The Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Behavioral Psychology Department is pleased to announce postdoctoral fellowship positions within the Behavior Management Clinic for the 2018-2019 academic year, beginning September 2018.
The Behavior Management Clinic (BMC) provides intensive training in outpatient therapeutic interventions for children birth through the age of 12 years. BMC offers 12 month postdoctoral fellowships, with the possibility to extend to 2 years. Clinicians trained within the BMC are equipped to work in a variety of settings following their postdoctoral fellowship year, including but not limited to hospitals/medical centers, specialized schools, outpatient therapy clinics, private practice, and academic settings.
Fellows who train in the BMC have an opportunity to acquire experience with a wide range of behavior concerns and disorders , both externalizing and internalizing (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), disruptive behavior disorders, anxiety disorders, habit disorders, tics, depression, aggression, tantrums, social skills deficits, toileting concerns, sleep difficulties, and school-related issues). Children served within the clinic are typically developing; however, some present with mild delays. Trainees are provided advanced training in empirically supported treatments, including by not limited to applied behavior analysis (ABA), family based behavioral therapy, behavioral parent training (e.g., Parent Child Interaction Therapy [PCIT]), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and habit-reversal therapy based on the needs of assigned cases. Supervising psychologists include several certified PCIT Level I trainers. Postdoctoral fellows within the BMC are offered clinical and training opportunities to work towards PCIT certification during their fellowship year. Trainees are also offered opportunities to participate in community outreach and clinic marketing events by providing presentations/trainings (e.g., daycares, schools, after-care programs, parent and professional groups, and medical staff) and attending local events/conferences.
The clinical supervisory staff includes licensed psychologists, nationally certified school psychologists (NCSP), board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs), and certified PCIT therapists. In addition to two hours per week of individual supervision, fellows are actively involved in two hours per week of group supervision, clinical skills development seminars, or didactics. Fellows provide psychological services including direct client contact and consultation with school or daycare staff and/or other professionals within and outside of the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Fellows conduct initial evaluations that include clinical interviews, parent questionnaires, and structured observations intended to determine the function of problem behaviors and assess baseline parenting skills and child behaviors. Information gathered through ongoing data collection is used to collaboratively develop an individualized treatment plan and to measure response to treatment. Treatment modality is based presenting concerns and may include behavioral parent training, individual therapy, and/or group therapy, as well as collaboration with a variety of community professionals.
Fellows in the BMC are provided with a structured orientation and didactic trainings covering clinical and administrative topics before they assume the role of primary therapist for assigned cases. To ensure continued clinical and professional development, fellows are provided with ongoing training throughout the year (e.g., didactics, speakers, seminars, etc.). Fellows work closely with designated supervisors and may be provided opportunities to co-treat cases. Experience with management of disruptive behaviors in treatment sessions is common and offers trainees the opportunity to acquire advanced skills in direct application of effective behavioral management strategies and techniques.
Leadership development is an important component of fellowship training within the BMC. Fellows are provided opportunities to develop their skills in this domain by assuming a principal position associated with a specific clinical and/or administrative task. For example, these responsibilities may include coordination of child and parent therapy groups, coordination of clinic speakers and community outreach/marketing events, involvement in specific administrative tasks that are pivotal to clinic operations, and development (i.e., recruitment, training, and mentorship) of undergraduate level students. Supervisory opportunities exist through involvement with undergraduate level students who rotate in and out of the clinic. Opportunities for participation in research may also exist and are encouraged.
Qualified candidates for the BMC fellowship program will have received their doctoral degrees in School or Clinical Psychology and have successfully completed an APA-accredited internship program. Candidates for BMC’s rotation typically have experience and interest in areas such as:
• Serving preschool and school aged children and their families and providing early intervention/prevention services.
• Treating families that present with varied and complex psychosocial stressors in addition to child behavior difficulties.
• Prior experience with interdisciplinary and/or multidisciplinary teamwork, including school consultation.
• Treating and working with military-connected families.
• Emphasis on treatment grounded in evidence-based interventions, data collection across settings, experience with graphing and interpreting data, and providing performance feedback to families, as well as ABA and CBT approaches.
• Functional approach to case conceptualization and familiarity with the principles and procedures of applied behavior analysis.
• Experience with development and implementation of child and parent groups is highly desirable (e.g., social skills, emotion management, anxiety, etc.).
• Interest in or experience providing Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).
The Kennedy Krieger Institute is affiliated with the Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or religious affiliation. Interested candidates must have a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in Psychology (e.g., clinical, school) from an APA-accredited program and must have completed an APA-accredited Doctoral internship and dissertation prior to August 1, 2018. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and CV to Dr. Jennifer Zarcone, Director of Postdoctoral Training at zarcone@kennedykrieger.org. Applicants will be notified if they are invited to submit a full application.
Additional information is available on our website http://www.kennedykrieger.org/
and the APPIC Post Notification Vacancy portal https://www.appic.org/About-