Training Goals at the Postdoctoral Psychology Training in Trauma Informed Child and Family Treatment

The postdoctoral fellow gains knowledge and skills through a combination of supervised assessment and treatment, didactic seminars, group supervision and case conferences.
The training goals are obtained through the following objectives:

• Recruiting fellows with a demonstrated interest in the field of childhood trauma.
• Providing quality supervision and seminar experiences with the flexibility to allow the fellow to choose from a range of training options.
• Cultivating awareness of the pitfalls of vicarious trauma, and promoting self-care as a model for the fellows’ future practice. 
• Encouraging scholarly and scientific investigation in the field of childhood trauma, by building research time and mentoring in to the fellow’s weekly schedule.

The fellow develops the following competencies through participation in training activities:

• Postdoctoral fellows will demonstrate competence in the use of assessment tools including structured diagnostic interviews, to provide thorough diagnostic evaluations of clients seeking help for trauma related symptoms and a wide range of other mental health concerns.  These skills are developed by carrying out approximately two diagnostic interviews per month during the training year. 
• The fellow will show competence in selecting, administering, interpreting, and integrating data from psychological testing to answer referral questions related to the treatment of children exposed to trauma. Training is provided through a didactic seminar and weekly supervision. The fellow is required to show proficiency using a range of cognitive tests, trauma-specific measures and behavior checklists, objective personality questionnaires, and projective measures. The number of assessments completed in the training year is contingent on types of testing needed and social distancing measures designed for patient and trainee safety.
• The fellow will show initial skill at supervising students by training doctoral interns on scoring, interpreting, and integrating data from psychological testing.  They practice under supervision in this training activity.
• After choosing one or more sub-specialty areas or modalities, the fellow will take clinical cases in the area(s), attend regular case conferences, seminars, and other learning experiences relevant to the interest area(s).  Training in evidence-based practices is emphasized with opportunities for the fellow to develop advanced skills in such models as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy.
• The fellow will have developed, carried out, and presented a research project related to child and adolescent trauma.  The project will help the fellow grow in knowledge of the literature, and begin making contributions to the field.