Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology
The Emory Healthcare Veterans Program Postdoctoral Fellowship is a two-year program committed to providing high-quality training in the practice of clinical psychology in order to prepare trainees to assume a variety of roles as professional psychologists, with in-depth training in serving the mental health needs of our nation’s veteran population.
Fellows will gain advanced training in the requisite skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary to provide quality, effective, and empirically-based advanced intervention, assessment, and consultation services as members of an interdisciplinary treatment team consisting of psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, nurse practitioners, social workers, patient care coordinators, and veteran outreach coordinators. Training is geared toward the development of advanced competencies in diagnostic assessment as well as behavioral and cognitive interventions for stress-related, mood, and anxiety disorders, in outpatient and intensive outpatient settings. Fellows will gain experience working with individuals with polytrauma and other complex clinical presentations (e.g., comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] and traumatic brain injury [TBI]). Fellows will generate individualized training curricula in collaboration with their supervisors.
Although the training program is primarily focused on advanced clinical training, opportunities for involvement in research are available, based on level of research experience and interests. Research interests among EHVP faculty include, but are not limited to: PTSD, anxiety, psychotherapy outcomes, military sexual trauma (MST), exposure therapy, virtual reality-based exposure therapies, Substance Use Disorders, pharmacological facilitation of exposure therapies, neurobiological predictors/outcomes of PTSD treatments, and early intervention/prevention of PTSD. Participation in research may provide opportunities to gain a breadth of practice at affiliated sites in the region, such as Grady Memorial Hospital.
The EHVP postdoctoral fellowship program is designed to satisfy licensure requirements in the state of Georgia, which are comparable to most states in the United States. During the course of the fellowship, state law requires that fellows complete at least 1500 clinical hours, of which 500 must be face-to-face patient care. Fellows typically exceed this requirement by the end of the two-year program. Fellows are encouraged to research licensure requirements in the state in which they intend to practice following completion of the fellowship and to inform program supervisors of any additional needs during the fellowship.
Application Requirements
Applicants for the postdoctoral fellowship must have satisfactorily completed all requirements of a graduate program toward a PhD or PsyD in clinical psychology or expect to complete all requirements prior to the start of the fellowship. Additionally, applicants must have completed an APA accredited predoctoral psychology internship, or be in the process of completing an APA accredited internship at the time of application. Experience in clinical research, exposure therapy, treatment of PTSD and associated comorbidities, and working with veterans is desired.
We typically begin postdoctoral fellow recruitment in October but may have immediate positions available. Please contact Dr. Katie Ragsdale at karagsd@emory.edu for more information.
Pre-doctoral Practicum in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology
The Emory Healthcare Veterans Program is proud to offer year-long pre-doctoral practicum experiences in partnership with Atlanta-area training programs, including Emory, UGA, and GSU. The training focus is:
- Psychosocial assessment of adults, including training in structured diagnostic interviews (i.e., the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale [CAPS-5] and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Anxiety, Mood, OCD and Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders [DIAMOND]), report writing, and multiple disciplinary team case presentation and consultation
Training opportunities may include exposure to:
- Individual OP and IOP therapy for adults with PTSD, SUD, depression, and other anxiety disorders, including PE and UP
- Group therapy for adults, including in vivo exposure, UP, family education, wellness, TBI psychoeducation, and anger management groups
- Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRE) for PTSD and specific phobia
- Couples and family therapy with a focus on the effects of military service on families
- Program evaluation and program development opportunities
- Research opportunities: students will have access to rich archival data and may have the opportunity to prepare a poster or manuscript during the practicum year if interested. Research interests among EHVP faculty include, but are not limited to: PTSD, anxiety, psychotherapy outcomes, military sexual trauma, TBI therapy, virtual reality-based exposure therapies, adjunctive pharmacological therapies, neurobiological predictors/outcomes of PTSD treatments, and early intervention/prevention of PTSD.
Clinical experiences, supervision, and other program activities are structured in accordance with ASPBB guidelines for pre-doctoral practica.
Application Requirements
Applicants for the pre-doctoral practicum must be currently enrolled in a graduate-level Clinical Psychology PhD/PsyD program at a university within the state of Georgia that has an active MOU with EHVP. Applicants with prior practicum experience, including experience with exposure therapy, treatment of PTSD and associated comorbidities, and working with veterans will be most competitive for practicum positions.
To obtain more information about training opportunities, application processes, and available training positions in the current/upcoming academic year, please contact Dr. Katie Ragsdale, at karagsd@emory.edu.
