VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Contact Information:
Complete program descriptions, contact information and brochures for both the internship and fellowship can be found at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Psychology Training webpage below. Please email Dr. Bernadette Pasquale, PhD, ABPP with questions Bernadette.Pasquale@va.gov
Director of Psychology Training:
Dr. Bernadette Pasquale, PhD, ABPP
Director of Training, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Psychology Training
Bernadette.Pasquale@va.gov
Geropsychology Supervisor(s):
Dr. Kimberly Christensen
Dr. Lauren Hess Conrad
Dr. Sabrina Hakim
Dr. Bernadette Pasquale
Dr. Trent Thatcher
Website Address:
https://www.va.gov/pittsburgh-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/psychology-internships-and-fellowships/
Membership / Certification:
_X__ APA Accredited
_X__ APPIC Member
Geropsychology Training Opportunities / Settings:
_X_ Outpatient Mental Health Clinic
_X_ Neuropsychology / Memory Clinic
_X_ Community Living Center
_X_ Home Based Health Care
___ Primary Care
___ Inpatient Geropsychiatry/Mental Health
___ Physical / Cognitive Rehabilitation
_X_ Caregiver Support Services
_X_ Hospice / Palliative Care
_X_ Telehealth / Telemedicine
_X_ Training in Supervision of Interns / Practicum Students
_X__ Other: Driving Clinic; Outpatient GEM Clinic
Format of Geropsychology Training:
_X_ Specialty Track in Geropsychology
___ Major Rotation
___ Minor Rotation
___ Opportunities to work with older adults included in other rotations
Faculty Clinical/Research Interests:
At the fellowship level, fellows complete two 6-month rotation during the training year across all of the above settings. In addition to direct clinical training experiences, as part of their professional development as psychologists, all fellows will have the opportunity to provide supervision to psychology doctoral interns, under the supervision of a staff psychologist. Fellows will be required to provide one hour of supervision per week to an intern. In addition, fellows attend the Supervisor Development Series, a program designed for the staff psychologists to discuss supervisory issues and refine supervisory skills, and receive supervision training during the Professional Development Seminar series (see below). Furthermore, fellows will attend the monthly supervisor meetings and will serve on the Clinical Training Committee by attending quarterly meetings and assisting with the selection of interns and fellows. Fellows receive a minimum of two hours of formal individual supervision weekly. Supervisors are also available on an as needed basis beyond the regularly scheduled times of supervision. Progress towards the attainment of the training goals is determined by means of regularly scheduled evaluations. Feedback between fellows and supervisors is on going. Monthly evaluations are discussed informally with the fellow and at a monthly supervisors’ meeting chaired by the Director of Clinical Training. A mid-rotation evaluation occurs at the 3-month and 9-month time points with the supervisor reviewing the fellow’s progress thus far in terms of the specific skills defined within each core competency area. At the conclusion of each six-month rotation, a formal evaluation of the fellow’s progress is made. Didactic training offerings your organization: As part of the GRECC rotation, Geropsychology interns and fellows participate in an interdisciplinary educational series, which includes a case conference and core lecture series featuring topics crucial for providing clinical services for the older adult population. This educational series provides an excellent opportunity to interact with trainees from other disciplines with a shared interest in providing comprehensive clinical services to older adults. Other offered didactics for both interns and fellows include monthly Geropsychology journal club, Neurobehavioral case conference, and Neuroanatomy seminar series. Geropsychology fellows attend the above noted didactics as well as the Geropsychology Fellowship Diversity Seminar which is a series of five seminars designed for geropsychology fellows that are held during the year. These seminars focus on diversity issues in the assessment and treatment of older adults, such as assessment considerations with Black older adults, diversity in long-term care, and considerations in psychotherapy with LGBT older adults. The Geropsychology fellowship staff supervisors serve as the presenters for these seminars. In addition, The Professional Geropsychology fellows participate in a 1-hour weekly Fellowship Seminar Series with the 3 clinical psychology fellows. This seminar series includes a Professional Development Seminar, Fellowship Case Conference, Fellowship Seminar, Supervisor Development Series, and Diversity Seminar.