Psychology Training Program

Allina Health, a not-for-profit health care system, with more than 90 clinics and 13 hospitals, cares for people from the beginning of life to the end of life. In alignment with our mission, vision, values and promise, Mental Health & Addiction Services has been strategically positioned within our primary care clinics, behavioral health hospital-based clinics, and inpatient mental health settings to serve people who have higher-acuity mental health needs. To learn more about Allina Health, visit our About Us page.

Allina Health System’s Postdoctoral Psychology Fellowship program offers four positions each year. These are full-time, one-year postdoctoral fellowships of 2,080 training hours. Our goal is to provide the training necessary to fully prepare you with the knowledge and skills necessary to have a successful career as a Health Service Psychologist.

You will receive experience in core clinical services with a diverse patient population.

Allina Health offers psychology trainees a well-rounded and unique training opportunity. We provide high-quality training in clinical therapeutic intervention, clinical assessment, and supervision.

Aims

The aim of the Psychology Fellowship is to prepare you for practice in Health Service Psychology. We do this by:

• providing you with a diverse clinical experience and client population
• following a model of training that provides supervised experience in areas of assessment, intervention and consultation
• focusing on relevant research and evidenced-based practice that can be incorporated into your postdoctoral fellowship experience through direct clinical services, didactic experiences, consultation and/or supervision
• ·valuing and focusing on your individual training needs and desires. As you become more familiar with your location and clients, gain experience and develop professionally, closer supervision will transition to mentorship and, eventually, relatively autonomous practice.

Allina Health’s Psychology Postdoctoral fellowship values individual and cultural diversity. The training staff recognize that the services we provide our patients and the training you receive as a postdoctoral fellow is vastly improved when a compassionate view of human differences is adopted by all. Given such, it is the goal of the training staff to engage in continuous development of cultural competencies. It is one of our top priorities to be a mentor to you in this continuous learning process.

While the pace of your training is based on your developmental needs, our commitment to you is to help you develop the core competencies listed below, which are needed for independent practice in Health Service Psychology. This postdoctoral training program meets the postdoctoral supervised practice requirements for the state of Minnesota.

Core Competencies

Research

You will display substantial knowledge of scientific methods, procedures and practices while being able to critically evaluate and disseminate research with sensitivity to individual and cultural differences.

Ethical and legal standards

You will demonstrate knowledge of the “APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct”, and laws, regulations, rules and policies, professional standards and guidelines governing health service psychology.

Individual and cultural diversity

You will demonstrate the ability to conduct all your professional activities with sensitivity to human differences. This includes the ability to deliver high-quality services to an increasingly diverse patient population. As a postdoctoral fellow you will demonstrate knowledge, awareness, sensitivity, and skill when working with patients and communities who embody a variety of cultural and personal backgrounds and characteristics.

Professional values, attitudes and behaviors

You will display behaviors that are consistent with the values and attitudes of the field of psychology. This includes self-reflection and the ability to incorporate feedback focused on improving your performance and professional effectiveness.

Communication and interpersonal skills

You will exhibit the ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with colleagues, supervisors, other staff members, and patients and clients, by implementing effective communication strategies.

Assessment

You will develop competence in evidence-based psychological assessment with patients and clients who have a variety of diagnoses, problems and needs. Emphasis is placed on developing your competence in diagnostic interviewing as well as administration and scoring of psychometrically validated instruments that assess cognitive functioning and personality.

Intervention

You will exhibit the ability to establish and maintain a therapeutic alliance with patients and clients while providing evidenced-based interventions with sound clinical judgment and sensitivity to cultural differences.

Supervision

You will demonstrate the ability to identify evidenced-based supervision models and engage in direct or simulated supervision.

Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills

You will develop competence in the intentional collaboration of professionals in health service psychology with other individuals or groups.

Tracks and rotations

Postdoctoral fellows begin the year by completing a self-assessment that provides insight into current knowledge and skill in the areas of evaluation/assessment, the provision of psychological interventions, and other skills related to the program’s competencies. A postdoctoral fellow’s skill level, experience, interests and goals are taken into account in formulating a training plan for the year. The training plan for the year consists of goals and a plan by which to meet those goals. Individualized training plans can be modified throughout the year, depending on a postdoctoral fellow’s needs. All training activities are structured according to a developmental model, with trainees initially being provided close and detailed supervision as appropriate, with opportunities to master fundamentals in assessment, interventions, supervision/consultation, and ethics. As the year progresses, more time is allocated to more focused skills and techniques/approaches. As the year progresses, training staff encourage Postdoctoral fellows to use themselves and each other as resources more and supervisory relationships become increasingly consultative.

