Contact Information:
Postdoctoral Fellowship Brochure
UMass Chan Comprehensive Psychology Training Program at WRCH
Postdoctoral Fellowships in Serious Mental Illness
Overview
1) The General Inpatient / Serious Mental Illness track (2 positions)
The General Inpatient / SMI Track fellowships will include an approximately 70% or greater training experience within DMH Clinical SMI Rotations with optional additional training in five possible emphases:
· Adult Outpatient Psychology
· Addictions Psychology
· Child and Adolescent Psychology
· Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports
· Transitional Age Youth
Questions and requests for information should be addressed to:
Heidi Putney, PhD
heidi.putney@umassmed.edu
Deadline: Applications must be received no later than:
11:59 pm EST Friday, January 10th, 2025.
Setting
The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMass Chan) campus consists of the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and the UMass Memorial Health Care teaching hospital, community clinics, and outpatient services. About forty doctoral-level psychologists are on the UMass Chan staff, many of whom have a role in the Training Program.
Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital (WRCH) is located on the site of a developing health and research biotechnology park. Formerly named Worcester State Hospital, the current facility provides a state-of-the-art, high quality, safe and respectful environment for patients, promoting active rehabilitation as a key component of therapeutic care. The building's plan reflects the stages of recovery: by using familiar environments, ranging from “house” to “neighborhood” to “downtown.” There about ten psychologists on staff. Between 50 and 70% of this population has a co-occurring substance use disorder and significant medical co-morbidities. In addition to the adult admission and continuing care psychiatric units, the hospital has two adolescent long-term treatment units. A forensic service (composed of evaluators from UMass Chan and the Department of Mental Health) provides forensic evaluation services to the hospital. The UMass Chan and WRCH campuses are located within walking distance of each other.
Community
The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital provide services to people living across Massachusetts and nearby states, but also nationally and internationally. The ethnic and cultural populations in central Massachusetts are diverse. As public-sector institutions, the client populations tend to be from lower socioeconomic groups. Census information for Worcester (2020) indicated the community is approximately 54% White, 23% Hispanic or Latinx, 13% Black or African American, and 7% Asian.
Diversity Statement
We are making diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging essential components of the missions of UMass Chan Medical School and UMass Memorial Health to advance the health and wellness of our diverse communities throughout Massachusetts and across the world by leading and innovating in education, research, health care delivery and public service.
An important part of preparing tomorrow’s physicians, nurses, and scientists to provide care, cure diseases and, indeed, change the world is to help them learn and grow as active members of a multicultural society. We do this in part by strengthening the cultural competence and empathy of our faculty, staff, students, and caregivers; by committing to an inclusive and welcoming campus where all may thrive; and by fostering an environment where everything we do is strengthened by the richness of understanding that comes from a truly diverse and inclusive environment.
Discrimination and Bias:
Bias incident – any hurtful, discriminatory or harassing act that targets individuals or groups based on perceived or actual identity. To be considered a bias incident, the act is not required to be a crime under any federal, state or local statutes, nor does it have to violate university policy.
Discrimination – is defined by federal and/or state statutes to include unfavorable or unfair treatment of a person or class of persons with membership in a protected class. If you experience discrimination or bias while a learner at UMass Chan Medical School, incidents can be reported to:
Land Acknowledgment Statement:
To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory we reside or build learning communities on, and a way of honoring the Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School is a community of learners situated within a network of historical and contemporary relationships with Native American tribes, communities, parents, students, and alumni. Worcester Recovery Center and the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School campus sits on the ancestral lands of the Nipmuc people. Recognized in 1976 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Nipmuc Nation, like all the indigenous tribes of the United States, has dealt with the history and trauma of their lands taken through violence and their personhood denied for generations. The nation was once concentrated on a three-acre plot in Grafton, but the last person to live on that reservation died in 2006. Today, many Nipmuc live and work throughout Central Massachusetts.
The Application Process
Admission Policy
Post-doctoral candidates must complete all graduate coursework, including their dissertation project, by the start of the fellowship.
Specific application directions are determined by the fellowship track. Please follow these directions carefully as applications need to be received by the appropriate office in order to be considered for review.
- Three Letters of Reference:
- Letter from your DCT or dissertation chair/advisor indicating your dissertation is either defended or on track to be defended by the start of the fellowship
- A letter from your internship director indicating your good standing in the program
- A third letter of reference from a faculty member at either your internship or graduate program.
- Curriculum vitae
- Graduate Transcripts (Official)*
- Cover letter stating your interest in SMI psychology; a summary of your relevant preparation, particularly in assessment and intervention; and your career objectives, including a projection of what you would like to be doing professionally during the years following the fellowship. Additionally, if applicable, please describe the emphasis area in which you would like to pursue additional training (e.g., Addictions, Transitional Age Youth, etc.).
