WestCoast Postdoctoral Residency Program Training Year 2014-2015 Postdoctoral Residency Program WestCoast Children s Clinic What s inside Committed to training the next generation of Child & Adolescent Community Psychologists Overview & Description Agency mission and overview, client demographics 2 Postdoctoral Residency Program: Emphasis areas, competencies developed during the training year, and training goals 3-5 Training activities, evaluation, training model, breakdown of weekly hours, stipend and benefits information 6-7 To Apply WestCoast Children's Clinic offers a one-year full-time Postdoctoral Residency Program in clinical psychology. This brochure provides an overview of our program and the application process. Our program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). We are committed to training community psychologists; expanding our consciousness with regard to race, culture, and social class; training psychologists to work with foster children and youth, meeting them in the systems in which they live, and advocating for them when needed. We work with children, youth and families who often have very difficult life circumstances and may have very serious symptoms. A number of our clients are members of marginalized populations including immigrants and sexual minorities. We see clients at our clinic office as well as in the community at their schools and homes and work primarily from a psychodynamic and systems perspective. Trauma theory and research within the context of cultural, racial, and individual diversity underlies our work. Application process, application timeline, notification date and reciprocal offer process 8 For More Information and to Submit an Application Margaret Nettles, PhD Intern & Postdoctoral Training Program Director WestCoast Children s Clinic 3301 E. 12th Street, Suite 259 Oakland, CA 94601 Email: mnettles@westcoastcc.org Phone: (510) 269-9047
WestCoast Children s Clinic Helping children discover who they are and what they can become. WestCoast Children s Clinic, a non-profit community psychology clinic, has provided mental health services to children, youth and families for over thirty years. Through clinical interventions, training, research and advocacy, we address the unique needs of individuals and work to improve the systems and public policies that impact their lives. Located in Oakland, WestCoast provides services to 1600 clients annually in the greater Bay Area. Our clients live at or below the poverty level and in high-risk environments. They have been exposed to community violence and experienced physical and sexual abuse, neglect, and disrupted attachments. Over three-quarters of our clients are in foster care, having been removed from their families due to abuse or neglect. The range of presenting problems includes: complex trauma (sexual, physical and emotional abuse, and neglect), difficulties in emotional regulation, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, depression, and anxiety disorders (including PTSD). MISSION WestCoast Children s Clinic is committed to providing psychological services to vulnerable children, youth and families regardless of their ability to pay, and to expanding the reach of psychological services through practice and research. To ensure the ongoing availability of these services, WestCoast is dedicated to training the next generation of mental health professionals. Gender Male 45% Female 55% Top Cities Served Oakland 44% Hayward 15% San Leandro 08% Freemont 04% Alameda 04% Livermore 04% Berkeley 04% San Francisco 04% Richmond 03% Client Demographics Age 4 & younger 21% 5 12 years-old 31% 13 17 years-old 46% 18 & over 01% Race/Ethnicity Black/ African American 55 % Caucasian 09% Latino/Latina 17% Asian/ Pacific Islander 04% Other/Unknown 15% 2
WestCoast Postdoctoral Residency Program Training Year 2014-2015 Postdoctoral Residency Program Training designed to develop advanced skills in psychotherapy and assessment with children, youth and families Residents work within one or two of the agency s major clinical programs, described below. Residents work alongside staff clinicians to provide services to children, adolescents, their families and caregivers. Outpatient Therapy Program Residents provide therapy at our clinic site and in the community. Our clients are children and youth (up to age 21) who come from a wide variety of ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. Because many of our clients are involved in the foster care system, working closely with social workers, foster parents, group home providers, and others in the children s system of care is paramount. The single most common feature of our clients is exposure to trauma often, complex developmental trauma. We provide psychotherapy, parent/caregiver guidance, and clinical case management services, aimed at helping clients heal from the impacts of trauma, develop healthy relationships and handle the challenges in their daily lives. Therapeutic Assessment & Systems Collaboration Program Residents gain advanced experience in administration, scoring, interpretation of tests as well as in writing and consultation. They develop increased autonomy and initiative in choosing test instruments, coordinating systemic aspects of assessment, and integrating test data into reports and other documents as they