Training/Volunteering
Department of Psychology

12/08 - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announces openings for the 2009–2010 academic year of its Interprofessional Fellowship Program in
Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Oriented Services for veterans with
serious mental illness. The Fellowship Program is a state-of-the-art, clinical training program that focuses in the theory and practice of psychosocial rehabilitation. Individualized, mentored clinical and research training is combined with a curriculum that emphasizes a comprehensive psychosocial rehabilitation approach to service delivery, education, and implementing change in a mental health care setting.  Fellows will work with veterans with serious mental illness, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depression, or other psychoses and receive training in delivering a range of evidence-based practices.  Veterans may also have co-morbid diagnoses, such as PTSD, substance use disorders, depression, and anxiety. The purpose of the
Interprofessional Fellowship Program is to develop future mental health leaders with vision, knowledge, and commitment to transforming mental health care systems in the 21st century by emphasizing functional capability, rehabilitation, and recovery. The Fellowship Program is offered at seven VA sites (see below).
Applications are being solicited across a range of disciplines (including psychiatry, nursing, social work, vocational rehabilitation, occupational therapy and psychology). Application and position details vary across disciplines. Psychology fellows must be U.S. citizens and must be graduates of APA accredited academic programs. The Fellowship program is full time for psychology fellows. Stipends are competitive and based in part on location. Psychology fellows are eligible for health and life insurance benefits. All fellows earn annual and sick leave and are entitled to all Federal holidays. Applications will be accepted and reviewed at each site until all positions are filled. Application requirements and specifications may differ across site, so please contact the Fellowship Director at each site of interest.
*Bedford, MA:  E. Alice Van Ormer, Ph.D. or Trudy Lefebvre, LICSW, Psychology Service (116B), 200 Springs Road, Bedford, MA 01730, Alice.VanOrmer@va.gov or (781) 687-3675, Trudy.Lefebvre@va.gov or (781) 687-2702.
*Durham, NC: Daniel Bradford, M.D., M.P.H. or Loretta Braxton, Ph.D., 508 Fulton Street, MHSL 116D/Hillandale 2, Durham, NC 27705, Daniel.Bradford@va.gov or (919) 286-0411, Ext. 7151, Loretta.Braxton@va.gov or (919) 286-6935.
*Little Rock, AR: Roger Williams, Ph.D. or J. Glen White, Ph.D., 2200 Fort Roots Drive (116B/NLR), N. Little Rock, AR 72114, Roger.Williams8@va.gov or (501) 257-1669, Jerry.White4@va.gov or (501) 257-1680.
*Palo Alto, CA: Robert Whelan, LCSW, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 795 Willow Road, Mail code 122 MPD, Menlo Park, CA  94025, Robert.Whelan1@va.gov or (650) 493-5000, Ext. 21314, (E-mailed applications preferred.)
*San Diego, CA: Eric Granholm, Ph.D., VA San Diego Healthcare System (116B),
3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161, egranholm@ucsd.edu or (858) 552-8585, Ext. 7768.
*Waco, TX: Bruce Allen, Ph.D., 4800 Memorial Drive, Waco, TX 76711, Bruce.Allen@va.gov or (254) 297-3323.
*West Haven, CT: Anne Klee, Ph.D., Errera Community Care Center, 114 Boston Post Road, 2nd Floor, West Haven, CT 06516, Anne.Klee@va.gov or (203) 479-8035.
*For other information, please contact: Richard Goldberg, Ph.D., Co-Director of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Fellowship Hub Site, VA Maryland Health Care System,
10 N. Greene St., Baltimore, MD 21201, Rgoldber@psych.umaryland.edu or (410) 706-8473.

12/08 - The Public Interest Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) of the American Psychological Association is currently soliciting psychology graduate student applications for our 2009-2010 Public Interest Policy Internship Program. Graduate student interns work for one year with PI-GRO focusing primarily on public interest policy concerns involving children, youth, and families; HIV/AIDS; aging; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons; women; ethnic minorities; individuals with disabilities; trauma, violence, and abuse; and socioeconomic status.  Since its inception, the Public Interest Policy Internship Program has been instrumental in providing graduate students with an opportunity to learn about the federal policy process and the role psychology can play in influencing the formulation and implementation of social policy. Interns gain direct policy experience through such activities as assisting in the preparation of briefing papers and congressional testimony and attending hearings on Capitol Hill. Many of our interns over the past 15 years have incorporated public policy aspects into their professional careers.  Graduate students in at least their second year of training are encouraged to apply.  View announcement flyer at: http://www.apa.org/ppo/pi_intern_09-10.pdf. The internship extends from September 2009 through August 2010. The position is for 15 to 20 hours per week, with a stipend of $15.00 per hour. The deadline for applications is March 6, 2009.  If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Joslyn Smith at jsmith@apa.org or (202) 336-6097.

