User:
Site Name: VA Western Colorado Health Care System
Department: Mental Health
Completed AAPI submissions received by 11:59PM (EST) November 20, 2022 will be considered. Applications are reviewed by members of our training faculty and discussed as a training team. Application review is based upon educational experiences, training program quality, intervention/assessment experiences, essay responses and letters of recommendation. All applicants will be notified whether they remain under consideration by December 14th, 2022.
Qualified applicants are invited to interview through a video call. Each applicant will complete a one-hour interview with two members of our training faculty. There will be no in-person interviews. We conduct interviews remotely for two reasons: 1) we recognize the rural location of WCHCS can create a barrier to attendance for in-person interviews and 2) we are committed to minimizing the expense of the application process, recognizing travel time and costs can represent a significant burden for applicants. Addiitionally, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to commit to remote interviewing for the upcoming training year as a means of keeping both prospective interns and our staff safe.
We also host an optional Open House. For similiar reasons as stated above, we have decided to host our Open House virtually. We will be offering 2 open house dates on January 17th and January 18th 2023 that applicants may choose from. There will be no interviews during the Open House and we will not fomally evaluate interns during the Open House. The Open House is intended to benefit you as the applicant. During the Open House, the Training Committee will give presentations on various aspects of the internship program. Applicants will have the opportunity to ask questions of the Training Director and Training Committee members. Additionally, we will provide a feel for our campus through discussion and photos. In order to familiarize applicants with the Grand Junction area we will also answer questions about the area and provide visuals to assist with becoming familiar with the Grand Junction area. Additionally, applicants will be able to meet our current interns and get their perspective on their experiences at our site during the Open House. We encourage you to attend the Open House so that you can get a better feel for the supervisors, the WCHCS setting and Grand Junction. We understand that participation in the Open House may not be feasible for everyone. If you are unable to attend one of the scheduled Open House dates but have specific questions about the training program, please contact the Training Director (Dr. Megan McBratney; megan.mcbratney@va.gov) directly.
The VA Western Colorado Psychology Internship Program is committed to providing high-quality generalist education in the context of a rural setting. We emphasize a scholar-practitioner model with a focus upon the clinical application of psychology that is informed by science and grounded in the needs of the local community. This approach is ideal for applicants with a strong clinical background, appreciation for the thoughtful application of research and interest in the influence of local, contextual factors. Applicants who are interested in a) pursuing a clinical career in the VA system and/or in a rural setting, b) learning evidence-based practice and c) looking for a small, friendly and close-knit training atmosphere will likely feel the WCHCS internship program is a good fit for them. We aim to maintain a welcoming training environment that values cultural and individual differences. All things being equal, consideration is given to applicants who identify themselves as Veterans or members of historically underrepresented / disadvantaged groups. We strongly encourage students from diverse backgrounds to apply. The program funds three internship positions. The program is a 12-month, full-time appointment. Interns work 40 hours per week. All interns complete a total of 2080 hours of training, which is a VA requirement.
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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.grandjunction.va.gov/ 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.
