MIRECC / CoE
VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Suicide Prevention - Colorado
APA-Accredited Colorado Fellowship
Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment in Suicide Prevention (Colorado)
Denver/Aurora, Colorado (APA-Accredited)
Our Colorado Site is Currently Accepting Applications
Our Colorado site is currently accepting applications for the APA-accredited Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment in Suicide Prevention.
The training faculty currently accepting Fellows are Dr. Daniel Reis, Ph.D., and Dr. Lauren Borges, Ph.D.
Dr. Daniel Reis is accepting postdoctoral Fellow applications for the Rocky Mountain MIRECC’s APA-Accredited Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment in Suicide Prevention. Dr. Reis’s research focuses on temporal patterns of suicide risk, with a specific interest in sleep and circadian risk factors. The Fellow would have the opportunity to contribute to several ongoing projects, including: 1) a large-scale analysis of electronic medical record data to develop latent suicide risk profiles and evaluate longitudinal changes in profile states; 2) increasing implementation of bright light therapy for major depressive disorder in VA primary care settings; and 3) developing a novel digital intervention for sleep and circadian health guided by wearable sensor data and digital sleep health phenotypes. In addition, the Fellow will receive clinical training and accrue hours towards licensure in the Rocky Mountain MIRECC’s local Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program service. Finally, the Fellow will have the opportunity to lead guided research projects and contribute to publications.
Dr. Lauren Borges is accepting postdoctoral Fellow applications for the Rocky Mountain MIRECC’s APA-Accredited Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment in Suicide Prevention. Dr. Borges’ research program focuses on applications of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to disrupt moral injury and suicidal behavior. Dr. Borges co-leads a lab with Dr. Sean Barnes and the Fellow would have the opportunity to contribute to their currently funded projects including: 1. Examining the impacts of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Moral Injury (ACT-MI) and Present Centered Therapy for Moral Injury (PCT-MI) on Veteran psychosocial functioning through a national efficacy trial; 2. A project focused on determining the acceptability and feasibility of ACT for VA health care providers (ACT-HCP) who struggle with moral distress related to their work providing medical or mental health care; 3. A multi-site efficacy trial of an application of ACT for suicide prevention among Veterans hospitalized in VA inpatient mental health units. In addition, the Fellow will receive clinical training and accrue hours towards licensure in the Rocky Mountain MIRECC’s local Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program service. Finally, the Fellow will have the opportunity to lead guided research projects and contribute to publications.
General inquiries regarding the Fellowship and application materials for the Colorado Fellowship position(s) may be e-mailed to Dr. Lauren Borges at Lauren.Borges2@va.gov.
Application Deadline: Application materials are due by December 1, 2025.
Program Aims and Objectives
The mission of the Rocky Mountain MIRECC (Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center) Advanced Fellowship Program is to train psychologists to become outstanding clinicians and clinical researchers in the high priority area of mental health care for Veterans, with an emphasis on prevention of risky behaviors among Veterans/military service members.
The Rocky Mountain MIRECC Advanced Fellowship Program is a full-time, two-year program (equating to 2,080 hours per year). In terms of clinical care, Fellows engage in mental health service delivery, and assessment and interdisciplinary consultation with high priority populations frequently served at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center. Fellows also interact with a wide range of Veterans through clinically informed research projects, including a Fellow-led project developed in conjunction with their Research Mentor. At the culmination of the Fellowship, each Fellow will have attained advanced practice competencies in the following areas: suicide risk assessment, clinical service delivery, professional interdisciplinary consultation, practice of evidence-based interventions, and research.
Individuals who complete the Fellowship will be prepared to:
- Think critically about and practice advanced evaluation and assessment skills and make sound clinical decisions based upon scholarly literature and best practices for evidence-based therapies and interventions.
- Design and implement research studies aimed at improving clinical care.
- Become leaders in the practice of Psychology, with an emphasis on Suicidology.
Training Manual and Stipend
The Rocky Mountain MIRECC Colorado Fellowship Brochure and Training Manual describe the program admission criteria, requirements, and policy with regard to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and VA employment. We also provide descriptions of the training model and mission, requirements for Fellowship completion, resources, methods and expectations for supervision, and a brief overview of relevant pre-employment administrative policies and procedures.
