Postdoctoral Fellowship Positions (up to 10 positions)

In order for the fellow to take a leadership role in program, our fellowships are designed to focus in a primary area. This focus allows fellows opportunities to work with teams over a year long period and to develop mastery of these skills.

Three of the clinical fellowships will specialize in Pediatric Psychology, including one-two fellowship positions specializing in Consultation and Liaison services on medical floors, one fellowship specializing in eating disorders working with our Medical Stabilization of Eating Disorders program, and one fellowship position specializing in Oncology. One two-year fellowship will focus on pediatric neuropsychology with a variety of pediatric medical populations with a focus on neuropsychological assessment. Two fellowships will work with our Acute Services within our intensive outpatient program, medical stabilization of eating disorders program, and emergency department. Two fellowships will work within our Pediatric Psychology Project Health program offering higher level of care outpatient mental health services to children with co-occurring medical and mental health conditions, as well as in our Mental Health Crisis Clinic. Two fellowships with work within our Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center providing assessment and intervention services. Fellows will coordinate with the respective multidisciplinary teams throughout the year, participating in clinical work, program development, and clinical research activities within the teams. Fellows will see more complex cases and be responsible for further developing clinical services within their teams. They will provide inpatient and/or outpatient consultation services, outpatient therapy and/or assessment services, participate in outpatient clinics with multidisciplinary team members, and complete a postdoctoral fellowship project within their area of specialization.

I. Pediatric Psychology Fellowship Positions (up to 3 positions)
Childhood chronic illness and mental health is a significant health concern. As medical treatments improve, more children are living longer with chronic illnesses. It has been estimated that 15 to 18% of children in the US are living with a chronic illness. Of these, about half experience a restriction in their ability to participate in typical activities. Children with chronic illnesses and their families experience a wide range of unique stressors, yet many do not have access to quality mental health services. Uniquely tailored psychological services, such as specialized assessments, psychosocial support, targeted interventions and psychotherapy, and consultation with medical teams can have a very positive effect on quality of life for children and their families. In recognition of these positive effects, children’s hospitals and clinics are increasingly working closely with psychologists and other mental health professionals to provide comprehensive services to their patients and family members. The psychology postdoctoral fellowships at CHOC seek to train psychologists to work effectively with children with chronic illnesses and their families and/or children and adolescents experiencing significant mental health conditions within the context of hospital-based inpatient, clinic, and outpatient services. This is a particularly exciting time to be a part of mental health, both within pediatric psychology as the medical field increasingly understands the critical role of psychological factors in overall health and within child and adolescent clinical psychology, as psychology services are integrated into standard health care services. Fellows will apply their knowledge of child development and their skills as a child therapist with children affected by medical and mental health conditions through a wide variety of experiences, such as inpatient consultation-liaison services with a variety of medical specialty units and/or within an inpatient mental health center and emergency department, consultation-liaison services with a variety of professionals within the hospital and outside of CHOC, more intensive experiences with specific medical specialty teams, intensive outpatient therapy programing, outpatient therapy, and assessment and evaluation.

A distinctive feature of our program is that pediatric psychology fellows receive training in managing behavioral emergencies through the provision of consultation services to the hospital inpatient medical units. The fellows may take 2-5 call days on a holiday or weekend during the training year. Fellows will be compensated for their time. Fellows are always paired with a faculty member for this coverage. High risk consults include assessment of suicide risk or acute mental status changes, assessment for rule out somatization disorders, and assessment of patients with eating disorders admitted for medical stabilization. Trainees will conduct a targeted clinical interview, provide crisis intervention, and generate disposition plans.

