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Site Name: Southern Arizona VA Health Care System

Department: Psychology Postdoctoral Program

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Department : Psychology Postdoctoral Program

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Member Site Information
APPIC Member Number: 9113
Program Type: Post Doctoral
Membership Type: Full Membership
Site: Southern Arizona VA Health Care System
Department: Psychology Postdoctoral Program
Address: Director of Psychology Training
Mental Health (11-116)
3601 S. 6th Ave.
Tucson, Arizona 85723
Country: United States
Metro Area: Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Distance from Major City: 116 miles southeast of Phoenix, AZ
Phone: 520-792-1450x11058
Fax:
Training Director Email: kelly.obert2@va.gov
Co-Training Director Email:
Web Address: https://www.va.gov/southern-arizona-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/
Brochure Website's Address: https://www.va.gov/southern-arizona-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/
Primary Agency Type: Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Additional Agency Types:
  • Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Member of APPIC since: 2012
Accreditation
APA Accreditation Accredited
CPA Accreditation Not Accredited
Postdoctoral Staff/Faculty Information
Training Director: Kelly Obert
Chief Psychologist: Kelly Obert
Number of Full-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 34
Number of Part-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 1
Number of Non-Psychologist Staff/Faculty who Supervise Post-docs 0
Position Information
Start Date: 07/21/2025
Funded
Number of Full Time Slots Expected Next Class: 1
Number of Part Time Slots Expected Next Class: 0
Stipend
Full Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 52708
Part Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 0
Fringe Benefits: Health Insurance, Licensing Exam Release Time, Professional Development Time, Sick Leave, Vacation
Other Fringe Benefits (not indicated above): Federal holidays
Brief description of the typical work day for a postdoc at this training site The postdoc is involved in treating trauma, with primary clinical work in the Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MH RRTP-PTSD) and our outpatient programs that offer trauma-focused therapy which include PTSD Clinic, the Military Sexual Trauma (MST) program, and Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP). Clinical opportunities include treating trauma from various origins. The postdoc is also involved in the predoctoral internship Supervision Seminar, gaining further experience in the provision of clinical supervision as the postdoc not only provides clinical supervision but also teaches interns clinical supervision skills. Educational components of the program include scheduled didactic presentations, the National Diversity Seminar in which we participate with 11 other VA sites. The postdoc is expected to design and complete a project which can be clinical or administrative in nature. In addition, the postdoc presents a series of educational didactics for Mental Health staff. For further descriptions of these programs, please see the brochure. https://www.va.gov/southern-arizona-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/
Does this site have practicum psychology students on site? No
Is this program fully affiliated with one or more doctoral programs? No
Is this program partially affiliated with one or more doctoral programs? No
Postdoctoral Application Process
Application Due Date: 01/03/2025 11:59 PM EST
How to obtain application info: Visit Website
Preferred method of contacting the program: Email the Program
We have matched with interns from these programs: Palo Alto University Central Michigan University University of Kansas University of Alabama-Birmingham University of Missouri-St. Louis Nova Southeastern University
The program uses the APPA Centralized Application Service: Yes
Interviews at this site are: Optional
A Virtual Interview is: Preferred
Interview notification date: 01/24/2025
Tentative interview date: 2/3/2025-2/7/2025
Interview process description:

The following information is for 2025-2026 calendar year.

The Selection Process:  Upon receipt of an application, the Director of Training conducts a preliminary review for completeness.  Postdoc selection involves the entire psychology training staff. The psychology training staff reviews applications to determine interview selection. Applicants will be notified by January 24, 2025 via e-mail, whether they will be offered an interview. Virtual interviews will be offered on 2 dates in early February. An on-site interview is optional. The tentative interview dates will fall between 2/3/2025 and 2/7/2025.  Interview format is a panel interview comprised of the postdoctoral training program staff. Interviews will include an overview of the program and a question and answer period  to allow the applicant to get a good sense of the program and facility.  This allows determination for a good “fit” for both applicant goals and the program’s format. Accommodations (telephonic interviews) are made for applicants unable to access video teleconferencing.
Postdoctoral Applicant Requirements
US Citizenship Required: Yes
If NOT a U.S. Citizen, Authorization to Work in the US is Required No
Canadian Citizenship Required: No
If NOT a Canadian Citizen, Authorization to Work in Canada is Required: No
This institution, department, internship, or postdoctoral program requires trainees to sign a statement about personal behavior and/or religious beliefs as a condition of admission and/or retention in the program: No
How to obtain text of statement:
Program Description

The Postdoctoral Fellowship program is seeking energetic, personable, and well-qualified applicants with strong skills in the areas of assessment, individual therapy, group therapy, and consultation. We welcome and encourage applications from diverse applicants. A strong desire and evident dedication to treating veterans who have experienced trauma is a must. Interest and experience in the area of PTSD treatment should be evident in past training and/or experience.  Applicants must be able to take initiative and function with good judgment, flexibility, and maturity.

