> ![](media/image1.png){width="1.125in"
> height="1.6979166666666667in"}**Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship
> Program**

**Baltimore VA Medical Center**\
Co-Directors of Training (BT/116/MH)

Drs. Alison Cernich & Sushma Roberts

10 North Greene Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

> *410-605-7408**\
> **[http://www.maryland.va.gov](http://www.maryland.va.gov/)*

**Applications due: January 5, 2009**

## Accreditation Status

The postdoctoral fellowship at the **Baltimore VA Medical Center** is
not yet accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American
Psychological Association.\
An application for accreditation is in process, and a site visit is
expected by **2009**.

## 

## Application & Selection Procedures 

This integrated fellowship program will accept applicants who are U.S.
citizens and who have completed training in an APA-approved clinical or
counseling psychology program and an APA-approved clinical psychology
internship. All fellows will be required to have completed their
dissertation by June of the year in which training commences and will
have participated in active research programs, usually with resultant
presentations/publications. Applicants may be required to pass a urine
screen for illegal drug use, should HR request it under their random
testing program of new appointees. Failure to meet these qualifications
could nullify an offer to an applicant. Those who do not meet these
eligibility requirements will be notified by the site as soon as
possible.

The Neuropsychology service will recruit postdoctoral fellows for this
program via the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship
Centers (APPIC) match process for postdoctoral fellowship in
Neuropsychology. Interviews will occur on site and at the annual meeting
of the International Neuropsychological Society (INS). Selection will
proceed as specified by the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in
Clinical Neuropsychology (APPCN). The successful candidate will have
completed a specialty training program in neuropsychology or completed
an internship with a primary concentration in neuropsychology. The match
number for the program is **8372**.

A successful candidate for the Trauma Recovery Program (TRP) will have a
history of specialty training in trauma and PTSD. The candidate will
also demonstrate a commitment to the scientist-practitioner or
clinical-scientist model of psychology as evidenced by history of
research on trauma or PTSD, training in empirically supported treatments
for PTSD. The Trauma Recovery Program will notify applicants of
selection after January 15, 2009.

Our training staff reviews all applications to their respective track
and a selection committee interviews each candidate. Interviews are
conducted at national meetings or at our facility. Our emphasis is on
fit with our training model, program philosophy, and a general openness
to feedback and supervision.

We will accept applications by mail and electronically. If
recommendation letters are sent electronically, we prefer that these are
sent as .pdf attachments from the letter writer. All application
materials are due **January 5th.**

***The following documents are required for application to our
program:***

> 1\. A letter of interest that identifies career goals, expectations,
> and goodness of fit with the
>
> mission of the VA Maryland Integrated Training Program for
> Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury in Returning
> Veterans

2\. A current curriculum vitae

3\. Letter of status from academic program and anticipated completion
date

> 4\. Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from an
> internship supervisor
>
> (electronic submissions should be sent directly from letter writer)

5\. Please send a de-identified assessment report appropriate to the
respective track and an

example of research or other scholarly work.

6\. Federal form: Application for Associated Health Occupations
(10-2850C), which may be

obtained via the website
(www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-2850c-fill.pdf).

***Please send these materials to:***

***Alison Cernich, Ph.D.***

VA Maryland Health Care System (BT/116/MH)

10 N. Greene Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

*410-605-7408*

*FAX: 410-605-7771*

*E-mail: Alison.Cernich@va.gov*

***Psychology Setting***

The Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS) is a dynamic,
multidivisional health care system consisting of two Medical Centers at
Baltimore and Perry Point, five Community-Based Outpatient Clinics, and
a freestanding, 120-bed nursing home, all located within a 50-mile
radius. The VAMHCS serves as a training facility closely affiliated with
a number of local universities, including the University of
Maryland-Baltimore School of Medicine.

***Role of Psychology.*** The Mental Health Clinical Center is the
largest Clinical Center within the VAMHCS and it is organized into five
Sub-Product Lines: Acute Inpatient Mental Health; Sustained Inpatient
Treatment; Residential Treatment; Community (Neuropsychology and
Outpatient) Mental Health; and Special Programs (Addictions and Trauma).
Mental health activities are conducted at all divisions and sites;
psychologists serve in leadership roles within the sub-product lines.
VAMHCS employs 47 psychologists, with 35 detailed full-time to Baltimore
and 2 half-time. Samuel Stern, Ph.D., is the Psychologist Executive and
leader of the psychology service; he is responsible for the overall
management of psychologists serving in the VAMHCS and assures
professional integrity and competence in practice. He also serves on the
Steering Committee of the VAMHCS/University of Maryland-Baltimore
Psychology Internship Consortium and serves in an oversight role for all
levels of psychology training.

