Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowships
2014-2015
Children’s Hospital Colorado offers eight post-doctoral psychology fellowships in the following areas. All
fellowships combine clinical and research opportunities.
1) Eating Disorders – focused on treatment and evaluation of children and adolescents diagnosed with
eating disorders along a full spectrum of levels of care from medical stabilization, inpatient
hospitalization, day treatment, intensive outpatient and outpatient services. .
2) Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disabilities – focused on evaluation and treatment of autism and
developmental disabilities including stabilization, evaluation, inpatient hospitalization, and planning for
the continuum of care.
3) Pediatric Primary Care – focused on mental health, behavioral, and developmental consultation services
in an outpatient pediatric primary care clinic and on program evaluation, research, and education around
integrated mental health services.
4) Child Development Unit – Outpatient multidisciplinary evaluation of autism, developmental
disabilities and genetic disorders. The postdoctoral fellow works on the Child Development Unit with a
team consisting of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Social Work, Nursing, Occupational Therapy,
Physical Therapy, Speech/Language and Psychology. The postdoctoral fellow also participates in a
selected set of LEND training didactic opportunities and research relevant to developmental disabilities.
5) Medical Day Treatment – focused on assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with chronic
medical illness and comorbid psychiatric symptoms. The program offers training in a unique
multidisciplinary setting, including on-site education and daily medical support. There are opportunities
to integrate research and program development activities with clinical service
6) The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders (CCBD) This fellowship is designed to provide clinical and
research training and to develop advanced competencies in pediatric psychology within an oncologyhematology setting. The Fellow will be engaged in all aspects of clinical assessment, treatment and
program development across CCBD diagnoses. In addition, the Fellow will assist in the development
and implementation of psychosocial research within the CCBD with the goal of preparing manuscripts
for publication.
7) Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant. The Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Programs at Children’s
Hospital Colorado would offer a unique training opportunity in the area of pediatric psychology. This
fellowship is designed to provide clinical and research training and to develop advanced competencies in
pediatric psychology. The Fellow will be engaged in all aspects of clinical assessment, treatment and
program development across the solid organ transplant programs (e.g., liver, kidney, heart) at Children’s
Hospital Colorado. In addition, the Fellow will assist in the development and implementation of
research on adherence to medication regimens and transition to adult healthcare.
Children’s Hospital Colorado Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship 2014-2015
8) Outpatient Postdoctoral Fellow (OP) - focused on assessment and treatment of children and adolescents
presenting with a broad range of emotional and behavioral problems. The fellow will be engaged in all
aspects of clinical outpatient assessment and treatment. Application Open until filled.
All fellowships are designed as full-time 12-consecutive -month programs beginning in September 2014. Fellows
will receive a salary of $38,000, subject to the withholding of taxes. As a full-time Children’s Hospital Colorado
employee, fellows are eligible for benefits equivalent to a first year employee which include; medical, dental,
vision, short term disability, and life insurance options. Fellows are eligible for a total of 21 days of paid time off
for holiday (7 Children’s Hospital Colorado observed holidays), vacation, and sick days, and 5 professional leave
days. Malpractice insurance is provided by Children’s Hospital Colorado. The fellowship program is broadly
intended to be comprised of 60% time devoted to clinical experience and 40% time developed to research
activities with fellowship placements determining the specific activities and time allocations.
Requirements for Admission
Applicants must have completed their training in an APA or CPA accredited PhD or PsyD program in Clinical,
Counseling, or School Psychology, and an APA accredited internship. Candidates are expected to have
sufficient training and experience in Child Clinical Psychology to be able to maximally benefit from the
experiences offered. Applications will be accepted from doctoral candidates who expect to have completed all doctoral
degree requirements by the fellowship start date, including completion of internship and successful dissertation defense.
Positions are contingent upon official verification of completion of all doctoral degree requirements (e.g., diploma,
transcript) through the graduate school conferring the degree prior to starting the fellowship. The training
program is committed to the recruitment of culturally and ethnically diverse individuals. Bilingual Spanish
speaking applicants, and all other qualified applicants, are encouraged to apply.
By the beginning of the postdoctoral year the fellow is expected to:
 Possess a good understanding of child and adolescent development
 Have a good working knowledge of psychiatric diagnoses
 Have practicum or internship experience providing individual, family and group therapy operating from
a variety of theoretical approaches, including empirically supported interventions (CBT, DBT, ACT, PCIT,
FFT).