Consultation Liaison Track (1-2 positions)
Consultation Liaison fellows will work with the Consultation and Liaison (CL) team which provides inpatient consultation to the medical units at CHOC Hospital in Orange. Consults are requested by attending physicians, residents, nurses, or other health care practitioners for children who are hospitalized due to a medical need and are experiencing concomitant psychological symptoms. Referral questions range widely and include assessment and disposition planning for behavioral emergencies, assisting with adjustment to new diagnosis, diagnostic clarification for potential somatization disorders, proving target symptom reduction for pain and somatization disorders, facilitating problem-solving to address medical regimen adherence concerns, assessment and targeted intervention for acute stress reactions, and leading a family-based treatment approach to treat eating disorders. The Psychology Consultation Liaison team includes psychology attendings, psychology postdoctoral fellows, psychology interns, and resource specialists. The Psychology CL team works very closely with the Psychiatry CL team and round together daily. The Psychiatry CL team includes a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow and a psychiatry attending. The fellows work with interdisciplinary teams including medical attendings and house staff (medical residents and fellows, medical students), nurses, social workers, child life specialists, and case managers. Depending on the diagnosis, physical and/or occupational therapists, dieticians, pharmacists, and other specialists might also be involved.

Fellows may have the opportunity to provide education and support to the medical residents and fellows in both informal and formal presentations.

In addition to the experiences working with the medical teams described above, the fellow will participate in a range of other pediatric psychology experiences described below in the section, “Activities Common to All Tracks.”

Eating Disorders Track (1 position):
One position will have the opportunity to work with our Medical Stabilization of Eating Disorders Service at CHOC at Mission Hospital. This setting is a “hospital in a hospital” which is a pediatric inpatient medical setting. Fellows work closely with the attending psychologists, hospitalists, nutritionists, child life specialists, psychiatrists, and adolescent medicine specialists. Patients are admitted with a variety of eating disorder presentations that require medical stabilization (e.g., Anorexia Nervosa, ARFID, Bulimia). Fellows receive training in a Family-based Treatment (FBT) approach and implement adapted FBT principles and interventions into a busy inpatient medical stabilization setting to empower parents and equip them with the education necessary to restore their child back to health. Fellows provide diagnostic evaluations, parent and patient psychoeducation, individual and family interventions, and facilitate family meals and group therapy.

Fellows also will participate in non-eating disorder psychological consultation requested in this location (please see above consultation-liaison track description).

In addition, fellows will have the opportunity to provide consultation liaison services to patients within CHOC’s outpatient eating disorders clinic within adolescent medicine at CHOC Orange main campus. This is a busy, multidisciplinary, and collaborative clinic that helps patients and families identify and manage a variety of concerns related to nutrition and eating behaviors. Many patients followed within the inpatient medical stabilization program will be seen within the outpatient eating disorders clinic upon discharge. Clinic team members include physicians, psychiatrists, medical fellows, medical residents, dieticians, and care managers. Fellows complete assessments to clarify the eating disorder diagnosis and any other relevant mental health conditions, provide psychoeducation on family-based treatment, give recommendations to help support healthy child and adolescent eating, and provide information on appropriate treatment options and referrals.

Fellows interested in working with gender diverse youth may have the opportunity to work in our multidisciplinary gender, puberty, and sex development (GPS) clinic. This is a multidisciplinary clinic that runs one half day a week twice a month. Psychology fellows in this clinic provide culturally competent mental health counseling to address the unique challenges and experiences faced by gender diverse and transgender individuals to promote self-acceptance, resilience and emotional wellness. The GPS team includes endocrinologists, psychologists, social workers, and care managers.

Fellows may have the opportunity to provide education and support to the medical residents and fellows in both informal and formal presentations.

In addition to the experiences working with the medical teams described above, the fellow will participate in a range of other pediatric psychology experiences described below in the section, “Activities Common to All Tracks.”

