Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at VA Long Beach Healthcare System is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. We received full

re-accreditation in 2019, as well as specialty accreditation in Clinical Neuropsychology in 2018 and specialty accreditation in Rehabilitation Psychology in 2020.

Prior to the start of fellowship, a candidate must have obtained a doctorate in Clinical or Counseling Psychology from a graduate program approved by the American Psychological Association

(APA), the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS), or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) at the time the program was completed. The applicant may have a

doctoral degree in any area of psychology and have successfully completed a re-specialization program in Clinical or Counseling Psychology that is APA or CPA accredited. The applicant is

expected to have completed an internship program accredited by APA or CPA or have completed a VA-sponsored internship. Our Psychology Fellowship Program will offer training in five areas for

the 2025-2026 year:

For more information, please review our Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program brochure.

Does the program or institution require students, trainees, and/or staff (faculty) to comply with specific policies or practices related to the institution’s affiliation or purpose? Such

policies or practices may include, but are not limited to, admissions, hiring, retention policies, and/or requirements for completion that express mission and values?  No

If yes, provide website link (or content from brochure) where this specific information is presented:  N/A

Briefly describe in narrative form important information to assist potential applicants in assessing their likely fit with your program. This description must be consistent with the

program’s policies on intern selection and practicum and academic preparation requirements:

The Psychology Department at the VALBHCS is committed to competency-based training and close supervision in a highly collegial setting. Prior to beginning their postdoctoral experience,

Fellows are expected to have a solid grounding in generalist psychology training. The primary goal of the Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is for our Fellows to develop the full

range of skills required for independent functioning as a psychologist in the arenas of clinical assessment and intervention, consultation, supervision and teaching, scholarly inquiry and

research, and awareness of and sensitivity to professional, ethical, and legal issues. A second major goal of our Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is to prepare fellows to practice

in one of the current high-priority areas of mental health care for Veterans, as illustrated by our Emphasis areas. Through professional activities in these areas, Fellows receive training

that facilitates their development of the core advanced practice competencies. In addition, Fellows develop a depth of knowledge and advanced skills in working with specific populations and

treatment settings (i.e., older adult Veterans, Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury, Veterans with physical and sensory disabilities, and those living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

For the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology, high-priority areas include working with Veterans with head injury, mild cognitive impairment, dementia, or other neurological

conditions.

Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants:

Applicants must meet the following prerequisites to be considered for our postdoctoral training program:

*** Failure to meet these qualifications could nullify an offer to an applicant.***

Our training programs are committed to creating a supportive learning environment for individuals of diverse backgrounds, and as a federal agency, we abide by the U.S. Government Equal

Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Reasonable Accommodation policies. The Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program follows a policy of selecting the most qualified candidates and is an Equal

Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes attempting to ensure an appropriate representation of individuals along many dimensions, including(but not limited to) gender,

sexual orientation, age, ethnic/racial minorities, and persons with disabilities.

*Note. Programs are not required by the Commission on Accreditation to provide all benefits listed in this table

Total # of interns who did not seek employment because they returned to their doctoralprogram/are completing doctoral degree: 0

Note: “PD” = Post-doctoral residency position; “EP” = Employed Position. Each individual represented in this table should be counted only one time. For former trainees working in more than

one setting, select the setting that represents their primary position.