Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship in Early Childhood Mental Health - Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California
Posted: Friday, December 21, 2012
- Two-year, full-time fellowship (September 2013 through August 2015)
- Located at the USC UCEDD at CHLA at 3250 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
- Emphasis areas include Early Childhood Mental Health, Adolescent Medicine: Behavioral Services, Child and Family Community Psychology, Project Heal-Trauma Psychology, Pediatric Psychology (fellows choose one area of emphasis)
- Psychology Training Director: Sara Sherer, PhD: [email protected]
- Program Area Lead, Early Childhood: Marian Williams, PhD: [email protected]
- For more information and to apply: www.uscuceddtraining.net
The Early Childhood Mental Health Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles provides comprehensive mental health services to children aged birth to 5 and their families. Referral sources include the CHLA foster care hub (infants and toddlers in out-of-home care); physicians referring children with chronic medical conditions that may be impacting behavior and emotions; and preschools referring children due to disruptive behavior or other concerns. Many of the children served have developmental disabilities (including autism spectrum disorders) in addition to their primary mental health need. The Early Childhood fellowship is designed to meet the competencies required for certification as an Infant-Family Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist and a Reflective Practice Facilitator II for the California Center for Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health endorsement process.
Training opportunities in the Early Childhood fellowship include:
- Outpatient intervention - utilizing a primary focus on dyadic, relationship-based interventions based upon best practice and evidence based models of treatment. Specific models of treatment taught include Child Parent Psychotherapy (Lieberman's model), Floortime-based interventions, as well as developmental guidance, play therapy, and family therapy. Group interventions include Floortime and Incredible Years.
- Interdisciplinary Assessment - for ages birth - 5. Common referral questions include second opinions regarding diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability, diagnoses related to regulatory and learning difficulties, chronic medical conditions, and trauma exposure. Assessments are conducted by an interdisciplinary team, typically including developmental-behavioral pediatricians, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and social workers, in addition to psychologists. Fellows learn best practices approaches to the assessment of young children, including mastery of the clinical use of the ADOS-2 and other autism assessment tools, the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development - III, and other measures.
- Research Opportunities:
o NIH-funded Autism Center for Excellence grant, "Early Biomarkers of Autism
Spectrum Disorders in Infants with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex," a multi-site
collaboration including neurology researchers from across the country. Fellows wil
provide developmental assessments to infants with tuberous sclerosis complex
aged 3 months to 2 years.
o Training leading to research certification in the Autism Diagnostic Observation
Scale, 2nd Ed.
o Additional research opportunities depending on funding and match between fellow
interests and faculty projects underway.