Oncology Track (1 position):
One fellowship position will specialize in Oncology. The Oncology rotation involves working with infants, children, adolescents and young adults and their families conducting universal psychosocial screening and providing mental health support throughout their medical treatment and frequently beyond. Psychology has an important role in CHOC’s Oncology Program and supports patients and families across the care continuum. Often psychosocial services begin at, or shortly after diagnosis, and are available to patients and families as they navigate the unique challenges when receiving a cancer diagnosis, throughout active treatment, during long-term post treatment care, and during survivorship. The Oncology fellow will provide inpatient and outpatient psychological services, including initial assessments, coping and adjustment to a cancer diagnosis or new phase of a cancer diagnosis, helping parents and/or the medical team with behavioral management concerns, psychotherapy to address pre-existing or co-occurring mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety, pain management strategies, issues related to survivorship and school reintegration, and palliative care. Patients are seen across both inpatient (e.g., medical floors and intensive care units) and outpatient settings (e.g., outpatient infusion center, oncology medical clinics, outpatient psychology) to provide continuity of care throughout their medical treatment. Fellows will work closely with the multidisciplinary medical team of oncologists, medical fellows/residents, nurse practitioners, nurses, and oncology psychosocial team (social work, child life, spiritual care, art therapy, music therapy, pet therapy) as a consultant and liaison to coordinate care.

In previous years, fellows have had the opportunity to engage in clinical research and program development in the areas of sibling and parent support, school reintegration and educational support, and expanded support in medical clinics working with patients in survivorship. Additionally, fellows may have opportunities for presentations to medical residents and/or oncology division staff through formal and informal presentations.
In addition to the experiences working with the medical teams described above, the fellow will participate in a range of other pediatric psychology experiences described below in the section, “Activities Common to All Tracks.”

II. Pediatric Neuropsychology Track (1 position, 2-year fellowship designed to meet Division 40 Houston Conference Guidelines):
In this track we have 1 first year and 1 second year fellow position. CHOC’s postdoctoral fellowship offers a major area of study in clinical neuropsychology which adheres to specialty training guidelines and exit criteria endorsed by the Houston Conference Guidelines. The objective of the fellowship is to provide advanced training in neuropsychological evaluation of children and adolescents with a wide range of medical conditions that impact the central nervous system and provide fellows with the experience required for independent practice, state licensure, and board certification. The training emphasis is clinical utilizing a rotation model, with additional time divided across didactics, supervision/professional development, and research/program development.

Fellows will work closely with our five-to-six neuropsychologists (including two board-certified) in performing pediatric neuropsychological assessments for a wide range of populations, with rotations including (but not limited to) evaluations across pre-surgical epilepsy, oncology brain tumor and long-term cancer survivorship, cardiac neurodevelopmental, genetic and metabolic, early childhood, and additional neurological populations (e.g., stroke, infectious diseases, demyelinating conditions, traumatic brain injury). Notably, CHOC has a Level IV Epilepsy Center with a busy EEG monitoring and epilepsy surgery program, and participates in the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Consortium, contributing to multi-site research endeavors. Additionally, CHOC’s Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program is a member of the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative and participates in national multi-site clinical and research initiatives. Postdoctoral fellows also will be provided training in the provision of supervision, with opportunities for vertical supervision of interns and/or practicum students.

Educational training experiences include our biweekly Advanced Neuropsychology Seminar which includes both junior colleagues and faculty neuropsychologists and focuses on neuropsychological populations, neuroanatomy, case conceptualization, and literature. In addition, the group participates in our biweekly Board Preparation Seminar, which serves as preparation for board certification (e.g., fact finding). Fellows also serve as lecturers and teaching assistants for the bimonthly intern assessment seminar, Child and Adolescent Assessment Seminar. As a teaching assistant, fellows work with a faculty mentor to develop competencies in designing didactic series for psychology trainees, formal presentation skills, ways to facilitate meaningful discussion, and how to elicit seminar feedback from participants. Additional weekly seminars focused on topics including professional development, supervision, and ethics are offered through the broader CHOC psychology fellowship. Fellows also will have the opportunity to deliver presentations on neuropsychology topics within our training program seminars, hospital, and/or community.
In addition to the experiences working with medical teams described above, the fellows will also participate in a range of other pediatric psychology experiences described below in the section, “Activities Common to All Tracks.”