 Have experience providing consultation services in a pediatric setting
 Have an identified area of research interest, research coursework and research experience
 Have a good working knowledge of and experience in test administration, scoring, and interpretation
Application Procedures
To apply, please submit the following in one complete packet: 1) a cover letter specifying interest in the specific
post-doctoral position of choice, previous clinical, research and professional experience relevant to the postdoctoral program and expectations of personal and/or professional goals that may result from engaging in the
specific post-doctoral program identified; 2) a current Curriculum Vitae; 3) three (3) letters of recommendation
and 4) Official graduate transcript. The recommender's signature must be signed over the back seal of the
envelope. Interview dates for selected applicants are January 27, 2014, January 31, 2014, February 3, 2014 and
February 7, 2014.
Should you be interested in applying for more than one position, please specify the one you are most
interested in and discuss why you have chosen that particular program. Application deadline is January 3,
2014. Please address your application or other written communications to:
Christine Mann, Research and Training Program Assistant
Children’s Hospital Colorado
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, B130
13123 E. 16th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045
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Christine.Mann@childrenscolorado.org
For questions, please contact the following individuals
 Sally E. Tarbell, PhD.
Chief of Pediatric Psychology
Associate Professor
Postdoctoral Fellowship,
Training Director
Sally.Tarbell@childrenscolorado.org
720-777-6255
 Jason Williams, Psy.D.
Assistant Professor
Postdoctoral Fellowship,
Co-Director
Jason.Williams@childrenscolorado.org
(720)777-8108


Robert Casey, PhD.
Ayelet Talmi, PhD.
Associate Professor
(Pediatric Primary Care Psychology)
Program Director, Project CLIMB
Ayelet.Talmi@childrenscolorado.org

Mindy Solomon, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Clinical Program Director, Eating
Disorders Program
Mindy.Solomon@childrenscolorado.org
(720) 777-4683
Rebecca Wilson, Psy.D.
Assistant Professor
Training Director, Neurodevelopmental
Program
Rebecca.Wilson@childrenscolorado.org
720-777-6837

Associate Professor
Training Director, CCBD
Robert.Casey@childrenscolorado.org
(720)-777-6594

Robin Gabriels, Psy.D.
Associate Professor
Program Director, Neuropsychiatric
Special Care
Robin.Gabriels@childrenscolorado.org
(720) 777-3404
(720) 777-6670
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Mission
Consistent with the mission of the hospital, the shared mission of the University Of Colorado Denver Division Of
Child Psychiatry and Children’s Hospital Colorado Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is “to
improve the mental, physical and emotional health of children, adolescents and families through the provision of
high quality, coordinated programs of patient care, research, education, and advocacy. In partnership with the
community, we work to enhance our position as a national leader in child psychiatry and behavioral health
sciences.” The specific objectives of the department include provision of:
1. High quality treatment along a continuum of care with emphasis on crisis management,
stabilization, and short-term care on an inpatient and outpatient basis.
2. Comprehensive intake and
3. Advocacy for the mental health needs of children, adolescents, and families
The patient population served by the Department covers the life span from newborns through 21 years of age.
Children and their families are from a broad spectrum of socio-economic levels and diverse ethnic and cultural
backgrounds. Youth present with difficulties ranging from age-typical problem behaviors and situational
reactions to serious mental disorders. Many youth and their families also seek psychological assistance to cope
with acute or chronic medical problems.
The hospital and department staff is culturally, ethnically, and theoretically diverse in composition. Post-doctoral
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fellows participate as members of multidisciplinary teams in order to experience first-hand the roles and functions
assumed by practitioners of different disciplines working in collaboration. This process ensures exposure to many
professional role models. Fellows are provided with numerous formal and informal opportunities to cultivate
professional understanding of the social, ethical, and legal responsibilities of a professional psychologist in the
current health care environment. The fellowship year is designed to support and encourage the development of
exceptionally competent Psychology practitioners who work both independently as well as on multidisciplinary
teams.
Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Position Specific Descriptions
The postdoctoral fellowships in Child Clinical and Pediatric Psychology are designed to prepare a doctoral
level psychologist to further enhance and consolidate his/her clinical, research and professional skills in child
clinical and pediatric psychology.