For more information about the Fellowship Training Manual, email Lauren.Borges2@va.gov.
The VA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) 2025-2026 Stipend salary rates for Psychologist (Fellow) are:
$59,297 (Post-Doc Fellow Year 1)
$62,102 (Post-Doc Fellow Year 2)
Accreditation Status
The VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS), Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center Postdoctoral Residency Program is accredited in Health Services Psychology by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA-CoA). The Fellowship has been an APA-accredited program since 2013. The application for re-accreditation was approved in 2022 for a 10-year re-accreditation. The next site visit is scheduled for 2032.
Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-336-5979
Email: apaacred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
This VA ECHCS Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Residency Program is a part of the APPIC Universal Psychology Postdoctoral Directory; however it is currently not a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).
Training Faculty
The Rocky Mountain MIRECC is home to nationally recognized clinical researchers and clinicians who supervise/mentor Fellows in research as well as the application of specialized knowledge to Veteran treatment and intervention. Each training faculty member is highly competent and credentialed, representing a strong array of clinical and research skills as well as expertise in our specialty areas. The training faculty currently accepting Fellows are Dr. Daniel Reis and Dr. Lauren Borges. General inquiries regarding the Fellowship and application materials for the Colorado Fellowship position(s) may be e-mailed to Dr. Lauren Borges at Lauren.Borges2@va.gov.
Expand each Mentor below to learn more about their Area(s) of Expertise.
Clinical Trials, Implementation and Dissemination, Risk Assessment, Measure Development and Validation, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Dr. Sean Barnes is a licensed Clinical Research Psychologist and Director of Education. He specializes in suicide risk assessment and management. His clinical and research interests include development and application of suicide-specific interventions, with a focus on contextual behavioral approaches to therapy (e.g., Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). Dr. Barnes is also working to learn more about cognition and emotion during suicidal crises, and to improve methods for suicide risk assessment and conceptualization.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Clinical Trials
Rehabilitation, Trauma, Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention
Dr. Lauren Borges is Director of Training and a licensed Clinical Research Psychologist specializing in the use of contextual behavioral interventions (e.g., Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT], Dialectical Behavior Therapy [DBT]) to assess and intervene on suicide risk. Dr. Borges' clinical and research interests include serving as a developer of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Moral Injury (ACT-MI), ACT for Healthcare Providers (ACT-HCP), ACT for Life, and using the DBT chain analysis skill to identify and intervene on suicidal behavior.
Contextual behavioral interventions (e.g., Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Dialectical Behavior Therapy), Moral Injury, Shame
Suicide Prevention, PTSD, Clinical Trials, Community Care, Implementation and Dissemination, Patient Safety, Social Connectedness/Support
Clinical Trials, Health Services Research
Dr. Ashley Griffith is a licensed clinical psychologist who joined the Rocky Mountain MIRECC as Advanced Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow in 2022 after completing her Ph.D. in Clinical Health Psychology. Her research interests have centered around understanding barriers and facilitators to accessing mental health care among service members and Veterans for almost 10 years. In the ASPIRE Lab, she is exploring barriers and facilitators to engaging in suicide prevention strategies among LGBTQ+ Veterans, with an emphasis on transgender and gender diverse Veterans. She also brings an interest in understanding how rurality, region, and safety behaviors influence firearm ownership and suicide risk and prevention. As a researcher and spouse of a service member, she is committed to understanding how we can adapt suicide prevention programming to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ Veterans.
Epidemiology, Health Services Research, Implementation and Dissemination
Core Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Human Microbiome Connections to Mental Health, Microbiome of the Built Environment, Indoor Air Quality/Built Environment Connections to Mental Health
Clinical Practice Guidelines, Rehabilitation Research, Polytrauma
Dr. Kittel-Moseley is an epidemiologist and health science specialist with over 10 years of experience in suicide prevention research and research with Veterans. Their research primarily focuses on identifying non-mental health risk factors for suicide, particularly suicide prevention among those with serious medical conditions, such as cancer, as well as diverse Veterans. Identifying these risk factors can help to inform upstream suicide prevention efforts.
