Psychology Training
The Psychology Training Program at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center (JBVAMC) offers Clinical Psychology Predoctoral Internships and Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowships, as well as Clinical Psychology Externships as part of the Clinical Psychology Practicum for doctoral trainees. Please see below for further information regarding each of these specific training offerings.
The Jesse Brown VAMC is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse work force and appreciates the benefits of having trainees and staff that represent a wide array of diverse groups across a variety of domains. We value the unique contributions offered by individuals with diverse cultural and personal characteristics and experiences. We understand that these differences improve the climate of the workplace, contribute to more meaningful conversations, and increase the quality of training and the services provided to Veterans. Chicago is home to a large and diverse population, and we recognize the complex and multidimensional identities that Veterans embody when they enter our doors. JBVAMC takes pride in treating the whole Veteran throughout their recovery journey. We strongly encourage individuals with minoritized identities to apply.
Thank you for your interest in psychology training at JBVAMC! While we do our best to keep the information contained on this website up to date, please do not hesitate to reach out as needed with any questions or for information clarification.
Director of Psychology Training
Jamie Mathews, Psy.D.
Email: vhachspsychologytraining@va.gov
Psychology Predoctoral Internship Program
Application Deadline for the 2025-2026 training year: November 1, 2024
Number of Positions Available: 6 across 4 tracks (3 General Track, 1 Serious Mental Illness Track, 1 Health Psychology Track, and 1 Neuropsychology Track)
The JBVAMC Clinical Psychology Internship Program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation (CoA) of the American Psychological Association (APA) and adheres to the guidelines of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). Our internship program adheres to a scientist-practitioner model of clinical training. Empirical support of clinical work and training is highly valued in our program, which combines both experiential and didactic training. Across the tracks of the program, mentorship of the whole intern is highly valued as the program seeks to develop its interns’ competencies in the delivery of a broad range of psychological services and activities.
According to VA policy, internship funding can be provided only to students who are U.S. citizens and are enrolled in APA-accredited doctoral programs in clinical or counseling psychology. In addition, we require that a prospective intern's university advisor or director of training verify that they approve and recommend that the student receive an internship at this facility as specified on the APPIC "Academic Program's Verification of Internship Eligibility and Readiness" form. Only 52-week, full-time internships are available.
The JBVAMC Clinical Psychology Internship Program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation (CoA) of the American Psychological Association and adheres to the guidelines of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). Our last accreditation site visit occurred in 2022, and we obtained full accreditation for 10 years, through 2032, the maximum period that can be granted to an internship setting. We are currently under review for re-accreditation. Accreditation documentation may be viewed upon request. APA accreditation has been maintained continuously since our first accreditation in 1979.
More information on accreditation is available from the CoA of the American Psychological Association.
The address is:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
Education Directorate,
American Psychological Association
750 First Street NE
Washington, D.C. 20002-4242
https://accreditation.apa.org/
Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
Application Deadline for the 2025-2026 Training Year: December 9, 2024
PTSD-Pain-SUD Track
Number of Positions Available: 2
The JBVAMC trains two fellows for our 1-year postdoctoral program in psychology aimed at providing interprofessional education (IPE) in the treatment and assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder, pain, and substance use disorder. Fellows develop competencies in clinically addressing these diagnoses individually, with reliance on empirically based practices (EBPs), with comorbidity among them being a particular emphasis. Multiple healthcare disciplines are leveraged to provide the fellows consultation and didactic experiences on these topics, and collaboration with non-psychologist healthcare providers is a focus of the training year. The goal of this program is to prepare fellows to emerge from the program fully prepared to independently practice in an interdisciplinary, collaborative care setting in the VHA, with competencies of delivering services using a culturally responsive, patient-centered approach.
Serious Mental Illness
Number of Positions Available: 1
The JBVAMC trains one fellow for our 1-year postdoctoral program in psychology aimed at providing interprofessional education (IPE) in the assessment and treatment of serious mental illness (SMI), including schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, severe, chronic mood disorders, and severe PTSD. The fellow develops competencies in clinically addressing these diagnoses using empirically based practices (EBPs). Multiple healthcare disciplines are leveraged to provide the fellow consultation and didactic experiences on these topics, and collaboration with non-psychologist healthcare providers is a focus of the training year. The goal of this program is to prepare the fellow to emerge from the program fully prepared to independently practice in an interdisciplinary, collaborative care setting in the VHA, with competencies in delivering services to individuals with SMI using a culturally responsive, patient-centered approach.
Clinical Psychology Externship Program
Application Deadline: The deadline to apply will be January 24, 2025 at 5pm CST. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered in this round of recruitment.
The JBVAMC Clinical Psychology Externship Program is a longstanding section of our training program, dating back several decades. This program is designed to provide approximately one year’s practicum training to graduate students enrolled in APA-accredited doctoral programs. Although the bulk of our externs in the past have been students enrolled among the 15 APA-accredited clinical and counseling psychology programs in the Chicago area, externs from other states have also been known to participate in our training program.
JBVAMC’s externship program adheres to a scientist-practitioner model of clinical training. Empirical support of clinical work and training is highly valued in our program, which combines both experiential and didactic training. Prospective externs apply to specific rotations selected from multiple options at the time of application so that training experiences can best be matched to candidates’ interests and career objectives.
Most externship experiences are structured as either year-long or two 6-month rotations. All externs are expected to serve 16-20 hours each week, including a 1-hour didactic, which historically has been held on Friday afternoons. Externships are unpaid. A pre-specified allowance of leave is given for sickness, planned absence, and applying for internship, if applicable.
Eligibility Requirements
For any psychology training track at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, we abide by all eligibility requirements as described on this website. Per VA policy, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center can only offer training positions to United States citizens who are pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology from an APA-accredited institution.