1. The Eating Disorder Program (EDU) at Children’s Hospital Colorado provides full spectrum services
to families of children and adolescents (ages 6-21) diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia or Eating
Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. The program offers treatment at various levels of care - medical
stabilization, inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, day treatment, intensive outpatient (ED-IOP) and
outpatient services. The Eating Disorder Program provides evidence-based interventions including,
but not limited to, Family Based Therapy, Motivation Enhancement Therapy, Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and
psychopharmacology. The program also incorporates the Creative Arts Therapy services, including
yoga, music therapy, movement therapy and art therapy. One hundred percent of the fellow’s time
will be spent in the Eating Disorders Program. That time will be dedicated to 60% - 80% time
participating in clinical activities and 20% - 40% in research, programmatic development and program
evaluation. The primary clinical responsibilities will be to provide direct clinical care to patients and
their families throughout the full continuum of care. This includes initial diagnostic evaluations,
individual, family and group psychotherapy. The research component of the fellowship includes
participation in the development and/or continuation of programmatic research within the area of
eating disorders. The primary research role of the fellow will be to coordinate, manage and facilitate
the ongoing clinical research for the Eating Disorder program. There are many opportunities for the
fellow to develop individual projects using the data. Additionally, the fellow will have the opportunity
to work with Guido Frank MD providing structured diagnostic interviews and participating in
research on the neurobiology of eating disorders in the Developmental Brain Research Program.
Children’s Hospital Colorado Eating Disorders team presents research and clinical data at national and
international meetings (AED, NEDA, and AACAP) and it is expected that the fellow will actively
participate in these activities. Psychology fellows will receive primary supervision for research and
clinical activities by the Eating Disorder Program psychologist. Additional research supervision will
also be provided by the principal investigators on the various research projects. Fellows are also
expected to work collaboratively with the Eating Disorder Program multi-disciplinary team comprised
of pediatricians, psychiatrists, social workers, nutritionists, mental health clinicians, nursing staff, child
life specialists, and community providers.
2. Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disabilities (Clinical and Research) The fellowship is
designed to prepare a doctoral level psychologist to specialize his/her clinical and research skills in the
area of autism and developmental disabilities. The fellow will be integrated into three settings: 1) an
inpatient/day treatment crisis assessment and stabilization program (Neuropsychiatric Special Care;
NSC), 2) the NSC outpatient bridge clinic (a short term follow-up outpatient care of patients recently
discharged from the NSC inpatient or day treatment program) and 3) Dr. Gabriels’ autism intervention
outcomes research team. In the clinical settings, the fellow will provide direct clinical care (individual
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assessment along with family and group therapy) and consultation to program staff, patients, families,
physicians, and residents in conjunction with a team of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers,
psychology interns and child psychiatry residents. Experiences will be provided to develop skills in
autism diagnosis along with developing and implementing visually-based cognitive behavioral
treatment plans. The research setting will provide opportunities to assist in implementing on-going
research projects and lead a clinical outcomes research project.
3. Pediatric Primary Care (Project CLIMB): Project CLIMB (Consultation Liaison in Mental health and
Behavior) is a collaborative effort between the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the
Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Colorado to provide integrated mental health services in
the context of a pediatric residency training clinic. Project CLIMB aims to facilitate early identification and
treatment of mental health and behavioral issues within a primary pediatric care setting and to increase
access to mental health services in an underserved population. The Child Health Clinic is the main source
of pediatric primary care and continuity clinics at Children’s Hospital Colorado, serving 22,000
children each year. Project CLIMB is staffed by a transdisciplinary team, which includes psychologists,
psychiatrists, pediatricians, psychology postdoctoral fellows, psychiatry fellows, psychology interns,
licensed professional counselors, pediatric residents, allied health trainees, and staff from the Child
Health Clinic. The team provides developmental interventions, diagnostic assessments, medication
evaluations, staff consultation and training, psychosocial and behavioral group and individual
interventions, and recommendations for treatment of infants, children, and adolescents seen in a
pediatric primary care outpatient setting. Fellows will spend 60% of their time engaged in the above
mentioned clinical activities. A central focus of the rotation involves ongoing collaboration with
pediatric primary care health professionals in developing and delivering coordinated and
comprehensive services that include both pediatric and mental health components to children and their
families. Research and scholarly activities will comprise the remaining 40% of the fellow’s time.
Fellows will engage in ongoing research projects and develop independent projects focused on quality
improvement initiatives, program evaluation, systems and policy work, and clinical informatics.
Fellows will have opportunities to teach and develop training and educational offerings. Additionally,
fellows will supervise psychology interns rotating on their Pediatric Health Psychology elective.
4. The Child Development Unit (CDU), the clinical service of the Section of Neurodevelopment and
Behavioral Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Colorado and the University Of Colorado Denver School
Of Medicine, is offering a one year post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric developmental disabilities.
