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Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC Psychology Postdoctoral Residency in Trauma- PTSD Psychology

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Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC
Aurora, Colorado

Starts on Monday, August 10, 2026

Applications due Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Elements of quality clinically focused postdoctoral training

This training experience is a planned and programmed sequence of training that aims to ensure preparation for advanced practice rather than one that is focused on providing supervised hours for licensure. Yes

This training experience ensures that training takes precedence over service delivery regarding the nature, content, volume, and quality of the postdoc’s activities. Yes

This training experience ensures that postdocs receive at least two hours of individual supervision per week for the duration of the experience. Yes

This training experience is administered by a doctoral-level licensed psychologist who directs and organizes the training experience and its resources, is responsible for the selection of postdocs, and monitors and evaluates the goals and activities of the experience. Yes

This training experience has two or more doctoral-level licensed psychologists who have sufficient time to provide quality supervision and training.   Yes

This training experience includes regularly scheduled structured educational activities that help postdocs its defined goals. These activities may include didactics, seminars, case conferences, and/or research activities. Yes

This training experience has written Due Process and Grievance procedures. Yes

This training experience has the stable and necessary financial (e.g., stipend) and physical resources (e.g., computers, physical space) needed for effective training. Yes

 The Trauma-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Psychology Postdoctoral Residency is a full-time, year-long training experience designed to help residents develop proficiency delivering gold standard trauma treatment. The trauma-PTSD resident will work with a complex and diverse veteran population and develop expertise diagnosing PTSD and related co-morbidities, providing diagnostic feedback to veterans, as well as collaboratively developing and implementing personalized treatment plans. Consistent with gold standard care, this residency emphasizes the theoretical underpinnings and pragmatic implementation of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE). The resident will have the opportunity to deliver these treatments with high fidelity and personalization across multiple treatment settings, including the PTSD Clinical Team (PCT) and Ascend, the ECHCS Domiciliary PTSD Program. 


The PCT is a specialized outpatient PTSD treatment program which provides episodes of care in evidence-based treatment for Veterans who have experienced any form of Criterion A trauma. The PCT provides the opportunity to work as part of an interdisciplinary team (Psychology, Social Work, Pharmacy) which offers consultation, assessment, and psychotherapy. After an episode of care within PCT, Veterans often return to MH teams for ongoing care, and post-EBP appointments are a part of ensuring continuity of care. 


Ascend is a 20-bed unit offering care to 15 male and 5 female identifying Veterans. The interdisciplinary team consists of Psychology, Social Work, Nursing, Psychiatry, Peer Support, Primary Care, Vocational Rehabilitation, Recreation Therapy, Pharmacy, Dietetics, and Chaplain Services. This treatment program offers PTSD EBPs, including CPT and PE, in a model of accelerated service delivery (MASD) format, such that individual sessions most often occur three times per week. Veterans also participate in evidence-informed groups facilitated by our interdisciplinary team, which residents are encouraged to attend and facilitate. Current groups include Safety Planning, ACT for PTSD, Present-Moment Processing, Family Relationships, Sexual Health and Well-being, DBT Skills, Mindfulness, CBT for Insomnia, and others. 


A resident’s time is split between these two programs in accordance with the resident’s specific learning goals, with the expectation that adequate time be given to immersion in both experiences. Residents may also engage in supplemental learning experiences (e.g. Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy in the Couples and Family Program, delivering PE-Primary Care), as interested and available. 


For additional information or questions about the Trauma-PTSD Residency, please contact Alexander Giovanetti, Ph.D. at Alexander.Giovanetti@va.gov or John McKelvie Psy.D. at John.McKelvie@va.gov.

Additional Information

Agency Type
VA Medical Center
APPIC Membership
Yes
APA Accredited
Yes
Recognized Specialty
Clinical Psychology
Emphasis or focus area
PTSD (Trauma)
Research Time
No research time
Training Director
Barbara M. Dausch, Ph.D.
Contact Email
Barbara.Dausch@va.gov
Contact Phone
720-723-6873
Virtual Interviews
Virtual Only
Duration in Months
12
Hours Per Week
40
# of Licensed Supervisors
4
Number of Positions
1
Applications recieved last year
21
Accepts Int'l Students
Stipend
$60,185
Will follow APPIC Selection Standards
Yes
Estimated offer date
Monday, February 23 2026
Created Date
Wednesday, November 2 2016
Unfilled Positions
0
Fringe Benefits
11 Federal Holidays, 13 Annual Leave days, 13 Sick Leave days
Research opportunities
Because this is a one year postdoctoral residency, original research is not required. There are opportunities for involvement in program evaluation research within existing clinical programs.
Application Instructions
To be considered for our postdoctoral training program, an applicant must have completed all of the requirements for the doctoral degree, including internship and dissertation. The Department of Veterans Affairs requires that the applicant’s doctoral degree and internship be completed at programs accredited by the American Psychological Association. For more information, please see: http://www.psychologytraining.va.gov/eligibility.asp The following materials must be submitted in one packet: 1. Cover letter expressing interests, career goals and goodness of fit with fellowship. Please note fellowship(s) for which you are seeking consideration. 2. Curriculum Vita 3. A signed letter of status of completion or expected completion from APA-accredited internship. 4. Letter from your dissertation chair regarding your anticipated defense date -if not already completed. 5. Three signed letters of recommendation, one of which must be from an internship supervisor. Deadline: December 10, 2025 Please feel free to contact us with any questions or requests for brochure. General inquiries and applications to: Barbara M. Dausch, Ph.D. Training Director, Postdoctoral Residency Program; Barbara.Dausch@va.gov For specific information on this track : Trauma- PTSD; Alex Giovanetti, Ph.D. at Alexander.Giovanetti@va.gov or John McKelvie, Psy.D. at John.Mckelvie@va.gov.

This record was last updated on Wednesday, February 25, 2026

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