Universal Psychology Postdoctoral Directory Entry

Manhattan VA - Health Psychology/Primary Care Emphasis

Veterans Affairs NY Harbor Health Care System-Manhattan Campus
New York, New York

Starts on Monday, August 17, 2026

Applications due Monday, December 1, 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

Please see our online brochure for a detailed description of our program.

For the Health Psychology/Primary Care area of emphasis, Primary Care Mental Health (PCMH) is the setting of the fellow's major rotation. We utilize the Patient-Centered Medical Home model for Primary Care delivery service, emphasizing the seamless integration of physical and mental health services. Fellows provide behavioral consultations and shared medical visits with medical providers, typically to address such issues as lack of adherence or self-care, communication problems, poor understanding or comprehension, and psychosocial barriers affecting the patient's medical care. Fellows respond to the mental health needs of patients as they arise, which may take the form of team discussion, curbside informal consultation, brief same-day triage or full evaluation, or short or longer term psychological intervention as needed. Fellows may provide specialty evaluations (e.g., transplant or bariatric surgery). Fellows carry a case load of short-term individual therapy focusing on problems such as depression, anxiety, adjustment to illness, psychosocial stressors accompanying medical disorders, modifying unhealthy habits or behaviors, and chronic pain. Treatment emphasizes evidence-based modalities including CBT, problem-solving therapy, motivational interviewing/enhancement, and biofeedback. Fellows also lead at least one outpatient group, such as Oncology Cancer Support, Living Better with Chronic Pain, Healthy Sleep, or Diabetes Support.

Fellows are required to complete a 2 month-long minor rotation in Consultation/Liaison Psychiatry and to select at least two other minor rotations (listed below, along with the ICD or EFT minor rotations).

-On the C/L rotation, fellows work closely with psychiatry fellows and residents, Neurology residents, medical students, and an interdisciplinary inpatient team to provide immediate response to consults from inpatient medical units for MH needs that emerge within the context of the patient’s admission (e.g., adjustment problems, confusion/delirium, decompensation, decisional capacity). C/L involves bedside MH evaluations and follow-up brief intervention as indicated, consultation and collaboration with the medical team, and post-discharge MH disposition planning.

-Other minor rotations include Chronic Pain, Substance Use, Oncology, Renal Dialysis, Cardiology, Women’s Health, Psychiatric Emergency Room, REACH VA Caregiver Intervention, VA Caregiver Support Program, Eating Disorders, Diabetes, Neuropsychology, Whole Health & Wellness, or the development of a new clinical placement based upon clinical interest. Minor rotations focus on providing assessment and evidence-based, short-term interventions for these patient populations in the context of an interdisciplinary treatment team.

A minor rotation focusing on Individual and Cultural Diversity (ICD) is an elective option for fellows across all three areas of emphasis. The ICD rotation allows fellows to further enrich & expand their training in individual & cultural diversity, which is a required profession-wide competency at the postdoctoral level, by providing addition experience in clinical, scholarly, and administrative experiences in this area. The following requirements will be included as part of the rotation: completion of a fellowship project focusing on a specific area of individual and cultural diversity; outreach to & clinical intervention with specific veteran populations; & presentation of fellowship project to VA or non-VA providers, services, or community partners.

A minor rotation in Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples is also an elective option for fellows in all 3 tracks. EFT is an evidence-based, structured treatment for couples that is based on attachment theory and science, integrating a humanistic, experiential approach to restructuring emotional experience and a systemic structural approach to restructuring interactions, and has been used successfully with many different kinds of couples, presenting issues, and cultural groups. Fellows who elect this rotation will see 1-2 couples cases and participate in a didactic seminar along with other trainees over the course of 6 months.

https:// https://www.va.gov/files/2025-04/Manhattan%20VA%20Postdoc%20Brochure%202026-27.pdf