This training program emphasizes an interdisciplinary model of evaluation, single discipline
consultation, and treatment for a wide range of developmental and behavioral disorders, including
autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disability, and genetic disorders. Training experiences include
evaluations of children, youth, and young adults, family support/educational groups, treatment,
didactics, and research. The training program is designed to match the individual fellow’s training
goals with a balance of approximately 60-75% clinical requirements and the remainder divided
between didactic and research experiences. The CDU is a busy clinical setting serving Denver and the
Rocky Mountain region with a collaborative team of developmental pediatricians, psychologists, social
workers, nurses, and other allied health professionals. This training opportunity is affiliated with The
JFK Partner Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Program, providing a
comprehensive curriculum addressing practice and policies related to children with disabilities.
Supervision is provided by experienced, senior licensed psychologists. The CDU also has trainees from
other disciplines, including medical students, developmental-behavioral pediatric fellows; child
neurology, child psychiatry and pediatric residents. Upon completion of training, the fellow will have
developed advanced competencies in the assessment and management of children with a broad range
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of developmental and behavioral disorders. State of the art facilities for clinical care are provided at the
new Children’s Hospital on the Anschutz medical campus.
5. Medical Day Treatment (Clinical and Research) This fellowship offers a unique training opportunity
for a postdoctoral fellow preparing for a career in pediatric health psychology. Medical Day Treatment
is a unique multidisciplinary program serving children and adolescents (ages 7-21) diagnosed with a
chronic or debilitating medical illness, often with comorbid psychiatric symptoms. This population
faces barriers to accessing education in the regular school setting due to their medical and/or
psychiatric symptoms. Common medical diagnoses include but are not limited to Type I Diabetes, End
Stage Renal Disease, Seizure Disorders, and GI Disorders; chronic pain symptoms and comorbid
genetic syndromes are common. Psychiatric presentations include anxiety and depression related to
living with a chronic illness, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma symptoms, ADHD, and
cognitive disorders. In partnership with Aurora Public Schools, the program offers two classrooms on
site for 1st-12th grades taught by special education teachers. The nursing team provides daily medical
support to the patients to help improve medical adherence behaviors, medical stability, and
autonomous self-care. The psychosocial team includes a psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social
worker, and mental health counselor. The postdoctoral fellow for Medical Day Treatment will dedicate
70% time to clinical and program development activities and 30% to research activities. Primary clinical
responsibilities include performing initial diagnostic evaluations, individual, family and group
psychotherapy, leading treatment planning meetings, daily coordination with academic and medical
team members, and conducting cognitive and socio-emotional assessments. The research component of
the fellowship includes developing and implementing a new clinical intervention to examine its impact
on patient outcomes. There will also be opportunities for the fellow to contribute his/her own ideas to
program development projects, such as improving systems of clinical service delivery. The fellow will
also have the opportunity to provide education to a multidisciplinary audience.
6. The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders (CCBD) at Children’s Hospital Colorado is pleased to
announce the establishment of a new Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pediatric
Oncology. This fellowship is designed to provide clinical and research training and to develop
advanced competencies in pediatric psychology within an oncology-hematology setting. Applications
are now being accepted. The fellowship is a 1-year training experience beginning Monday September
9th, 2013 and ending Friday August 29th, 2014. The CCBD at Children’s Hospital Colorado is
recognized nationally and internationally for the treatment and care of children, adolescents and young
adults with cancer and non-malignant blood diseases, such as hemophilia and sickle cell anemia. The
Center is the only dedicated pediatric cancer center in the Rocky Mountain region and treats more than
1,500 patients each year from birth to age 25. The center has the region’s only Pediatric NeuroOncology Program for brain tumor diagnosis and treatment, the only Pediatric Bone Marrow
Transplant Program, and the only pediatric Experimental Therapeutics Program investigating
promising new drugs for cancer treatment. The Center is a founding member of the Children’s
Oncology Group, an NCI-funded, multi-center alliance which conducts studies designed to improve
our understanding of childhood cancer, its treatment and its cure. The Psychology Fellow will work as
a member of the CCBD Wellness Program, a psychosocial intervention team comprised of a licensed
clinical psychologist, 4 licensed clinical social workers, 4 Therapeutic Recreation/Child Life Specialists,
a Resource Specialist, an Art Therapist, a Chaplain, a Learning Specialist, and an Acupressurist. The
Fellow will be engaged in all aspects of clinical assessment, treatment and program development across
CCBD diagnoses. In addition, the Fellow will assist in the development and implementation of
psychosocial research within the CCBD with the goal of preparing manuscripts for publication.