III. Acute Mental Health Services Track (2 positions):
Two fellows will work with CHOC spectrum of acute mental health services over the course of the training year. This fellowship will provide the trainee with the opportunity for an immersive training experience in 3 acute mental health settings with multidisciplinary teams, an intensive outpatient program for adolescents, an inpatient medical stabilization of eating disorders program, and emergency room psychiatric evaluations (in the CHOC Emergency Department, Mental Health Emergency Services team). Presenting problems range from suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, non-suicidal self-injury, eating disorders, psychosis, aggressive behavior/danger to others, altered mental status, and severe psychopathology. In each setting, patients and families are experiencing some degree of a mental health crisis and the fellow will deliver evidence-based services to the family with the goal of reducing risk and alleviating distress. Activities in each setting are detailed below. Fellows will participate in a variety of seminars over the course of the training year. Fellows will have the opportunity to practice supervision competencies with doctoral practicum students and/or doctoral interns.

CHOC Intensive Outpatient Program
The fellow will engage in training opportunity with CHOC’s IOP for adolescents. The IOP is a structured curriculum based on a DBT framework and serves teens experiencing suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury, significant impairments in daily functioning, and/or emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal dysregulation. Teens attend program 4 days per week for 3 hours each afternoon and parents attend two one-hour groups. The IOP is DBT-adherent. Fellow will co-facilitate skills groups, lead mindfulness exercises, coach active skill use throughout group programming, conduct individual, family, and parent skills coaching as needed, conduct risk assessments, conduct phone coaching, and complete safety plans. Additionally, fellow will participate in Treatment Team and Consult Team, components of DBT to address patient care, clinician care, and adherence to the DBT model. Fellow will become proficient in the following areas: DBT skills training, functional analysis of self-harm and other risk-related behaviors, use of mindfulness to adaptively regulate emotions in treatment, determine appropriate level of care for high risk teens, and managing effective self-care to promote clinician well-being and delivery of optimal services.
Work hours when on the IOP rotation are 10:30am-7:00pm when not in conflict with other training activities required by the Psychology Training Program.

CHOC Medical Stabilization of Eating Disorders Program
Fellows will have the opportunity to work with our Medical Stabilization of Eating Disorders Service at CHOC at Mission Hospital. This setting is a “hospital in a hospital” which is a pediatric inpatient medical setting. Fellows work closely with the attending psychologists, hospitalists, nutritionists, child life specialists, psychiatrists, and adolescent medicine specialists. Patients are admitted with a variety of eating disorder presentations that require medical stabilization (e.g., Anorexia Nervosa, ARFID, Bulimia). Fellows receive training in a Family-based Treatment (FBT) approach and implement adapted FBT principles and interventions into a busy inpatient medical stabilization setting to empower parents and equip them with the education necessary to restore their child back to health. Fellows provide diagnostic evaluations, parent and patient psychoeducation, individual and family interventions, and facilitate family meals and group therapy. Fellows also will participate in non-eating disorder psychological consultation and liaison services requested in this location (please see Consultation Liaison Fellowship Track description).

Fellows interested in working with gender diverse youth may have the opportunity to work in our multidisciplinary gender, puberty, and sex development (GPS) clinic. This is a multidisciplinary clinic that runs one half day a week twice a month. Psychology fellows in this clinic provide culturally competent mental health counseling to address the unique challenges and experiences faced by gender diverse and transgender individuals to promote self-acceptance, resilience and emotional wellness. The GPS team includes endocrinologists, psychologists, social workers, and care managers.

