Postdoctoral Fellowship

Training Experiences

Fellows have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of required and optional clinical and non-clinical experiences during the year.

Required Experiences (all tracks)

Initial Appointments (IAs)
Fellows will conduct IAs (exact number depends on track) per week during each of the first two rotations. During these appointments, clients will be assessed and referred for treatment at the Center (e.g., individual counseling, drop-in groups, interpersonal process groups, etc.), and/or referred for treatment at another campus agency (e.g., psychiatric services at Student Health Services) or in the community.

Individual Counseling 
For clients deemed appropriate, fellows provide short-term individual counseling. Fellows may also carry at least one longer-term client.

On-Call Emergency Coverage
Throughout the year, each fellow will provide 2 hours (weekly) of on-call coverage for the Center.

Counseling Center Meeting Participation
Fellows are expected to attend weekly clinical team meetings, all-staff meeting on a monthly basis, and periodic in-service presentations/continuing education programming. The Postdoctoral Group Supervision is also considered a weekly meeting.

Case Presentations
Each fellow is required to do one case presentation during the training year to the joint staffs of the Counseling Center, Student Health Services, and the St. Petersburg campus Wellness Center, as applicable. The overall goal of this presentation is to provide fellows an opportunity to speak about their clinical work in a formalized, professional manner. Fellows may select a client seen in their preferred practice setting, and presentations that demonstrate collaboration/consultation among multiple providers and/or between campus partners may be especially interesting to the target audience.

External Placement
During the third rotation, fellows decrease on-campus time to 24 hours a week an initiate a 16-hours external placement at one of our community partners. The external placement allows postdoctoral fellows to continue developing skills as a health service psychologist in a different, more specialized, setting. External placements vary year-to-year, but in the past fellows have held external placements at Tampa General Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Rogers Behavioral Health Clinic. External rotations sites will be finalized in consultation with the Postdoctoral Training Coordinator at the beginning of the first rotation.

Required Experiences (track-specific)

Behavioral Health Consultations, Assessments and Interventions (Dual Campus Track)
At the St. Petersburg campus Wellness Center, fellows will provide behavioral health consultations (to primary care providers) and interventions (to patients) consistent with the primary care behavioral health model of integrated care (Robinson & Reiter, 2007). Following consultation with PCPs, assessments and interventions will focus on identifying a behavioral health change plan that can be implemented in one to four focused 15-30 minute appointments. Fellows continue to consult with PCPs throughout care provision to manage patients' needs.

Group Therapy (CC Track)
Each semester, fellow(s) on this track will co-facilitate one of the many groups offered as a part of the Center's robust group program. Participation in group may not disrupt the fellow's ability to accept new clients on to their caseload. Whereas during the first rotation the fellow(s) will be assigned to a group, they will have an opportunity to choose from available groups during the second and third rotations

Graduate Student Supervision (CC Track)
Fellow(s) on this track will be able to supervise the clinical work of one of the students in the Counseling Center’s Graduate Student Clinician (GCS) program. The GSC program hosts trainees for programs housed in USF and potentially other regional institutions. Typically, part-time GSCs are paired with a postdoctoral supervisor. Based on availability, GSC supervision typically requires one hour face-to-face per week. All of the fellow’s supervisory activities will be supervised in turn by that fellow’s primary supervisor, a senior Counseling Center staff member.

Postdoctoral Seminars (CC and Dual campus Tracks) 
Fellows are required to participate in a biweekly professional development seminar and focus upon issues that are tailored to the fellows and their developmental needs. Topics include both evidence-based practice and professional development issues at the postdoctoral level (i.e., licensure preparation/application, job search, etc.). 

Wellness Center Meetings (Dual Campus Track)
Fellows are also expected to attend the monthly staff meetings to build awareness of events taking place in those settings, build connections with team members, and discuss care coordination, as indicated.

Optional Experiences (track-specific)

Consultation and Outreach Programming (All Tracks)
Throughout the year, fellows may have the opportunity to offer consultation and outreach programming to campus constituents. Consultation and outreach activities are considered direct service; however, these activities should not consistently and/or substantially detract from the fellow's ability to provide their contracted weekly clinical hours.

Center Administration and Committee Participation (All Tracks)
For fellows who have interest in program development, administrations and/or evaluation, there will be opportunities to participate in one of the Center’s several standing and ad hoc committees. These committees meet bi-weekly or monthly and are oriented to help achieve the Center’s primary goals as a major University department. Current committees and work groups include: Clinical Services, Training Committee, Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (CODI), Professional Development, Brightside Crew, and the Research Workgroup.

Group Therapy (BHC or Dual Campus Track)
During each of their rotations, fellows may have the opportunity to co-facilitate one of the many groups offered as a part of the Center's robust group program. However, participation in group may not disrupt the fellow's ability to accept new clients on to their caseload. The decision to participate in a group should be made in collaboration with the primary supervisor, the postdoctoral training coordinator, the training director, the coordinator of the group program, and the facilitator of the group.