assume more professional authority and independence in practice. They learn the theory, techniques and practice of Therapeutic Collaborative Assessment (TCA). TCA evaluations are collaborative, guided by the youth and caregivers questions, using psychological testing as a brief, intensive intervention. Multi-system links are made to the youth and potential support people and services that are part of their lives. The youth assessed receive feedback and answers to questions, as do the parents, caregivers, social workers, and therapists as appropriate. Experience and practice in the TCA model may include working within an assessment team. A standard assessment battery includes: cognitive measures, achievement tests, behavioral checklists, measures of attention and neuropsychological processes, projective tests, depression inventories, personality profiles, and play interviews. Transition Age Youth Services Our Transition Age Youth Services (TAYS) program is comprised of three specialized programs serving youth with intensive mental health challenges. Work in TAYS is community-based, and the clinicians work in teams. Residents work in one of the following programs. C-Change: Transforming the Lives of Sexually Exploited Minors provides mental health screening and assessment, psychotherapy, clinical case management and advocacy to youth who are at risk of, engaged in, or have a history of sexual exploitation. We provide a safe and supportive environment for youth to explore and accept 3
alternatives to street life including: stabilization and psychotherapy; collaboration and care coordination with child welfare workers, foster families, group homes, and/or guardians, attorneys, school personnel, advocates, probation, law enforcement and community groups. The Foster Youth Development Program (FYDP) is designed to meet the unique needs of youth in the Alameda County as they prepare to exit the foster care system. We provide individual, family and group therapy; intensive clinical case management; and collateral work with foster parents, social workers, teachers, and other adults in youths lives. Services may include linking to and coordinating with tutoring & vocational programs, mentoring, housing, health and independent living skills training. The goal of our service is to prepare youth for the transition to adulthood, support youth to stabilize in placement, reduce mental health symptoms, and build a positive team of community supports. Catch-21 is a specialized program serving transition age youth exiting from residential treatment programs, or who utilize other intensive mental health services such as psychiatric hospitalization, therapeutic behavioral services and day treatment. These youth often are experiencing a first psychotic break or have functional impairments due to a serious mental illness. Catch-21 facilitates a safe and positive transition for youth who have high mental health needs that place them at risk of negative outcomes. Clinicians provide intensive services to address any current need for stabilization, crisis intervention and trauma-focused treatment. Catch-21 clinicians assist clients in identifying and accessing resources including but not limited to: housing, employment, education, health care providers, psychiatry, substance use treatment, and community activities. Residency Options Residents contract for a 12-month, 40-hour per week commitment. The Postdoctoral Residency Program exceeds the 1500-hour post degree supervised professional experience requirement of the California Board of Psychology. Four emphasis areas exist within the Residency Program; these include: Outpatient Only Therapeutic Assessment Only Outpatient & Therapeutic Assessment TAYS & Therapeutic Assessment Twelve positions are available for the training year: 7 positions begin September 2, 2014 5 positions begin January 5, 2015. When You Apply: Applicants must specify the emphasis area(s) to which they are applying. More than one area may be specified; when more than one area is specified they must be rank ordered by the applicant. Applicants must specify their start date preferences. Preferences for emphasis areas and start dates should be specified in the cover letter. Discussion of why you want to work in the desired area, what you hope to learn and what you would bring to the area should be the topic of your essay. 4
Competencies Developed During the Residency Consolidate, deepen, and refine the therapy and assessment skills of the residency year including: Foundational Competencies 1. Reflective practice and self-assessment Reflective practice Self-assessment (e.g., accurate self-monitoring, self-corrective practice) Self-care Professionalism 2. Awareness of individual, racial and cultural diversity and their intricacies in human relationships along with increasing ability to attend to these in therapeutic practice 3. Ethical and legal standards and policies, a more developed model of ethical decision making 4. Collaborative practices with clients, other professionals, and other disciplines 5. Use of current literature and research as clinically appropriate Functional Competencies 1. Effective assessment and therapy intervention with a broad range of clients 2. Use of evidence-based practice, including but not limited to: Clinical use of trauma theory and research Clinical