Universal Psychology Postdoctoral Directory

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VA Connecticut Healthcare System - Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Psychosocial Rehabilitation

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VA Connecticut Healthcare System
West Haven, Connecticut

Starts on Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Applications due Wednesday, January 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 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 VA Connecticut Healthcare System (VACHS) offers psychology postdoctoral training with Major Area of Study in Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR), a therapeutic approach that encourages individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMI) to develop their fullest capacities through learning and environmental supports.  This funded training program resulted from a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) initiative first announced in 2002 as part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Administration’s national initiative to promote psychosocial rehabilitation training, research, and program development.  The residency follows the scientist-practitioner model and is an interdisciplinary mental health program that offers training in clinical services, program development, research, and education. In addition to psychology residents, the fellowship includes trainees from various mental health disciplines, including psychiatry, nursing, social work, occupational therapy, chaplaincy, and rehabilitation counseling. The VACHS residency sponsors up to 7 trainees, with up to 3 designated psychology positions; two slots are for the general PSR track, and the third slot is for PSR/LGBT healthcare track. For further information on the LGBT track, please refer to the UPPD listing: "VA Connecticut Healthcare System - Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Psychosocial Rehabilitation and LGBT Healthcare."

 

The residency is hosted by VACHS at the West Haven campus. Residents report to the Psychology Service for matters of professional conduct and development. The residents are primarily based at the Errera Community Care Center (ECCC), but also interact with other programs in the Mental Health Service Line such as the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, the Inpatient Mental Health Recovery Unit, among other settings.

 

The psychology residency experience is unique for each resident and is comprised of clinical, consultation, program development, teaching and/or research opportunities.  Residents participate as members of interdisciplinary teams for approximately 20 hours per week for their primary clinical placements for the duration of the training year. In addition, residents have secondary requirements that average from two to six hours per week, as well as seminars, supervision, and electives to round out their residency experience. Approximately 40% of residents’ time is devoted to direct service delivery, with approximately 80% of clinical care focused on providing services to individuals with Serious Mental Illness.

Additional Information

Agency Type
VA Medical Center
APPIC Membership
Yes
APA Accredited
Yes
Recognized Specialty
Clinical Psychology
Emphasis or focus area
Serious Mental Illness
Other Emphasis
Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery
Research Time
Less than 25%
Training Director
Joshua Bullock, Ph.D.
Contact Email
joshua.bullock@va.gov
Contact Phone
203-516-8013
Virtual Interviews
Strongly Preferred
Duration in Months
12
Hours Per Week
40
# of Licensed Supervisors
24
Number of Positions
2
Applications recieved last year
6
Stipend
$60446
Will follow APPIC Selection Standards
Yes
Estimated offer date
Wednesday, January 29 2025
Unfilled Positions
0
Fringe Benefits
Fellows receive an affiliation with Yale University School of Medicine
Research opportunities
Fellows are able to reserve about 4 hours per week to develop individualized projects with close mentoring from faculty; projects may include research in areas such as peer support, mental health service outcomes, and vocational and neurocognitive rehabilitation; the development of new clinical programs; and consultation with community partners. Many fellows participate in ongoing collaborative research and scholarly writing.
Application Instructions
Applications are due no later than January 1st. Please apply via APPA CAS or send the following to Joshua.Bullock@va.gov: 1. Cover letter detailing: A. Experience with serious mental illness, recovery-oriented clinical services, and/or community-based clinical work B. How this fellowship will meet your training and career goals C. Your expected dissertation defense date 2. Curricula Vita 3. 3 letters of recommendation

This record was last updated on Tuesday, November 12, 2024

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