Postdoctoral Psychology at Kaiser Permanente
Walnut Creek
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY
1425 SOUTH MAIN STREET
WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA 94596
(925) 295-4145
POSTDOCTORAL RESIDENCY IN PSYCHOLOGY
We offer 2 post-doctoral, full-time residency positions, each with a primary emphasis on the Adult or Child and Family, or Chemical Dependency teams. Residents mayl have the opportunity to work in all three areas of practice.
THE SETTING
The Walnut Creek Area
Walnut Creek is just of short drive northeast of Oakland. Our clinic is conveniently located near both freeways and the Walnut Creek BART station, allowing for easy commutes to Oakland, San Francisco, and the North Bay. The service area includes both suburban and semi-rural communities. The clinic is located close to shopping, restaurants and entertainment.
Patient Population
The patient population consists of Kaiser Health Plan members possessing prepaid psychiatric and chemical dependency benefits and covers a fairly broad ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic spectrum. All age groups and virtually all psychiatric categories are represented.
The Staff
The professional staff consists of full and part-time staff: 25 psychologists, 14 licensed psychiatric social workers, 5 Marriage and Family Therapists, and a team of physicians and nurses. A team of triage staff members provides front line access for patients through telephone and face to face contacts.
Services
The Department of Psychiatry provides individual, group, family therapy, psychological testing, and psycho-educational programs such as couples’ communication and other classes. It also includes an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) that provides services to recently hospitalized individuals or people who would otherwise be at risk for hospitalization. We offer a wide variety of groups to both adults and children, ranging from Dialetic Behavioral Therapy to Anxiety Management. Our Chemical Dependency Program offers primarily group treatment to adults. We also provide treatment for dually diagnosed patients. The members of the staff represent a variety of theoretical orientations ranging from psychodynamic to cognitive behavioral therapy.
THE TRAINING PROGRAM
General Principles
The basic training philosophy adopted by this department stresses a commitment to a continuous reassessment, modification, and enrichment of counseling techniques. Residents are exposed to a unique and diverse community. There is a clear emphasis on providing mental health and chemical dependency services in an outpatient setting to a diverse population. Interns will become familiar with mental health and chemical dependency treatment modalities, assessment, other Kaiser services, and community resources. 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:
- Regular exposure through active participation in mental health and chemical dependency outpatient services, including co-facilitation of groups.
- Professional guidance through sessions of formal supervision, staff meetings and informal contacts with staff members.
- Regular weekly training seminars.
Supervision
Residents will receive between two (2) hours of regularly scheduled individual supervision and two (2) hours of group supervision... Selection of cases and size of caseload is carefully adjusted to the Resident's readiness and training needs as determined by his/her supervisor.
Seminars
Interns attend a 2 hour weekly seminar with residents from the other sites in the East Bay Consortium covering a variety of topics related to mental health, chemical dependency, and career development. Additionally, interns may attend peer review and staff educations held on a monthly basis. Once per month residents attend a 4 hour seminar with the other 49 post docs from our other medical centers. Seminars focus on Best Practice Guidelines and topics such as Neurophsychology, DBT, ADD and Diversity.
Evaluations
The primary supervisors are responsible for completing the resident’s evaluation in collaboration with the rest of the training staff. There are two evaluations, 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 intern'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 and three letters of recommendation 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, Walnut Creek
1425 So. Main St.
Walnut Creek, CA 94596Director of Training: Marilyn O'Connor, Psy D.
925-295-4596
E-Mail: marilyn.o.o'connor@kp.org
