Advanced Practicum in Adult Forensic/Clinical Psychology Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center / Tufts Medical Center 2019-2020 Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center 85 East Newton Street Boston, MA 02118 About the Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center: The Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center (the Fuller) is a 62-bed, inpatient public sector psychiatric hospital owned and operated by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH). The hospital is named after Solomon Carter Fuller (1872-1953), a pioneering Liberian/African-American physician who spent much of his career at DMH’s Westborough State Hospital. Dr. Fuller was born in Monrovia, Liberia and moved to the U.S. where he attended Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina before continuing on to graduate medical school from Boston University School of Medicine in 1897. He became highly regarded for his ground-breaking research on the physical changes that take place during the course of Alzheimer’s disease. Today, the Fuller provides person-centered inpatient psychiatric care to individuals with acute and severe mental illness. Clinical services operate with the coordination of an interdisciplinary treatment team, which includes psychiatry, nursing staff, medical staff, occupational and rehabilitation staff, social work, and substance use counselors. As a teaching hospital, the Fuller provides learning opportunities for students across disciplines. Program Overview: The Advanced Practicum in Adult Forensic/Clinical Psychology at the Fuller is a 25 hour per week (on three days per week) clinical training program that is designed to provide pre-doctoral psychology trainees with direct clinical care experience, training, and supervision for working with adults with severe mental illness. As the Fuller receives a high proportion of patients from the legal system, training particularly emphasizes the ability to provide empirically based and legally informed care. Patients at the Fuller represent a wide range of diverse backgrounds and they present with a host of psychiatric, medical, social, and other needs, given that the population is often underserved. Patients present with concerns including psychosis, substance use, issues of risk (suicide, violence, sexual behaviors, and fire setting), trauma, personality pathology, and severe affective illnesses. Trainees are expected to develop clinical competencies in both psychotherapy and assessment areas. In addition, trainees participate within the multidisciplinary treatment teams and provide consultation services that may relate to issues such as restoration to competence, risk assessment, and individualized care planning. The training program also emphasizes didactic training in order to develop foundational and specific knowledge related to the clinical work at the Fuller (e.g., training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center 85 East Newton Street Boston, MA 02118 2 psychodiagnostic and cognitive assessment; crisis management and de-escalation; relevant legal topics). Training Structure and Expectations: The following represents the general program expectations and tasks for trainees. Additional opportunities or further details may vary according to hospital needs and individual trainee goals. Clinical Training: Attend daily rounds and treatment team meetings where trainees serve as an integral member of an interdisciplinary team to assess, interview, and develop interventions for admitted patients Conduct diagnostic intake assessments for new admissions Maintain an individual psychotherapy caseload of 2-4 patients Facilitate/co-facilitate 1-2 psychotherapy groups per week and develop empirically supported, appropriate group curriculum under supervision Conduct comprehensive psychological assessment as well as develop scoring, interpretation, and report writing skills Participate in consultation services as required (may relate to issues of competence, risk, care plans, etc.) Supervision Provided: Two hours per week of individual supervision One hour per week of group supervision Didactics and Seminars: Weekly didactic training (topics vary but relate to treatment and assessment of acute psychiatric patients as well as relevant forensic issues) Opportunities to attend psychiatry grand rounds at Tufts Medical Center, learning seminars from the Massachusetts DMH, or interdisciplinary didactics at the Fuller may exist (dependent upon scheduling) Elective Opportunities: Trainees may also participate in a host of additional, elective opportunities that include, among others, participating in research projects, attending commitment hearings in court, observing court ordered forensic evaluations, and collaborating with trainees of other disciplines Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center 85 East Newton Street Boston, MA 02118 3 Time Commitment: Unless otherwise agreed upon, trainees are expected to commit to one full year (12 months) of part-time clinical experience totaling 25 hours per week (3 days per week) and constituting approximately 1200 hours of training. Three weeks of vacation per trainee (9 days in total) are allotted. Clinical training is unpaid. The training year will begin on July 1, 2019 and complete on June 26, 2020, unless otherwise agreed upon. Location: The Fuller is located in Boston’s South End neighborhood next to Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, and Boston University Dental School. It is accessible by bus routes (8 or 47) from the Ruggles T station or from bus route 10 from Backbay station. Street metered parking is limitedly available and multiple paid parking garages are available. Application: To apply, please submit a cover letter detailing your interest, curriculum vitae, three letters of reference, and one sample (de-identified) testing report to: Alina Z. Levine, Psy.D. Director of Psychology/Director of Clinical Training Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center 85 East Newton St., 7th Floor Boston, MA 02118 Office: (617) 626-8929 *Email: [email protected] *Electronic submissions via email are preferred. Applications will be accepted starting on December 1 and interviews will be scheduled for the beginning of January. The interview and offer process will follow all guidelines and dates put forth by the Massachusetts Practicum Training Collaborative. Please feel free to contact Dr. Levine for additional information or with any additional questions. Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center 85 East Newton Street Boston, MA 02118 4 .