For

Mental Health Professionals

Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program in Clinical Psychology

Internship Training Program in Clinical Psychology
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Continuing Education Program for Licensed Professionals
 

A Better Way is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) and the California Psychology Internship Council (CAPIC).  We are committed to providing interns and postdoctoral fellows with a relevant series of hands-on advanced clinical experiences, with appropriate didactic instruction, consultation, and supervision.  We are dedicated to the task of fostering professional growth, consistent with the guidelines of the California Board of Psychology and the American Psychological Association.

A Better Way’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program and Psychology Internship Training Program provide participants with a planned sequence of clinically relevant training experiences across the spectrum of mental health services.  Each participant will participate in our different programs so as to maximize the diversity of experience.  Each advanced trainee will participate in the following components of clinical practice.

• Individual/group supervision
• Clinical and psychological assessment
• Individual Diagnosis (DSM-IV)
• Evidence-Based Treatment Planning
• Direct therapeutic intervention with children, adolescents, and families  - in our clinic and in clients’ homes.
• Evidenced based techniques of individual and family therapy
• Medication planning/monitoring
• Applied behavioral analysis
• Case management and referral
• Membership in multidisciplinary/collaborative team
• Case presentation and review
• Professional report writing
• Psychological consultation
• Behavioral science research methods

A Better Way is a California nonprofit corporation with over a decade of experience in providing quality mental health services to children, youth, and families of the Bay Area, in coordination with our Foster Family and Adoption programs. The typical Internship or Postdoctoral Fellowship is one year at full-time or two years at half-time.  It begins on July 1st of one year and extends through June 30th of the following year.  Some consideration is given for start-stop dates in special cases.  Applications for the postdoctoral fellowship are accepted from all doctoral level programs approved by the American Psychological Association.  The current annual stipend is $11,000 for Interns and $17,000 for Postdoctoral Fellows at full-time.  There is an additional modest stipend for Spanish language skills.  Ethnic and cultural diversity is an important and constant goal in establishing the ABW professional staff.

 A  BETTER  WAY

The postdoctoral and internship training programs focus upon both specific and general topic areas.  In order to function effectively and independently within the spectrum of A Better Way’s program of direct services, it is essential for all new professional members to complete a profile of specific trainings .  These include such topic areas as:

• Theory and application of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
• Cognitive-Behavioral therapeutic intervention techniques for depression and anxiety disorders.
• Family Systems/family therapy intervention techniques
• Applied behavioral analysis and positive intervention techniques
• Clinical assessment and treatment of 0-5 year old children

In addition to specific topics of professional training, there is also an extensive range of training topics of a more general nature that are required to insure professional functioning throughout the agency.  These generalized trainings include such topics as:

• Orientation to A Better Way  - including our Foster Family and Adoption Services programs.
• Multicultural/diversity issues in clinical practice.
• Ethical/legal issues of clinical practice.
• Client informed consent and best practices in mental health treatment.
• Confidentiality and HIPAA requirements.
• California Med-Cal/EPSDT standards and requirements for mental health services (authorization and record keeping).
• Working effectively with other community agencies (CPS, Probation, Schools, CMHS).
• Professional and organizational grievance and due process procedures.
  Licensing requirements in the state of California.

The Director of Training for A Better Way is responsible for the overall planning, development, and implementation of the professional training programs for licensed professionals (Continuing Education), Postdoctoral Fellows, psychology and other mental health interns.  The Training Director is also responsible for coordination with the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral  and Internship Centers, California Psychology Internship Council, associated universities and professional schools, and the California Board of Psychology. 

Our Child and Family Mental Health Services are committed to providing services that represent professional best practices.  This means providing each client with the specific intervention which has the best record of efficacy for their particular diagnosed problem/issue. Our mental health services are provided in both our clinic and home-based services.

Evidence-based practice requires knowledge and currency in the field of psychotherapeutic services.  The clinic operates from a paradigm of competency, resiliency, and learning as a way of understanding and providing mental health services.  The therapeutic process itself is based upon a mutual contract, between the therapist and client, to pursue objectives that are desired, achievable and measurable.

Application Process and Timeline

Applications for positions in the Postdoctoral Fellowship Programs should be received by February 1st for consideration for the next training year.  Successful candidates will be notified as decisions are reached, but not later than the CAPIC Uniform Notification Day.

Applications for the Psychology Internship Program should be received before March 1st for consideration for the following training year.

The application packet should, as a minimum, contain: (1) the applicant’s letter of interest (stating why the applicant is seeking a post with A Better Way and any unique qualifications not covered in the applicant’s resume), (2) The applicant’s complete resume (vitae), and (3) three letters of recommendation.  The application packet may contain any additional information the candidate feels would be useful to the selection committee in making its decision.

Applicant interviews at A Better Way  in Berkeley, California will occur between February 1st, and March 31st.

All applicants not being considered for placement  with A Better Way  will be notified prior to March 25th.

Successful Psychology Internship candidates will be notified on the Uniform Notification Day of the California Psychology Internship Council.

Questions regarding the application procedures or timeline are best processed via email to:

Walter S. Lee, Ed.D.
Training Director
wlee@abetterwayinc.net