Pediatric Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Children’s Hospital Orange County (CHOC) is pleased to offer up to 11 one or two-year, full time, postdoctoral fellowships in the Department of Psychology. The training year begins on August 26, 2024 and ends on August 22, 2025. The postdoctoral fellowships are a part of the Psychology Training Program that includes an APA accredited internship. The postdoctoral fellowships at CHOC offer advanced training in the areas of pediatric psychology, pediatric neuropsychology, and/or child and adolescent psychology. The goal of the training program is to allow fellows to further their professional development so that they can function independently as a psychologist across a wide variety of settings. The training program is designed to allow for the natural progression from internship training, where a variety of new clinical skills are learned, to a greater focus on the application of these skills with an increasing degree of independence. Along with this emphasis, training increasingly focuses on the development of professional skills necessary for independent functioning (professional development areas include serving as a consultant within specific medical teams, program development, licensure and/or grant writing). Fellows will receive training in assessment and consultation within a medical/clinical setting as well as additional experiences with more traditional brief and/or long-term intervention or assessment outpatient cases.

The program’s particular goals and objectives are listed below in Psychology Fellowship Training, Training Purpose and Objectives.

Training Site: CHOC has been recognized by the U.S. News & World Report as a Best Children’s Hospital and is nationally ranked in 8 pediatric specialties including Neonatology, Pediatric Cancer, Pediatric Cardiology and Heart Surgery, Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology, Pediatric Neurology and Neurosurgery, Pediatric Orthopedics, Pediatric Pulmonology and Lung Surgery, and Pediatric Urology. CHOC serves much of Southern California as it is Orange County’s only medical facility solely devoted to the care of children and their families. Founded in 1964, CHOC is a tertiary care facility with a 323-bed capacity and a medical staff of over 500 physicians. Virtually every pediatric subspecialty is offered here: allergy, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, infectious disease, neonatology, nephrology, neurology, oncology, pulmonary medicine, and rheumatology. Most surgical specialties are also available. CHOC also has a pediatrics residency program. CHOC and the University of California, Irvine Medical School have an affiliation agreement that started in 2009, resulting in the majority of pediatric care for both facilities taking place at CHOC.

Since opening its doors in 1964, CHOC has provided the highest quality medical care to children. Our regional health system includes a state-of-the-art main hospital facility in the City of Orange, a hospital-within-a hospital in Mission Viejo, and five community clinics – plus over 100 additional programs and services. With admissions growing by 90% over the last eight years, CHOC and CHOC at Mission Hospital combined rank as the 15th busiest children’s hospital in the country. To better accommodate the growing needs of our community’s children, CHOC built a new state-of-the-art patient care tower on our main campus which opened in April 2013. In addition to the above specialty services, the new CHOC Hospital in Orange also features pediatric surgical suites and related services, emergency, laboratory, pathology, imaging and radiology services, as well as private rooms for Oncology, a dynamic and family-friendly lobby, inviting outdoor gardens, a cafe and more.

CHOC has also grown its mental health service offerings, including opening an inpatient psychiatric unit in April 2018, an intensive outpatient program (IOP) in 2017, establishing an Emergency Department Mental Health Evaluation Service in 2015, starting community training sessions in 2017, and adding school based mental health services in 2020. CHOC opened the Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center (TANC), a comprehensive center devoted to interdisciplinary care for children with Autism, in February 2020. In September 2015, we opened a County Behavioral Health contract clinic, CHOC Project HEALTH, which is a Full Service Partnership (FSP), providing intensive outpatient and wrap-around services, including outpatient psychotherapy, psychiatry, care coordination, and case management for children with both medical and psychiatric conditions.

The CHOC Psychology Department includes psychologists (40 psychologists), licensed social workers and marriage and family therapists, art therapists, personal service coordinators, resource specialists, and administrative staff. In addition, CHOC has a Department of Psychiatry. Other specialists involved in providing care for children include pediatricians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychiatric nurses, behavioral technicians, art therapists, child life specialists, nutritionists, speech and language pathologists, physical therapists, and BCBA therapists.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Positions (up to 11 positions)

In order for the fellow to take a leadership role in program, our fellowships are designed to focus in a primary area. This focus allows fellows opportunities to work with teams over a year long period and to develop mastery of these skills.

Up to six of the clinical fellowships will specialize in Pediatric Psychology, including two-three fellowship positions specializing in Consultation and Liaison services on medical floors with opportunities to work with our Medical Stabilization of Eating Disorders program and three fellowships working with our Pediatric Psychology Project Health program offering mental health services to children with co-occurring medical and mental health conditions. One two-year fellowship will focus on pediatric neuropsychology, working with the Neurology, Cardiac, and/or Neuro-Oncology Services, with a focus on neuropsychological assessment. Two fellowships will work with our Acute Services within our mental health inpatient center, emergency department, and intensive outpatient program. Two fellowships with work within our Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center providing assessment and intervention services. Fellows will coordinate with the respective multidisciplinary teams throughout the year, participating in clinical work, program development, and clinical research activities within the teams. Fellows will see more complex cases and be responsible for further developing clinical services within their teams. They will provide inpatient and/or outpatient consultation services, outpatient therapy or assessment services, participate in outpatient clinics with multidisciplinary team members, and complete a postdoctoral fellowship project which could be submitted as a poster or paper within their area of specialization.

Pediatric Psychology Fellowship Positions (up to 6 positions)
Childhood chronic illness and mental health is a significant health concern. As medical treatments improve, more children are living longer with chronic illnesses. It has been estimated that 15 to 18% of children in the US are living with a chronic illness. Of these, about half experience a restriction in their ability to participate in typical activities. Children with chronic illnesses and their families experience a wide range of unique stressors, yet many do not have access to quality mental health services. Uniquely tailored psychological services, such as specialized assessments, psychosocial support, targeted interventions and psychotherapy, and consultation with medical teams can have a very positive effect on quality of life for children and their families. In recognition of these positive effects, children’s hospitals and clinics are increasingly working closely with psychologists and other mental health professionals to provide comprehensive services to their patients. The psychology postdoctoral fellowships at CHOC seek to train psychologists to work effectively with children with chronic illnesses and their families and/or children and adolescents experiencing significant mental health conditions within the context of hospital-based inpatient, clinic, and outpatient services. This is a particularly exciting time to be a part of mental health, both within pediatric psychology as the medical field increasingly understands the critical role of psychological factors in overall health and within child and adolescent clinical psychology, as psychology services are integrated into standard health care services. Fellows will apply their knowledge of child development and their skills as a child therapist to children affected by medical and mental health conditions through a wide variety of experiences, such as inpatient consultation-liaison services to a variety of medical specialty units and/or within an inpatient mental health center and emergency department, more intensive experiences with specific medical specialty teams, intensive outpatient therapy programing, outpatient therapy, and assessment and evaluation.

A distinctive feature of our program is that pediatric psychology fellows receive training in managing behavioral emergencies through the provision of consultation services to the hospital inpatient medical units. The fellows will take 2-5 call days on a holiday or weekend during the training year. Fellows will be compensated for their time. Fellows are always paired with a faculty member for this coverage. High risk consults include assessment of suicide risk or acute mental status changes, assessment for rule out somatization disorders, and assessment of patients with eating disorders admitted for medical stabilization. Trainees will conduct a targeted clinical interview, provide crisis intervention, and generate disposition plans.

I. Consultation and Liaison Track (2-3 positions):
Two-three fellows will work with the Consultation and Liaison (CL) team which provides inpatient consultation to the medical units at CHOC Hospital in Orange and/or CHOC at Mission Hospital. Consults are requested by attending physicians, residents, nurses, or other health care practitioners for children who are hospitalized due to a medical need and are experiencing concomitant psychological symptoms. Referral questions range widely and include assessment and disposition planning for behavioral emergencies, assisting with adjustment to new diagnosis, diagnostic clarification for potential somatization disorders, proving target symptom reduction for pain and somatization disorders, facilitating problem-solving to address medical regimen adherence concerns, assessment and targeted intervention for acute stress reactions, and leading a family-based treatment approach to treat eating disorders. The Psychology Consultation Liaison team includes psychology attendings, psychology postdoctoral fellows, psychology interns, and resource specialists. The Psychology CL team works very closely with the Psychiatry CL team and round together daily. The Psychiatry CL team includes a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow and a psychiatry attending. The fellows work with interdisciplinary teams including medical attendings and house staff (medical residents and fellows, medical students), nurses, social workers, child life specialists, and case managers. Depending on the diagnosis, physical and/or occupational therapists, dieticians, pharmacists, and other specialists might also be involved.

Fellows also may have the opportunity to work with our Medical Stabilization of Eating Disorders Service at CHOC at Mission Hospital. This setting is a “hospital in a hospital” which is a pediatric inpatient medical setting. Fellows work closely with the attending psychologists, hospitalists, nutritionists, child life specialists, psychiatry, and adolescent medicine specialists. Patients are admitted with a variety of eating disorder presentations that require medical stabilization (e.g., Anorexia Nervosa, ARFID, Bulimia). Fellows receive training in a Family-based Treatment (FBT) approach and implement adapted FBT principles and interventions into a busy inpatient medical stabilization setting to empower parents and equip them with the education necessary to restore their child back to health. Fellows provide diagnostic evaluations, parent and patient psychoeducation, individual and family interventions, and facilitate group meals and group therapy.

Fellows may have the opportunity to provide education and support to the medical residents and fellows in both informal and formal presentations.

In addition to the experiences working with the medical teams described above, the fellow will participate in a range of other pediatric psychology experiences described below in the section, “Activities Common to All Tracks.”

II. Pediatric Psychology Project HEALTH Medical and Mental Health Program Track (3 positions):
Three fellowship positions are within our Pediatric Psychology Project HEALTH Medical and Mental Health Program Track, specializing in providing outpatient therapy to patients with co-occurring medical and mental health diagnoses. Our pediatric psychology Project HEALTH (Harnessing Every Ability for Lifelong Total Health) program provides intensive intervention services for children, adolescents, and young adults (ages 3-21 years) with both medical and mental health conditions who need additional services beyond weekly therapy. Our Project HEALTH team highly values serving patients and families from a range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds, as well as gender diverse youth. Project HEALTH is a collaborative program between CHOC and Orange County Behavioral Health. As such, fellows will be working within the Department of Mental Health county system documentation guidelines.
All three positions will have a primary focus on the provision of outpatient mental health services (psychotherapy, coordination of care, and case management) to children and families with a broad range of complex medical and co-occurring psychological/ psychiatric diagnoses (e.g., oncology, genetic disorders, diabetes and other endocrine disorders, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and complex trauma). Fellows have the opportunity to provide long-term therapy with patients and families and collaborate work with multidisciplinary team members including Personal Service Coordinators (PSC), psychiatrists, medical and other allied healthcare professionals, and schools. Fellows will also have the opportunity to participate in workshops and evidence-based trainings provided by Orange County Behavioral Health.

Project HEALTH Oncology Specialization

In addition to providing outpatient therapy services, one-two positions will include a year-long rotation within Oncology (inpatient and outpatient services). The Oncology rotation involves working with infants, children, adolescents and young adults with various types of cancer to conduct universal psychosocial screening and provide mental health support throughout their medical treatment and frequently beyond. Psychology has an important role in CHOC’s Oncology Program and supports patients and families across the care continuum. Often psychosocial services begin at, or shortly after diagnosis, and are available to patients and families as they navigate the unique challenges when receiving a cancer diagnosis, throughout active treatment, during long-term post treatment care, and during survivorship. Patients are seen across both inpatient (e.g., medical floors and intensive care units) and outpatient settings (e.g., outpatient infusion center, oncology medical clinics, outpatient psychology) to provide continuity of care throughout their medical treatment. Fellows will also work closely with the multidisciplinary medical team of oncologists, medical fellows/residents, nurse practitioners, nurses, and oncology psychosocial team (social work, child life, spiritual care, art therapy, music therapy, pet therapy) as a consultant and liaison to coordinate care.

The Oncology team at CHOC is involved in many cutting-edge research endeavors. Psychology Fellows will have the opportunity to engage in research and/or clinical projects, and take a leadership role in program development. These projects are supported by primary psychology mentors within the psychology oncology team. Current ongoing endeavors include sibling and parent group therapy opportunities, expanded support in medical clinics and unique needs of patients in remission and their families, and school-based psychoeducational services.

Project HEALTH Additional Specialization Areas

One interested fellow may have the opportunity to work with our Medical Stabilization of Eating Disorders Service at CHOC at Mission Hospital and/or CHOC Orange campus. Patients are admitted to CHOC for medical stabilization of a range of eating disorders (e.g., Anorexia Nervosa, ARFID, Bulimia). The Medical Stabilization of Eating Disorders program uses a modified Family-Based Treatment (FBT) approach for an inpatient setting. Fellows would be involved in providing consultation-liaison services, conducting comprehensive diagnostic interviews, providing parent and patient psychoeducation, and conducting warm hand-offs and linking to outpatient care as part of the disposition planning. Fellows may have the opportunity to provide inpatient brief, targeted individual and family intervention and meal coaching.

One fellow may have the opportunity to work within CHOC’s Gender, Puberty, and Sex Development (GPS) clinic, a multidisciplinary medical clinic for transgender and gender diverse youth. Fellows would conduct assessments and brief interventions with gender diverse youth and families from a range of cultural, linguistic, and religious communities; coordinate closely with the multidisciplinary medical team; and provide short-term therapy to gender-diverse youth. Depending on their interests and training goals, fellows in GPS clinic will also have opportunities to cultivate relationships with community agencies (e.g., the LGBTQ Center of Orange County), develop training materials for medical and mental health providers, and participate in program development and evaluation.

In addition to the experiences working with medical teams described above, the fellows will also participate in a range of other pediatric psychology experiences described below in the section, “Activities Common to All Tracks.”

III. Pediatric Neuropsychology Track (1 position, 2-year fellowship designed to meet Division 40 Houston Conference Guidelines):
In this track we have 1 first year and 1 second year fellow position. The fellowship offers a major area of study in clinical neuropsychology which adheres to the Houston Conference Guidelines for specialty training. Fellows will work closely with our 6 board-certified and board-certified eligible neuropsychologists in performing pediatric neuropsychological assessments for a wide range of populations, with a focus on pre-surgery epilepsy evaluations, oncology brain tumor and long-term cancer survivorship evaluations, cardiac neurodevelopmental evaluations, and neuro-metabolic conditions. CHOC has a Level IV Epilepsy Center with a busy EEG monitoring program and also conducts epilepsy surgeries. Additionally, CHOC’s Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program is a member of the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative and participates in national multi-site clinical and research initiatives. First-year fellows also participate in our unique Multidisciplinary Concussion Clinic.

Educational training experiences include our biweekly Advanced Neuropsychology Seminar which includes both fellows and faculty neuropsychologists and focuses on neuropsychological populations, neuroanatomy, case conceptualization, and literature, in addition to biweekly preparation for board certification (e.g., fact finding). Fellows also serve as lecturers and teaching assistants for the weekly Child and Adolescent Seminar and work with a faculty mentor to develop competencies in designing didactic series for psychology trainees, formal presentation skills, ways to facilitate meaningful discussion, and how to elicit seminar feedback from participants. Additional weekly seminars focused on professional development, supervision, and ethics are offered through the broader CHOC psychology fellowship. Fellows will also have the opportunity to deliver presentations on neuropsychology related topics within our training program seminars, hospital, and/or community.

