Postdoctoral Psychology at Kaiser Permanente Pleasanton
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY
4825 Hopyard Rd, Suites 140 & 270 (mailing: 7601 Stoneridge
Drive)
PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA 94588
(925) 847-5051
POSTDOCTORAL RESIDENCY IN PSYCHOLOGY
The Department of Psychiatry has three full-time postdoctoral residency positions which are assigned to either the Adult or Child/Family Services. Child Residents should expect to have adult cases comprise a share of their caseload, and Adult residents are encouraged to see child cases. In each position the resident has input on the structure and focus for the training year.
THE SETTING
Pleasanton
The Pleasanton area is a suburban, bedroom community, with many commuter families. Our clinic draws from a large surrounding area with a mix of socio-economic status, culture, and ethnicity. The mental health and chemical dependency services are located in an office park a few miles away from the Kaiser Medical Office Building, a large, multi-specialty practice. Patient factors, which account for most of the variance in treatment outcome, tend to be favorable, and psychiatric hospitalization rates for our catchment are consistently among the lowest in the Region. Family members are usually available for inclusion in treatment.
Patient Population
Our outpatient medical buildings are located in the northern part of Alameda County at the intersection of highways 680 and 580. We serve primarily the portion of the area within Alameda and Contra Costa Counties referred to as the Tri-Valley Area. The Tri-Valley Area is composed of the cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, San Ramon, the Town of Danville, and portions of unincorporated Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. This area is forecasted to receive one hundred fifty-seven thousand (157,000) new residents and one hundred twenty-one thousand (121,000) new jobs by the year 2020. It is home to many young families.
The Staff
The staff is a mix of full and part time clinicians. There are five psychiatrists nine psychologists, nine licensed clinical social workers, two marriage and family therapists, one nurse practitioner, and two psychiatric nurses. A centralized triage team does telephone screening for Pleasanton and the three other clinics which comprise the Diablo Service Area (the DSA: Pleasanton, Walnut Creek, Martinez, and Antioch) and assigns patients to regular or urgent intake appointments. Some administrative functions are centralized in the DSA.
Services
The department offers outpatient therapy to adults, couples, families, and children. The therapy coverage for most Kaiser members is focused, brief treatment, although patients with severe and chronic problems have access to ongoing services. Treatment for many diagnostic groups is informed by Best Practice guidelines, developed and periodically updated by regional work groups. Patients are encouraged to participate in classes and groups that are offered for most problem areas. Treatment often includes a combination of individual, group, classes, and possibly medication. Intensive Outpatient (partial “day treatment”), and limited Alcohol and Drug group treatment are offered at Pleasanton. Our clinic refers to sub-regional centers in Walnut Creek for for the group programs in Adolescent Substance Abuse and Eating Disorders and to the Autistic Spectrum Disorders Clinic in Santa Teresa for for the assessment of Autism.
History of the Clinic
The psychiatry clinic associated with the Pleasanton Kaiser Medical Office Buildings was founded in 1983 as an experiment “to provide an alternative to the insight-oriented psychodynamic approach then prevalent at all Kaiser Permanente facilities.” (Chubb, Hendon; Evans, Eldon L. Therapist efficiency and clinic accessibility with the Mental Health Research Institute brief therapy model. [Peer Reviewed Journal] Community Mental Health Journal. Vol 26(2) Apr 1990, 139-149. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Netherlands.) From the first, the clinic followed the MRI model known as brief, strategic therapy (see Weakland, J.H., Fisch, R., Watzalwaick, P., Bodin, A.M. (1974). Brief therapy; focused problem resolution. Family Process, 13, 141-168.) and initial staff members came with or were trained in this problem solving approach. Dick Fisch and John Weakland were regular consultants in the early days. Though the current clinic staff hold diverse clinical orientations, encompassing interests in cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychopharmacology, solution-focused, narrative, and other post-modern approaches, Pleasanton remains a home to clinicians interested in systemic, non-pathologizing approaches to therapy.
THE TRAINING PROGRAM
General Principles
The post-doctoral training program is in part explicitly strategic,
more interested in problem dynamics than psycho-dynamics, more congenial
to active behavioral interventions than uncovering therapies, more
inter-actional than interpersonal, encourages more parent guidance
and family therapy than play therapy, and is more focused on solutions
than on diagnoses.
The post-doctoral program is intended to lay the foundation for
clinical competence sufficient for independent functioning in the
practice of clinical psychology and for a well-founded professional
identity. In addition, residents get direct and indirect instruction
on how to function in a multi-disciplinary team.