Mental Health Emergency Service (MHES)
The fellow will engage in a training opportunity with the MHES with children and adolescents who present to the emergency department for a primary psychiatric complaint. The specific reason may be due to concern for suicidal ideation and all suicide attempts, violent behavior and/or injury to self or others, marked changes in behavior, and psychosis or altered mental status. Training opportunities include conducting mental health evaluations, using evidence-based measures (e.g., Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale [C-SSRS]), using evidence-based crisis intervention (Family Based Crisis Intervention [FBCI]), formulating disposition plans, completing safety and coping plans with patients and families, and linking patients to appropriate services.
Work hours when on the MHES rotation are 10:30am-7:00pm when not in conflict with other training activities required by the Psychology Training Program.

Top candidates will have clinical experience with children and adolescents, fluent knowledge of risk and protective factors for suicide in children and adolescents, strong grasp of severe psychopathology as it presents in children and adolescents, and training in fast-paced settings requiring flexible response. Experience with evidence-based therapies is heavily preferred; training in DBT is not required.

In addition to the experiences described above, the fellows will also participate in a range of other child/adolescent psychology experiences described below in the section, “Activities Common to All Tracks.”

IV. Project HEALTH Full Service Partnership Child/Adolescent Psychology Program Track (2 positions):
Two fellows will work with our Project HEALTH Full Service Partnership (FSP) Child/ Adolescent Program, specializing in providing long-term outpatient therapy to patients with co-occurring medical and mental health diagnoses. Our Project HEALTH (Harnessing Every Ability for Lifelong Total Health) program provides intensive multidisciplinary intervention services for children, adolescents, and young adults (ages 3-21 years) with both medical and mental health conditions who need higher level of care services beyond weekly therapy. Our Project HEALTH team highly values serving patients and families from a range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds, as well as gender diverse youth. Project HEALTH is a collaborative program between CHOC and Orange County Health Care Agency. As such, fellows will also receive extensive training surrounding Department of Mental Health documentation guidelines.

Both positions will have a primary focus on the provision of outpatient mental health services (psychotherapy, coordination of care, and case management) to children and families with a broad range of complex medical and co-occurring psychological/ psychiatric diagnoses (e.g., oncology, genetic disorders, diabetes and other endocrine disorders, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, complex trauma, and suicidality). Fellows will have the opportunity to provide long-term therapy to patients and families and collaborate closely within a multidisciplinary team including Personal Service Coordinators (PSC), child & adolescent psychiatrists, medical and other allied healthcare professionals, and schools. Fellows also will have the opportunity to participate in workshops and evidence-based trainings provided by Orange County Behavioral Health as well as CHOC Department of Pediatric Psychology.

Project HEALTH fellows also will have the opportunity to work with our Mental Health Crisis Clinic. CHOC’s Mental Health Crisis Clinic is a short-term bridge clinic for youth identified as at-risk for suicide. Patients come for up to 4 sessions to receive a detailed risk assessment, safety planning, and a structured Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills curriculum in an outpatient setting. Youth range in age from 3-18 and represent a diverse breadth of intersectional identities. Fellows complete one intake and two return sessions per day in clinic and receive supervision from licensed master’s and psychologist supervisors.

In addition to the experiences described above, the fellows will also participate in a range of other child/adolescent psychology experiences described below in the section, “Activities Common to All Tracks.”

V. Autism Spectrum Disorders Track (2 positions):
The Autism Spectrum Disorders fellow at the Thompson Autism Center at CHOC will gain experience and skills in providing psychodiagnostic assessments and treatment for patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other mental health needs. During the assessment rotation, the fellow will conduct psychological assessment and testing for diagnostic purposes, including test administration, scoring, and comprehensive report writing. During the intervention rotation, the fellow will identify preliminary issues for treatment focus, develop treatment plans under supervision, and deliver individual and/or group therapy in multiple settings including the center, the home, and/or community. The fellow will gain experience in providing care to patients and their families in a multidisciplinary setting and will coordinate closely with the medical team and other members of the team (e.g., social work, behavioral analysts, occupational therapist, physical therapists).

Duration: 6 months in assessment and 6 months in intervention.

