Universal Psychology Postdoctoral Directory

The primary goal of the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Pediatric Psychology is to help fellows develop the clinical skills necessary to provide care for diverse pediatric populations and to obtain a position in a pediatric healthcare setting or university-based training program. Fellows will participate in a range of clinical assessment and intervention experiences, supported by ongoing formal and informal didactics. A major emphasis during the training year is developing the clinical and professional skillset required to work in healthcare settings. This includes participation on interdisciplinary teams and providing mental health training to other health care professionals. Fellows will also have opportunities to supervise practicum students and other trainees, collaborate in interdisciplinary treatment teams, and participating in care that is coordinated across multiple specialty services. In addition to direct service, which constitutes more than 50% of the fellows’ time, fellows are expected to gain exposure to programmatic care and development of programs and systems of care.

The fellow will be an integral part of the inpatient Consultation-Liaison service and work alongside psychiatrists, licensed professional counselors, and social workers to deliver comprehensive mental health care to patients admitted to the medical units.  As a component of this work, the fellow will participate in daily interdisciplinary rounds to offer consultation and support to our medical teams. We work closely with a variety of inpatient services including pediatric intensive care, hematology/oncology, gastroenterology, trauma/surgery, rehabilitation, and general hospitalist. Assessment and interventions on the Consult-Liaison team will focus on behavioral planning and support during medical inpatient admissions, adjustment to diagnosis, pain and stress management, adherence to medical regimens, feeding, and extended hospitalizations. Our med-psych unit will be opening in November 2021 and the fellow will have an opportunity to participate in clinical care in this setting as well.

With respect to outpatient care, the majority of our referrals for outpatient therapy are from physicians in our healthcare network. This provides a unique opportunity to coordinate with a patient’s larger healthcare team through the electronic health record. The fellow will conduct clinical intake evaluations and develop/deliver treatment plans rooted in evidence-based therapies for children with mental health diagnoses and, potentially, co-occurring acute or chronic illness, trauma, or disability. Additionally, the fellow will conduct psychological testing to evaluate domains related to cognitive, achievement, executive functioning, social communication and emotional/behavioral functioning. Integration of data from various sources, development of diagnostic conceptualizations and tailored treatment recommendations will culminate in a comprehensive evaluation report and therapeutic delivery of feedback.

Additionally, the fellow may select an elective experience (4-8 hours/week) within a specialty area to cultivate a niche skillset. Previous examples of elective experiences have included rotations with Sleep Medicine, Pain and Palliative Care, and General Academic Pediatrics/Primary Care, which have involved assessment and consultation of mental health needs and brief treatment if indicated, integrated with the medical providers.

A variety of serialized and one-off training opportunities such as seminars and didactics are regularly available to the fellow and co-occur with other trainees and other health system staff. Weekly (one hour) didactics are held in conjunction with EVMS Psychiatry Residents regarding a variety of mental health topics presented by EVMS Department of Pediatrics and Department of Psychiatry faculty. Topics are varied and may include presentations regarding social determinants of health, child development, specific evidence-based interventions and/or medication management approaches, psychological assessment, or specific conditions such as Somatoform Disorders, to name a few.

The fellow receives a minimum of two hours of supervision from psychology faculty members each week focused on developing clinical skills, as well as "supervision of supervision" and professional identity and development. The fellow will also provide clinical supervision to practicum students in clinical psychology. The supervision and clinical experiences provided are designed to meet the current postdoctoral experience requirements in most states.