Our mission is to pursue a discovery-to-recovery approach for serious mental illness in veterans by determining causes, identifying predictors, and developing treatments that overcome barriers and enable recovery.
The Veterans Affairs Advanced Fellowship Program at the Veterans Integrated Services Network 2 (VISN 2) Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Centers (MIRECC) is accepting applications for three fellowship positions: an MD fellow from psychiatry, a PhD/PsyD psychologist from clinical or counseling psychology, and a doctoral-level allied health professional from clinical or counseling psychology, social work, nursing, or pharmacy. All fellowships are two years in length. Our interdisciplinary program aims to train professionals to become outstanding clinical researchers in high-priority areas of mental health, including severe mental illness, suicide, homelessness, and criminal justice involvement. Fellows devote most of their time to clinical research, education activities, and direct patient clinical care.
VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment
The fellows’ primary appointment will be at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx, New York, with a secondary appointment at the affiliate Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in Manhattan, New York. Training opportunities will reside in the research, clinical, and educational programs at both institutions. Fellows devote approximately 75 percent of their time to research activities, research-related clinical activities, and educational activities, and 25 percent to developing advanced clinical skills in direct patient care. Fellows can spend the majority of their research time developing their own line of work. In collaboration with their mentors, fellows will develop and implement a research project, publish and present findings, participate in grant writing, and utilize the latest technology for educational activities and clinical service delivery. Individualized, mentored research and clinical training are combined with a state-of-the-art educational curriculum that emphasizes research methods, statistics, epidemiology, mental health systems, quality improvement methods, education, and service delivery. VA Fellowship sites are linked electronically for didactic, academic, and research efforts. Our interdisciplinary program aims to train psychologists to become outstanding clinical researchers in high-priority areas of mental health.
Faculty: The MIRECC faculty is internationally recognized for serious mental illness research in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, severe affective disorders (e.g., bipolar disorder), and suicide. Research areas of expertise and interest among the faculty include:
- Using neuroimaging, psychophysiology, and molecular biological techniques to better understand the neurobiology of serious mental illness
- Psychosocial and behavioral approaches for the treatment of psychosis (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis), suicide (e.g., dialectical behavioral therapy), and cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia, depression, and suicide (e.g., cognitive remediation, aerobic exercise)
- Digital mobile assessment and interventions (mHealth); predictors of neurocognitive and daily functioning (e.g., exercise, sleep); ketamine for treatment-resistant depression; community-based approaches to reduce racial disparities in mental health treatment; and implementation science to promote evidence-based practices
For more information about Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Centers Fellowship faculty members and their research interests, please visit the VA VISN 2 MIRECC faculty page. Fellows’ mentorship can also include other faculty from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
COVID-19 and Telework: Telework is available; however, this is not a fully virtual position. We have adapted training activities to be conducted remotely, when possible, and will collaborate with fellows so that they can safely meet their training needs.
Eligibility: Psychologist applicants must be U.S. citizens, hold a doctorate from an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited program in clinical or counseling psychology, and be enrolled in or have completed an APA-accredited internship in clinical or counseling psychology. Doctoral requirements, including dissertation, must be completed before the start of fellowship. Psychiatrist applicants must have completed Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited residency training, be board-eligible or board-certified, and have an active, unrestricted U.S. license to practice medicine. International medical graduates must also have a current visa and an Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate that is valid indefinitely. Applicants on a J-1 visa must have current ECFMG sponsorship as well.
Start Day: The start day is flexible and will be between Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, October 1, 2023.
Stipend and Benefits: Annual stipend is based on standardized rate schedules and ranges from approximately $58,661 to $86,646. Benefits include health insurance, life insurance, 13 paid vacation days and 13 paid sick days per year, 11 paid federal holidays, travel to one conference each year fully paid, and a public transit fare benefit to offset commuting costs.
Application Due Date: Applications are due Thursday, December 15, 2022.
How to Apply:
For psychologists, the program is using the APPA CAS (APPIC Psychology Postdoctoral Application) online system. For more information about the application process please visit the APPA CAS Postdoc Application Information page.
For psychiatrists, please email the application directly to Chi Chan, PhD, at Chi.Chan1@va.gov.
Applicants are asked to submit the following documents:
- A letter of interest that includes: (1) career goals and how these align with the mission of the VISN 2 MIRECC; (2) chosen primary research mentor and how the applicant’s education, research, and clinical experience aligns well with this mentor’s research program;** (3) the clinical and research skills that applicant would like to hone during fellowship;
- A current curriculum vitae
- A signed letter of completion or expected completion from graduate program
- Three letters of recommendation
- Graduate/medical school transcripts
- Writing sample
- Optional: A two-page proposal for the research project the applicant plans to pursue with the guidance of their chosen mentor
**Please note that applications will only be considered when a specified mentor has been identified in the cover letter. A close working relationship with an identified mentor allows our fellows to maximize their productivity and develop a successful career trajectory. Applicants are encouraged to consult with their chosen mentor early in the application process.
Accreditation: The VISN 2 Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment is accredited by the APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation: 750 First St, NE Washington, DC 20002-4242 / apaaccred@apa.org / (202) 336-5979.
Our fellowship is an equal opportunity training program. We encourage applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds, including but not limited to, ethnic/racial minorities, women, sexual minorities, people with disabilities, and people with personal lived experience with serious mental illness.
Please contact Chi Chan, PhD, Fellowship Director, with any additional questions at chi.chan1@va.gov.