In practice, the resident is expected to handle evaluations and
treatment for a wide range of outpatient problems, with guidance
and supervision from a primary supervisor and secondary supervisors.
Most residents have contact with more than 200 outpatients over
the training year and have experience co-leading or leading groups
and psycho-educational classes. By the end of the training year,
post-doctoral residents are expected to function nearly as a full
staff clinician, and are prepared to walk into a busy outpatient
practice at a Kaiser or comparable clinic. Therefore, Pleasanton
post-doctoral residents have historically seen more new cases than
other Kaiser outpatient residents. Typically, a resident will take
on four new cases a week and have between 21-23 clinical contact
hours. The residency requires previous experience in outpatient
psychotherapy and high level of initial competency in interviewing.
Residents are expected to complete three psychological assessment
batteries in the training year.
Supervision
Coordination of supervision, schedules, training assignments, and administration issues is the responsibility of the Postdoctoral Residency Training Director in conjunction with the Division Chief of each Team. The primary supervisor is responsible for the supervision of the resident’s clinical work. Each resident works, as a registered psychological assistant, with the Board of Psychology, under the primary supervisor’s license. Each patient seen by the resident is informed at the time of telephone contact, and then before being seen, in writing, of the professional status of the resident. The primary supervisor provides at least one hour of face-to-face supervision a week, and one hour of group supervision with both residents in which live supervision (cotherapy or behind the one-way mirror), video or audio tape consultation are encouraged. Delegated supervisors provide face to face or small group supervision. Face to face and small group supervision comprises 10% of hours worked. Additional supervision is provided for psychological assessment cases.
Seminars
Residents from the consortium attend a weekly seminar at one site with presenters recruited from all four sites. Pleasanton residents discuss articles on brief therapy, psychotherapy outcome, and common factors with the training director. Residents participate in the weekly team meetings for the Adult or Child/Family team. The Child Team often sees live cases as a modified “reflecting team” or other team format. On a regular basis the residents travel to Oakland for afternoon workshops that focus on Best Practice Guidelines and include topics such as Ethics and the Law, Diversity, and Neuropsychology. Workshop presenters are usually well known experts in their specialty
Evaluations
Evaluations are based on goal attainment on goals set by each resident at the beginning of the year and ratings of skills and competencies, primarily by the primary supervisor. Resident’s goals are reviewed and rated in quarterly meetings with the resident, the resident’s supervisors, and the Training Director. Mid -year and at the end of the year a regional “Resident Performance Evaluation” is completed by the primary supervisor.
Grievance Procedure
At the time of orientation, residents complete a supervision agreement contract which sets out expectations and terms of continuance and termination. This serves as a reference for any disagreements that may arise. Residents are encouraged to work out conflicts with supervisors with the supervisor. Problems in interactions with staff may be discussed with the primary supervisor and the Training Director, and, if necessary, the Department Chief.
Qualifications of Candidates
Candidates must complete all requirements for their Doctoral degree from a Clinical or Counseling Psychology Program that is approved by the American Psychological Association no later than July 7th of the year they apply for the residency program.
HOW TO APPLY
All applications are due by January 15th for the training year beginning the following September. Interviews take place during the month of February. Notification day is coordinated with the other postdoctoral programs in California and occurs on a date in late February.
To apply for a residency position, mail your letter of intent stating your interests including whether you're looking for a concentration on the Adult or Child & Family team (including your estimated date for completion of all requirements for a doctoral degree), graduate transcripts (unofficial are acceptable), a current vitae, and three letters of recommendation (originals and sealed in envelopes; one letter must be from your most recent or current primary clinical supervisor) to the Director of Training at the address below.
Each applicant must also express their interest in one or more postdoctoral resident position(s) by following these steps:
- Go to kaiserpermanentejobs.org
- Create a job profile
- Find the correct job listing(s) by selecting these parameters:
- Area of interest: Behavioral/Mental Health - Other
- State/City: California (Northern) – All
- Job Type: Full-Time
- Submit one resume per each listing you are interested in
If you are invited to be interviewed, you will be emailed a job application which you will need to print, fill out, and fax back to sender.
Apply To:
Mental Health Department
Kaiser Permanente, Pleasanton
7601 Stoneridge Drive
Pleasanton, CA 94588Director of Training: Richard Gelbard, Ph.D.
925-847-5519
E-Mail: richard.gelbard@kp.org
