Postdoctoral Psychology at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY
401 Bicentennial Way
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 571-4015
POSTDOCTORAL RESIDENCY IN PSYCHOLOGY
At Santa Rosa we offer four full-time postdoctoral residency positions providing outpatient psychotherapy in our Department of Psychiatry. There are opportunities to work exclusively with adult clients or to work half time with children and families and half time with adults. Two residents work full time on the Adult Team. The other two residents work half time on our Child and Family Team and half time on the Adult Team. The program consists of regularly scheduled training seminars, individual and group supervision, and direct clinical experiences with a broad array of clients and treatment modalities. The residency begins the day after Labor Day and ends August 31 for 40 hours/week. We require a 12 month commitment, which means that residents will accrue 2000 postdoctoral residency hours. The pay is $37,705/year and includes health insurance. There are two weeks of paid vacation time.
The SETTING
The North Bay
Santa Rosa is located in the Sonoma County wine country about an hour and fifteen minutes north of San Francisco and about 45 minutes from the Pacific coast. The Sierra Nevada mountains are about 3 ½ hours away. Our clientele come from Sonoma County, which is mostly urban and some rural areas. We see children, adolescents, families, and adults at a multidisciplinary HMO setting, which has an affiliated medical facility.
Patient Population
The patient population consists of Kaiser Health Plan members possessing prepaid psychiatric benefits. Our members are from a wide spectrum of primarily middle/working class adults, families, adolescents, and children. The patient population is ethnically diverse and exhibits a wide array of psychological problems.
The Staff
Currently, our department includes 25 psychologists, 26 clinical social workers, and 12 psychiatrists. The staff members represent various theoretical orientations from psychodynamic to cognitive behavioral. A team of triage staff members provides front line access for patients through telephone and face to face contacts.
Services
Residents choose to work exclusively with adult clients or half time with adults and half time with children, adolescents, and families. The direct services provided in the Department of Psychiatry include individual, couples, family, and group therapy, as well as psychological assessment. The Santa Rosa Department of Psychiatry has a rich array of group therapy programs offered within each team. Clients can participate in groups specifically designed for their treatment needs. There are groups for depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and crisis stabilization (Intensive Outpatient Program) on the Adult and Child Teams. There is also a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy program on both teams. The Chemical Dependency Team is within the Department of Psychiatry and provides specialty care in that area.
THE TRAINING PROGRAM
General Principles
The basic training philosophy adopted by the department stresses a commitment to a continuous reassessment, modification, and enrichment of psychotherapy techniques. Residents are exposed to a unique and diverse community. There is a clear emphasis on the role of the psychologist in a multi-cultural community and outpatient setting. Residents will be encouraged to become familiar with the demographic composition of the community in which our clients reside.
The Best Practices literature serves as the curriculum for the training program. This body of literature is comprised of well researched guidelines for the treatment of various mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The Best Practices Literature is available on-line and in hard copy form.
The residency consists of three components:
1) Regular exposure through active participation to all facets of outpatient services.
2) Professional guidance through sessions of formal supervision, staff meetings and informal contacts with staff members.
3) training seminars held weekly, and regional seminars held at regular intervals throughout the training year.
Supervision
Supervision includes 2 hours of individual supervision and 2 hours of group supervision. There are 2 clinical supervisors, who meet 1 hour/week with the residents for individual supervision. Group supervision is provided for 2 hours/week by several staff members. There is also a clinical case conference and supervision for psychological assessment batteries. Residents co-lead 2 group therapies with full time staff members, who provide live supervision in that context.
Seminars
Our postdoctoral program is heavily weighted toward training, as well as service. We have weekly didactic seminars provided to the residents by psychiatrists, psychologists, and clinical social workers. Residents are expected to complete 2 psychological assessment batteries during their year, and there is a year-long assessment seminar program. All residents receive training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) for treating clients with borderline personality disorder and have a couple of long-term clients they see throughout the year. There is also specialized training in Anxiety Disorders and Eating Disorders. We are part of the regional effort to become a consortium of Kaiser Permanente APA approved postdoctoral programs. As part of that program, our residents attend regional seminars at Oakland on a regular basis, where they will receive further training.
Evaluations
The primary supervisors are responsible for completing the residents’ evaluations in collaboration with the entire training staff. There are two evaluations of the residents; one mid-year and one at the end of the year. All efforts will be made to provide ongoing feedback to residents throughout the year. Residents will also have an opportunity to evaluate this program twice a year.
Grievances
Any problem which might arise should be addressed with the resident's primary supervisor. If the problem cannot be resolved, then this matter should be taken up by the Director of Training. A Policy and Procedures manual provides a lengthy description of grievances procedures.
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.
- Each applicant must send a letter of intent, including date when doctoral training will be completed, along with current vita, three letters of recommendation and a sample psychological assessment to the address and contact information listed 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
Department of Psychiatry
Kaiser Permanente, Santa Rosa
401 Bicentennial Way
Santa Rosa, Ca. 95403
Director of Training: Sandra Seligson, Ph.D.
707-784-7685 E-Mail: sandra.seligson@kp.org
Thank you for your interest!
