Postdoctoral Fellowship Positions: Child Health & Development Institute of Connecticut, Inc

2019-2020 Postdoctoral Fellowships
Child Health and Development Institute and
The Consultation Center, Yale University

Focus Area(s): Implementation Science, Child Trauma, and/or School-based Mental Health
Full Time with Benefits
Start Date: July 1, 2019 (negotiable)

Summary

The Child Health and Development Institute (CHDI) is accepting applications for a one-year
Postdoctoral Fellowship with a focus on implementation science, childhood trauma, and/or schoolbased behavioral health. We anticipate offering two Fellowships depending on Fellow interests and program needs/funding. There is an optional opportunity to spend one day per week working with faculty at The Consultation Center at Yale University on school- and/or community-based research and evaluation projects. At CHDI, the Fellow will work on one or more initiatives focused on improving children’s behavioral health in Connecticut. These include working in the areas of dissemination and sustainment of evidence-based interventions, developing trauma-informed systems and programs, and/or school-based behavioral health initiatives. The Fellow recruited for the position will have experience and
a strong interest in bridging the research to practice gap for children’s behavioral health services, including in one or more of the following areas: (1) effective dissemination of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for children, (2) child traumatic stress and trauma-informed care, (3) application of implementation science, and/or (4) school-based behavioral health.

Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut (CHDI)

CHDI is an independent, non-profit subsidiary of the Children’s Fund of Connecticut, which was established in 1992 and is located in Farmington, CT. Working in partnership with state and regional agencies, hospitals, universities, and other organizations, we combine direct funding with grants and contracts for research, evaluation, policy analysis, consultation, training, and technical assistance.  The mission of the Institute is to improve the quality of care for all children, emphasizing family-centered, comprehensive care that encompasses both physical and behavioral health. Collaborating with the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, the University of Connecticut, and Yale University, we strive to advance sustainable improvements in primary and preventive health and mental health care practices and policy for all the state’s children, with a particular focus on disadvantaged or underserved children and families.

CHDI also functions as an intermediary organization to develop, train, disseminate, evaluate, and expand effective models of practice in children’s mental health, juvenile justice, education, and other systems.  CHDI partners closely in those efforts with the Department of Children and Families, the CT Judicial

Branch’s Court Support Services Division, The University of Connecticut-Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, family advocacy organizations, community-based providers, and others.

Fellowship

CHDI is currently participating in several EBT dissemination efforts for children’s behavioral health across Connecticut, including Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems

(MATCHADTC), Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS), and Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC). CHDI uses the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Breakthrough Series Collaborative (or Learning Collaborative) methodology as one approach for disseminating EBPs.  CHDI is also a recipient of a SAMHSA National Child Traumatic Stress Network grant focused on improving trauma-informed practices for young children, and has several projects related to screening children for trauma. Finally, CHDI is the Coordinating Center for the School Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI), a state-funded program to reduce school-based arrests, out of school suspensions, and expulsions, and is also partnering on a number of other school-based mental health initiatives. The Fellow will work on one or more of these or related initiatives for improving children’s health or mental health at CHDI. Potential applicants are encouraged to learn more about these initiatives and CHDI at www.chdi.org.

The Fellow’s specific projects and responsibilities will be jointly determined based on interests, experience, project needs, and funding. Examples of activities include use or evaluation of the learning collaborative methodology, developing and/or testing other EBP implementation and/or consultation strategies, quality improvement approaches, training, data reporting, policy, and evaluation. An emphasis will be placed on identifying and carrying out analyses to contribute to CHDI’s continuous quality improvement and for co-authored publications and presentations using archived or prospective data. Fellows will receive weekly supervision from a licensed clinical psychologist at CHDI.

The Consultation Center at Yale University

The Consultation Center was established in 1980 as a collaborative endeavor of the Yale School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, the Connecticut Mental Health Center, and The Consultation Center, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)3 community organization. For almost four decades, the Center has conducted research, services, and training in support of its mission: to promote health and wellness, prevent mental health and substance abuse problems, and enhance equity and social justice. Drawing on the fields of community and clinical psychology, public health, social work, education, and program evaluation, the Center works with individuals, organizations, and government agencies in Connecticut, the Northeast, and the U.S.

Contingent on funding, opportunities are available for the Fellow to work one day per week under the mentorship of one or more Yale faculty at the Center. The Fellow would join an existing research or evaluation team on a project aligned with their interests. Projects involve vulnerable or at-risk populations across the life span (e.g., children, youth, families, adults), take place in school or community settings, and address issues related to trauma, violence, or substance use. The Fellow may also participate in Center educational activities, such as staff trainings and colloquia.

Applicants

The individual selected for this position will work within grant- and contract-funded projects at CHDI and The Consultation Center at Yale.  Applicants must have completed a Ph.D. in Clinical, Community, or Counseling Psychology; Social Work; or a related discipline from an accredited academic program. Excellent professional writing and data analysis skills are required; candidates with at least one first authored publication in a peer-reviewed journal are preferred. Experience with children’s mental health, child traumatic stress, EBTs, advanced statistical analysis, school mental health, and/or implementation science is highly desirable. CHDI provides a unique opportunity to receive training in the practice of dissemination and implementation and to contribute to meaningful systems change through application of implementation science and trauma informed care in community-based settings. Past Fellows have gone on to a range of positions, including tenure-track faculty jobs, academic positions with clinical and research responsibilities, and leadership roles in community-based mental health.

Compensation

The Fellow will receive a stipend of $50,000 annually (full time).  A generous benefit package including health and dental care and paid time off is provided.

Applications

To apply, please email (1) a detailed letter of interest describing qualifications, experience, preferences for specialization areas at CHDI, and career goals; (2) curriculum vitae; (3) one example of scholarly writing (preferably a published first author article); and (4) three letters of recommendation, at least two of which are from supervisors, to Lori Schon (schon@uchc.edu).  Applications received by January 11 will be given priority, but applications will be considered on a rolling basis. The Fellowship is contingent upon continued funding.

The Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut is committed to providing equal access to our employment environment and ensures that all employment-related decisions are in accord with the principles of equal opportunity.