Postdoctoral Fellows will develop skills in providing clinically relevant and efficacious assessment and treatment for veterans who have experienced trauma, including and not limited to, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.  They will learn to evaluate and transform treatment programs, as well as develop new programs based on clinical research and veteran needs.  These goals will be pursued in the context of programs serving several special populations impacted by trauma. Current primary clinical opportunities are within the Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MH RRTP-PTSD), and the outpatient PTSD program (PCT) and Military Sexual Trauma program (MST). The local veteran population includes those veterans in the urban areas around Tucson, as well as rural areas of southern Arizona.  Rural care includes consultation and video telemental health for veterans in outlying areas covered by Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in Tucson, Safford, Sierra Vista, Green Valley, Casa Grande, and Yuma. The MH RRTP serves veterans living in the southwest region of the US, including all of Arizona, southern California, and western New Mexico, with a high representation of Native veterans living on the reservation lands of the southwest. Involvement in the Supervision Seminar is required, providing clinical supervision and education in clinical supervision to psychology interns. The fellow will also complete an independent project of their choosing, with staff support, which focuses on development and/or evaluation of trauma-related interventions/programs. The overall training experience is expected to be approximately 60% clinical service, 20% scholarly inquiry, 10% interprofessional treatment team staffing/consultation, and 10% didactic training/professional development. Some variability is expected due to fellows’ individualized training goals and availability of clinical experiences.  Optional involvement in the VA Analytics for PTSD program development is available.

Please see our brochure at:  Internships And Fellowships | VA Southern Arizona Health Care | Veterans Affairs

 

 Internships And Fellowships | VA Southern Arizona Health Care | Veterans Affairs

Postdoctoral Training Opportunities

Populations
Infants:
Toddlers:
Children:
Adolescents:
Adults: Yes
Family:
Older Adults: Yes
Inpatients: Yes
Outpatients: Yes
LGBTQ+: Yes
Ethnic minorities: Yes
Spanish-speaking: Yes
French-speaking:
Deaf/Hearing-impaired:
Students: Yes
International Students:
Rural: Yes
Urban: Yes
Low income: Yes
People without housing:
Other:

(training opportunities continued)

Treatment Modalities
Assessment: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Individual Therapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Couples Therapy: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Family Therapy:
Group Therapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Community Intervention:
Consultation/Liaison: Experience (21% to 30%)
Crisis Intervention:
Brief Psychotherapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Long-term Psychotherapy: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Cognitive Rehabilitation:
Primary Care:
Evidenced Based Practice: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Evidence Based Research: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Supervision of Practicum students :
Other:

(training opportunities continued)

Experience
Health Psychology:
Women's Health: Exposure (1% to 20%)
HIV/AIDS:
Eating Disorders:
Sexual Disorders:
Sports Psychology:
Rehabilitation Psychology:
Physical Disabilities: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Learning Disabilities:
Developmental Disabilities:
Assessment: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Neuropsychology-Adult:
Neuropsychology-Child:
Serious Mental Illness: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Anxiety Disorders: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Trauma/PTSD: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Sexual Abuse: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Substance Use Disorders: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Forensics/Corrections:
Sexual Offenders:
Geropsychology:
Pediatrics:
School:
Counseling:
Vocational/Career Development:
Multicultural Therapy: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Feminist Therapy: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Religion/Spirituality: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Empirically-Supported Treatments: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Public Policy/Advocacy:
Program Development/Evaluation: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Supervision: Experience (21% to 30%)
Research:
Administration: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Integrated health care - primary:
Integrated health care - specialty:
Other:

Additional information about training opportunities: Not all rotations or training experiences may be available as described in the APPIC Directory. Please consult the program's application materials or their website at: https://www.va.gov/southern-arizona-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/  for a complete description of the training opportunities available at this training site. IF the site has not updated their information by August 1, feel free to contact the Training Director for additional information.

Summary of the Characteristics of the Specified Postdoctoral Class
2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025
Number of Completed Applications: 14 13 12 9 10 5 4 1
Where did Former Postdoctoral Fellows Go (1st Placement)?
2022-2023 2023-2024
Total Number of post-docs: 0 1
Still a Postdoctoral Fellow: 0 1
Academic teaching: 0
Community mental health center: 0 0
Consortium: 0 0
University Counseling Center: 0 0
Hospital/Medical Center: 0 0
Veterans Affairs Health Care System: 0 0
Psychiatric facility: 0 0
Correctional facility: 0 0
Health Maintenance Organization: 0 0
School district/system: 0 0
Independent practice setting: 0 1
Other (Academic Psychology Department): 0 0
Link to Program's Trainee Admissions, Support, and Outcome Data: https://www.va.gov/southern-arizona-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/
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