare the post-doctoral level trainee to assume the professional responsibilities of independent practice as a licensed psychologist specializing in clinical child and pediatric psychology.

Training model and philosophy: A Practitioner-Scholar model guides the fellowship training at BAMC, with an emphasis on clinical practice that is validated by empirical research. The program offers diverse training opportunities with active duty military populations, their families, military retirees and their family members in the military medical setting.

Accreditation Status: The fellowship program became accredited in Clinical Child Psychology by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association in April 2020 for the maximum accreditation award of 10 years. Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation at: Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org, Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

Postdoctoral Residency Admissions, Support, and Initial Placement Data

Curriculum/Rotations/Locations/Partnering Institutions

The Fellowship is divided into two years (24 months) with Year I providing the foundation and development of skills required to advance to Year II. All fellows participate in training experiences designed to focus on the following competencies:

Competency 1: Ethical Practice
Competency 2: Cultural Diversity
Competency 3: Professional Identification and Integration of Science and Practice
Competency 4: Interpersonal Interactions and Reflective Practice
Competency 5: Professional Self-Care
Competency 6: Supervision & Training
Competency 7: Knowledge
Competency 8: Assessment
Competency 9: Intervention
Competency 10: Consultation

Requirements are designed to advance and deepen skills acquired during the internship year. Some competencies are more general and "core" and others are specific to the specialty of clinical child and pediatric psychology. The competencies will be met with experiences that provide advanced practice training in the fellowship specialty area. A five point Likert scale (1=unsatisfactory, 2= needs improvement, 3= satisfactory, 4= autonomous, 5 = exceptional) is used to rate Fellow's performance at baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. At the 24 month fellowship evaluation period (completion of fellowship), 100% of competency areas must be rated at 4 ("autonomous practice") or higher, with no ratings of 3 ("satisfactory") or below in a competency area. The fellow will additionally be required to complete all elements of their second year fellowship project. If a fellow does not meet these criteria, he/she will not be awarded a certificate of completion. The Program Director and Fellowship Faculty may, at their discretion, determine if exceptions to the rating standards are warranted on a case by case basis due to unforeseen or extenuating circumstances.

Training Experiences

Year I (Clinical Child Behavioral Health)

The initial year is focused on the development of skills needed to provide general clinical child psychology services with additional experience with developmental disorders. Training experiences in the first year range from:

  • Psychological assessment and treatment of a wide variety of childhood mental health disorders.
  • Diagnostic and psychological assessment of children and adolescents.
  • Participation in the Autism Clinic, a multidisciplinary team to evaluate developmental delays and autism spectrum disorders
  • Participation in feeding therapy cases
  • Consultation with referring pediatricians and other primary care providers
  • Experience with evidence-based treatment approaches with children
  • Participation in parent training programs and psychoeducational groups
  • Teaching and training responsibilities for pre-doctoral interns, psychology residents, practicum students, and medical trainees
  • Weekly daytime emergency on-call and consultation

Year II (Pediatric Psychology)

The second year of the fellowship is focused on pediatric psychology, with the goal of preparing the fellow to work in a medical setting with medically ill children presenting with problems such as genetic/congenital disorders, feeding problems, pain management issues, and chronic or terminal illnesses. The opportunity to build on clinical skills, develop more advanced knowledge across a broader range of diagnostic issues and develop particular area(s) of interest within pediatric health psychology is available. To continue preparing for responsibilities associated with the hospital-based or outpatient treatment practice of pediatric psychology, fellows may provide mentoring and supervision in their second year to other trainees, including the active duty psychology interns in the APA-approved clinical psychology internship program or to psychology residents.

Available training experiences for the second year range from participation in:

  • Pediatric Diabetes Clinic
  • Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinic
  • Adolescent Headache Clinic
  • Feeding Team
  • Sickle Cell Clinic
  • Cystic Fibrosis Clinic
  • Pediatric Asthma Clinic
  • Healthy Habits Clinic
  • Weekly consultation and liaison services to the Pediatric Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
  • Clinical training and experience in the behavioral health management of pediatric illnesses such as asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, headache, elimination disorders, chronic pain conditions, and sleep problems

*** Training experiences in both years are subject to availability and may also vary to accommodate the training needs and interests of the post-doctoral fellow***

The fellow will receive at least two hours of weekly individual supervision throughout both years as well as ample opportunities to attend trainings offered at the institution specific to military populations and some training outside the medical center. The fellow is also actively involved in two hours of weekly advanced didactics addressing child behavioral health and pediatric psychology topic areas. At least 50% of the Fellow’s time is spent in clinical service, at least 25% in educational activities, and at least 10% in program-related and professional activities. Additional information about training opportunities and policies and procedures are provided in the Fellowship Handbook and are available upon request. Additional SAUSHEC information, including policies and procedures can also be viewed on the SAUSHEC website at https://bamc.tricare.mil/About-Us/SAUSHEC

Fellowship Project: Each fellow is expected to actively participate in scholarly activities throughout the year. Fellows are required to develop a project that demonstrates the application of science in the practice of clinical child psychology or pediatric health psychology. The Fellowship Project is developed during the first year. A formal, written proposal is completed before the beginning of the second year of the fellowship. The project is executed and completed by the end of the second year.

Additional Information

Faculty Members: Postdoctoral Fellows in Child/Pediatric Psychology at BAMC have many opportunities to learn from highly qualified Core and Adjunct faculty during the course of the two-year fellowship. All Faculty members are licensed, credentialed providers at BAMC, and are required to submit curriculum vitas that document their qualifications to serve as Fellowship faculty members. The Fellowship Core Faculty, in conjunction with the Program Director, are responsible for the oversight and planning of the fellow’s assigned rotation experiences. With the support of the Program Director and Clinic Chief, they organize specific experiences to meet the training requirements of their students. Fellowship Adjunct Faculty support Core faculty on specific rotations (e.g., Autism Clinic rotation) and also supervise students on select rotations or in cases where they have an identified expertise.