In addition to the experiences described above, the fellow(s) will also participate in a range of other child/adolescent psychology experiences described below in the section, “Activities Common to All Tracks.”

Activities Common to All Tracks:
 
Postdoctoral Fellowship Project
All fellows will have the opportunity to generate a postdoctoral fellowship project that is clinical or research oriented. Projects have included formal research questions, quality improvement initiatives, needs assessments, generation of individual or group manualized treatments, and development of psychoeducational materials. In addition, many of the core pediatric psychology faculty listed below have ongoing programs of clinical research. Upon completion of the postdoctoral fellowship project, fellows will have an opportunity to present their results to their colleagues and possibly as presentations, posters, and/or papers within the hospital and/or at local, regional, and national forums. Further, many fellows use the results of their projects to build upon in future programs or research development.

Supervision Experiences
Postdoctoral fellows will be provided with an opportunity to supervise interns and/or practicum students. Training in the provision of supervision will be provided. Supervision and responsibility for the patients will ultimately be the responsibility of a licensed clinical psychologist on staff. Depending on the specialty track, fellows will either supervise therapy cases, assessments, or inpatient consult cases.

Supervision
Fellows receive a combination of individual and group supervision (a minimum of four hours) per week. Supervision occurs on an individual basis, during group rounds, within clinic settings, and within the Training Program seminars. All supervision is performed by departmental staff who meet the California Board of Psychology requirements and CHOC Medical Staff qualifications.
Fellows are offered at least two hours of individual supervision per week for ongoing therapy cases, assessment cases, and rotational experiences. Supervision of consults is handled with both individual supervision and via group supervision (rounds). Many tracks have opportunities for group supervision through clinical case-based rounds.

Presentations
Fellows will have the opportunity to deliver presentations on mental health topics within our training program seminars, hospital, and/or community. They will observe faculty members’ presentations and generate feedback on presentation style, content, and achievement of objectives. Then, fellows will work with our supervisors, faculty mentors, and/or community education team to develop presentations, which may include the psychology training program, hospital teams, schools, parent groups, pediatricians, and other community organizations.

Teaching Assistantship/Department Committee Representative
Fellows have the opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant for a seminar or rounds or serve as the representative for the training program on a department committee during the training year. Teaching assistantship/department committee assignments are determined based on fellowship track and fellow interests. As a teaching assistant, fellows will work with a faculty mentor to develop competencies in designing didactic series for psychology trainees, formal presentation skills, ways to facilitate meaningful discussion, and how to elicit seminar feedback from participants. As a department committee representative, fellows will attend department committee meetings as scheduled, serve as a liaison between the committee and the training class, illicit feedback from the training class and present to the committee, and provide feedback back to the training class regarding relevant issues raised at committee meetings.

Training Program Seminars

Required
Postdoctoral Fellowship Seminar (once weekly for 1 hour, year-long)
Professional Practice Seminar (once-twice monthly for 2 hours, year-long): includes Diversity & Ethics Seminars

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training: In addition to the topics on DEI embedded in each Seminar series, there will also be several trainings provided during the year for the entire Department in which Fellows will also participate.

Advanced Neuropsychology Seminar (twice monthly for 1 hour, year-long): required for neuropsychology fellow(s), optional for other fellows

CHiSPA (twice monthly for 1 hour): required for students who are proficient in Spanish (please see description below)

Optional
Child and Adolescent Assessment Seminar (twice monthly for 2 hours, 6-month long; fellows may serve as teaching assistants and assist in coordinating the seminar, attend any seminars of interest or to address any training gaps, attend trainee presentations)

Child and Adolescent Psychological Principles Seminar (2-4 times monthly for 2 hours, year long; fellows may serve as teaching assistants and assist in coordinating the seminar, attend any seminars of interest or to address any training gaps, attend trainee presentations)

Pediatrics Grand Rounds (weekly)

Content of required seminars is biased in the direction of material needed for CHOC clinical activities. A didactic element is included in all seminars. Professional issues are addressed throughout the training year. Outside speakers with a particular area of expertise are invited to present several of the seminars. Trainees may also attend the CHOC Grand Rounds as time permits.

