APPIC

Member Site Information

APPIC Member Number:	9995
Program Type:	Post Doctoral
Membership Type:	Full Membership
Site:	VA Medical Center, Kansas City
Department:	Psychology/Mental Health
Address:	MH-116 4801 E. Linwood Blvd. Kansas City, Missouri 64128-2295
Country:	United States
Metro Area:	Not Applicable Kansas City, MO-KS
Distance from Major City:	0
Phone:	816-861-4700x55320
Fax:
Training Director Email:	Kristen.Davis-Durairaj@va.gov
Co-Training Director Email:
Web Address:	https://www.va.gov/kansas-city-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/psychology-training-program/#psychology-internship-program
Brochure Website's Address:
Primary Agency Type:	Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Additional Agency Types:	Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Member of APPIC since:	07/15/2013

Accreditation

APA Accreditation	Accredited
CPA Accreditation	Not Accredited

Postdoctoral Staff/Faculty Information

Training Director:	Kristen Davis-Durairaj
Chief Psychologist:	Briget Lanktree
Number of Full-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty	36
Number of Part-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty	0
Number of Non-Psychologist Staff/Faculty who Supervise Post-docs	0

Position Information

Start Date:	07/25/2027

	Funded
Number of Full Time Slots Expected Next Class:	3
Number of Part Time Slots Expected Next Class:	0

	Stipend
Full Time Annual Stipend for Next Class:	54859
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):	Use of hospital gymnasium.

Brief description of the typical work day for a postdoc at this training site	Postdoctoral fellows are expected to work Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, unless otherwise discussed with the Training Director. The typical day for the fellow will vary by track: 1) Clinical Psychology with PTSD Focused Track: Fellow will spend 32 hours in the PCT (PTSD) clinic. 2) Clinical Psychology with Health Psychology Emphasis Track: Fellow will choose two different health-focused rotations (PC-MHI, Behavioral Sleep Medicine, or Women's Health Psychology). The fellow will spend a total of 16 hours on each of the two chosen rotations. 3) Clinical Psychology with Serious Mental Illness Emphasis Track: Fellow will spend at least 16 hours focused on outpatient SMI clinics: Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) and Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM). If the SMI postdoc does not have previous inpatient experience, they would spend at least eight hours for 6 months on the Acute Inpatient Psychiatry Rotation. If they did have previous inpatient experience, the fellow can choose to add inpatient as a major rotation or expand their hours to work in PRRC and MHICM. Each fellow will receive at least one hour of direct supervision for each major rotation (or at least two hours if embedded in one clinic). Each fellow will have at least two different supervisors over the training year. Each fellow will attend weekly didactics, group supervision with the training director and interns, and peer supervision. Fellows will be provided with fours hours of administrative time outside of rotations to work on program development, research, optional supervision of interns, etc.

Brief description of the typical work day for a postdoc at this training site

Postdoctoral fellows are expected to work Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, unless otherwise discussed with the Training Director. The typical day for the fellow will vary by track: 1) Clinical Psychology with PTSD Focused Track: Fellow will spend 32 hours in the PCT (PTSD) clinic. 2) Clinical Psychology with Health Psychology Emphasis Track: Fellow will choose two different health-focused rotations (PC-MHI, Behavioral Sleep Medicine, or Women's Health Psychology). The fellow will spend a total of 16 hours on each of the two chosen rotations. 3) Clinical Psychology with Serious Mental Illness Emphasis Track: Fellow will spend at least 16 hours focused on outpatient SMI clinics: Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) and Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM). If the SMI postdoc does not have previous inpatient experience, they would spend at least eight hours for 6 months on the Acute Inpatient Psychiatry Rotation. If they did have previous inpatient experience, the fellow can choose to add inpatient as a major rotation or expand their hours to work in PRRC and MHICM. Each fellow will receive at least one hour of direct supervision for each major rotation (or at least two hours if embedded in one clinic). Each fellow will have at least two different supervisors over the training year. Each fellow will attend weekly didactics, group supervision with the training director and interns, and peer supervision. Fellows will be provided with fours hours of administrative time outside of rotations to work on program development, research, optional supervision of interns, etc.