The training environment in the VAMHCS offers both depth and breadth.
The VAMHCS supports medical residency training across specialties,
research training fellowships in clinical service and basic science,
training programs in allied health professions (e.g., social work,
nursing, and rehabilitation services), health services research, and
multiple training programs in Psychology. Psychologists are active
participants in medical residency and fellowship training programs
providing lectures and grand rounds and assisting in training for social
work interns and nursing students that assist clinical programs.

VAMHCS takes pride in its training programs for psychologists. There are
active practica for graduate students in psychology training programs in
Neuropsychology, Trauma Recovery, Substance Abuse, and Community Mental
Health. The Neuropsychology and Trauma Recovery Programs also actively
participate in training of doctoral and Master's candidates from area
training programs, with 4 and 2 externs per year, respectively. The
VAMHCS/University of Maryland-Baltimore (UMB) Psychology Internship
Training Consortium is composed of two divisions of the VAMHCS (the
Baltimore Division and the Perry Point Division) and the UMB School of
Medicine Department of Psychiatry. VAMHCS supports an APA-accredited
internship training consortia in conjunction with the University of
Maryland School of Medicine. In the 2007-08 training year, 14 interns
participated in psychology internship training. New to the VAMHCS is
this integrated post-doctoral fellowship in Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury in Returning Veterans which will
train 4 fellows per year in trauma recovery and neuropsychology. The TRP
currently employs two postdoctoral research fellows who coordinate the
site activities and conduct assessments for CSP 504, a cooperative study
on the effects of Risperidone with veterans with chronic PTSD.

## Training Model and Program Philosophy

The specific program emphasizes the two signature injuries of the
current conflicts: PTSD and TBI. This fellowship has the dual goals of
training and refining skills in assessment, treatment, consultation, and
research relating to the specific needs of returning veterans, as well
as facilitating the development of fellows from trainees to independent
psychologists. Our program philosophy is to base both the process and
the content of training in research, with the goal of developing
psychologists who apply scientific method and knowledge to the
assessment and treatment of maladaptive behavior. Studies of methods of
training have consistently demonstrated that the modeling of desired
behaviors, opportunities to practice those behaviors in a supervised
environment, and specific feedback all result in changes in trainee
behavior. Therefore, fellows will be able to observe psychologists, be
observed, and receive timely feedback. Specific training in assessment
or treatment for a particular presenting problem will be grounded in
research, VA clinical practice guidelines, and expert consensus on that
problem. In addition, to foster fellows' development as independent
scientist-practitioners, didactics and supervision will focus on what it
means to function independently as a psychologist in a multidisciplinary
hospital setting

## Program Goals & Objectives

Goals and Competencies are delineated by track, though fellows will note
that each track will have some overlap.

***Neuropsychology:*** The goal of the post-doctoral fellowship in
Neuropsychology is to help trainees become independent psychologists who
are comfortable acting in consultation-liaison roles and working with
multidisciplinary treatment and assessment teams in a medical
environment. At the end of the experience, fellows should be capable of
developing new assessment and treatment programs in conjunction with
psychology and medical staff.

***At the end of the 2 year fellowship, fellows in the Neuropsychology
Track should successfully demonstrate these specific competencies:***

1.  Reliable administration, scoring, and interpretation of
    neuropsychological assessment measures.

2.  Expertise in assessment and treatment for trauma spectrum disorders,
    including TBI and PTSD and their overlay.

3.  Expertise in assessment and treatment for disorders common in aging
    veterans.

4.  Supervision of trainees at the internship and externship level.

5.  Preparation of presentations and publications related to the ongoing
    research on our service.

**Trauma Recovery Program:** The goal of the post-doctoral fellowship in
Trauma Recovery is to develop trainees into independent psychologists
who are able to provide conduct comprehensive assessments,
evidence-based treatments, participate in program development (including
conducting needs assessments, participation in outreach activities),
conduct research, maintain sensitivity to individual factors, and
function as members of multidisciplinary treatment teams.

***At the end of the fellowship year, fellows in the Trauma Recovery
Track should successfully demonstrate these specific competencies:***

1.  Expertise in assessment and treatment of individuals with PTSD and
    comorbid TBI.

2.  Expertise in the use of evidence-based treatments (individual and
    group) for PTSD.

3.  Expertise in conducting comprehensive assessments that include the
    administration of the Clinical-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and
    other psychometrically sound assessment instruments for PTSD and
    other associated posttraumatic mental health problems.