use of attachment theory and research 3. Diagnostic skills, case formulation, and treatment planning 4. Clinical use of trauma theory and research 5. Clinical use of attachment theory and research 6. Effective community-based work 7. Selection of appropriate psychological testing and assessment instruments 8. Collaborative Assessment 9. Clear and professional written and verbal communication 10. Accessible and useful reports 11. Effective assessment and therapy intervention with a broad range of clients Training Goals The overarching goals of the WestCoast Postdoctoral Residency Program include: All Areas To advance to the independent practice level the ability to provide psychological services, (including trauma-focused therapy services) with a culturally, ethnically, and individually diverse population of children, youth, caregivers and families in both community-based and clinic settings. To develop knowledge and skills to the independent practice level to work with those involved with the foster care system. Outpatient Therapy Program To train postdoctoral residents for independent practice in a community mental health setting to provide outpatient psychotherapy services to children, youth, families and caregivers. Therapeutic Assessment & Systems Collaboration To train postdoctoral residents for independent practice in a community mental health setting to provide psychological assessment and testing services to children, youth, families and caregivers. Transition Age Youth Services Program To train postdoctoral residents for independent practice in a community mental health setting to provide communitybased psychotherapy services to high needs youth who are transitioning to adulthood. 5
Training Activities Individual Supervision (2 hrs/wk). Licensed psychologists provide primary and delegated supervision. Additional specialized consultation is available. Case Conference (2 hrs/wk). Residents take part in a staff case conference led by a licensed psychologist. Clinicians present their work for discussion and consultation with the other clinicians and the case conference leader. Emphasis Area Training (4 hrs/wk). Residents receive training within their emphasis area(s). The training is specific to the knowledge and skills required to be successful in that particular emphasis area. Professional Development Seminar (1.5 hr/month). Addresses areas of professional development including professional identity development, the licensing process, networking, and career options. In addition, residents take part in various activities aimed at further developing their professional identity. These include taking part in intern selection interviewing in which the resident works as an interview team member with a supervisor to conduct the first interview with the internship applicant. Other activities vary among residents and have included: presenting in a colloquium series at a local graduate school, presenting a traumainformed training in the community to caregivers and teachers, and being a member of a WCC committee throughout the year. Grand Rounds (3 hrs/4 times/yr) is a formal clinical case presentation discussed by an invited expert or master clinician in the field. Issues of diversity including race and ethnicity are highlighted in presentations and discussions. Agency-Wide Trainings (4-6 hours/month) Trainings during the 2013-2014 training year include: Working Effectively with African American Boys and Adolescents with A. J. Franklin, PhD Dyadic Developmental Therapy: Working with Parents and Caregivers with Dan Hughes, PhD Context and Connection: Using Genograms in Cultural Assessment with Monica McGoldrick, LCSW Therapeutic Assessment with Children and Families: Basic Concepts and Techniques with Stephen E. Finn, PhD Law and Ethics with Michael Donner, PhD Small group discussions provide opportunities to apply and integrate the information presented during the trainings. Retreats (day-long, twice/year) are held at a site away from the agency. Residents and interns attend. The retreats provide support, further professional development, encourage collaboration among and between the resident and intern groups, and aid them to further develop their own self-care. Spanish Language Case Conference (2 hrs/month). Optional for clinicians providing therapy in Spanish. Conducted in Spanish. Provides an opportunity for clinicians to develop their clinical and language skills, consult with other clinicians, and further develop their identities as bilingual and, if applicable, bicultural, clinicians. Evaluation At the beginning of the training year, in discussion with their supervisors, residents develop training goals and objectives. They receive a copy of the WestCoast Resident Competency Assessment Form during orientation, and receive written feedback on their progress toward their goals and the competencies at least twice during the year. Training Progress Meetings coincide with the written feedback. In these meetings, the resident and supervisors, case conference leader, & ITPD discuss learning progress and identify strengths as well as areas for growth. 6