Didactic experiences will be available through the CCBD and through the Child Psychiatry Department
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training program Requirements: The successful candidate will have a background in child/pediatric
psychology. Graduates of APA-accredited clinical psychology programs and APA-accredited predoctoral internships are preferred. Contact: Interested applicants may call Dr. Casey at (720) 777-6594
or email Robert.Casey@childrenscolorado.org for additional information.
7. The Transplant Service Line at Children’s Hospital Colorado is pleased to announce the establishment
of a new Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship in Solid Organ Transplant. This fellowship is
designed to provide clinical and research training and to develop advanced competencies in pediatric
psychology within a solid organ transplant setting. Applications are now being accepted. The
fellowship is a 1-year training experience. The Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Programs at Children’s
Hospital Colorado would offer a unique training opportunity in the area of pediatric psychology. A
psychology postdoctoral fellow would also have dedicated research time for a more concentrated focus
on outcomes of psychological services provided throughout the service line. Ongoing research within
the programs include assessment of interventions to improve adherence in solid organ transplant
recipients and program evaluation of the multidisciplinary transition clinics for adolescents solid organ
transplant patients as they prepare for transition to adult health care. Candidates with previous clinical
or research experiences in pediatric psychology are strongly encouraged to apply. The Fellow will be
engaged in all aspects of clinical assessment, treatment and program development across the three
solid organ transplant team at Children’s Hospital Colorado. In addition, the Fellow will assist in the
development and implementation of psychosocial research with the goal of preparing manuscripts for
publication.
8. Outpatient Postdoctoral Fellow (OP) - focused on assessment and treatment of children and
adolescents presenting with a broad range of emotional and behavioral problems. The fellow will be
engaged in all aspects of clinical outpatient assessment and treatment. The fellow will have the
opportunity to participate in an innovative program development effort to bring a transdiagnostic
approach to child and adolescent behavioral health services. This approach focuses on the delivery of
evidenced based services that address clinical problems that span a range of diagnoses, such as distress
tolerance, emotional awareness, cognitive appraisal and reappraisal, sleep, interoceptive and
situational exposures. There are opportunities to integrate research and program development
activities with clinical service. The outpatient clinicians conduct urgent, routine, complex, and
comprehensive evaluations for children and families. Services include diagnostic evaluation,
medication evaluation, psychotherapy, intensive outpatient, group therapies, and consultation to
children, adolescents, adults, families, schools, and professional health care providers. Primary clinical
responsibilities include performing initial evaluations, individual, family and group psychotherapy,
leading treatment planning meetings, daily coordination with academic and medical team members.
The fellow will also have the opportunity to provide education to interdisciplinary colleagues and
trainees as well as supervision to psychology trainees. Position open until filled.
In Depth Information about Children’s Hospital Colorado including the Psychology Training Programs
Children’s Hospital Colorado is a pediatric health care facility serving Colorado and the nation.
http://www.childrenscolorado.org/ Children’s Hospital Colorado Mission is “to improve the health of children
through the provision of high quality coordinated programs of patient care, education, research, and advocacy.”
The Vision states: “Children’s Hospital Colorado will be the leader in providing the best healthcare outcomes for
children. We will be the driving force, in partnership with others, in providing children and their families with an
integrated pediatric health-care delivery system. We will be a national leader in pediatric research and
education.” The hospital’s core values are quality patient care, employee excellence, teamwork, and innovation.
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When it was founded in 1908 in Denver, Colorado Children’s Hospital Colorado set out to be a leader in
providing the best healthcare outcomes for children. That calling has consistently made us one of the top 10
children's hospitals in the nation and a place parents across the Rocky Mountain region have come to trust.
Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora, CO is ranked nationally in 10 pediatric specialties by U.S. News and
World Report. Consistently ranked a leader in pediatric specialty care by U.S. News and World Report, the
American Nurses Credentialing Center also named Children’s Colorado a Magnet hospital for the second
time, recognizing our continued excellence in nursing and patient care.
Our modern-day mission is to improve the health of children through the provision of high-quality
coordinated programs of patient care, education, research and advocacy.
In addition to providing the best possible care for kids who need it, we also work hard to keep kids out of the
hospital. Through medical research and advocacy efforts, we are working towards a world where kids are
safer and healthier and will one day have less need for a hospital.
As a private, not-for-profit pediatric healthcare network, Children’s Hospital Colorado is 100-percent
dedicated to caring for kids at all ages and stages of growth. We have more than 1,000 pediatric specialists and
more than 3,000 full-time employees helping to carry out our mission.
We provide comprehensive pediatric care at our main campus and at our 14 Network of Care locations.
No matter which location you visit, you'll receive the best possible care for your kids with our specially trained
staff and facilities designed just for kids. Unlike other hospitals and urgent care locations, we partner with
your child's pediatrician or your family doctor to make sure you receive integrated care.