4.  Skillfulness in the completion of assessments in the Mental Health
    Clinical Center's Mental Health Assessment and Referral Clinic which
    necessitates more time-limited assessments.

5.  Supervision of trainees at the internship and externship level.

6.  Preparation and publications related to ongoing research on the
    service.

## Program Structure

Two training programs are represented in this integrated post-doctoral
fellowship: Neuropsychology and Trauma Recovery. The Neuropsychology
track is a 2-year post-doctoral experience that is consistent with the
Houston Conference and Division 40 guidelines. The Trauma Recovery
post-doctoral training program is a one-year fellowship designed to
allow the fellow to experience assessment and treatment of trauma
spectrum disorders across inpatient, residential, and outpatient
programs. These are both full-time work commitments, with an average of
40 hours worked per week. The fellow's distribution of effort will be
60% clinical and 40% research. The training provided meets licensure
requirements for the state of Maryland; all supervisors will be licensed
in a jurisdiction and able to certify training hours.

Though each program has didactics targeted to its specialty, fellows
from both tracks will participate in an integrated ongoing monthly
didactic program focusing on current issues in the areas of PTSD and
neuropsychology of returning veterans. Interdisciplinary seminars
coordinated by the TRP and the Neuropsychology Service will be held once
per month and focus on the integration of knowledge across the two areas
of specialty. Potential topics include: 1) PTSD and its effects on
neurocognition, 2) the effect of TBI on the conduct of mental health
treatment, and 3) components of the recovery model that are relevant to
both PTSD and TBI. Fellows in both tracks will also participate in a
monthly case conference together wherein they will present cases to
their colleagues as well as the postdoctoral supervisory staff.

**Neuropsychology**

Neuropsychology is a consult service and sees medical, neurological, and
psychiatric patients referred from various clinics and units throughout
the medical center. Diagnoses include: neurodegenerative, endocrine,
infectious, seizure, vascular disease, tumor, head trauma, and
neuropsychiatric disorders. An increasing number of our referrals are
for returning veterans from the OEF/OIF conflicts many of whom have
combat-related injuries and complaints. Patients come from diverse
ethnic backgrounds and from all adult age ranges. In view of the veteran
population served, a substantial number of patients are 50 years of age
and older.

There are two major rotations in the Neuropsychology track: TBI/PTSD and
Geriatric Assessment. These will be one year experiences with a variety
of clinical and research experiences that are related to the specific
rotation. Fellows will also support the general Consultation-Liaison
service throughout their two year tenure. The Neuropsychology service
has a number of active research programs, all with a clinical focus and
involving a high level of patient interaction. Current research
includes: 1) the Depleted Uranium Health Monitoring Project, 2) the MS
Center of Excellence-VA East, 3) Computerized Neurocognitive Evaluation
of Parkinson's Disease in conjunction with the University of Maryland
Medical System Movement Disorders Clinic, 4) Studies of Mild TBI in
conjunction with the University of Maryland Shock Trauma/Emergency
Medicine Studies Center, 5) the STEPS after Stroke project involving
physical rehabilitation of chronic hemiparetic stroke patients with
neurocognitive evaluation and functional magnetic resonance imaging, 6)
screening of dementia in primary care, 7) evaluation of severe
impairment in a nursing home sample, and 8) archival studies of patients
who present to the Geriatric Assessment Clinic. Our didactic training is
described in the section below. The fellows activities are concentrated
at the Baltimore site, but occasional travel to the Extended Care
Facility, located 15 minutes from the hospital, may be required.

***Supervision***:

The postdoctoral fellows specializing in Neuropsychology will receive at
least two hours per week of face-to-face supervision, at least one of
which will be with a board-certified neuropsychologist through a
consultative agreement, until such time as our staff completes the board
certification process. Additional supervision will be provided by three
clinical neuropsychologists (Cernich, Inscore, Lee-Wilk), all of whom
are board-eligible. We are in the process of recruiting a fourth faculty
member who will be required to be board-certified or board-eligible. An
additional two hours of supervision will occur during group supervision
and case conference as part of the Neuropsychology Seminar. The fellow
would be required to gain experience leading the group supervision
session, in order to receive training in supervision of externs and
interns.

