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Postdoctoral Psychology Fellowship in Trauma Treatment and Healthcare Delivery (TTHD)

Fellowship Overview

The Clinical Psychology Fellowship in Trauma Treatment and Healthcare Delivery is a two-year, post-doctoral clinical psychology fellowship that trains Active Duty Army psychologists in advanced knowledge and competencies in assessing and treating psychological trauma, use of evidence-based behavioral health practices, the implementation of theory driven program development, evaluation and process improvement; and healthcare administration. The successful Fellow will be capable of serving in clinical and administrative leadership roles in the areas of treatment; consultation; and program development, management, and improvement within the Department of Defense medical system. The program is guided by the Practitioner-Scholar model, with an emphasis on clinical practice that is validated by empirical research.

Training Experience

Fellows will be offered clinical opportunities with active duty populations to include training in traditional outpatient clinics and intensive outpatient programs. Fellows will also be expected to participate in program development, program management, and process improvement efforts of the organization. Fellows will be educated through an academic curriculum (e.g., focused readings, didactics, and trainings) and hands-on clinical and administrative activities for which individual supervision will be provided. Fellows will be provided opportunities to learn from within a multi-disciplinary setting (clinical psychology, psychiatry, social work, nursing, etc.) and observe how these various disciplines contribute to clinical outcomes. Best clinical practices are supported through greater understanding of clinical outcomes research and program evaluation to promote optimization and advancement of evidence based practices.

Fellows are expected to demonstrate core knowledge and competencies in both clinical and administrative settings. All fellows participate in training experiences designed to focus on the following competencies:

  • Integration of Science and Practice
  • Individual and Cultural Diversity
  • Ethical and Legal
  • Management, Administration, & Leadership
  • Consultation and Program Evaluation
  • Assessment
  • Intervention
  • Education
  • Reflective Practice/Self-Assessment/Self-Care

First Year

The first year is focused on the development and delivery of evidence-based clinical practices and integration of these experiences with available research and program evaluation data. These clinical experiences will occur within the Multi-Disciplinary Outpatient Clinic as well as the Trauma-Focused Intensive Outpatient Program. By the end of the first year, and continued into the second, Fellows will be able to demonstrate advanced clinical skills in the treatment of posttraumatic stress reactions, commonly encountered psychiatric disorders within the military population (e.g., depression, anxiety disorders), and suicide risk assessment and mitigation. Fellows will receive training and supervision in Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and other evidence-based treatment modalities as available. During the Fellowship, it is expected that Fellows will gain a level of proficiency and expertise that allows them to provide expert consultation to other behavioral health providers in that modality. Fellows may also seek to train in other treatment areas as agreed upon by Fellow and Fellowship Program Director.

The first year of the Fellowship is also dedicated to the development of broad, foundational knowledge of clinical operations, program evaluation, and process improvement. Fellows will explore research and practice related to these areas through participation in a curriculum involving readings and didactic presentations. Additionally, Fellows will gain exposure to the development, implementation, and sustainment of military behavioral health programs within the Department of Behavioral Medicine. This will be accomplished by the Fellow participating in a rotation focused on program development and improvement. During the first year, rotation duties will primarily focus on observing and assisting clinic leadership with these tasks. Fellows will also be expected to begin to integrate knowledge and skills gained from readings, didactics, and trainings into their work assisting with various process improvement projects.

Second Year

The second year is focused on administrative and leadership skills, with the goal of preparing the Fellow to assume a departmental or market leadership position upon graduation. Clinically, the Fellow is expected to demonstrate a progression of expertise with evidence-based treatments, such as providing supervision to newer trainees in the therapies, providing trainings or didactics to students, providing consultation to other professionals, engaging in research or professional writing on clinical issues regarding an evidence based practice, and integrating clinical knowledge into their work at the administrative and program level. Within the departmental and market-level administrative rotations, Fellows gain familiarity with healthcare operations for military behavioral health and are expected to work with leadership to take a more independent role with managing projects and conducting process improvement or program evaluation. During the second year, fellows will also be expected to reflect on leadership theory and their own leadership style, as they prepare to take on a management role following completion of the Fellowship.

Additionally, time will be allotted for the 2nd Year Fellow to work on a professional project which demonstrates the application of science in the practice of psychological trauma treatment, program evaluation, or healthcare administration, is relevant to the Department of Behavioral Health, and in line with overall mission of the DoD organization. The proposal for this project will be made by the end of the first year and agreed upon by Fellow, Fellowship Director, and other appropriate faculty. A capstone requirement is associated with the second-year project and will include, at a minimum, presentation of the completed project to a professional audience.

Salary Benefits

Military postdoctoral fellows do not receive an educational stipend 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.

Selection Criteria

Active Duty psychologists participate via the Long Term Health Education and Training (LTHET) program. A good fit is desired between the selected candidate and Fellowship program. Successful TTHD Fellows have a high degree of professional awareness and maturity. Flexibility, autonomy, and strong interpersonal skills are also viewed as important, as are clinical and research preparation and professional objectives. Candidates are asked to submit written materials including a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, de-identified clinic report sample, two letters of recommendation, and most recent Officer Evaluation Report. Candidates then are asked to participate in telephone interviews with TTHD faculty. Memos describing the fit of each candidate are completed by the Fellowship Director and submitted for consideration by the LTHET selection board.

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.

To inquire about the program or send application materials, please contact the Program Director at 210-539-1409.

Accreditation Status

The Clinical Psychology Fellowship in Trauma Treatment and Healthcare Delivery is accredited, on contingency, through the American Psychological Association. For information concerning the accreditation status of this program, please contact the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association: Telephone 202-336-5979, at the American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, N. E., Washington, DC. 20002-4242; email APAAccred@apa.org.

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