Does this site have practicum psychology students on site?	Yes
Doctoral Psychology Practicum Students	Yes
Masters Psychology Practicum Students	No
Do Psychology Interns/Postdocs Have the Opportunity to Supervise Practicum Students?	Yes

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:	12/06/2026 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:	University of Kansas Medical Center, Columbia Veterans Health Care System, Eastern Kansas VA Medical Center, Sheridan VA Health Care System, Center for Behavioral Medicine, Kansas City VA Medical Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Canandaigua, Phoenix VA Healthcare System, WJB Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Bronx VA, Sheridan VA Health Care System
The program uses the APPA Centralized Application Service:	Yes
A Virtual Interview is:	Required
Interview notification date:	12/18/2026
Tentative interview date:	01/06/2027, 01/07/2027
Interview process description:	All applicants will be notified via their provided e-mail address if they will be offered an interview or not by December 18, 2026. All interviews will be conducted virtually, typically using Microsoft Teams. Interview days are currently scheduled for January 6 and 7, 2027. We will consider requests for interviews outside of these days on a case by case basis. Each interviewee will be asked to join an orientation session with the training director. Each will also have the option to meet with the current postdoctoral fellows for a non-evaluated Q&A session. Applicants in the health and/or SMI tracks will complete 1-3 interviews, each with 1-3 training supervisors (30-60 minutes each). Applicants for the PTSD track will participate in one interview with 4-6 PCT psychologists present (40-60 minutes). All applicants will be provided with detailed instructions via e-mail about options for interviewing and what to expect during the process. Requests to meet with specific staff will be accommondated whenever possible. The Kansas City VA Medical Center strictly adheres to the APPIC Common Hold Date process for offering fellowship positions. For full details, please refer to our training brochure. https://www.va.gov/kansas-city-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/psychology-training-program/#psychology-internship-program

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 Kansas City VA Medical Center will offer three postdoctoral fellowship positions in clinical psychology for 2027-2028. Postdoctoral fellows are expected to work Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, unless otherwise discussed with the Training Director.

The primary purpose of the Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program at the KCVAMC is to prepare fellows to obtain advanced competencies and function autonomously as practicing clinical or counseling psychologists in a broad range of applied, teaching, and research settings. The postdoctoral program is designed to develop advanced practice competencies and expertise based upon sound scientific and professional practice foundations. The training integrates clinical, scientific, and ethical knowledge in the development of attitudes and skills basic to professional psychology. Therefore, the philosophy of training offered by the KCVAMC is best described as a "practitioner-scholar" model. The training experiences have a strong clinical focus. Knowledge and use of empirically supported processes and interventions are expected and encouraged in all aspects of the program. We proudly serve all Veterans and their loved ones while working to incorporate ethical and appropriate assessments and interventions for the unique presentations of intersecting identities, cultural/background factors, and patient preferences.

The typical day for the fellow will vary by track:

1) Clinical Psychology with PTSD Focused Track: Fellow will spend 32 hours in the PCT (PTSD) clinic. (See brochure for full description).

2) Clinical Psychology with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) Emphasis Track: Fellow will spend at least 16 hours focused on outpatient SMI clinics: Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) and Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM). If the SMI postdoc does not have previous inpatient experience, they would spend at 8 least hours for 6 months on the Acute Inpatient Psychiatry Rotation. If they did have previous inpatient experience, the fellow can choose to add inpatient as a major rotation or expand their hours to work in PRRC and MHICM.

3) Clinical Psychology with Health Psychology Emphasis Track: 32 hours/week will focus on health psychology clinical rotations. Fellow will will participate in all three health rotations, each for at least 8 hours each for the first 6 months (PC-MHI, Behavioral Sleep Medicine, and Women's Health Psychology). For the second half of the year, the fellow can keep the same schedule or can opt to reduce to two rotations. (See brochure for full descriptions).