**Trauma Recovery**

Structure of experience. The Trauma Recovery Program at the VAMHCS will
provide fellows with training experiences at both the Baltimore VAMC and
the Perry Point VAMC. The Baltimore VAMC consists of a specialized
outpatient PTSD clinic (PCT) and a PTSD / Substance Use Residential
Rehabilitation Treatment Program (PRRTP). Patients within the PCT
include male and female veterans with a principal diagnosis of PTSD
related to a variety of traumatic experiences, including combat,
military sexual trauma (MST), and childhood abuse. Patients within the
PRRTP include primarily male veterans with military-related traumatic
experiences who are dually diagnosed with PTSD and a substance use
disorder. In both the PCT and PRRTP, patients range in age from early
20s to 80s, with a modal age of late 40s-early 50s. Many patients in the
PCT have other comorbid diagnoses and are active in treatment in other
areas of mental health (e.g., Substance Abuse Treatment Program,
Psychosocial Rehabilitation Recovery Center, Mental Health Clinic). Our
patient population is ethnically and racially diverse, with over 50% of
patients of African-American descent. An increasing number of the
patients seen are those service members recently returning from
Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

In addition, fellows will also work with the Returning Veterans
Outreach, Education and Care Program (RVOEC) which is part of the Trauma
Recovery Program at Perry Point and Baltimore. The RVOEC team offers
services specifically for OEF/OIF veterans and service members to assist
in readjustment to civilian life. Services include individual
counseling, couples counseling, group therapy, and residential services.
Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in outreach activities
and become involved in relevant RVOEC related tasks, including
individual, group, and couples/family therapy for veterans returning
from Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, fellows will have the
opportunity to create groups that might be relevant for this population
(e.g., anger group, spouse's group). Current groups for returning
service members include a postdeployment support group, a mindfulness
group, an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) anger group, and a CBT
and Trauma group. The RVOEC team also offers monthly workshops for
returning veterans on a variety of topics (e.g., health and nutrition,
common reactions to war, parenting). Fellows are welcome to assist the
RVOEC team in workshop presentations. Outreach activities may include
presentations at local religious/civic organizations, at postdeployment
events, and various media outlets. Finally, an added component of the
training experiences at the Baltimore site is the availability of
virtual reality treatment which consists of custom virtual environments
that have been carefully designed to support exposure therapy of anxiety
disorders. The TRP has access to specific equipment for Virtual Iraq and
Virtual Vietnam. In addition, the same treatment equipment can also be
used to treat fear of flying. Fellows will have the opportunity to be
trained in the use of virtual reality exposure treatment that allows
therapists to manipulate situations to best suit the individual patient
during a standard therapy hour (usually 45-50 minutes) and within the
confines of the therapist\'s office.

***Supervision:*** The postdoctoral fellows specializing in Trauma
Recovery will receive at least four hours of total supervision per week.
At least two hours per week will be face-to-face supervision, one of
which will be individual supervision with their specific fellowship
mentor. Additional supervision will be provided by the remaining Trauma
Recovery Program training faculty (S. Roberts, C. Watlington, M. Decker,
L. Morris, M. Roberts, A. Santanello). The Trauma Recovery Program also
conducts group supervision one hour per week for all psychologists on
the service.

**Evaluation**

The respective tracks will have a meeting with each fellow at the start
of fellowship for goal-setting and specification of training objectives
for each rotation. The program will utilize the APA evaluation form
currently in use for the predoctoral internship program. It allows for
the evaluation of skills at the internship and postdoctoral level and
includes a review of professional behavior, ethics, crisis management,
assessment and treatment skills, ability to establish patient rapport,
consultation skills, and supervisory skills. Further, each discipline
will develop a brief evaluation, specific to their training program, to
address specific competencies to be gained during the fellowship. The
supervisors will meet with each fellow to review the fellow's
evaluation, goals, and progress toward goals every four months
throughout the fellowship program. The Co-Directors of Training will
receive copies of the evaluation and will meet with the fellows to
review the ratings and provide additional guidance and mentoring.

The program is also concerned with the fellows' subjective experience
during their tenure. They will be offered a review of the program at the
end of each rotation and will be asked to participate in a retreat at
the end of each year focused on specific individual training objectives,
the effectiveness of training on each of their rotations, and a review
of the integration of the two tracks and any areas in need of
improvement. This will ensure fidelity of training by the supervisory
staff involved and will allow us to improve the training program from
year to year.