Children’s Hospital Colorado at I-225 and Colfax is the only dedicated Level 1 trauma center in our 7 state
regions, handling the most challenging emergencies. We offer two additional emergency locations: Saint
Joseph Hospital in Downtown Denver and Parker Adventist Hospital in Parker, as well as two urgent care
locations: Broomfield and Exempla Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge, and nine specialty care centers
and clinics. We bring our expertise to doctors and families throughout the Rocky Mountain Region with more
than 400 outreach clinics every year.
We envision a world where no child needs a hospital. Until we make that happen, we're here for your kids.
The hospital staff treats newborns, infants, toddlers, school-age children, adolescents, and young adults.
Individual psychological therapy is provided to parents of children, as a collateral treatment with their children,
and much care is provided in a family therapy context. Patients served by the hospital come from all
socioeconomic levels, and from urban, rural, and frontier settings. The patients and their families are diverse in
terms of their ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds and affiliations. The hospital provides services to all
individuals who seek treatment in the facility, thus it often provides care to the underserved populations in the
region. Children’s Hospital Colorado is both a private insurance and Medicaid provider, and its reimbursement
mix is consistently about equal parts private and public funding.
In addition to the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Psychologists are situated in the
Departments of Neuro-trauma Rehabilitation, Neuropsychology, the Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU), Adolescent
Medicine, the Pain Team, the Burn Unit, the Child Health Clinic, The International Adoption Clinic, Metabolic
and Good Life Clinics, the Child Development Unit, The Sleep Disorders Unit and the Kempe Center. Other
specialized services within the hospital include Neuropsychology, Neurology, Neuro-trauma Rehabilitation,
Pediatric and Intensive Care, Inpatient and Outpatient Surgery, Adolescent Medicine, Burn Care, Cardiology,
Gastroenterology, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, Pulmonary, Hematology/Oncology, and Organ Transplant, among
others.
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Children’s Hospital Colorado affiliated with the University of Colorado, Denver School of Medicine Anschutz
Medical Campus, pediatric programs in 1990. http://www.ucdenver.edu/Pages/UCDWelcomePage.aspx This
affiliation strengthened the hospital’s commitment to research and training, and enhanced the hospital’s ability to
provide access to cost-effective primary, secondary and tertiary care. In 2002, Marianne Wamboldt, MD was
appointed chair of both the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Children’s Hospital Colorado
and the Division of Child Psychiatry at the UCHSC, further strengthening the affiliation at a departmental level.
This enhanced relationship has resulted in greater cross-fertilization between the research expertise at the CU
Denver and the clinical expertise at Children’s Hospital Colorado, as well as movement toward more integrated
interdisciplinary training activities.
Children’s Hospital Colorado is also affiliated with the Kempe Center, an internationally renowned research and
treatment facility for children who have been physically or sexually abused or who have witnessed violence.
http://www.kempe.org/. The Kempe Center publishes the International Journal of Child Abuse and hosts a
biennial international conference on child abuse issues. Researchers within the institute have significant local and
federal funding to conduct long term outcome studies with infants at risk and with children in the foster care
system.
Children’s Hospital Colorado is an affirmative action equal opportunity employer and the hospital abides by all
laws pertaining to fair employment practices. Established policies regarding race, color, religion, creed, age,
gender, national origin, ancestry, marital status, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation
have been approved by the Board of Directors to ensure equitable treatment of all employees and applicants. This
policy also prohibits sexual harassment and/or intimidation, including verbal harassment or abuse, and demands
or subtle pressure for sexual activities or favors.
The Psychology Training Program Structure
The Chief of Psychology and Director of Postdoctoral Fellowship training is Dr. Sally Tarbell. Dr. Jason Williams
is Director of the Psychology Post-doctoral and Internship programs. The Psychology Training Program is under
the supervision of the Directors of Training (Drs. Tarbell and Williams), and the Psychology Training committee.
The directors of training and the committee are charged with overseeing the progress of the fellows, interns, and
externs; facilitating interdisciplinary clinical experiences; and developing the program. The Training committee
meets regularly to review the trainee’s performance and training needs, and to discuss program development.
Trainees provide ongoing verbal feedback on the program to the training directors. At the end of the training year,
the training directors conduct exit interviews with the fellows, interns, and externs covering all major aspects of
the training year to elicit their feedback. Trainee feedback is consistently used to make adjustments to caseload
expectations, program structure, and available rotations.