Military Relevance (military relevance of specialty/how program prepares trainees to be ready for military mission & first assignment)

In his 2013 address to the USMA graduating class, General Raymond T. Odierno (Chief of Staff of the Army) stated “The strength of our Nation is our Army; the strength of our Army is our Soldiers, the strength of our Soldiers is our families; and that is what makes us Army Strong”. The Child/Pediatric Psychology Fellowship prepares fellows to address the behavioral health needs of the children and families of active duty and retired service members. Fellows are trained to practice within the military treatment facility in order to direct, develop and implement treatment programs in the area of child and pediatric psychology. Fellows conduct evidence-based practice, educate, consult and collaborate with other healthcare professionals while serving the needs of the military families, and as such contribute to the overall JBSA military and family readiness and the Army mission.

Application Instructions (Eligibility/Interview Process/Program Application Details)

Selection Criteria

The Fellowship trains both military and civilians. Although located in a military medical center, Fellows are civil service employees. Civilian fellows are not active duty service members and are under no obligation to join or work for the military after completion of the fellowship.

Civilian applicants must have completed all requirements for doctoral graduation before starting the Fellowship. Eligibility for entry into our training program is based on completion of a doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The applicant will be required to have completed an APA approved accredited internship program. In addition, the applicants are expected to have completed some graduate coursework in child/adolescent development and have had at least one rotation in their internship program in the treatment of children and/or adolescents. Ideal candidates will have completed some practica working with children or adolescents prior to the fellowship. Civilian applicants must be U.S. citizens. Military officers interested in pursuing Fellowship training must do so through the Army’s Long Term Health Education and Training (LTHET) application process.

Civilian applicants who meet selection criteria and active duty applicants who are selected through LTHET will be offered an on-site interview at the medical center. We are not able to reimburse interview travel expenses, and virtual (phone, video) interviews will be offered to those applicants who are not able to interview in person. The fellowship faculty and staff participate in this process through reviewing applications and interviewing applicants. APPIC selection guidelines are followed for civilian applicants and LTHET guidelines are followed for active duty fellows. Generally, only one fellowship position is open each year. However, the number of open positions may vary based on funds available each year.

The United States government is a non-discriminatory, affirmative action employer. Federal law prohibits discrimination based on age, sex, race, creed, color, religion, handicap or national origin.

Salary and Benefits

Postdoctoral fellows are offered competitive pay with excellent benefits. Salaries for the civilian fellows are administered through the Department of Behavioral Health. Civilian fellows are term Government Service (GS) federal employees and eligible for federal benefits. Civilian fellows are funded at the GS-11 grade for the first year, with a potential promotion to GS-12 in the second year if all requirements are met, to include (but not limited to) time in service, licensure and being in good standing in the training program. These salaries with adjusted locality pay can be found at the web site https://apps.opm.gov/specialrates/2022/table031801012020.aspx. For the 2022-2023 training year, the GS-11 step 1 stipend was $70,267 and the GS-12 step 1 stipend was $81,961. Benefits include annual leave (4 hours per pay period) and sick leave (4 hours per pay period), 10 federal holidays, low cost healthcare plans and enrollment in the GS pension and employee/employer-funded retirement savings plan. Civilian Fellows are also eligible to enroll in the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program for health and dependent care costs.

Military postdoctoral fellows do not receive educational stipends per se, but instead receive their normal military pay, basic allowance for housing, and basic allowance for subsistence based on their rank and time in service, throughout the course of the two-year fellowship. Military salaries and benefits compare favorably with those offered to civilian fellows at SAUSHEC.

To apply

Open civilian positions will be listed in the APPIC Universal Psychology Postdoctoral Directory and open Active Duty positions will be communicated through the LTHET MILPER Message. Applicants will be asked to send a letter of interest that includes information on theoretical orientation and why they are interested in working with children, adolescents, and families in a military medical center; unofficial doctoral graduate school transcripts; curriculum vitae; a sanitized comprehensive work sample; and three letters of recommendation. All application materials (except letters of recommendation) should be sent in one e-mail to the Program Director with the subject line: “Fellowship Applicant: Full Name.” The three letters of recommendation should be sent directly from the recommender to the Program Director via e-mail, please assure that the applicant’s name is included in the subject line. Please contact the Program Director for the Child/Pediatric Psychology Fellowship at (210) 916-5047 for additional information.

Applicants invited for an interview will be asked to provide an official copy of their graduate school transcript. Before scheduling the interview, we ask that the civilian applicant’s doctoral program director send an email to the fellowship director with the scheduled date for the applicants dissertation defense (if not already completed). This is important to ensure that all doctoral requirements are met in time to start the fellowship.

To inquire about the program or send application materials, please contact the Program Director:

ATTN: Program Director, Child/Pediatric Psychology Fellowship
Department of Behavioral Health
Brooke Army Medical Center
ATTN: Child & Family Behavioral Health Service
3551 Roger Brooke Drive, COTO 1st Floor
JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6200

Contact Us

Program Director

(210) 916-5047

Mailing Address

ATTN: Program Director, Child/Pediatric Psychology Fellowship
Department of Behavioral Health
Brooke Army Medical Center
ATTN: Child & Family Behavioral Health Service
3551 Roger Brooke Drive, COTO 1st Floor
JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6200

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