Implementation and Dissemination, Risk Assessment, Safety Planning
Dr. Suzanne McGarity is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in the Rocky Mountain MIRECC where she serves multiple roles. She provides technical assistance as a member of the VA Risk ID and SPED implementation team and consultation services for the Rocky Mountain MIRECC's local and national Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program. She is also a consultant and subject matter expert in the area of Safety Planning and supervises postdoctoral fellows in group-based safety planning services on the Rocky Mountain Regional VA's inpatient psychiatric unit.
Dr. Reis is a Clinical Research Psychologist at the VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) for Suicide Prevention and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus. His work focuses on the role of circadian disruption in sleep and mood disorders and the personalization of mental health therapies using behavioral and physiological data from wearable sensors.
Clinical Psychologist, Rocky Mountain MIRECC
Health Services Research, Risk Assessment, Lethal Means Safety
Neurobiological Underpinnings of Suicide Risk, Risk Assessment, Traumatic Brain Injury
Postdoctoral Residency Admissions, Support and Initial Placement Data
View the 2025 Postdoctoral Program Admissions and Placement Table. [opens in new tab/window]
Eligibility
- Failure to meet these qualifications could nullify an offer to an applicant.
- Completion of doctoral degree, including defense of dissertation, from an APA-accredited Clinical or Counseling Psychology program before the start date of the Fellowship (August-September).
- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) requires that the applicant’s doctoral degree and internship be completed at programs accredited by the American Psychological Association.
- U.S. citizenship.
- Fingerprinting and background checks.
- Male applicants born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the draft by age 26.
- Applicants who are Veterans are also encouraged to apply.
- For Fellows living outside of the Denver area, housing options are available.
- VA conducts drug screening exams on randomly selected personnel as well as new employees.
- All Psychology Postdoctoral Residents, like all VA personnel and trainees in VA facilities, must be fully vaccinated and receive their annual Influenza shot or have an exemption filed (medical or religious) with the Designated Educational Officer.
- The VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Residency Program is in full compliance in the recruitment and selection of psychology residents. The Rocky Mountain MIRECC Advanced Fellowship Program provides equal opportunities in training for all qualified persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, national origin, age, or other protected characteristics. As an equal opportunity training program, the residency welcomes applications from all qualified candidates.
Fellowship Residency Start Date
Anticipated start date is August 2026.
Applicant Checklist
Submit an application packet to Dr. Lauren Borges at Lauren.Borges2@va.gov with the following:
- A signed letter of interest that identifies career goals and goodness of fit with RM MIRECC’s mission and selected mentor.
- A current Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- A signed letter of completion or expected completion from academic and internship/residency programs.
- Three signed letters of recommendation.
- A work sample, such as a publication, in relevant area(s) of research.
- A sample de-identified psychological evaluation report, preferably addressing suicide risk.
Selection Procedures
We use a "goodness of fit" model in selecting Fellows and look for applicants whose training backgrounds and interests are consistent with the Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention mission and the identified faculty Mentor’s area of research. Once candidates have forwarded the application packet, their materials are reviewed by the Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention Psychology Fellowship Training Committee members. Applicants are pre-screened based on various criteria which includes:
- Breadth and depth of prior general clinical or counseling training.
- Quality of experience in areas relevant to the Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention mission.
- Goodness of fit between the applicant’s professional goals and program training objectives.
- Goodness of fit between the applicant’s previous experience and identified Mentor’s research program.
- Quality and scope of research productivity as indicated by research projects, conference/poster presentations, publications, or other scholarly work.
- Ability to integrate/synthesize psychological data and make logical/meaningful recommendations as demonstrated in assessment report.
- Strength of letters of recommendation.
- A clear, thoughtful writing style in all application materials.
Qualified applicants who appear to be a "good fit" with our training program will be invited for an interview with our selection committee consisting of training leadership and training committee members. Interviews will take place generally in mid-January through mid-February. We will notify applicants when they are no longer under consideration.
Contact
Dr. Lauren Borges
Director of Training
Clinical Research Psychologist
Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
303-916-0128
Lauren.Borges2@va.gov
Last Updated 08 October 2025