Postdoctoral fellows make formal case presentations in the Child and Adolescent Psychological Principles Seminar or Child and Adolescent Assessment Seminar in an area highlighting their expertise. In addition, they present cases, facilitate consultation, or make informational presentations in Diversity Seminar, Postdoctoral Fellowship Seminar, Ethics, and CHiSPA.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Seminar
This seminar is held weekly throughout the year. The seminar focuses on professional development and also provides training in supervision. The seminar is informal in nature and covers topics relevant to your own training interests and needs.

Professional Practice Seminar
This seminar consists of two main topic areas; diversity and ethics. It is designed to focus on learning and application to your clinical work that supports increased competency in these areas. The diversity series within the seminar consists of some department wide diversity, equity, and inclusion training opportunities that are interactive in nature and include self-exploration activities. In addition, there will be seminars that focus on unique diversity aspects of patient populations and exploration of the surrounding community. While we expect diversity awareness to permeate all of your work throughout the year, this seminar is designed to help you develop your model of learning and practice. The ethics series within the seminar focus on cases in medical settings that bring a multitude of ethical challenges, which can be complex and difficult to identify a clear path forward. In this seminar, faculty present topics that present ethical challenges in hospital settings and illustrate concepts with interactive case presentations. Faculty and trainees explore systems and strategies to assess ethical dilemmas and determine courses of action.

Children and Adolescent Assessment Seminar (CAAS)
This bi-monthly seminar for 6 months focuses on topics relevant to assessment and evaluation within the practice of Psychology with children and adolescents. Presentations focus on various evidence-based assessment approaches for youth, as well as assessment considerations when working with specialized pediatric populations. We also have guest speakers from other disciplines that psychologists frequently collaborate with on multidisciplinary teams.

Children and Adolescent Psychological Principles Seminar (CAPPS)
This two-four times per month seminar focuses on topics relevant to the practice of psychology with children and adolescents. Presentations focus on various evidence-based treatments for youth, as well as use of these treatments in specialized pediatric populations. We also have guest speakers from other disciplines that psychologists frequently collaborate with on multidisciplinary teams. CAPPS provides an opportunity to learn how different disciplines function both at CHOC and as a broader specialization with youth and how psychologists can help integrate skills on a team to better serve the mental health needs of children and adolescents.

Postdoctoral fellows may serve as teaching assistants for Professional Practice Seminar, CAAS, or CAPPS and help to coordinate the seminar. They alternate attending the seminar throughout the year and all fellows attend all trainee presentations at the end of the year.

Training Opportunities for Spanish Speaking Fellows
Our fellowship is dedicated to providing training opportunities for fellows who speak Spanish. These experiences include the ability to conduct evaluations, consultations, and treatment in Spanish.

Fellows who speak Spanish have the opportunity to participate in CHiSPA, our training seminar in Spanish, led by several bilingual faculty and staff members. This bi-weekly seminar for interns, fellows, and practicum students with Spanish language proficiency, focuses on increasing professional skills in and comfort with conducting psychological services, in Spanish, including assessments, consultations, and interventions. Activities include increasing Spanish psychological vocabulary, discussing cases and generating case conceptualizations in Spanish, diversity and cultural factors that may impact evidence-based practice for Spanish speaking populations, discussions of health psychology, health literacy, health equity, adherence, and perceptions of medical and mental health diagnoses and treatments with Spanish speaking patient populations, developing resources to use with Spanish speaking patient populations, and developing resources for Spanish speaking mental health professionals. In addition, Spanish speaking fellows will have the opportunity to receive supervision in Spanish with a Spanish speaking faculty member.
Currently, we have 14 full time licensed psychologists who are bilingual in Spanish, in addition to many bilingual and bicultural department mental health providers.