The post-doctoral program in psychology is a forty hours per week program that runs for 24 months. In addition to clinical work, all fellows will participate in the following:

Weekly:

• 3 hours individual supervision
• 1.5 hours clinical team meeting
• 3.0 hours Core Seminar, led by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. and Trauma Center faculty
• 1+ hour specialty project meeting(s) (dependent on current grant funding)
• 1 hour research meeting (if relevant)

Monthly:

• 1.5 hour Lecture Series
• Professional Development seminar

Note: Fellows may participate in additional seminars or meetings, dependent on specialty track, availability of advanced seminars, and/or participation in grant-funded projects.

The Core Curriculum

Core Seminar - Held Monday mornings from 9:30-12:30, this weekly seminar provides fellows with a theoretical framework for trauma treatment, as well as a rich case study population drawn from the experiences of a diverse practitioner pool. Faculty and guest lecturers are invited to speak on a wide range of theoretical approaches and treatment options. This seminar is led by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., Margaret Blaustein, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Hopper, Ph.D., and includes presentations by many of the Trauma Center faculty.

Monthly Lecture Series - As Medical Director, Dr. van der Kolk either speaks personally on his research or trauma theory, or invites colleagues in the trauma field do the same. These lectures occur once a month on Thursday afternoons between 12:00-1:30 and draw a wide audience from the Boston psychological community.

Additional seminars are often offered through The Trauma Center's Training Institute, and fellows are encouraged to participate in advanced trainings and consultation opportunities throughout the year. In year 2 of the Fellowship, the Core Seminar is replaced by advanced clinical seminars and consultation groups.

Supervision

Each fellow will be assigned a minimum of two clinical supervisors and one “track” supervisor (research or clinical specialty), one of whom will be designated a primary supervisor. Additionally, each fellow will meet individually on a quarterly basis with the Director of Training and also periodically in a group format with other fellows.

Consultation - Opportunities for consultation on dissociative disorders, EMDR, childhood trauma, and other areas are also available.

Fellowship Track

Clinical work is conducted with children, adolescents, and adults. Fellows who have experience with any of these populations will be considered; fellows are encouraged to work with the full age range while on fellowship.

Three positions will be available for fellows beginning in 2013-2015. Salaried funding will vary by position, as noted, with each position funded at a $40,000 FTE with benefits. The remaining time will be funded via fee-for service clinical assignments, including therapy and evaluation sessions; fellows may anticipate approximately $12,000 FFS income during their first year, with increased fees typical during the second year.

Track Description – Clinical/Research Services

The fellow in this track will be funded 32 hours per week as the coordinator for research activities of Justice Resource Institute, in collaboration with the Trauma Center at JRI. Specific responsibilities of this position are to-be-determined based on current funding and projects. Position may include research coordination, liaison with research participants, program evaluation, database maintenance, and/or other research tasks, as needed. The fellow will also become an active participant in the center’s grant-writing team. Applicants for this position should have some experience working as a research assistant or equivalent. Familiarity with statistical analysis, database organization, and project coordination is desirable.

The remainder of the fellow's time will involve clinical assessment and treatment, as well as the array of training experiences described above.

Track Description – Trauma Center at JRI / Walden Street School

The fellow in this track will be funded 24 hours / week. This fellow will spend 2.5 days (20 hours) per week working in a partner residential program administered by the Justice Resource Institute, with emphasis on provision of clinical care in a residential treatment setting to adolescents with a history of exposure to complex traumatic stress. In this setting, the fellow will function as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and will have additional opportunities for trauma-informed psychological evaluation, intensive clinical treatment, group treatment, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. The applicant for this position need not have prior experience working in residential settings; however, clinical experience with adolescents is desirable.

In addition, the fellow will be an active member of the Trauma Center grant-writing and research team, with four hours of funding allotted to this task. The remainder of the fellow's time (2 days/week) will involve clinical assessment and treatment in the outpatient clinic of the Trauma Center at JRI, as well as the array of training experiences described above.

Track Description – Project REACH

The fellow in this track will be funded 24 hours / week. This fellow will spend 2.5 days (20 hours) per week working in an anti-human trafficking program, Project REACH. Project REACH is the only program of its kind in the country, providing mobile crisis mental health services to trafficking survivors and offering training and consultation to providers throughout the United States. Responsibilities include conducting psychological evaluations of survivors of human trafficking and writing reports; providing brief individual and group crisis counseling to HT survivors; offering consultation to federal law enforcement, local law enforcement, social service providers, mental health providers, and attorneys about human trafficking cases; conducting outreach about human trafficking; and offering in-person and web-based trainings and workshops on human trafficking.

In addition, the fellow will be an active member of the Trauma Center grant-writing and research team, with four hours of funding allotted to this task. The remainder of the fellow's time (2 days/week) will involve clinical assessment and treatment in the outpatient clinic of the Trauma Center at JRI, as well as the array of training experiences described above.

Travel is required for this position, and there is a preference for bilingual and/or bicultural applicants. Applicants with interest and/or experience in cross-cultural work are encouraged to apply. Please contact Elizabeth K. Hopper, Ph.D. at (617) 232-1303 x211 or click here to email Dr. Hopper.