Overview
The Postdoctoral Residency (Fellowship) in Neuropsychology through BRAINS is the equivalent of two years of full-time education and training designed to conform to the guidelines developed by the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology, including a minimum of 4,000 training hours.
Principal mentors/supervisors are employed at BRAINS. Training opportunities with psychologists outside of the neuropsychology specialization are available, as well. Interactions with other clinical specialties are routinely integrated, as BRAINS is a multidisciplinary clinic.
BRAINS has been training Fellows since 2008. Our goal is to provide advanced training for psychologists specializing in neuropsychology who are interested in seeking potential board certification in neuropsychology through The American Board of Professional Neuropsychology (ABN) and/or The American Board of Pediatric Neuropsychology (ABPdN). Our graduates have gone on to practice in the field of neuropsychology.
Our Program offers a number of opportunities for learning. There are multiple neuropsychologists within the program at different phases of their careers. BRAINS has professionals who primarily focus on counseling individuals, occupational and speech therapy, groups, technology models such as biofeedback or virtual reality, applied behavior analysis, and forensic work. BRAINS provides evaluations to individuals throughout the lifespan, but we have a strong reputation for specialization in pediatrics. Cases vary from symptoms complicated by prenatal exposure, trauma, ASD, developmental conditions, medical and mental health factors, memory, and a variety of other concerns that may result in the need to pursue an evaluation.
We are actively involved in communicating diagnostic results to physician’s offices and schools, addressing the broad psychosocial needs of patients and families. Our program is uniquely interested in the integration of data, effective personalization of findings, and customized treatment planning.
About 80% of the residents’ time is spent in the delivery of clinical services. Educational and training experiences and research activities account for the additional 20%.
Application
Candidates must be on track to complete all doctoral degree and internship requirements by the start of the Residency. Graduates of APA and CPA accredited Clinical Programs and Internships are preferred, and prior training in neuropsychology is required.
Applications will be accepted through January 15th each year. We will offer interviews as applications are reviewed and approved to meet approved criteria. Positions will be offered in February or early March. In the event that the position(s) is/are not filled, it is possible that BRAINS will consider additional applications until the position(s) is/are filled.
BRAINS posts the postdoctoral position in the job posting sections of our webpage. Click here to view current opportunities.
Required materials:
- Application
- Letter of professional goals
- Curriculum vitae
- Three letters of recommendation (preferably two clinical supervisors and one academic/research mentor)
- Two redacted neuropsychological report samples
BRAINS is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. If there are concerns, the applicant should contact BRAINS Administration.
Any EEOC employee or applicant who believes that they have been subjected to discrimination or retaliation should contact EEOC’s Office of Equal Opportunity at (202) 663-7081 or [email protected]; or, as appropriate, the Office of Special Counsel at (202) 804-7000.
Training
Goals & Objectives
Objective: The education and training goals of our Postdoctoral Training Program intends to prepare clinical psychologists for professional practice and provide them with advanced specialty level training. Postdoctoral residents are provided training in areas required for general and specialty credentialing. These include:
(a) Diagnosing or defining problems through psychological assessment and formulation;
(b) Implementing psychological interventions;
(c) Consultation, program evaluation, supervision;
(d) Methods of scholarly inquiry and research;
(e) Professional issues and conduct, including legal issues, ethics, and professional standards; and
(f) Issues of diversity.
Our program goals are:
Goal #1: Ensure skills prerequisite to advanced training in Clinical Neuropsychology. These prerequisites are as follows: (a) basic knowledge of normal and abnormal brain-behavior relationships, (b) basic interviewing; (c) basic skills to conduct new patient evaluations and formulate cases using a comprehensive understanding of functional neuroanatomy, clinical neurology, and clinical psychology; (d) comprehensive knowledge and critical thinking concerning the nature and course of brain disorders and psychopathologies, key theoretical models, and the empirical literature; (e) basic skills in psychological assessment (including administration, scoring, interpretation, and preparation of written reports).
Goal #2: Obtain substantial experience and develop a high level of expertise in the conduct of Clinical Neuropsychological evaluations, in differential diagnosis, and in case formulation based on contemporary clinical practice.
Goal #3: Obtain substantial experience and develop a high level of expertise in broad assessment techniques.
Goal #4: Become highly competent and capable of independent and systematic understanding of neuropsychological literature and inquiry in pursuit of specialization in the field.
Primary Clinical Training Experiences
Outpatient Evaluations: The Resident performs 3-4 outpatient evaluations per week. Referrals are received from a variety of internal and external sources. Our most common referrals are for children with attention deficits, a concern of an autism spectrum disorder, prenatal exposure, foster care/adoption with neglect/abuse, medical diagnoses, including but not limited to epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, perinatal stroke, learning disabilities, and genetic and metabolic disorders, and developmental disorders.
Supporting Clinical Training Experiences
During the training, Residents continue their participation in the Neuropsychology Team Consultation, Clinical Case Conference, and have the opportunity to observe other clinical areas of care.
Supervision of Trainees: As available, Residents will have the opportunity to mentor practicum students in graduate programs pursuing an interest in neuropsychology or undergraduate students seeking observation and exposure to clinical services as they progress in their career decision making.