Each fellow will receive a minimum of two hours of direct individual supervision/week and will have at least two different supervisors. They will also engage in weekly group supervision with the training director (50-60 minutes, combined with the 4 interns), as well as one hour of weekly peer supervision. Fellows will be provided with 3-4 hours of administrative time outside of rotations to work on program development, research, optional supervision of interns, etc.

Other Training Requirements/Experiences:

-Postdocs will present on a Veteran consultation to the full team of psychologists

-Postdocs will participate in a continuous process improvement (CPI) project of their choosing and present on the outcome

-Postdocs will provide a didactic training on a topic of their choosing related to the focused training area

-Postdocs will receive weekly didactic trainings in a wide variety of areas

-Postdocs will be provided with options to receive expanded training in several EBPs: MI/MET, ACT-D, CBT-I, CPT

-Postdocs will engage in monthly psychology journal club discussions, as well as two half-day professional development activities

-Postdocs will have have the option to participate in additional monthly didactics focused on supervision skills

For full details, please refer to our training brochure: https://www.va.gov/kansas-city-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/psychology-training-program/#psychology-internship-program

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:
French-speaking:
Deaf/Hearing-impaired:
Students:
International Students:
Rural:	Yes
Urban:	Yes
Low income:	Yes
People without housing:	Yes
Other:	Veterans/Reservists/National Guard

(training opportunities continued)

Treatment Modalities
Assessment:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Individual Therapy:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Couples Therapy:
Family Therapy:
Group Therapy:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Community Intervention:
Consultation/Liaison:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Crisis Intervention:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Brief Psychotherapy:	Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Long-term Psychotherapy:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Cognitive Rehabilitation:
Primary Care:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Evidenced Based Practice:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Evidence Based Research:
Supervision of Practicum students :
Other:

(training opportunities continued)

Experience
Health Psychology:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Women's Health:	Emphasis (31% to 49%)
HIV/AIDS:
Eating Disorders:
Sexual Disorders:
Sports Psychology:
Rehabilitation Psychology:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
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:	Experience (21% to 30%)
Trauma/PTSD:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Sexual Abuse:	Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Substance Use Disorders:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Forensics/Corrections:
Sexual Offenders:
Geropsychology:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Pediatrics:
School:
Counseling:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Vocational/Career Development:
Multicultural Therapy:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Feminist Therapy:
Religion/Spirituality:
Empirically-Supported Treatments:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Public Policy/Advocacy:
Program Development/Evaluation:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Supervision:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Research:
Administration:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Integrated health care - primary:	Experience (21% to 30%)
Integrated health care - specialty:	Experience (21% to 30%)
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/kansas-city-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/psychology-training-program/#psychology-internship-program 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	2025-2026	2026-2027
Number of Completed Applications:	16	15	14	10	21	20	11	14	20	15

Where did Former Postdoctoral Fellows Go (1st Placement)?

	2022-2023	2023-2024	2024-2025	2025-2026
Total Number of post-docs:	3	2	2	2
Still a Postdoctoral Fellow:	0	0	0	0
Academic teaching:		0	0	0
Community mental health center:	0	0	0	0
Consortium:	0	0	0	0
University Counseling Center:	0	0	0	0
Hospital/Medical Center:	0	0	1	0
Veterans Affairs Health Care System:	3	2	0	2
Psychiatric facility:	0	0	1	0
Correctional facility:	0	0	0	0
Health Maintenance Organization:	0	0	0	0
School district/system:	0	0	0	0
Independent practice setting:	0	0	0	0
Other (Academic Psychology Department):	0	0	0	0
Link to Program's Trainee Admissions, Support, and Outcome Data:		https://www.va.gov/kansas-city-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/psychology-training-program/#psychology-internship-program

Department : Psychology/Mental Health

Populations

Treatment Modalities

Experience