Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship

Purpose

The primary purpose of this position is to provide in-depth training for the fellow for future work in early identification, treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities, and research in the field of developmental disabilities. Diagnostic and treatment experiences with developmental and behavioral disorders are a focus. Many of the children seen at the Boling Center have Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Disorders, or Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities.

Description

The individuals served at the Boling Center for Disabilities are usually in preschool or early elementary school. The parents and families of these children are also a major focus of services at BCDD.

The fellow will work in an interdisciplinary medical setting at the Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities. From year to year, the secondary responsibilities of the post-doctoral fellow may vary. The postdoctoral fellow will spend time conducting assessments, implementing cognitive behavioral or behavioral therapy, participating in didactic training, supervising pre-doctoral interns and practicum students, and completing program evaluation activities and/or research. The post-doctoral fellow will receive a minimum of 2 hours per week of individual supervision by a licensed psychologist.

While at the Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities, the fellow is involved in weekly multidisciplinary evaluations. Collaboration at the developmental center is most often with developmental pediatrics, speech/language, social work, or audiology. Fewer opportunities are available for collaboration with nutrition, nursing, physical and/or occupational therapy. The fellow will often administer the Stanford Binet, Bayley, WISC, WAIS, Bracken, Woodcock Johnson, WIAT, Vineland, SIB-R, BASC, BITSEA, ADDES, CBCL, SCQ, and ADOS.

Psychotherapy interventions at the Boling Center are most often cognitive-behavioral. There is a Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) clinic which serves children with primary or secondary disruptive behavior problems. Some intensive behavior therapy for children with autism is also assigned to the fellow. The fellow will have at least 1 ongoing PCIT case and 1 ongoing behavior therapy case throughout the placement.

The fellow will spend time working in the Center of Excellence for Children in State Custody completing record reviews and evaluations. Children and adolescents seen in this clinic present with a wide range of psychiatric disorders, learning disabilities, and behavior disorders.

The fellow will also spend time working on the CANDLE project (Conditions Affecting Neurocognitve Development and Learning in Early Childhood). Responsibilities will include conducting developmental evaluations for children ages 1-, 2-, and 3-years-old.

Didactic experiences are also required. The fellow must attend several leadership training programs at the Boling Center. Other activities include presenting a lecture on Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities to pediatric residents or medical students, lecturing on changes on the IDEA law, critiquing a recent journal article, or presenting a review of treatment approaches for various developmental disorders. These trainings/presentations may be as often as once monthly.

Who Can Apply

Applicants must have a doctorate (Ph.D., Psy.D. or Ed.D.) in clinical, counseling, or school psychology. Applicants must be licensed or license-eligible as a Provisional or Temporary Psychologist in the State of Tennessee. It is required that the fellow sit for the EPPP and State of Tennessee Ethics and Jurisprudence Examination as soon as possible in the fellowship year and apply for one of the aforementioned licensures.

Priority is given to applicants with interdisciplinary experience in a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) or other comparable interdisciplinary setting. Applicants with specialized abilities should make these known when applying. For example, attributes such as fluency in sign language, fluency in Spanish, a proven record in grant writing, or previous experience in a related profession will be of interest to the Selection Committee. The stipend is anticipated to be $35,000, including Student Health Insurance.

Applications are due on the last working day of February each year. A completed application includes: curriculum vitae, two letters of reference, an official transcript, a writing sample, and a completed Boling Center Traineeship/Fellowship Application Form [pdf]. Send all materials to:

Melissa Hoffman, Ph.D.
711 Jefferson Avenue
Memphis, TN 38105

Contact

For more information, contact Dr. Laura Murphy, Chief of Psychology, BCDD, 711 Jefferson Avenue, Memphis, TN 38105 (901) 448-6511.

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