VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment

VISN 4 MIRECC, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS)

The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System has a dedicated Research Office Building (ROB) in which the MIRECC is housed.

The ROB is on the University Drive Campus of VAPHS and a brief walk to our academic affiliate, the University of Pittsburgh.

 

 

 

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, VISN 4 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) 

Psychology and Associated Health Fellowship Track Director,

Fellowship Program Director:  Gretchen L. Haas, PhD

 

Overview: The Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) is recruiting clinical psychologists and other associated health clinicians for a 2-year clinical research fellowship program.  The primary goal of the fellowship program is to train clinicians to become leading clinical researchers in measurement-based healthcare, with the aim of improving the mental and physical health, quality of life, and outcomes of healthcare services for Veterans with mental illness. Within the broad concept of measurement-based care, our MIRECC specifically focuses on the following aspects:  validation and incorporation of biomarkers, incorporation of patient preference in treatment decision making, development of tools to implement measurement-based care, and the development of treatment algorithms and decision aids.

 

Program Description:  This interdisciplinary program aims to train clinical psychologists, nurses, social workers and other associated health clinicians to become outstanding clinical researchers in high priority areas of mental health. Individualized, mentored research and clinical training is combined with a state-of-the-art curriculum that emphasizes research methods, statistics, epidemiology, mental health systems, quality improvement methods, education, and service delivery. Training in professional skills includes manuscript reparation, grant writing, project management, and the responsible conduct of research. Fellowship sites across the national network of VA Advanced Fellowship training sites are linked electronically for didactic, academic, and research efforts.  Fellows devote the majority of their time to patient-oriented research and education activities and 25% to direct patient clinical care. In collaboration with their mentors, fellows will develop and implement a research project, publish and present findings, participate in grant writing, and utilize the latest technology for educational activities and clinical service delivery. Psychology applicants must have obtained a doctorate from an APA-accredited program in clinical or counseling psychology and have completed an APA-accredited internship in clinical or counseling psychology.  Fellows must be U.S. citizens.  The VA funds the associated health professional stipends in amounts based on VA national standards with locality adjustments for cost-of-living in the area. Fellows will also receive a secondary appointment at our academic affiliate, the University of Pittsburgh.

 

Faculty:  Mentees often have dual mentorship including a mentor from the University of Pittsburgh in addition to VAPHS. Available research mentors (and interests) include:  Gretchen Haas, PhD (schizophrenia, social cognition), John Kasckow, MD, PhD (interventions for suicidal behavior, schizophrenia, depression), Howard Aizenstein, MD (neuroimaging, late-life mood disorders), Charles Atwood, MD (diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders), Charlotte Brown, PhD (implementation research, mood disorders, cultural barriers to treatment), Daniel Buysse, MD (sleep interventions, neurobiology of sleep), Matthew Chinman, PhD (implementation research, peer support, recovery), Steven Forman, MD, PhD (neurobehavioral studies, neuroimaging of addictive disorders), Anne Germain, PhD (sleep research, CBT, BBTI), Ariel Gildengers, MD (late-life bipolar disorder), Adam Gordon, MD (addictive disorders), Martica Hall, PhD (behavioral health assessment methods, sleep), Jordan Karp, MD (treatment of late-life depression and comorbid pain), Charles Reynolds, MD (depression in aging), Armando Rotondi, PhD (e-health, SMI), Dean Salisbury, PhD (neurophysiology, schizophrenia), Greg Siegel, PhD (neuroimaging, cognitive interventions for depression), Stuart Steinhauer, PhD (psychophysiology), Robert Sweet, MD (neurobiology of psychosis), Kataline Szanto, MD (late-life suicide), and Jeffrey Yao, PhD (biochemical aspects of mental illness and neurological disorders).

 

Application Due Date:  Formal review of applications will start December 1, 2015, with an application deadline of January 1, 2016.

 

How to Apply:  Interested psychologists and associated clinicians who meet the eligibility requirements should send a cover letter, curriculum vita, transcripts, and three letters of recommendation to Gretchen L. Haas, PhD (haasgl@upmc.edu) and Sara Chapman, MS, OTR/L (sara.chapman@va.gov). The cover letter should specify the reasons for your interest in this particular fellowship training program, a brief overview of your previous clinical and research experiences, and how you see this program promoting your professional and career goals.