Training Plan
Each psychology fellow, with his or her supervisors and the training director, will develop a specific program
that addresses the requirements and goals of the training program, the fellow’s individual training needs and
interests, and the patient care needs within the Department and Hospital. As they demonstrate readiness over
time, fellows are given increasing clinical responsibility, autonomy, and exposure to more challenging treatment
cases. All of these experiences are titrated and reviewed by supervisors who are active treatment providers and
team members on the units. The development of increasing competence is evaluated informally in supervision,
and formally every six months through written evaluations.
Supervision
The training staff provides close supervisory support while guiding trainees toward assuming increasing
autonomy in the clinical responsibility of their cases. The goal of supervision is to support the fellow during
exposure to new patient populations, assessment tools and intervention strategies, and to build feelings of
The Children’s Hospital Psychology Training Program Year 2014-2015
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competence and functional autonomy in areas of strength.
Weekly supervision is provided by licensed psychologists. Most supervising psychologists are full-time staff
members on the service where they supervise. Staff members of other mental health disciplines, who are qualified
and experienced, may provide additional supervision in specific areas for duties that they regularly perform. All
trainees will receive weekly supervision on each service where they provide clinical treatment, and for
psychological testing. Fellows will receive back-up on-call supervision from their outpatient or primary
supervisor. Postdoctoral fellows may be supervised to provide weekly supervision to Interns. Additional
supervision and consultation is provided as needed. Some supervision may occur in group settings with other
trainees.
Evaluation Process
The evaluation process is designed to provide fellows with information that will inform their professional
growth. The expectation is that fellows and supervisors will engage in on-going evaluation of the fellow’s
performance, and that the supervisory relationship will support optimal learning and development. At the end
of each six-month period, the fellow and supervisor will complete a more formal written evaluation of each other.
The mutual exchange of feedback between the supervisor and fellow is designed to enhance professional
growth of both by identifying strengths, areas needing improvement, and personal goals.
The training director meets regularly with the fellows to monitor achievement of training goals and to facilitate
professional development. The training director also maintains regular contact with all supervising psychologists
regarding the progress and functioning of the fellows under their supervision.
Psychology fellows and interns, and child psychiatry residents have dedicated didactic time on Tuesday
mornings. Attendance and participation in seminars is required, and the time is protected from other clinical
demands. The fellows will participate in Professional Development Ethics, Cultural aspects of Pediatric
Psychology, and Professional Supervision training. In addition, fellows are encouraged to attend the weekly
Consultation & Liaison seminar bi-weekly Developmental Psychobiological Research Group (DPRG) meeting,
and Child Psych Grand Rounds (CPGR). They also attend monthly department and outpatient program
meetings.
Fellows and staff are encouraged to also attend continuing education, technical assistance, and wellness programs
offered within and outside of the hospital.
Orientation
Psychology fellows orient at the beginning of the training year. As hospital employees, fellows must complete
hospital required human resource (HR) activities, some of which must be completed prior to employment
(criminal background employee health and drug and alcohol screening). Fellows are also required to attend an
all-day hospital orientation. Whenever feasible, fellows orient together, to facilitate interdisciplinary socialization
and support. During orientation, fellows meet individually with their Program Supervisors to develop their
personal training goals for the year. They will also be introduced to department and hospital staff, services, and
activities. All trainees will receive training to chart, bill and complete reports in the electronic medical record
(EPIC) system.
Resources and Support
The psychology fellows are hospital employees, and have similar benefits, rights and responsibilities as a first year
employees. Fellows are provided with seven paid holidays and fourteen days to take as vacation or sick time, a
total of 21 Personal Time Off (PTO) days. Fellows are also allowed five professional leave days. The training
program pays for the fellows to attend two conferences: 1) an all-day all-Denver metro intern conference on
Colorado law and ethics, and 2) the Department’s annual Rosenberry conference. The OCD and Anxiety
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Disorders Program will cover costs of the Anxiety fellow to attend the annual Anxiety Disorders Association of
America conference.
Fellows may choose benefits from a cafeteria plan of options including health, dental, vision and life insurance
benefits. Current medical insurance providers are UMR-United Health and the HMO Kaiser Permanente.
Dental insurance is provided by Delta Dental. Fellows are provided with parking at the employee cost of $7.00
per pay period. Fellows will be provided malpractice insurance by Children’s Hospital Colorado. As
employees, you will have access to the on-site employee health service, and they may also access the employee
assistance program (EAP).
The fellows are provided with individual desks, phones, and computers. They each share an office with
another Psychiatry or Psychology trainee. The shared office may or may not be used for therapy and testing
sessions. Additional larger family and group therapy offices are available for use as well on a sign out basis.
