Beginning July 2007 this fellowship will no longer be a Brown fellowship.
For an application and details please contact Dr. Lynda Stein
Brown Clinical Psychology Training Consortium
Post-doctoral Fellowship in Adolescent Forensics
Site:
Rhode Island Training School
New London Ave.
Cranston, RI 02910
Supervisors:
Lynda Stein, Ph.D., Primary Supervisor
Charles Golembeske, Ph.D.
Sara Little, Ed.D.
Joseph Penn, M.D.
Fellowship Aims
1. To provide the Fellow with broad post-doctoral training in the areas of forensic assessment and treatment, specifically with adolescent populations within a self-contained juvenile correctional facility.
This will include: (a) a complete and thorough understanding ofthe nature and types of disorders typically found in this setting (conduct disorder, learning disabilities, adjustment disorders, mood disorders, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder); (b) a complete and thorough understanding of assessment techniques needed to
conceptualize and address the needs of court-involved adolescents; (c) an understanding of the full range of clinical services typically required by these adolescents; and (d) an understanding of selection and training of facility and community staff who deliver appropriate treatment milieu to incarcerated adolescents.
2. To provide the Fellow with a strong working knowledge of clinical research conducted with forensic adolescent populations who present with a host of psychological, behavioral, learning, physical, and family problems. Emphasis will be on the integration of forensic clinical service provision and the conducting of applied forensic research.
3. To provide the Fellow with clinical training in psychological assessment; family assessment; diagnostic evaluation; individual, family, and group therapy; and school, medical, and community placement consultation. The Fellow will act as a member of a multidisciplinary treatment team for the Rhode Island Training School (RITS).
4. To expose the Fellow to the administrative aspects essential to providing clinical service and conducting applied research within a correctional program for court-involved adolescents.
Fellowship Timeline
This is a two-year Fellowship, renewable upon satisfactory progress during the first year. The Fellowship will initiate September 1, 2007 and conclude September 1, 2009. Two positions are open. Rolling admissions will be used if positions are not filled by September.
Research, Academic/Didactic and Professional Training Activity Plan
Twenty-five percent of the Fellow's time will be devoted to research, academic/didactic, and professional training experiences. The Fellow will participate in the following activities:
1. Review of the Literature: The Fellow will complete readings on relevant historical and contemporary literature pertaining to theory, clinical practice, and research with court-involved adolescents and in developmental psychopathology. The Fellow also will be exposed to methodological/pragmatic issues in conducting corrections research. The Fellow also will become familiar with: (a) medical considerations of adolescents in this setting (including sexually transmitted diseases and pharmacotherapy for relevant disorders such as ADD), (b) the legal rights of court-involved adolescents.
2. Lecturing/Staff Development: The Fellow will have opportunities to teach seminars, provide inservice training to facility milieu staff, and participate in community speaking engagements according to his/her interests and need. The Fellow will provide training in mental health screening to paraprofessionals who work with these adolescents upon re-entry into the community.
3. Study Coordination: The Fellow will develop a research proposal in an area of interest pertaining to juvenile corrections that he/she will implement during the Fellowship term.
4. Manuscript Preparation and Submission: The Fellow will collaborate on manuscript preparation and submission (e.g., book review, book chapter, refereed journal article) and/or panel/poster submissions at a regional or national conference with some aspect of juvenile corrections. Several databases exist or can be created. See Dr. Stein.
5. Grant Writing: Fellows will learn about grantsmanship through seminars and mentoring opportunities. Dr. Lyn Stein facilitates this process. The Fellow will develop a grant idea and submit a grant proposal by the end of the Fellowship term.
6. Ad Hoc Reviewing: For those Fellows interested in learning about the editorial review process of manuscripts submitted to refereed journals, ad hoc reviewing opportunities may be made available.
7. Post-Doctoral Seminars: The Fellow will participate in the Post-Doctoral Seminar Series.
8. Licensure as a Psychologist: The Fellow will make application for licensure in the State of Rhode Island and work towards successfully negotiating all aspects of the licensure process, and obtain licensure as a psychologist in the state.
Clinical Activity Plan
Seventy-five percent of the Fellow's time will be devoted to clinically related activities. In order to ensure that a high level of clinical training in the area of forensic psychology is provided, the following activities will be required:
1. Membership in the Multidisciplinary Treatment Team: The Fellow will actively participate in screening newly admitted adolescents (pre- and post-adjudication); diagnostic conferences; weekly treatment review meetings; crisis management; I.E.P. conferences; discharge conferences; and post-discharge (follow-up) contact with court-involved
adolescents, their families, and receiving community agencies and schools. Consultation to schools for poor behavior or to medical/dental dept. for TMJ related to drug use may be needed. Education to facility staff may also be involved (HIV education).
2. Clinical Assessment: The Fellow will conduct diagnostic evaluations and/or psychological assessments of adolescents. This will include: (a) competence in the selection, administration, scoring, and interpretation of psychological tests commonly employed with court-involved adolescents; (b) competence in integrating data and
preparing written reports; and (c) competence in the oral presentation of psychological test findings to the multidisciplinary team, court, and community agencies involved with the adolescent and the adolescent's
family. Evaluations may include assessment of malingering and underreporting, substance abuse/dependence, abuse and neglect, sex offenders, custody issues, co-morbid disorders, cognitive impairment, developmental disabilities, learning disability, neuropsychological screening and referral, vocational/scholastic needs, risk assessment,
and strength-based assessment. Personnel selection for correctional staff may be included.
3. Behavioral Assessment: The Fellow will actively participate in the development, implementation, and supervision of classroom, unit-based, and off-grounds behavioral assessments. The Fellow also will actively participate in the development, implementation, and supervision of strategies for analyzing treatment effectiveness.
4. Treatment: The Fellow will provide individual, family, and group psychotherapy services to incarcerated adolescents and their families. Assignments will depend on the interests of the Fellow and the clinical needs of the program. The Fellow also will have opportunity to participate in the development, implementation, and supervision of
classroom, unit-based, and off-grounds behavior modification programs. Emphasis is placed on cognitive-behavioral procedures including at least three of the following: Behavioral contingency management, problem-solving, relaxation, behavioral rehearsal, social skills training, desensitization, modeling procedures, response prevention, and cognitive restructuring.
Supervision and Evaluation
Clinical supervision will be provided in the form of one-hour weekly individual supervision blocks with licensed clinical psychologists on site. An additional hourly block will be offered for academic/research supervision with Dr. Lyn Stein. The Fellow also will have access to several additional forums for direct and indirect
supervision through optional participation in regularly scheduled rounds and treatment teams with members of the multidisciplinary team.
Goals and learning objectives for the Fellowship will be developed collaboratively by the Fellow and Drs. Golembeske and Stein early on in the first year. At the midpoint and conclusion of the Fellowship, the Fellow and supervisors will provide formal performance evaluations and evaluations of the program relative to the goals and learning objectives of the Fellowship.
Resource Requirements
The Fellow will be provided with the following resources:
1. Office space on the RITS campus.
2. Telephone
3. A personal desktop computer with internet access and access
to a printer
4. Access to copying equipment and fax
5. Stipend to attend specialized trainings in the local area.