Universal Psychology Postdoctoral Directory

UnityPoint St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is pleased to offer a one year fellowship in clinical psychology with training experiences in health and rehabilitation psychology. We are accepting applications until the position is filled. The fellowship year starts on Monday, August 5th 2023 (flexible start date). UnityPoint Health is one of the nation’s most integrated healthcare systems with 37 hospitals in rural and metropolitan areas. St. Luke’s provides healthcare services for citizens in Iowa, Western Illinois, and Southern Wisconsin. The hospital serves research and training needs for healthcare providers from local educational institutions, including Coe College and the University of Iowa. St. Luke’s Hospital is highly involved in the community by providing financial assistance to the underinsured and uninsured as well as offering services to the community with the goal of helping members thrive. St. Luke’s has also been recognized regionally and nationally for its exceptional delivery of healthcare services. The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit (PM&R) at St. Luke’s has a rich tradition of being the first rehabilitation program in Iowa to receive the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), a distinction that the 24 bed PM&R unit has now held for 40 consecutive years. Fellows will have the opportunity to work in accredited Brain Injury, Stroke Rehabilitation, and Inpatient rehabilitation programs with individuals presenting with various medical conditions including, but not limited to: spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, limb amputation, traumatic burns, physical deconditioning, cancer debility, neurologic conditions, and other acute and chronic health conditions. Fellows will work with a dynamic and collegial multidisciplinary team led by four physiatrists, two neuropsychologists, and two rehabilitation/health psychologists and collaborate with physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech/language pathologists, registered dietitians, spiritual services, pharmacists, nurses, social workers, care coordinators, and many other health disciplines. Fellows will also have training experiences in health psychology and neuropsychology outpatient clinics, as well as the growing outpatient Pain Psychology Program. A goal of the fellowship program is to provide 2,080 hours of specialized training (including paid time off, vacation and sick leave) in clinical psychology; 1,500 hours will be supervised professional experience as required by the Board of Psychology in the state of Iowa for postdoctoral experience for licensure. The program will adhere to a practitioner-scholar model and provide weekly didactic and experiential training opportunities in clinical psychology with emphases in rehabilitation and health psychology. The fellowship program is committed to training practitioners whose interventions are grounded in research evidence and science. The fellowship will focus on assessment (e.g., psychological, neuropsychological, spinal-cord stimulator), treatment interventions, and multidisciplinary team consultation in a number of inpatient and outpatient settings including the inpatient PM&R unit, Pain Psychology Program, inpatient/outpatient neuropsychology, psychology consultation-liaison service, and outpatient health psychology program. Training opportunities in integrated healthcare are also in development (e.g., perinatal mental health).  Fellows will be trained to use a number of treatment modalities including Cognitive-Behavioral Treatments (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for chronic pain; self-regulation techniques (e.g., clinical hypnosis, mindfulness meditation); motivational interviewing approaches; behavioral management strategies for challenging patient behaviors; and educational interventions for patients with various medical concerns. Training will also focus on ethical, cultural, and diversity issues in relation to assessment, intervention, and treatment planning. Fellows will also have the opportunity to participate on hospital wide committees, such as pain or ethics committees. While research participation is not a requirement of the fellowship program, opportunities for research exist for interested trainees. Fellows will also have opportunities to supervise undergraduate students, provide workshops and trainings to staff, and support will be provided to attend the spring and fall conferences for the Iowa Psychological Association. Fellows will also receive support and designated time for EPPP and licensure preparation.