Several of the shared therapy rooms are equipped with video monitoring and taping capacity for supervision,
training, and research purposes. The training program has regularly scheduled access to rooms for seminars
and other training opportunities. \
Fellows have access to Children’s Hospital Colorado medical and patient libraries, and to the University of
Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine library for access to books and journals. All trainees have access to
resources on the hospital Intranet, and to on-line medical search engines and journals. The fellows are
provided with an email account, access to transcription services, voice mail and text pagers.
Psychology Staff: Postdoctoral Faculty
Beth Bennett, Ph.D., 1999, University of Denver
Senior Instructor
Primary Program - Child Development Unit
 Cognitive, learning, and emotional assessment
 Interest in developmental delays, autism spectrum disorders
 Interest in Neuropsychology
 Interest in cognitive patterns associated with genetic conditions
 Interest in collaboration with schools to design interventions and accommodations
 Interest in comorbidity; multiple diagnoses
Bob Casey, Ph.D., 1998, Georgia State University
Assistant Professor
Primary Program – Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Wellness Program Director
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Impact of pediatric illness on family functioning
Adolescent development and illness
Medical trauma in pediatric patients
Secondary trauma in medical providers
Resiliency and coping
Emily Edlynn, PhD, 2007, Loyola University Chicago
Assistant Professor
Clinical Program Director, Medical Day Treatment
 Evaluation and treatment of behavioral and emotional barriers to medical adherence and school
attendance for children and teenagers with chronic illnesses
 Specialty in management of chronic pain
 Expertise in grief and loss related to changes in functioning or death and dying
 Assist with transition from Medical Day Treatment program to regular schooling environments
Robin Gabriels, Psy.D, 1997, University of Denver
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Associate Professor
Primary Program – Neuropsychiatric Special Care Program
 Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental and genetic disorders
 Diagnostic assessment of individuals with disabilities from a medical, psychiatric, behavioral, and
family perspective
 Cognitive-behavioral treatment of Developmental Disabilities
 Family therapy and assessments
 School Consultation
 Art Therapy
Emily Muther, Ph.D., 2011, University of Denver
Assistant Professor
Primary programs—Project CLIMB, Psychiatry Consultation and Liaison, Neurology
Pediatric Primary Care consultation services
Pediatric Psychology within medical settings
Impact of chronic illness on quality of life, coping, adherence and physical functioning
Clinical consultation and supervision
Training and professional development
Mindy Solomon, Ph.D., 2005 California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles
Assistant Professor
Primary program - Psychologist for the Eating Disorder Program
 Eating Disorder treatment in children and adolescents
 Research interest in family factors related to outcomes in Eating Disorder treatment
 Program Development and Evaluation
 Clinical supervision, internship and postdoctoral training and professional development
 Psychological Assessment/work with gifted children
Ayelet Talmi, Ph.D., 2001, University of Denver
Associate Professor
Primary programs – Project CLIMB, Harris Program, Healthy Steps for Young Children
 Early childhood mental health specialist
 Pediatric Primary Care consultation services
 Clinical consultation and supervision
 Neurodevelopmental assessment of babies and young children with special health care needs
 Training and professional development
 Systems of care, policy, and advocacy
 Trauma and child abuse
Sally Tarbell, Ph.D., 1984, York University, Toronto, Canada
Associate Professor
Primary Program – Psychiatric Consultation Liaison and Postdoctoral Training Program Director
 Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Services
 Pediatric acute and chronic pain management
 Functional disorders (cyclic vomiting syndrome, migraine, functional abdominal pain, fibromyalgia,
irritable bowel syndrome)
 Psychiatric comorbidity in medically ill children
 Biofeedback and mind-body methods of symptom control
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Jason D. Williams, Psy.D, M.S., Ed., 1996 California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles
Assistant Professor
Primary program-Director of Training, Post-doctoral training Program Co-Director, Outpatient Mental Health
Clinic-Disruptive Behaviors Clinic, Intensive Services Team
 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders in Children
 Psychological Assessment
 Use of technology in the mental health settings
 Electronic Medical Records
Rebecca Wilson, Psy.D, 1996, University of Denver
Assistant Professor
Primary Program - Child Development Unit
 Projective assessment of emotional concerns of developmentally delayed
children
 Assessment of complex cases, where the concerns are both developmental and psychiatric
 General psychological assessment
 Fragile X assessment and research
Biographies of Training Faculty are available for viewing on our webpage
http://www.childrenscolorado.org/conditions/psych/medinternships.aspx
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