Neuropsychology Research: Research opportunities vary. Prior residents have published test reviews in the Journal of Pediatric Neuropsychology, written chapters in books, and had opportunities to assist with editorial review of articles. BRAINS does not routinely engage in routine original research. However, archival opportunities are readily available.
BRAINS Neuropsychology Training
Tuesday Training Seminar:
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Supervision:
Scheduled Individually (Totaling 2 hours per week for the first year, 1 hour per week for the second year)
Multidisciplinary Clinical Meeting:
Tuesdays 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Peer to Peer Group:
Thursdays 12:15 PM – 1:00 PM
Teaching & Supervision
Primary clinical supervision for the Resident is provided by neuropsychologists at BRAINS. Residents may also receive mentorship in specialty areas of psychotherapy from other faculty and staff.
Approved Direct Neuropsychological Supervisors: Drs. Wolff and Manor
Consulting Psychologists: Drs. Brown, DeCator, Piehl, and White.
Expectations
- Arrive on time for seminars, meetings and other training activities
- Be prepared ahead of time for any didactic or training. Read material, articles, review reports, etc.
- If applicable, please complete assignments on time.
- Please also bring all necessary materials, computer, reports, etc
- Be prepared to participate in and be actively involved in didactics. Interactive participation is preferred for your learning and progression of understanding material as a result of being engaged.
- Be prepared to advance use of neuropsychological terminology in didactics
- Please turn all cell phones on vibrate or on silent mode
- Provide any feedback regarding didactic or other training promptly to provide feedback to faculty, supervisor, or to clarify areas where additional clarification is preferred to review prior to moving into other content areas in future didactics.
TOPICS
Some of these lectures may need to expand over multiple seminars to cover the topic area.
- Neuropsychology Overview
- Overview of Didactic Series; Professional Issues Open Discussion
- Neuroanatomy – hands on
- Neuropsychological Interview
- Neuropsychological Report Writing
- Neuropsychology Grand Rounds – Clinician Cases
- Neuroanatomy Lecture – auditory cortex
- Journal Club
- Neuroanatomy Lecture – visual cortex
- Medical vs Outpatient Neuropsychology
- Prematurity
- Prenatal Exposures
- Hydrocephalus
- Concussion/TBI
- Movement Disorders
- Epilepsy
- Common Genetics
- Central Nervous System Infections
- Autonomic Nervous System & Disorders
- Sleep Disorders & Common Medical Factors
- Oncology
- Stroke
- Cardiovascular
- Dementias and corticobasal degeneration
- Neuropsychological Interventions
- Psychopathology influence on Neuropsych
- Attention Disorders in Childhood
- Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar
- ASD
- Substance Abuse
- Learning Disabilities
- Psychological Assessment
- Psychopharmacology
- Personality Disorders vs Undx Dev. Disorder
- Psychological Interventions
- IEP
- Ethics
- Trauma
- Culture, Gender, and Orientation in care
The core knowledge domains for boarding include ABN:
- Neuroanatomy
- Neurological disorders
- Psychiatric disorders
- Neuroimaging
- Neuropathology
- Neuroscience
- Neurochemistry
- Psychometrics
- Brain behavior relationships
- Neuropsychological Assessment
The core knowledge domains for boarding include ABPdN:
- Basic neurosciences
- Functional neuroanatomy
- Neuropathology
- Clinical neurology
- Psychological assessment
- Clinical neuropsychological assessment
- Psychopathology
- Psychological interventions
Stipend & Benefits
Stipends and benefits begin at the start of the residency. The salary will be a set stipend the first year of the residency, but can change to competitive profit-sharing model option the second year of the residency; once the resident obtains full licensure in Michigan. The first-year salary may be lower than other competitive placements, but the competitive profit-sharing option in the second year compensates for the differences.
Health insurance, dental, and vision insurance is provided for the resident during the first year. As the transition to competitive compensation model occurs during year two, BRAINS continues to contribute to a portion of health insurance. Short-term and long-term disability insurance/life insurance is provided by BRAINS at no cost to the Resident. Two weeks of vacation and seven paid holidays are included. Liability insurance is also provided but Residents may want to continue any student based liability coverage they have carrier through their training.
About BRAINS
Behavioral Resources And Institute of Neuropsychological Services (BRAINS) has been providing multidisciplinary services to the Grand Rapids community since 2007. Our mission emphasizes maximizing the potential of families through understanding the complex relationship between the brain, body, and real life. We redefine potential by understanding each person’s unique strengths and limitations and incorporate these into attainable goals. We provide services to address each person’s needs, while assisting in applying skills into the home, school, and community.
BRAINS has maintained full accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). This accreditation requires compliance with rigorous standards established for mental and physical health care facilities. At BRAINS, we strive for excellence and plan on continuing our legacy of being a premier behavioral resource in our community. It is expected that all employees will model our core values every day in order to maximize the potential of families seeking services at BRAINS as well as to provide the best work environment for our employees. Our core values are expertise, high standards, compassion, hard work ethic, and a team approach.