Supervised service delivery is the principal means by which skills are taught and integrated. Techniques such as observational learning, video recording and role playing are used to facilitate the development of clinical skills. In addition, didactics and corresponding readings support clinical skill development.

TRACKS (one position for each track)

Adult Primary Care (Allina Champlin Clinic)

• As a fellow you will gain proficiency in implementing evidenced-based practices such as CBT, BT, IPT and mindfulness-based interventions as well as brief assessment. You will also implement an integrated health model, consulting with other on-site medical professionals. You also will gain skills in consultation between disciplines, honing your diagnostic skills and providing consultation services.  There will also be opportunities for training in individual and / or group supervision with doctoral-level psychology trainees.  Last, there will be opportunity for research and/or program development work.

Child / Adolescent Primary Care (Allina Bloomington Clinic)

• As a fellow you will gain proficiency in implementing evidenced-based practices such as CBT, BT, IPT and mindfulness-based interventions as well as brief assessment. You will also implement an integrated health model, consulting with other on-site medical professionals. You also will gain skills in consultation between disciplines, honing your diagnostic skills and providing consultation and early intervention services.  There will also be opportunities for training in individual and / or group supervision with doctoral-level psychology trainees.  Last, there will be opportunity for research and/or program development work.

Adult Inpatient and Hospital-Based Outpatient Clinic (multi-site at Unity Hospital)

Hospital-Based Clinic

• Psychology fellows will work with people who have a higher level of mental health acuity and/or are in need of specialized services. These patients may benefit from longer-term, evidenced-based therapy and/or additional collaboration with other members of the treatment team. Your team will include therapists, psychiatrists, registered nurses and certified medical assistants. Clinical activities will include individual and group therapy and assessment. You will gain exposure to diagnostic assessment and psychological evaluation as well as provide evidenced-based therapies such as CBT, mindfulness-based, and IPT. These assessment opportunities will help you develop competence in diagnostic interviewing as well as administration and scoring of psychometrically- validated instruments that assess cognitive function and personality.

Inpatient

• The Inpatient adult rotation occurs at Unity Hospital. The clinic interdisciplinary staff specializes in the treatment of mental health disorders. Psychology Postdoctoral Fellows attend staff meetings, providing clinical assessment and interventions such as diagnostic interviews, individual therapy, presenting psychoeducational classes, co-facilitating psychotherapy groups, and completing documentation.
   
• Across both rotations, there will also be opportunities for training in individual and / or group supervision with doctoral-level psychology trainees. Last, there will be opportunity for research and/or program development work.

Child/Adolescent Inpatient and Hospital-Based Clinic (multi-site at United Hospital)

Hospital-Based Clinic

• The Inpatient adult rotation occurs at Unity Hospital. The clinic interdisciplinary staff specializes in the treatment of mental health disorders. Psychology Postdoctoral Fellows attend staff meetings, providing clinical assessment and interventions such as diagnostic interviews, individual therapy, presenting psychoeducational classes, co-facilitating psychotherapy groups, and completing documentation. 

   

• Across both rotations, there will also be opportunities for training in individual and / or group supervision with doctoral-level psychology trainees.  Last, there will be opportunity for research and/or program development work.

   

• Psychology postdoctoral fellow will work with people who have a higher level of mental health acuity and/or are in need of specialized services. These patients may benefit from longer-term, evidenced-based therapy and/or additional collaboration with other members of the treatment team. Your team will include therapists, adult and/or child and adolescent psychiatrists, registered nurses and certified medical assistants. Clinical activities will include individual and group therapy and assessment. You will gain exposure to diagnostic assessment and psychological evaluation as well as provide evidenced-based therapies such as CBT, mindfulness-based, and IPT. These assessment opportunities will help you develop competence in diagnostic interviewing as well as administration and scoring of psychometrically validated instruments that assess cognitive function and personality. 

Inpatient

• The Inpatient adolescent rotation occurs at United Hospital. The clinic interdisciplinary staff specializes in the treatment of mental health disorders. Psychology Postdoctoral fellows attend staff meetings, providing clinical assessment and interventions such as diagnostic interviews, individual therapy, presenting psychoeducational classes, co-facilitating psychotherapy groups, and completing documentation. 

   

• Across both rotations, there will also be opportunities for training in individual and / or group supervision with doctoral-level psychology trainees.  Last, there will be opportunity for research and/or program development work.