VA National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans
Postdoctoral Fellowship
The VA National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans (NCHAV), in collaboration with the VA Office of Academic Affiliations, has created a postdoctoral fellowship position for those interested in recovery-oriented care for veterans who are homeless, criminal justice involved, or at risk for homelessness or criminal justice involvement. The NCHAV Fellowship is open to clinicians or non-clinicians with a doctoral degree or who have completed all requirements toward a doctoral degree from an accredited institution. Individualized, mentored research and clinical training is combined with a state-of-the-art curriculum that emphasizes research methods, statistics, epidemiology, mental health systems, quality improvement methods, education, and service delivery. In collaboration with their mentors, fellows will develop an independent line of research, including but not limited to developing and implementing a research project, publishing and presenting findings, participating in grant writing, and utilizing the latest technology for educational activities and clinical service delivery.
Fellows will have a formal connection with National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans and operational partners, and be on the cutting edge of research, policy, and education developments in veteran homelessness/criminal justice involvement. They will be expected to work with a NCHAV mentor along with a local mentor in VA VISN 2. NCHAV fellows will have opportunities to interact and collaborate on projects, including funded travel to meet in person at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. According to its official webpage, NCHAV promotes recovery-oriented care for veterans who are homeless or at risk for homelessness. The center conducts and supports research; assesses the effectiveness of programs; identifies and disseminates best practices and integrates these practices into polices, programs, and services for homeless or at-risk veterans; and serves as a resource center for all research and training activities carried out by the Department and by other federal and non-federal entities with respect to veteran homelessness.
Within the VA system, veteran justice issues fall under the umbrella of homelessness research and services. Veteran justice issues are therefore a partial focus of NCHAV and a potential focus of the NCHAV postdoctoral fellowship. The VISN 2 MIRECC Veterans Justice Lab, led by Emily Edwards, PhD, is excited to offer specialized opportunities and training for professionals interested in the NCHAV postdoctoral fellowship program. Research within the Veterans Justice Lab focuses broadly on identification and management of risk factors for veteran justice involvement, homelessness, and suicide. Fellows can expect to develop skills in:
- Program development and evaluation
- Analysis of large, epidemiological datasets
- Complex statistical analysis
- All aspects of research project development, execution, interpretation, and dissemination
- Interdisciplinary care coordination
- Clinical intervention with at-risk veterans
Examples of recent projects are listed below. Those interested in learning more about the Veterans Justice Lab are encouraged to contact Dr. Edwards at Emily.Edwards5@va.gov. People with a history of military service, demonstrated interest in working with veteran, forensic, at-risk, and/or from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.
Research areas of expertise and interest among faculty include:
- Using neuroimaging, psychophysiology, and molecular biological techniques to better understand the neurobiology of serious mental illness
- Psychosocial and behavioral approaches for the treatment of psychosis (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis), suicide (e.g., dialectical behavioral therapy), and cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia, depression, and suicide (e.g., cognitive remediation, aerobic exercise)
- Digital mobile assessment and interventions (mHealth)
- Predictors of neurocognitive and daily functioning (e.g., exercise, sleep); ketamine for treatment-resistant depression; community-based approaches to reduce racial disparities in mental health treatment; and implementation science to promote evidence-based practices
For more information about Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Centers Fellowship faculty members and their research interests, please visit the VISN 2 MIRECC faculty page. Fellows’ mentorship can also include other faculty from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
COVID-19 and Telework: Telework is available; however, this is not a fully virtual position. We have adapted training activities to be conducted remotely, when possible, and will collaborate with fellows so that they can safely meet their training needs.
Start Day: The start day is flexible. The fellowship will begin between Saturday, July 1, and Sunday, October 1, 2023.
Stipend and Benefits: Annual stipend is based on standardized rate schedules and ranges from $58,661 to $86,646. Benefits include health insurance, life insurance, 13 paid vacation days and 13 paid sick days per year, 11 paid federal holidays, travel to one conference each year fully paid, and public transit fare benefit to offset commuting costs.
Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. citizens, hold a doctorate from an accredited program or have completed all requirements toward a doctoral degree from an accredited institution. Doctoral requirements, including dissertation, must be completed before the start of fellowship.
Application Due Date: Applications are due Thursday, December 15, 2022.
How to Apply:
Applicants are asked to submit the following documents via email to Chi Chan, PhD at Chi.Chan1@va.gov:
- A letter of interest that includes: (1) career goals and how these align with the mission of the NCHAV; (2) chosen primary research mentor and how the applicant’s education, research, and clinical experience aligns well with this mentor’s research program; ** (3) the clinical and research skills that applicant would like to hone during fellowship
- A current curriculum vitae
- A signed letter of completion or expected completion from graduate program
- Three letters of recommendation
- Graduate school transcripts
- Writing sample
- Optional: A two-page proposal for the research project the applicant plans to pursue with the guidance of their chosen mentor
**Please note that applications will only be considered when a specified mentor has been identified in the cover letter. A close working relationship with an identified mentor allows our fellows to maximize their productivity and develop a successful career trajectory. Applicants are encouraged to consult with their chosen mentor early in the application process.
Selection Process: The selection process for candidates is based largely on a match between career goals and the opportunities provided by the NCHAV Fellowship. Applicants’ personal statements will be viewed as the primary source of information about the fellows, with letters of reference carefully checked to substantiate statements made in the statement and to ensure high levels of personal and professional integrity on the part of applicants. We have a systematic process for reviewing and ranking applicants once applications are received.