Porchlight Counseling Services, a nonprofit organization that provides free, confidential, and off-campus counseling services to survivors of sexual assault, seeks students interested in psychology to volunteer.  Porchlight primarily provide services to college victims, recognizing that the effects of college sexual assault can be debilitating and life-changing.  Porchlight gives educational presentations discussing the realities of college rape and sexual violence. For more information about volunteer opportunities contact Katelyn Holsclaw, Outreach & Resource Coordinator, Porchlight Counseling Services, PO Box 1080, Evanston, IL 60204, (847) 328-6531, or katelyn@porchlightcounseling.org.

Help Count the Homeless!
Did you know between 2.5 and 3.5 million men, women and children experience homelessness every year in the United States? Did you also know that Illinois may experience up to 17,000 people who are homeless on any one night in the year? Did you know that there is something you can do to help?
Program Information: The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County is the official coordinator of a homeless count that occurs every other year. The Alliance is responsible for counting all homeless persons, whether in shelters or unsheltered. The Alliance’s goal is to count every person who is homeless in suburban Cook County on January 22nd, 2009. The purpose is to generate the support that these people need and deserve. The results of the Count not only provide essential reporting to the federal government in order to obtain dollars for homelessness programs, they also help to raise awareness about homeless issues in our communities and to create a baseline for continued efforts to lessen and ultimately end homelessness in suburban Cook County.
You can be a part of helping those who need us most in our communities! Our 2009 Count will require dozens of dedicated volunteers on January 22nd, 2009. If you choose to help, you will become a member of one of our many “Count Teams”, dispersed throughout suburban Cook County. Your Count Team will be deployed to “hot spots” where we know people who are homeless may congregate. You and your Count Team will be responsible for tallying the people you encounter and, if possible, asking them a few questions. To help ensure your safety, the Alliance will deploy Count Teams with no less then 4 persons and will provide you with all necessary equipment and training. Training sessions will be held throughout the county, at no cost to the volunteers, the night of the Count.  By becoming a 2009 Count volunteer, you can help give hope to
those persons that may have nowhere left to find it. 
If you would like to be a part of this impacting event, please contact Jessica Aleksy, Count Coordinator, at the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County via the contact information below. She will be happy to answer your questions and provide you with more information. If you would like information on the Alliance and its mission to end homelessness in suburban Cook County, please visit our website at www.suburbancook.org.

Youth Connections is a program dedicated to helping high school students obtain their diplomas and to enter the workforce or higher education after graduation. Sponsored by Pyramid Partnership, Inc., Youth Connections serves eligible high school students between the ages of 16 and 18. Program activities fall under the categories of academic support, job readiness training, job placement, life skills, supportive services and field trips.  Below are some examples of activities: Academic Support: tutoring, essay writing and research assistance, time management and study skills workshops, ACT preparation;  Job Readiness: how to complete job applications and create resumes, mock interviewing, introduction to work ethics; Job Placement: Participants are given job referrals that match their current skill set and experience. Pyramid staff has direct relationships with employers. Life Skills: goal setting workshops, career exploration/planning, financial planning, discussion groups on topics such as peer pressure and positive self-esteem, leadership development, anti-drug and violence prevention workshops. Field Trips: Some examples of past field trips are: the Museum of Contemporary Art, Northern Illinois University, Gallery 37, the DuSable Museum of African American History, Art Institute of Chicago, Dance Africa, Broadway in Chicago, Architectural Boat Tour, Chicago Cultural Center. Supportive Services: Assistance with bus fare, academics and housing, counseling and other needs as identified on a case-to-case basis. Pyramid has a large network of agencies and community based organizations that we have linkages with in the event that a participant’s supportive services needs cannot be met directly through our organization.  For seniors, priority is put on goals and plans post-graduation. Assistance with the college application process, essay writing and financial aid paperwork are just some examples of how we assist.  For further information about the Youth Connections program please contact Kristina Gosh at 773-975-9898, x30 or kgosh@pyramid-pci.com.  Youth Connections is funded by the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development.

College of Arts and Sciences