VA Connecticut Healthcare System Fellowships
Clinical Health Psychology
APA-accredited; one-year; 4 slots (3 on the West Haven campus and one on the Newington campus). John Sellinger, Ph.D. and Noel Quinn, Ph.D. are the Co-Directors of Training. Residency training is in the scientist-practitioner model and is centered around four key competencies – advanced clinical practice, program development, research, and interprofessional education and training. In addition to conducting research in areas relevant to health psychology, Residents learn to develop clinical programs and deliver clinical services across a variety of medical settings, including primary care, the interdisciplinary pain clinics, oncology, weight management, stroke clinic, smoking cessation, palliative care, and the medical inpatient units. A personalized training plan is developed at the start of the year that is reflective of Residents’ interests. For more information about our training program, and to learn how to apply, please visit our program website and brochure using this link. If you have any questions, please contact John Sellinger, PhD, at John.Sellinger1@va.gov or 1-203-932-5711 ext. 3589 or Noel Quinn, PhD at Noel.Quinn2@va.gov or 1-203-932-5711 ext. 4618.
Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Psychosocial Rehabilitation
1 year, APA-accredited. Multidisciplinary; 2 psychology slots. Based at the VA's Community Resource and Referral Center and the Errera Annex where there are an array of community-based rehabilitative programs including day and crisis intervention programs (for individuals struggling with mental illness and/ or substance abuse disorders, homelessness), vocational programs, housing programs, homeless outreach and engagement, advocacy and clinical case management programs. Residents learn different evidence-based practices and undertake innovative outcome-based work. Many opportunities exist for participating in ongoing collaborative research and scholarly writing. Contact Joshua Bullock, PhD, at Joshua.bullock@va.gov or 203-516-8013.Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Psychosocial Rehabilitation - LGBT Track
1 year, APA-accredited. Multidisciplinary; 1 psychology slot. The LGBT track of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) utilizes all of the components of the PSR fellowship listed above. Residents in this track will obtain experiences in both PSR as well as LGBT Healthcare. Opportunities for developing expertise in LGBT Healthcare include providing treatment to LGBT-identified Veterans (individual, group psychotherapy), consultation/training for other clinicians on LGBT health issues, advocacy, program development, and assessment (e.g., mental health evaluations for readiness for cross-sex hormone therapy). Residents learn different evidence-based practices and undertake innovative outcome-based work. Many opportunities exist for participating in ongoing collaborative research and scholarly writing. Contact Joshua Bullock, PhD, at Joshua.bullock@va.gov or 203-516-8013.Clinical Neuropsychology
Not currently accredited but applying this year; two years; 2 slots (usually 1 available each year); John Beauvais and Joseph Kulas are the Co-Directors. Fellows are expected to conduct neuropsychological evaluations and participate in research within a large-scale hospital setting. Contact John Beauvais, PhD at John.Beauvais@va.gov or 1-203-932-5711 ext. 2465 or Joseph Kulas, PhD, ABPP at Joseph.Kulas@va.gov or 1-203-932-5711 ext. 2470.
Integrated Care Addiction Fellowship
This new 1-year postdoctoral fellowship is non-accredited and open to one fellow per year. It is part of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System Center of Excellence (COE) in Primary Care and the Psychology Service. Fellowship training focuses on preparing a psychologist with addictions expertise to work in an interdisciplinary team-oriented, patient-centered, primary-care based healthcare setting to address the addiction assessment and treatment needs of primary care patients. The fellow will manage a panel of patients exclusively seen by COE members, have program development and teaching responsibilities, and may get involved in research, depending on the fellow’s research interests. Participation in COE seminars and other learning experiences focused on addiction is a key component of the fellowship. Contact Steve Martino, PhD, at Steve.Martino@va.gov or 1-203-932-5711 ext. 2468.
Interprofessional Advanced Fellowship in Addiction Treatment
The primary goal of this specialized, two-year advanced fellowship is to train future generations of VA leaders in addiction treatment and research and to prepare them to work within interprofessional health care settings. The program emphasizes: (1) clinical knowledge and skills in addiction treatment; (2) interprofessional education skills; (3) practice or policy guideline development; and (4) applied research and implementation skills. The position is split 50-75% research and 25-50% clinical activity, depending on the interests of the fellow. Fellows participate in: Formal Clinical Rotations under the preceptorship of the faculty at training sites; Formal Core Curriculum that is interdisciplinary and comprehensive; and Individual Mentorship in which each trainee has a primary mentor assigned to him/her matching the interest of the trainee with the faculty mentor. Fellows will complete a research, educational, or quality improvement project within this fellowship under the supervision of the faculty mentor.
Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment
The VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven campus, is sponsored through VA Office of Academic Affiliations through two major research infrastructures: the Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) and the National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD). This program offers individualized, mentored clinical research and clinical training in two high priority emphasis areas—substance use disorders (SUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each year, The Fellowship recruits two psychologists for a two-year fellowship, one in each emphasis area. The psychology fellowship is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. The next site visit will be in 2021.
The primary goal of the VA Advanced Fellowship Program is to train psychologists to become exceptional clinical researchers in high priority areas of VA mental health. The fellowship follows a scientist-practitioner model. Fellows conduct clinically oriented research, receive advanced training in clinical interventions, and participate in local and national educational experiences. For psychology the Fellowship Director is Ilan Harpaz-Rotem, PhD (Ilan.Harpaz-Rotem@va.gov); the Director of Training is Suzanne Decker, PhD (Suzanne.Decker@va.gov).
For further information and eligibility requirements, visit https://www.connecticut.va.gov/careers/psychologytraining.asp
NIDA T32 fellowship in addiction
This two-year fellowship is for MD or PhD applicants who are interested in a career in research within the addiction field, with some opportunity for clinical work if relevant. There are 4 positions available in total. Ismene Petrakis, MD, is the Director of the T32. Fellows work with a Yale faculty member based on research emphases. Contact Joy Ortiz at joy.ortiz@yale.edu or 1-203-932-5711 ext. 7402.
NIMH T32 fellowship in mental health rehabilitation
Two-years; 1-2 slots available each year. Morris Bell is the Director. Fellows receive research training and conduct functional disability interventions. Contact Morris Bell, PhD at Morris.Bell@va.gov or 1-203-932-5711 ext. 2281.
The VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. For information regarding APA accreditation of this fellowship or other accredited fellowships, please write or call: Office of Program Consultation & Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC, 20002. Phone: 202-336-5979, Email: apaaccred@apa.org, Website: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation.