The Departments of Psychiatry and Surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have an opening for a one-year post-doctoral resident in Trauma Psychology, with a focus on victims of violence, for the training year 2025-2026. The fellowship start date can be flexible between June–August 2025.
Description
Our trauma psychology postdoctoral fellowship emphasizes training in clinical service provision and research focused on the varying needs of victims of violence as they exist across the continuum of mental health care from acute injury to possible downstream consequences of chronic violence exposure.
The primary objective of this training is to produce clinician scientists who are qualified to: 1) provide direct care services for acute stress and PTSD to underserved populations, 2) utilize clinical science to develop evidence-based healthcare programs that meet complex community needs, and/or 3) pursue a research career in clinical science that is informed by community needs and strengths. The fellow will divide their time approximately equally between clinical practice and research.
Clinical practice experiences will occur in partnership with UAMS’ Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery and may include supervised experience:
- Providing psychoeducation and brief interventions for acute stress to adult populations at bedside within the inpatient Trauma Surgery Unit
- Providing screening and brief intervention to patients who present for follow-up surgery outpatient visits, with the goal of continuing post-injury care and symptom monitoring
- Providing evidence-based, trauma-focused treatments (e.g., CPT, WET, PE) to adult outpatients with PTSD within UAMS’ Walker Family Clinic
Together, the clinical components of this fellowship offer a unique opportunity to provide preventative and early treatment interventions to patients who have experienced acute trauma related to violent crimes resulting in traumatic injury as well as the opportunity to follow patients during their hospitalization and upon discharge in both medical and mental health specialty settings.
Research practice experiences will be housed within the Health and the Legal System (HEALS) Lab directed by Dr. Melissa Zielinski. Projects will focus on the intersections among traumatic stress, substance use, and incarceration—experiences that often become cyclically related for victims of violence. The fellow will primarily work on ongoing clinical trials focused on implementation of trauma-focused therapy within jails and prisons, with a particular role in a trial focused on integrating PTSD treatment in jail for victims of violence with co-occurring PTSD and SUD. They will also have the opportunity to contribute to secondary analyses on existing data sets, develop manuscripts for publication, and to prepare applications to federal and other funding agencies for research support. Potential applicants can read more about HEALS Lab’s mission here and ongoing research studies here.
In the clinical arena, ideal candidates would have:
- Strong foundation in evidence-based trauma-focused treatments (e.g., CPT, PE) and can immediately begin providing treatment to outpatients
- Interest in developing competency in providing preventative and brief early and acute treatment interventions for survivors of violence (e.g., gunshot wounds, domestic violence, other assaultive violence)
- Demonstrated experience working with diverse, underserved and psychosocially complex patient populations with disproportionate exposure to traumatic experiences, poverty, community violence, and oppression
- Commitment to expanding and deepening awareness of the sociopolitical issues that contribute to risk for trauma exposure, addiction, victimization, incarceration, and other negative health outcomes
In the research arena, ideal candidates would have:
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- Experience conducting research involving community participants and partnerships
- Experience working directly with research participants (e.g., for recruitment, enrollment, and assessment administration)
- Experience conducting and/or analyzing qualitative interviews
- Relevant prior content/setting experience is desirable, but is not required
Setting
UAMS Medical Center is Arkansas’ only academic health sciences center and a primary source for both general and specialty care for Arkansans living in Little Rock and across the state. Little Rock provides a unique opportunity to work with urban, suburban and rural populations from across the state of Arkansas. UAMS is located in Little Rock, a scenic city sitting on the south bank of the Arkansas River in Central Arkansas. It is the capital and most populous city in Arkansas with a 2018 population estimate of 198,000. The size of Little Rock and surrounding area gives its residents city amenities without the pitfalls of a large metropolitan area (e.g., long commutes, high cost of living). In 2014, Little Rock was ranked #1 in “America’s 10 Great Places to Live” by Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine.
Benefits
The current salary is $52,390. Health insurance is available for family or single at a reasonable rate. All fees associated with EPPP and the licensure process (preparation materials, fees, etc.) is covered in full by the department. Vacation, sick leave, and professional leave are standard. The fellow will have their own office with up-to-date technology support.
Qualifications
Qualified applicants will have successfully completed a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in clinical or counseling psychology from an APA-accredited doctoral program including a one-year APA-accredited internship by their start date. Experience working with traumatic stress is required. Dissertation must have been defended before start of fellowship.
Applications
The program strives to recruit and retain early career professionals who represent, and are passionate about, the communities served by UAMS. Applicants from diverse backgrounds with interest in social justice and underrepresented populations are strongly encouraged to apply.
Please send the following required application materials to Dr. Jennifer Gess at GessJenniferL@uams.edu:
- Cover Letter
- Current CV
- List of three professional references, one of which must be from internship
- Letters will be requested if we advance a candidate to consideration
Applications are due December 15.
Interviews will occur on a rolling basis in January and early February. Initial offers will be made on or before February 24, 2025 to honor applicants who are considering programs who follow APPIC timeline and adhere to the Uniform Notification date.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this fellowship or the application process, please e-mail any/all of the following:
Melissa J. Zielinski, Ph.D.
Director, Health and the Legal System (HEALS) Lab
Department of Psychiatry
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
MJZielinski@uams.edu (she/her)
Roles: Research Supervisor, Fellowship Track Lead
Chelsey Bull, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor/Clinical Psychologist
Department of Psychiatry
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
cbull@uams.edu (she/her)
Role: Clinical Supervisor
Laura Rohm, Psy.D.
Assistant Professor/Clinical Psychologist
Departments of Psychiatry and Surgery
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
lrohm@uams.edu (she/her)
Role: Clinical Supervisor
Jennifer L. Gess, Ph.D., ABPP/CN
Director, Psychology Training
Professor, Neuropsychology
Department of Psychiatry
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
GessJenniferL@uams.edu (she/her)
David Miles
Psychology Training Programs Coordinator
Department of Psychiatry
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
DAMilesii@uams.edu