## Training Experiences 

**Neuropsychology**

The Clinical Rotations in the Neuropsychology Service pertinent to this
proposal will include the 1) TBI, 2) Geriatric Neuropsychology, and 3)
outpatient and inpatient consultation-liaison service rotations. The TBI
rotation will include participation in the interdisciplinary Polytrauma
Clinic Support Team triage meetings (including Rehabilitation Medicine,
Neurology, Nursing, and Social Work staff), assessment of mild TBI
patients in the Primary Care Department's Returning Veterans Primary
Care Clinic, and involvement in outpatient cognitive rehabilitation. The
Geriatric Neuropsychology rotation will involve participation in the
interdisciplinary geriatric assessment clinic (collaborating with an
interdisciplinary team including Internal Medicine, Psychiatry,
Neurology, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Social Work), inpatient rounds on the
Geriatric Evaluation and Medical Unit (interfacing with Internal
Medicine and Nursing), and assessment at the Baltimore Rehabilitation
and Extended Care Center (working with Internal Medicine, Psychiatry,
and Nursing staff). The outpatient and inpatient consultation-liaison
service is a general consultation service involving assessment of
patients with a variety of medical and psychiatric conditions. This
rotation includes triage of patients through consultation with
physicians from various services (Primary Care, Neurology, Geriatrics,
Infectious Disease, Cardiology, and Oncology), assessment of patients,
and provision of feedback to patients and providers.

***Assessment approach:*** Our assessment approach is generally a
flexible battery, with many batteries developed specific to the referral
question based on empirical evidence (e.g., MACFIMS for evaluation of
MS). Intensive training in computerized neuropsychological assessment
will be provided. Our fellows will receive training in administration of
and interpretation of measures specific to the assessment of PTSD. The
fellows will interact with three interdisciplinary teams: the Polytrauma
Support Clinic Team, the Geriatric Assessment Clinic, and the Geriatric
Evaluation and Medical Unit (GEMU). Fellows will be provided with local
and national didactic training opportunities. These will include medical
courses, medical grand rounds, interdisciplinary training in PTSD
assessment and treatment, and a specialty didactic aimed at preparation
for board certification in Neuropsychology.

***Didactic training***: The Neuropsychology service has multiple
required training activities for postdoctoral fellows: 1)
Neuropsychology Specialty Seminar, featuring didactic presentation, case
conference, or journal article discussion via teleconference with Walter
Reed Army Medical Center; 2) Neurology Grand Rounds; and 3) the
second-year psychiatry resident Neuroscience course (1.5 months). In
addition, fellows in the Neuropsychology Track will be required to
attend 1) Brain Cutting (one rotation or more as desired), 2)
Neuroradiology Rounds (one rotation or more as desired), and 3)
Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship rounds (while on Geriatrics rotation).
Attendance at conferences sponsored by the War Related Illness and
Injury Study Center (WRIISC) and the Department of Neurology at the
University of Maryland School of Medicine also will be required of
fellows. Finally post-doctoral fellows will assist the staff in
provision of didactics to interns and externs in the psychology training
program.

**Trauma Recovery Program**

Fellows in the Trauma Recovery Program track will complete two six-month
rotations to include training at both the Baltimore and Perry Point
sites. The training experiences will focus on the refinement of existing
treatment and assessment skills related to traumatic stress as well as
training of new skills as needed, and these experiences will occur in
the context of the PRRTP and the Baltimore PCT. The rotation at the
Baltimore site will consist of core training experiences involving
outpatient and residential group therapies, psychoeducation and
individual treatment. Elective experiences will be selected to round out
the training plan for each fellow. In the PCT, trainees will be provided
with training in individual and group psychotherapy for the treatment of
PTSD. They will receive supervision in the two modes of treatment for
PTSD with the most empirical support: exposure therapy and anxiety
management/stress inoculation training. In the PRRTP, fellows will
participate on an interdisciplinary treatment team and will be involved
in group therapy and treatment coordination for veterans in this
program. They will receive specific training in approaches to the
treatment of dually-diagnosed veterans with PTSD and substance
abuse/dependence, including Seeking Safety and Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy. The patient load will include 2-4 individual psychotherapy
patients in addition to co-leading several residential and/or outpatient
groups.

In addition, training will also focus on the specific assessment and
treatment needs of returning veterans and this experience will occur
primarily through the RVOEC at both the Baltimore and Perry Point sites.
Furthermore, training will be individualized, based on the specific
trainees' goals and desired focus. For example, fellows can determine
the balance of experience in assessment and treatment of postdeployment
mental health problems through the RVOEC with experience working with
veterans of all eras with PTSD through the PRRTP and PCT. Notably, the
VAMHCS has created a once a week, specialty Returning Veterans Primary
Care Clinic at the Baltimore site and each fellow will spend six months
as the psychologist for this clinic. The postdoctoral fellows in the TRP
will have the opportunity to gain experience not only with the conduct
of trauma-related treatment in traditional mental health settings, but
also with the reduction of perceived stigma through the integration of
mental health and primary care for returning veterans.

***Assessment approach:*** Fellows in TRP track will complete at least
six comprehensive assessments during each training year, supervised by
TRP psychologists (S. Roberts, Watlington, M. Decker, M. Roberts, A.
Santanello) who have been trained in administration of the
Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), the Structured Clinical
Interview for DSM-IV, and a variety of measures of PTSD symptoms and
associated features. In addition, fellows will also perform assessments
in the Mental Health Clinical Center's Mental Health Assessment and
Referral Clinic, a daily walk-in assessment and referral clinic
established in 2003 that serves as the entry point for all mental health
services at the Baltimore Division. We expect that by the end of the
fellowship, fellows will be able to implement and interpret the CAPS and
other psychometrically sound assessment instruments for PTSD and other
associated posttraumatic mental health problems. We also expect that
fellows will be skilled at completing comprehensive assessments in
response to consultations as well as more time-limited, walk-in referral
assessments of individuals with a history of trauma or PTSD.

***Didactic training:*** The TRP holds a biweekly didactic session,
usually in the form of a Journal Club, during which TRP staff and
trainees can keep up with the latest developments in the field of
traumatic stress. TRP staff and trainees also participate in biweekly
training in the use of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT) for
couples where one of the partners has PTSD, and the VAMHCS TRP is
participating in the roll-out of the Cognitive Processing Therapy and
Prolonged Exposure trainings spearheaded by the National Centers for
PTSD. Finally, the VISN 5 Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical
Center (MIRECC), has offered to include all VAMHCS postdoctoral fellows
in existing didactics in which the current MIRECC fellows already
participate. Optional activities will include University of Maryland
Baltimore (UMB) Psychiatry Grand Rounds and other offerings throughout
the year.

## Requirements for Completion

***Minimum levels of competence expected for a fellow to remain in good
standing in the program:***

**Neuropsychology**

-   After one quarter, complete a diagnostic interview and successfully
    administer the WAIS-III, WMS-III, and selected measures that
    constitute a neuropsychological assessment batter (CVLT-II, WCST,
    CPT, WMT, and our dementia clinic battery).

-   After one quarter, successfully complete a comprehensive evaluation
    report with minimal assistance on patient history and examination
    results.

-   On the post-doctoral evaluation rating forms, the fellow must
    achieve competency at the intern exit to post-doctoral entry level
    on 80% of the items by the end of the second quarter.

-   By the end of the third quarter, the fellow must achieve competency
    at the post-doctoral level on 80% of the items on the evaluation
    rating forms.

-   The fellow has not been involved in any breaches of APA Ethics.

**PTSD**

-   After one quarter, successfully administer the CAPS and MMPI-2 and
    complete a diagnostic interview.

-   After one quarter, successfully demonstrate application of evidence
    based treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder across treatment
    settings.

-   On the post-doctoral evaluation rating forms, the fellow must
    achieve competency at the intern exit to post-doctoral entry level
    on 80% of the items by the end of the second quarter.

-   By the end of the third quarter, the fellow must achieve competency
    at the post-doctoral level on 80% of the items on the evaluation
    rating forms.

-   The fellow has not been involved in any breaches of the APA Ethics
    Code.

## Facility and Training Resources

Fellows will be assigned an office according to their training track
which will include individual work stations with networked computers and
dedicated phone lines. The VAMHCS supports two statistical analysis
software programs on their research servers, SAS and SPSS, which can be
accessed from any work station. Our affiliation with the UMB School of
Medicine allows our fellows access to the University's Health Services
and Human Sciences Library (HSHSL). This includes on-line access to
neuropsychology, psychology, and medical journals; access to various
search engines; and access to a wide representation of texts in
neuropsychology, neurology, and other medical disciplines. Further, the
VAMHCS library at the Baltimore VA Medical Center provides free
interlibrary loan for articles not accessible to the student at the UMB
HSHSL. This library also provides access to medical journals and can
purchase texts as necessary.

## Administrative Policies and Procedures

The term of the Neuropsychology fellowship will be full-time for two
years beginning on or about Labor Day and ending on or about that day
two years later. The term of the Trauma Recovery Fellowship will be
full-time for one year, beginning on or about Labor Day and ending at
about that same date the following year. There is funding available for
these 4 full-time positions and the current stipend is \$42,888 per
annum. State and Federal income tax and FICA are withheld from
residents' checks. Annual and sick leave are accrued at the rate of 4
hours per pay period and the fellows are entitled to 10 federal holidays
per year. Additional authorized absence may be approved for attendance
at conferences, workshops, or other educational activities; they may
also apply for up to \$500 of travel and tuition expenses for training
or conference experiences consistent with their training goals.
Residents are eligible for federal health insurance but not life
insurance or retirement programs. Procedures for due process in case of
problematic performance are in place, as are grievance procedures, both
for fellows and psychology staff. A copy of this document may be
obtained by emailing our Co-Directors of Training. Our privacy policy is
clear: we will collect no personal information about you when you visit
our Website.

## Training Staff

**Neuropsychology**

***Dr. Alison Cernich*** completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at
Fairleigh Dickinson University. She completed a one-year pre-doctoral
research fellowship in Medical Outcomes at the Kessler Medical
Rehabilitation and Research Education Center. After completing her
pre-doctoral internship at the Baltimore VAMC, she completed a two-year
postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at National Rehabilitation
Hospital's cognitive neuroscience program. She has 7 journal articles
published or in press, a book chapter focused on sports concussion, and
15 published abstracts. She recently received a VA Career Development
Award to support her research in the area of aerobic exercise and
stroke. Her research interests include the use of computerized
neuropsychological assessment to document change in cognition as a
result of rehabilitation interventions or pharmaceutical treatment,
evaluation of changes in brain activation as a result of exercise
intervention using fMRI, and motor learning and motor recovery from
stroke.

***Dr. Terry Lee-Wilk*** received her doctoral degree in clinical
psychology from the University of Maryland College Park. She completed
her internship at the University of Maryland Baltimore in Child and
Adolescent Psychology, followed by a one year training experience at
Children's National Medical Center with an emphasis in pediatric
neuropsychology. She completed a two-year clinical fellowship in adult
neuropsychology at the Baltimore VAMC and University of Maryland
National Study Center for Trauma and EMS. She has 2 journal articles
published and 10 published abstracts. Her research interests include
identifying predictors of cognitive impairment in persons with mild
traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and HIV infection.

***Dr. Anjeli Inscore*** received her doctoral degree in Clinical
Psychology from Loyola College in Maryland. She completed her internship
at the Baltimore VAMC, followed by a one-year research fellowship in
rehabilitation psychology and neuropsychology at the Johns Hopkins
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and a two-year
clinical fellowship in neuropsychology at the Johns Hopkins Department
of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She has 3 journal articles
published or in press, a book chapter focused on substance misuse/abuse
in the elderly, and 11 published abstracts. Her research interests
include identifying predictors of cognitive and functional impairment in
persons with dementia, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

**Trauma Recovery Program**

***Dr. Sushma Roberts*** completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at
the University of Mississippi. Prior to joining the VAMHCS, she was a
MIRECC Postdoctoral Fellow at the Durham VAMC and she completed her
internship at the Birmingham VAMC. Over the course of her training, Dr.
Roberts has received training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
(ACT), DBT, Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and
Relapse Prevention. Her clinical and research interests include the use
of empirically validated treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,
values based behavioral interventions such as ACT, autobiographical
trauma memories, and the relationship between interpersonal violence and
PTSD. Dr. Roberts has presented the results of studies on the PTSD and
interpersonal violence at national and international conferences such as
the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

***Dr. Christina Watlington*** graduated from the University of
Maryland, Baltimore County. Prior to entering graduate school, Dr.
Watlington worked at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety,
under the supervision of Dr. Edna Foa. In graduate school, Dr.
Watlington received training in cognitive behavioral therapy for victims
and perpetrators of domestic violence. She completed a psychology
internship at the VA Maryland Healthcare System where she received
supervision in the use of evidence-based practices for the treatment of
PTSD. Dr. Watlington's research has focused on mental health
consequences of partner violence exposure, bidirectional violence, and
ways in which women cope with domestic violence. She attends the yearly
meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies in
order to remain up to date on innovations in PTSD treatment. Dr.
Watlington has an interest in culturally sensitive research and clinical
practice, specifically as it applies to traumatized populations.

