Clinical Health Psychology Fellowship

The Clinical Health Psychology Fellowship is primarily housed in the UVA Behavioral Medicine Center. The Behavioral Medicine Center provides outpatient psychological evaluation and treatment services for a wide variety of patient populations and presenting problems. It serves patients ranging in age from early childhood to the geriatric years.  Presenting problems are typically treated with empirically supported interventions that are individually tailored to patients’ needs.  Medical populations include those presenting with problems that are caused or exacerbated by psychobehavioral processes, including insomnia and other sleep disorders, diabetes, GI disorders, cancer and blood disorders, obesity, and chronic pain. Services are also provided for patients who are having difficulty adjusting to and coping with the emotional and behavioral demands of acute, chronic, and life-threatening medical problems, as well as their caretakers. In addition to these presenting problems, services are provided for patients with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, including GAD, OCD, phobias, and habit control problems (e.g., trichotillomania), health-related adjustment disorders including grief and trauma related to medical conditions.  Specialty services include evaluations for transplantation, pediatric elimination disorders, and weight reduction surgery. Referral sources include UVA medical clinics, UVA Student Health, UVA Faculty and Employee Assistance Program, and community providers.

The fellow will participate in a broad range of clinical health psychology training experiences with children and adults with psychiatric and medical comorbidities (e.g., obesity, GI conditions, insomnia and other sleep disorders, headache, cancer and blood disorders, and diabetes). Common presenting problems include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and health-related adjustment disorders.  Clinical experiences will take place in an outpatient setting and includes short- and long-term psychotherapy, as well as evaluations in specialty areas, including transplantation, pediatric elimination disorders, and weight reduction surgery.  Elective rotations are available in Infectious Disease (HIV), Pediatrics, Consultation/Liaison, Cancer, and Cystic Fibrosis.

The fellowship adheres to the scientist-practitioner model of training using an evidence-based treatment approach with both adult and pediatric populations services.  Fellows typically receive training and experience in clinical supervision with doctoral-level clinical psychology graduate students.

The Program Director schedules meetings for the postdoctoral fellows across sub-specialty areas during the academic year to discuss administrative issues and professional development. As part of this time, fellows will have 10% of their time dedicated to professional development activities which may be used for research.

There are numerous opportunities for educational and professional development, including:

• Psychiatry Grand Rounds
• Behavioral Medicine Center Didactics and Journal Club
• Individual and Group Supervision
• Monthly Psychology Fellows Meeting
• Psychiatry Clinical Case Conferences
• Clinical Training and Supervision of Doctoral Level Practicum Students (depending on availability)
• Additional Supervision Opportunities
• EPPP Preparation
• Teaching Opportunities

Fellows have the opportunity to participate in research in the course of their fellowship and research time will vary based on fellow interest and available research opportunities.

Areas of research being conducted in the Behavioral Medicine Center include:

• Psychobehavioral factors related to use of diabetes technology
• Gender Health
• Brief treatment and consultation outcomes in primary care
• HIV/AIDS
• Organ transplant
• Cardiology
• Cystic fibrosis
• Bariatric surgery outcomes and psychological factors
• Behavioral emergencies in the inpatient medical setting

Please submit the following:

• Brief cover letter; please discuss goals for fellowship and clinical and research goals in the cover letter
• Curriculum vitae
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Graduate school transcripts
• Application form

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Interviews will be held virtually.

Send Materials to:

Jaclyn Shepard, Psy.D.
Director of Clinical Training, Behavioral Medicine Center
Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences
University of Virginia Health System
P. O. Box 800223
Charlottesville, VA 22908-0223
jas8rw@virginia.edu