- Writing sample of a psychodiagnostic evaluation with psychological testing (deidentified)
- Please submit all Inpatient-SMI Fellowship Track Application materials electronically to: Dr. Heidi.Putney at heidi.putney@umassmed.edu
*Additionally, Inpatient- SMI Fellowship Track applicants must submit graduate transcripts. Please request that an official copy of your graduate school transcript be mailed or emailed to Dr. Heidi Putney at the following address:
Heidi Putney, Ph.D.
WCRH 
361 Plantation Street
Worcester, MA 01605
Heidi.Putney@umassmed.edu
Applicant Interviews
One goal of the Fellowship Selection Committee is to match the training needs of the applicant with what our program has to offer. The Selection Committee will thoroughly review each completed application and identify those applicants where there is a “goodness of fit.” These applicants will then be contacted and invited to interview with members of the training staff on one of several interview dates in January and February. The interview day typically runs from about 10:00am to 3:00pm EST, and will include contact with current post-docs to give the applicant a fellow’s perspective on the program.
SMI-General Track applicants will be interviewed virtually. The dates of interviews are TBD.
Additional important information for all applicants: As of August 10, 2021, all faculty and staff employees of UMass Chan Medical School must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment; this applies to psychology fellows, who are considered UMass Chan employees. (Employees of WRCH are also required to be fully vaccinated). UMass Chan allows certain exemptions for individuals with approved medical or religious accommodations. If you have questions or would like to learn more about this policy, please contact the UMass Chan-WRCH Training Director. Further, UMass Chan requires all of their employees to receive the annual flu shot. All vaccines are provided free of charge by UMass. If you have received these vaccinations elsewhere, you will be asked to provide proof of vaccination to the Human Resources Department before The Fellowship Year.
Orientation Period
The training year begins on or around the first Monday in July, with an orientation period lasting approximately three weeks. During this period, the fellow becomes acquainted with the daily routines of UMass Chan and WRCH, is given a formal introduction to the staff and programs of various departments within these facilities and is systematically introduced to the principal emphases and lines of work within the two psychology departments. As part of their orientation, the fellows may be asked to participate in staff conferences, engage in diagnostic interviewing, observe admission procedures, and attend lectures on administrative and legal aspects of hospital procedures. By the end of the orientation period, fellows will have also met with their major supervisors as well as the training directors to develop goals and a schedule for the year.
Benefits
Fellows in Psychology are employees of UMass Chan Medical School. Interns receive a stipend of $56,484, a choice of employee health insurance plans (cost varies), and paid vacation and holidays. All fellows are provided with 80 hours (10 days) of vacation time as well as sick time. Additionally, all three fellows are provided a professional stipend TBD to use toward EPPP costs, educational materials, conference travel, or other approved professional needs.
Structure of the Fellowship
Each fellow engages in training activities in three areas throughout the year:
§ Inpatient assessment and/or treatment,
§ Supervision, didactics, research, program evaluation
§ Additional emphases relevant to chosen track
Each of these training activities are discussed further in the next section below.
Adult Inpatient SMI Track
All SMI-Inpatient fellows are expected to put approximately 70% (3.5 days) of their time toward their SMI inpatient rotation throughout the year at WRCH. Most individuals hospitalized at WRCH have been ordered for evaluation and treatment under court order. In addition to the admission evaluation units, there are units for continuing care treatment, deaf/hard of hearing patients, and those with complex medical needs. All units are closely connected to the hospital-wide Skills Training and Rehabilitation program which includes therapeutic, vocational, educational, and recreational elements.
The treatment units at WRCH focus on preparing adults from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in the transition process from an inpatient stay to community living. The treatment approach is multidisciplinary in nature and aimed at assisting the individual in engaging in treatment, maintaining adequate behavioral and emotional control, and taking the steps necessary to successfully return to the community. The treatment model incorporates a thorough diagnostic work-up, psychosocial rehabilitation, relapse prevention, motivational interviewing, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) / Cognitive Behavior Therapy models. Individuals receiving inpatient care are empowered to understand symptoms associated with mental illness and follow through with strength-based interventions and plans that will maximize adjustment and transition to less restrictive alternatives to hospitalization.
At WRCH, treatment groups are available on all treatment units, with staff having received intensive training in CBT for Psychosis. The psychology SMI fellows participate in all phases of the individual’s hospital course from assessment / psychological testing to providing treatment interventions to helping the individual work through an integrative discharge plan. The staff at WRCH have implemented an Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) treatment program, an evidence-based group and individual treatment protocol to assist individuals in learning more about their psychiatric disorders and effective coping skills. Additionally, WRCH has a robust dual recovery program for people in all stages of change and has developed a relapse prevention model for mental health and substance abuse related issues.
