MIRECC / CoE

Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Veteran Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

VA Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Veteran Mental Health and Suicide 

About the Program

Stephanie Gamble, PhD, Director of Fellowship Training
Todd M. Bishop, PhD, Associate Director of Fellowship Training
Suzanne Gillespie, MD, Medical Director of Fellowship Training
Tracy Dilcher, Fellowship Training Coordinator

The VA Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention (CoE), located on the Canandaigua VA Medical Center (CVAMC) campus, part of the VA Finger Lakes Healthcare System, is home to a postdoctoral fellowship that is part of VA's Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment. Sponsored by the VA Office of Academic Affiliations, our two-year program is designed to provide psychologists and physicians with the experience necessary to become leaders and innovators in suicide prevention research among Veterans. To accomplish this, we combine the rich research and education resources of the CoE and the affiliated University of Rochester Department of Psychiatry (URMC Psychiatry) with the unique clinical and crisis response programs at the CVAMC and the Rochester Outpatient Clinic (ROPC).

Consistent with the strategic mission of our Center, the fellowship program puts primary emphasis on public health approaches to suicide prevention in a vibrant interdisciplinary setting that fosters rich and creative collaborations with investigators and clinical supervisors from the fields of psychology, psychiatry, medicine, nursing, social work, epidemiology, and health services. We emphasize the development of advanced general clinical competencies and also offer additional training for the development of specific skills with Veteran populations at elevated risk for suicide, including but not limited to: aging Veterans; Veterans with depression, PTSD or other mental health challenges; and Veterans with substance use disorders or comorbid conditions. In addition, fellows have opportunities to work with at-risk Veterans facing health challenges such as chronic pain, sleep disorders and other comorbid medical conditions.

Over the course of the two-year program, fellows dedicate approximately 75% of their effort to clinical research and 25% to direct patient care and clinical consultation. A minimum of four hours of weekly research and clinical supervision is provided in individual and group formats. Per VA policy, trainees complete 2,080 hours of training during each year of the fellowship. In some instances, the program may be extended for a third year to further develop advanced competencies in clinical research.

Meet the Advanced Fellowship Training Faculty

Nicholas P. Allan, PhD* Lisham Ashrafioun, PhD* Matthew J Barry, DO Todd M Bishop, PhD Robert M Bossarte, PhD James T Bridges, PhD Peter C Britton, PhD* Craig Bryan, PhysD* Eric D Caine, MD Kenneth R Conner, PsyD, MPH Yeates Conwell, MD Wendi F Cross, PhD Claudiu Dumitrescu, PsyD Stephanie A Gamble, PhD Suzanne Gillespie, MD Elizabeth Karras-Pilato, PhD* Ronald C Kessler, PhD Jill E Lavigne, PhD, MPH Matthew K Nock, PhD Wilfred R Pigeon, PD Tracy Stecker, PhD*

*denotes mentors accepting fellows for 2023-2025 program

Eligibility & Application Procedures

For PhD Applicants

Prospective PhD applicants must be U.S. citizens and have completed doctoral degree requirements from an APA-accredited program in clinical or counseling psychology, as well as an APA-accredited doctoral internship in psychology by the start of their fellowship.To apply, the following materials will need to be submitted:

• Cover letter/letter of intent describing how your career goals and interests are aligned with the mission and fellowship training opportunities of the CoE.
• Detailed curriculum vitae describing background training and experience, description of internship and other scholarly activity/research.
• Three letters of recommendation sent directly from previous supervisors/mentors. One letter must be from the Director of Training of your APA-accredited doctoral internship.
• Official graduate transcript sent directly from your university. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable until offical transcripts arrive.

For MD/DO Applicants

Prospective MD or DO applicants must have completed a residency accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and be board certified or board eligible in their medical specialty by the time they begin fellowship training. Once enrolled in the fellowship program, MD/DOs must dedicate full-time effort to professional activities of which a minimum of 50% must be as a postdoctoral fellow. Hiring flexibility is available with potential options of part-time appointments at a number of sites that together, with a part-time postdoctoral commitment, constitute full-time work.

To apply, the following materials will need to be submitted:

• Cover letter/letter of intent describing how your career goals and interests are aligned with the mission and fellowship training opportunities of the CoE.
• Detailed curriculum vitae describing background training and relevant experience.
• Three letters of recommendation sent directly from previous supervisors/mentors. One letter must be from the Director of Residency Training for your program.
• Official medical school transcript sent directly from your university. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable until official transcripts arrive.

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