Additional Information

Agency Type: VA Medical Center
APPIC Membership: Yes
APA Accredited: Yes
Recognized Specialty: Clinical Psychology
Emphasis or focus area: Health Psychology
Other Emphasis: Primary Care
Research Time: Less than 25%
Training Director: Christie Pfaff, Ph.D.
Contact Email: Christie.Pfaff@va.gov
Contact Phone: 212-686-7500 x17698
Virtual Interviews: Virtual Only
Duration in Months: 12
Hours Per Week: 40
# of Licensed Supervisors: 25
Number of Positions: 2
Applications recieved last year: 9
Accepts Int'l Students: No
Stipend: $62657
Will follow APPIC Selection Standards: Yes
Estimated offer date: Friday, February 27 2026
Created Date: Friday, July 1 2016
Unfilled Positions: 1
Fringe Benefits: 12 vacation days, 12 sick days, 5 paid educational/conference days; 11 Federal holidays; medical, dental, & vision coverage under the Federal Employee Healthcare Benefits insurance program; release time for licensing exam (EPPP); transit benefits; library facilities & online journal access; on-site emergency health care.
Research opportunities: The fellow is expected to develop and complete a scholarly or other professional development project over the course of the fellowship year. Possible projects include: a small empirical investigation, literature review, performance improvement project, needs assessment, or program evaluation. Some recent examples of fellowship projects include the following: Multicultural Training for Psychology Students through an Experiential Modality; Needs assessment & Outcome evaluation for long-term Vietnam Veteran Support groups; Outcome evaluation for CBT for Insomnia Groups; creation and evaluation of a psychoeducational group (“Brain Gains”) aimed at enhancing cognitive skills; Efficacy of Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy in a VA Primary Care Setting; Interprofessional Collaboration: VA Women’s Health Project; Evaluation of Eating Disorder Knowledge & Screening in Medical & Mental Health Providers; creation of Biofeedback Training Manual for psychology trainees; Sexual Trauma Screening & Intervention: Practices & Perceptions of Medical Providers; creation of a Dementia Caregivers’ Checklist & Resources; Cognitive Functioning, Lesion Burden, & Compliance in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis; Assessment in Acute Stroke Rehabilitation; Correlates of Caregiver Burden & Depression; Exploring Interprofessional Care; Talking about Sexual Health & Intimacy with Prostate Cancer Survivors; Cognitive Functioning, Control, & Compliance in Primary Care; Evaluating Effectiveness of an Interdisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation Program; Cognitive Screening in a Medical Population: Working Towards Preventative Care; Collaboration & Job Satisfaction in the Medical Home Model.
Application Instructions: Please submit all application materials directly to the track coordinator, Dr. Ariel Zeigler at ariel.zeigler@va.gov Application materials must include: 1) A cover letter that describes your training and career goals and how the features of the specific area of emphasis to which you are applying will facilitate the realization of these goals. Please also describe your previous clinical, educational, and research experience relevant to the training offered in our program, particularly in Health Psychology. Please indicate in your cover letter if you are interested in the Minor Rotation in Individual and Cultural Diversity (ICD), and describe any relevant background or training experiences you have. 2) Curriculum Vitae 3) Two letters of recommendation. At least one of these must be from an internship clinical supervisor. 4) A letter from your current Internship Training Director confirming that you are in good standing to successfully complete your doctoral internship, including the expected completion date. If internship was already completed, a copy of your doctoral internship certificate. 5) Optional: Abstracts of your publications (e.g., peer-reviewed articles, book chapters). All completed applications are reviewed by members of the postdoctoral Training Committee. We seek applicants who are well-versed in conducting individual and group psychotherapy as well as clinical interviewing and diagnostic assessment. Prior training and experience with evidence-based treatments are preferred. Finally, we expect applicants to demonstrate both a background and a career interest focused on the emphasis area to which they are applying. Based on a systematic review of all applications, a subset of candidates will be invited to interview with members of the training committee - all interviews will be held via virtual platforms. We will notify applicants of an interview on a rolling basis.

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