Responsibilities

Post-Doctoral Clinical Health Psychology Residency

Clinical-Translational Research in Health Psychology, Clinician Resiliency

In Spring 2022, US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, released an advisory report on healthcare worker burnout, issuing a call-to-action and challenging organizations to develop comprehensive strategies to support healthcare worker well-being. For years, Wellstar has prioritized clinician well-being, formalizing this work via the Clinician Resiliency and Well-Being initiative in 2020, and while much is already known about the drivers of stress that contribute to healthcare worker burnout, the field is open for new learnings that inform the evidence, improve the health and well-being of our workforce, and drive systemic change. To those ends, Wellstar is pleased to announce two (2) openings for Clinical-Translational Research Residents in Health Psychology, effective August 1, 2023.

Wellstar Health System is dedicated to promoting the physical, emotional, and social health of their team members. Aligned with the pillars of the Quadruple Aim, prioritizing the health and well-being of our clinicians is foundational to our culture. The Resident will join a cross-functional team who collectively aim to promote the biopsychosocial health of our clinicians by optimizing work-life integration, physical health, camaraderie, and overall professional fulfillment.

Description: The Clinical-Translational Residency experience in Health Psychology is a 2-year commitment, integrating the roles of scientist and practitioner into a rich and fulfilling experience in which the Resident develops professionally along parallel tracks. At the conclusion of the training experience, Residents will be equipped to function independently as both clinicians and researchers, with advanced knowledge and understanding of the prevention and treatment of stress-related disorders and their biopsychosocial sequela. Residents will develop their knowledge of health care systems and how to navigate within a complex system as a Health Psychologist, collaborating with members of the Medical Staff as well as operational leaders.

A primary objective of the training program is to prepare the Resident to deepen their thinking as a scientist, developing competence in developing research protocols and translating findings into practical interventions that are right-sized to the needs of practicing clinicians. To this aim, the Resident will allocate 35% time working with a Clinical Health Psychologist in research-focused efforts – designing study and quality improvement protocols, conducting literature reviews, operationalizing study/project aims, analyzing data, interpreting results, and submitting first- or co-authored publications to peer-reviewed journals. A major milestone of the resident’s first year is submission of a research protocol for peer-reviewed publication.

Clinical time (35%) is allocated to developing clinical competencies as a Clinical Health Psychologist within a clinical subspecialty. Through advanced assessment, consultation, and/or intervention-based opportunities, the Resident will work with an attending Clinical Health Psychologist to apply knowledge of pathways and biopsychosocial understandings of the acute and chronic effects of stress on healthcare workers (e.g., nurses, physicians, etc.) within a clinical setting. To further develop these clinical competencies, within Wellstar’s robust Health Psychology service, the Resident will select a major clinical rotation in one of the following areas: primary care-behavioral health integration; cardiovascular behavioral medicine; medically-unexplained (functional) conditions; or obesity medicine. Whereas the Resident will establish their clinical focus area at the onset of the 2-year training experience, the clinical rotation is intended to connect back to the biopsychosocial sequela of stress as it relates to the experience of healthcare workers experiencing occupational burnout, moral distress, compassion fatigue, and related syndromes.

Remaining time (30%) is allocated to weekly didactics, split evenly between clinical practice and research. Clinical supervision is provided by a clinical health psychologist holding board certification by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Other didactics are provided routinely via Wellstar offerings (e.g., Internal Medicine Grand Rounds) or via external academic partnerships.

In sum, board certification in one of three psychology sub-specialties (Clinical Health Psychology, Clinical Psychology, or Neuropsychology) within three years of employment is a condition of employment for Wellstar psychologists, and we highly value the competencies identified by the ABPP. To that end, we structure our training around these competencies and will support your pursuit of board certification as well. Residents will receive evaluations based on ABPP functional and foundational competencies.  Residents can anticipate defined milestones and their related assessments throughout the year as well as a competency exam at the end of each year of training.

Skills Needed: The Resident should be a critical thinker. Training via a Scientist-Practitioner model will best position the Resident for success in this role. Analytical abilities and prior experiences with research design, drafting of IRB proposals, successful publication in peer-reviewed journals, and basic-to-intermediate proficiency in statistics will be advantageous.

As a clinician, foundational skills as a Clinical Health Psychologist should already be established. The Resident should have knowledge of the biopsychosocial model and have the skill to assess such domains in the context of a clinical interview. The Resident should possess core assessment competencies, including familiarity with a broad range of psychological measures as well as proficiency in the application of evidence-based psychotherapy and health/behavior interventions.  

The Resident should possess professionalism and interpersonal nuance. (S)He should be flexible, open to feedback, and possess emotional intelligence. Fluency with medical nomenclature is needed to collaborate optimally in this environment. As such, candidates with exposure to the hospital setting (e.g., via internship) are preferred. The candidate should have strong written and verbal communication skills and be comfortable presenting to a professional audience. Computer literacy is necessary, especially the use of the Microsoft programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, TEAMS) as well as intermediate knowledge with statistical programs (e.g., SPSS).

Setting: WellStar Health System is a large multi-hospital system, and one of the largest health systems in Georgia. WellStar is a member of the Mayo Clinic Network. In this role, the Resident will work as part of a multidisciplinary team, reporting to a Clinical Health Psychologist, who is committed to adhering to the functional and foundational competency domains outlined by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). On completion of the training experience, the Resident should be equipped to pursue and obtain board certification as a Clinical Health Psychologist. 

Wellstar psychologists hold independent Medical Staff privileges at Wellstar hospitals and are well-integrated within the health system. To date, multiple Wellstar psychologists have participated in the system’s Physician Leadership Academy. Further, our compensation model and health benefits are highly competitive. Residents are eligible for annual bonuses in addition to the base salary.

Qualifications

Required Minimum Education: (1) a doctorate degree (Ph.D./Psy.D.) in clinical or counseling psychology from a program accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), (2) completion of an APA-accredited internship in a hospital/medical setting; and (3) focused training in Clinical Health Psychology. 

Application Process: Please also forward a copy of your CV and cover letter to recruiter, Beth Guerin, at beth.guerin@wellstar.org and cc Dr. Ryan Breshears, at ryan.breshears@wellstar.org.