Universal Psychology Postdoctoral Directory

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Tampa VAMC, Clinical Psychology - Pain Psychology/Psycho-Oncology Focus Area

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James A. Haley Veterans Hospital
Tampa, Florida

Starts on Monday, August 11, 2025

Applications due Tuesday, December 31, 2024

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 oof 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 aim of the Clinical Psychology Residency is to promote advanced competencies in our residents such that graduates are eligible for employment in public sector medical center settings specializing in the assessment and treatment of patient populations with behavioral and mental health problems affecting their emotional, cognitive, and behavioral functioning.  Resident completing the program should have solid foundational preparation to initiate ABPP certification in Clinical Psychology.  We review applicants to our program using the following criteria: therapy experience, assessment experience, letters of recommendation, motivation/professional development, commitment to and/or experience/interest in diversity, and interview/match with our program.  Ideally, we are looking for individuals committed to the scientist practitioner model.

There are three major components to the training program: clinical rotations, didactic seminar and ongoing research activities. Residents in the Pain Psychology/Psycho-Oncology emphasis area will gain exposure to the fundamentals of both pain management and psycho-oncology. Training is comprised of 6 months in our inpatient Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program (CPRP) and 6 months in Psycho-Oncology. Training opportunities may vary depending upon availability of face-to-face services and will be tailored to the Resident’s interests and training plan. Concurrent with the Psycho-Oncology rotation, residents will gain experience facilitating non-cancer pain psychoeducational groups, such as CBT-CP and ACT for Chronic Pain. Residents will also have the opportunity during the year to provide manualized treatment for CBT-CP. 

Regular attendance and participation/teaching at relevant seminars is also required, including the Pain Seminar, Clinical Postdoc Seminar, Diversity Seminar, and Professional Development Seminar. Residents are expected to participate in research and co-author at least one presentation at a national meeting or one journal article during the training year. Residents also provide supervision to psychology interns or practicum students when possible.

Additional Information

Agency Type
VA Medical Center
APPIC Membership
Yes
APA Accredited
Yes
Recognized Specialty
Clinical Psychology
Other Emphasis
Chronic Pain / Psycho-oncology
Research Time
Less than 25%
Training Director
Jessica Vassallo, PhD, ABPP
Contact Email
jessica.vassallo@va.gov
Contact Phone
(813) 631-7100 x164149
Virtual Interviews
Virtual Only
Duration in Months
12
Hours Per Week
40
# of Licensed Supervisors
9
Number of Positions
2
Applications recieved last year
2
Stipend
$53,334
Will follow APPIC Selection Standards
Yes
Estimated offer date
Thursday, February 1 2024
Unfilled Positions
0
Fringe Benefits
Residents earn 13 days annual leave per year and up to 13 days sick leave per year. Residents are also allowed up to 5 days per year of authorized absence for professional development activities. Residents are eligible for federal employee health benefits.
Research opportunities
Participation in research is required. Clinical Staff have several active research projects and IRBs in areas that include personality factors related to chronic pain outcomes, pain and mental health comorbidities among returning veterans, sleep and pain, headache, and alternative treatments to opioid management, among others.
Additional Comments
For more information on the program, please contact the Assistant Training Director, Dr. Joohyun Lee (Joohyun.Lee@va.gov or 813-998-8000 x5759).
Application Instructions
SUBMISSION We will continue to accept applications through December 31, 2024. Please email materials directly to Dr. Lee at Joohyun.Lee@va.gov. ELIGIBILITY: 1. United States citizenship. 2. Obtained a doctoral degree from an APA or CPA accredited graduate program in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined Psychology or PCSAS accredited Clinical Science program. Persons with a doctorate in another area of psychology who meet the APA or CPA criteria for respecialization training in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined Counseling-School Psychology are also eligible. 3. Completed an APA -accredited psychology internship or a VA-sponsored internship. 4. For males -- have registered with the Selective Service System before age 26. 5. Residents are subject to fingerprinting and background checks. 6. Residents must meet physical and health requirements as part of the onboarding process. This information is treated as confidential and can be verified via source documentation or a statement from a healthcare professional attesting that the resident meets the health requirements for VA training. Residents are also subject to random drug screening (https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.va.gov%2FOAA%2Fonboarding%2FVHA_HPTsDrug-FreeWorkplaceOAA_HRA.pdf&data=04%7C01%7C%7Cc5f28f636b43476d5c6808d952a174cb%7Ce95f1b23abaf45ee821db7ab251ab3bf%7C0%7C0%7C637631676412745848%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=NElz2LHw1hgxthLj7Xx4OPhuPz%2FV%2BUqLbJOB5jgpK%2Fg%3D&reserved=0). Health Professions Trainees (HPTs) are appointed as temporary employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs. As such, HPTs are subject to laws, policies, and guidelines posted for VA staff members. There are infrequent times in which this guidance can change during a training year which may create new requirements or responsibilities for HPTs. If employment requirements change during the course of a training year, HPTs will be notified of the change and impact as soon as possible and options provided. The VA Training Director for your profession will provide you with the information you need to understand the requirement and reasons for the requirement in timely manner. Please review https://www.psychologytraining.va.gov/docs/Trainee-Eligibility.pdf for a full description of eligibility criteria. APPLICATION MATERIALS 1. A letter of interest outlining training goals for the postdoctoral residency year and detailing how this postdoctoral residency aligns with future career/professional goals. 2. Curriculum Vita (CV) describing background, training and experience, a description of internship, and other scholarly activity and research, 3. A letter from the Internship Training Director describing the clinical experiences & overall performance of the applicant during the internship year. (Successful completion of an APA/CPA- accredited or VA-sponsored internship prior to the post-doc is required, and this letter should state if successful completion is expected.), 4. Some demonstration that the doctoral degree has been obtained from an APA/CPA/PCSAS accredited doctoral program or that the applicant will graduate prior to the beginning of the residency year (if all doctoral requirements are completed prior to the beginning of the post-doc, and the applicant will be awarded the doctoral degree within 4 months of the beginning of the post-doc, and the Graduate Training Director documents this in writing, then the applicant will be considered to have met this requirement), 5. Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from an internship supervisor, 6. A brief (one paragraph minimum) statement detailing your experiences with and/or commitment to diversity (you will enter this paragraph on this website), and 7. Official copy of all graduate transcripts.

This record was last updated on Monday, December 16, 2024

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