***Dr. Melissa Decker*** completed a psychology internship and
postdoctoral fellowship in the Trauma Recovery Program at the VA
Maryland Health Care System. She received supervision and training in
the use of empirically supported treatments for co-morbid PTSD and
substance use, medical illness, and health behavior change. Dr. Decker
has received training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), CPT,
PE and DBT over the course of her graduate studies, and her doctoral
dissertation investigated the role of worry in experiential avoidance.
Her research interests include predictors of health behaviors and the
development of treatment programs; she has written several manualized
treatment programs based on ACT principles for health behavior change
for individuals with PTSD. Dr. Decker has presented research on PTSD and
ACT interventions in clinical settings at national conferences to
promote dissemination of empirical data on recent developments in PTSD.

***Dr. Lorie Morris*** received advanced training in Prolonged Exposure
from Foa and colleagues, and specialty training for treatment of
Military Sexual Trauma (MST) at Bay Pines VAMC in Tampa, FL.
Additionally, she completed formal training in DBT, CPT, ACT and Seeking
Safety. Her psychology internship training at the VA Gulf Coast Health
Care System, had a sub-specialty focus in medical psychology and
included supervised assessment of emergent mental illness in the medical
center ER. Her pre-doctoral training included an assessment-focused
externship in the VAMHCS Trauma Recovery Program. Dr. Morris\' doctoral
dissertation addressed prevention of secondary trauma; her Master's
Thesis reviewed efficacy of treatments for alcohol-related disorders.
Dr. Morris serves as the VA Maryland Health Care System Mental Health
representative for Disaster Response, and the Psychology Externship
Coordinator for the VAMHCS. Dr. Morris has presented at the
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and locally. She is a
retired Army officer.

***Dr. Miguel Roberts*** completed his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at
the University of Mississippi, following the completion of his
internship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In graduate
school, Dr. Roberts received training in the development and application
of ACT, and he participated in trials examining the efficacy of ACT.
Prior to joining the VAMHCS, he completed a NIDA Postdoctoral fellowship
at Duke University Medical Center & the Durham VAMC on PTSD and
co-morbid substance dependence. Dr. Roberts has presented the results of
studies on the ACT, assessment, and trauma and substance use at national
and international conferences such as the Association for Behavioral and
Cognitive Therapies and the International Society for Traumatic Stress
Studies.

***Dr. Andrew Santanello*** completed a psychology internship and a
post-doctoral fellowship at the Baltimore VAMC. He has received training
in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, and
Cognitive Processing Therapy during his internship and fellowship. In
graduate school, Dr. Santanello developed a strong background in and
commitment to providing evidenced-based treatments. In addition to his
clinical duties, Dr. Santanello serves as the site co-investigator for a
national, VA Cooperative Study investigating the efficacy of Risperidone
in the treatment of Chronic PTSD. He is also a collaborator on several
other research projects being conducted within the Trauma Recovery
Programs. Dr. Santanello is particularly interested in the comorbidity
of anger-related problems in living with PTSD and has worked with his
colleague, Sharon Kelly, MSW, to develop an Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy-based treatment for anger.

## Trainees

***2008-2009 Fellows***

***Kathleen Brundage, Ph.D.,*** Counseling Psychology, University at
Buffalo, SUNY, Interned at Albany Psychology Internship Consortium,
Albany, NY.

***Shira Kurtz, Ph.D.,*** Clinical Psychology, Fairleigh Dickinson
University, Interned at VA Maryland Health Care System/University of
Maryland School of Medicine Consortium, Baltimore, MD.

***Kristin Mordecai, Ph.D.,*** Rosalind Franklin University, Interned at
the Boston Consortium in Clinical Psychology, Boston, MA.

***Sara Nett, Psy.D***., Clinical Psychology, Indiana State University,
Interned at the Salem VAMC.

Current and past residents have provided written consent for their names
to be posted on our website.

## Local Information

The VA Medical Center in downtown Baltimore is located on the West side
of the city about 4 blocks from Camden Yards and Ravens Stadium. We are
in walking distance to the Inner Harbor, the Hippodrome, the Walters Art
Museum, and various historic landmarks. Baltimore has an active live
music scene, interesting neighborhoods with unique shopping, and a vital
downtown arts program ([www.baltimore.org](http://www.baltimore.org/)).

The surrounding area offers access to the Shenandoah Mountains, a
variety of National and State Parks, and various historic sites. The
Baltimore VAMC is a 40-minute drive from downtown Washington, DC.

10/1/2008