Stipend and Benefits Activity Resident weekly Hours Training (20%) Hours Clinical Seminar 2.0 Rorschach Seminar (as required) 1.5 Agency-wide Training/Program Mtgs 3.0 Prof Development Seminar & Activities 1.5 Supervision (10%) Case Conference 2.0 Individual Supervision 2.0 Direct Clinical Services (65%) Psychological Services 26.0 Administrative Tasks (5%) 2.0 Total Hours 40.0 Residents are responsible for scheduling appointment times with their clients. Supervisors and residents schedule mutually available times to meet. The annual stipend for post-doctoral residents is $30,000 Residents are included on the WCC medical insurance plan. Residents receive 20 days time-off (which includes sick time and vacation). In addition, there are 11 WestCoast Holidays. Additional benefits include reimbursement for membership in the California Psychological Association, paid parking at the agency location, use of a WCC cell phone or reimbursement for use of personal cell phone for business, and reimbursement for travel expenses while working in the field. The WestCoast staff is a learning community, where the pursuit of personal and professional development stands as a constant challenge to match our clients desire for change in their lives. Respect for an understanding of cultural and individual diversity is reflected in the program s recruitment, and retention policies, and development of staff and interns, and in didactic and experiential training. The program has nondiscriminatory policies and operating conditions and avoids any actions that would restrict program access on grounds that are irrelevant to success in an internship or the profession. WestCoast is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to diminishing the influence of privilege and discrimination in our field and our workplace, whether due to differences concerning age, color, creed, disability, gender, genetic information, marital or parental status, medical condition, national origin or ancestry, race, religion, registered domestic partner status, sex, sexual orientation, and veteran status. The WestCoast Postdoctoral Residency Program has a written due process procedure that will be adhered to in the event of a grievance. Training Model We work from a practitioner-scholar model in which residents are engaged in advanced training in the above emphasis areas. Each emphasis area is organized to build on previous experience and education. Teaching occurs through a combination of case-based and didactic presentations, observational and experiential learning, and supervisory and consultative guidance. Training is organized sequentially, within all training components. 7
Application Process To apply, submit the following: Cover letter. Your cover letter must specify the emphasis area(s) and the start date for which you are applying. More than one area may be specified; if you specify more than one area you must rank order them. Curriculum Vita. Your CV must include whether your doctoral program was APA accredited, date (month, day, year) of doctoral degree completion, your dissertation title, languages spoken (other than English), and your email address (this will be a primary way of communicating with you and scheduling interviews). Essay I. Tell us something about who you are. What you decide to include is up to you. Essay II. Describe your interest in the emphasis area(s) you specified and why you think it is a good match for you. Why do you want to work in the area(s)? What are the areas of needed growth for you? What will you bring to the work? How will it contribute to your development as a psychologist? Letters. Provide three letters of recommendation. Form. Submit a completed Summary of Intervention and Assessment Experience with Children, Adolescents and Families Form, which may be downloaded from the website. A redacted psychological assessment report must be submitted for emphasis areas that include assessment. Graduate School Transcripts Application Timeline Application Deadline: January 23, 2014 Interviews: February & early March Notification Day: See below. Procedures: See below. Notification Date On March 14, 2014, starting at 8:00AM PST (11:00AM EST), Dr. Nettles (or her designee) will contact applicants by phone or e-mail to inform them of the status of the position. When an agreement for residency is reached with an applicant, a formal offer letter will be mailed to the applicant who will then formally accept the offer in writing. Reciprocal Offers Process Candidates who have been made an offer from another site requiring a decision prior to WestCoast s notification day may contact Dr. Nettles to request a reciprocal offer. Candidates requesting reciprocal offers will be asked the name of the program making the competing offer and how long they have been allowed to hold their offer. Before making a reciprocal offer, the candidate may be asked for verification of the competing offer (e.g., a faxed or scanned letter or a forwarded e-mail). If WCC makes a reciprocal offer, the candidate is expected to accept immediately. This offer is contingent upon successful completion of your physical examination, TB test and background check (including fingerprint results). Knowledge of the Rorschach and the Exner Comprehensive System or the RPAS is required by residency start date. Applicants who have not yet learned to administer & score the Rorschach using one of these systems must commit to completing an intensive course before the start date. Documentation of course completion must be provided to Dr. Nettles.