In addition to the experiences working with medical teams described above, the fellows will also participate in a range of other pediatric psychology experiences described below in the section, “Activities Common to All Tracks.”

IV. Acute Mental Health Services Track (2 positions):
Two fellows will work with CHOC spectrum of acute mental health services over the course of the training year. This fellowship will provide the trainee with the opportunity for an immersive training experience in 3 acute mental health settings with multidisciplinary teams, including inpatient psychiatric services (on the Mental Health Inpatient Center), emergency room psychiatric evaluations (in the CHOC Emergency Department, Mental Health Emergency Services team) and an intensive outpatient program for adolescents. Presenting problems range from suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, non-suicidal self-injury, psychosis, aggressive behavior/danger to others, altered mental status, and severe psychopathology. In each setting, patients and families are experiencing some degree of a mental health crisis and the fellow will deliver evidence-based services to the family with the goal of reducing risk and alleviating distress. Activities in each setting are detailed below. Fellows will participate in a variety of seminars over the course of the training year. Fellows will have the opportunity to practice supervision competencies with doctoral practicum students and/or doctoral interns.

Mental Health Inpatient Center (MHIC)
The fellow will engage in training opportunities at MHIC with children and adolescents (ages 3-17) experiencing acute psychiatric crises that warrant hospitalization, such as suicidality, non-suicidal self-harm, aggression, and psychosis. Clinical training opportunities include following individual cases, co-facilitating group therapy, and conducting brief psychological assessments. Individual cases involve conducting brief, targeted individual and family therapy, safety planning, and discharge planning with the goal of increasing safety and linkage to appropriate aftercare services. Fellow will become proficient in following areas: developing targeted treatment plans to address acute psychiatric presentation, developing patient- and family-centered aftercare plans, assessing for appropriate level of care post-discharge, working in tandem with psychiatrists and nurses, and conducting psychological testing with children/adolescents presenting with wide range of mental health concerns.
Must be available for multidisciplinary rounds Monday through Friday at 9:30am when not in conflict with seminars required by Psychology Training program.

Mental Health Emergency Service (MHES)
The fellow will engage in a training opportunity with the MHES with children and adolescents who present to the emergency department due to concern for suicidal ideation and all suicide attempts, violent behavior and/or injury to self or others, marked changes in behavior, and psychosis or altered mental status. Training opportunities include conducting mental health evaluations, using evidence-based measures (e.g., Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale [C-SSRS]), using evidence-based crisis intervention (Family Based Crisis Intervention [FBCI]), completing safety and coping planning with patients and families, and linking patients to appropriate services.
Must be available for MHES weekly meeting on Tuesday at 9:00am when not in conflict with seminars required by Psychology Training program.

CHOC Intensive Outpatient Program
The fellow will engage in training opportunity with CHOC’s IOP for high school students. The IOP is an 8-week structured curriculum based on a DBT framework and serves teens experiencing suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury, significant impairments in daily functioning, and/or emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal dysregulation. Teens attend program 4 days per week for 3 hours each afternoon and parents attend two one-hour groups. The IOP is DBT-adherent. Fellow will co-facilitate skills groups, lead mindfulness exercises, coach active skill use throughout group programming, conduct individual, family, and parent skills coaching as needed, conduct risk assessments, and complete safety plans. Additionally, fellow will participate in Treatment Team and Consult Team, components of DBT to address patient care, clinician care, and adherence to the DBT model. Fellow will become proficient in the following areas: DBT skills training, functional analysis of self-harm and other risk-related behaviors, use of mindfulness to adaptively regulate emotions in treatment, determine appropriate level of care for high risk teens, and managing effective self-care to promote clinician well-being and delivery of optimal services.
Must work 10:30am-7:00pm Monday through Friday while on IOP rotation when not in conflict with seminars required by Psychology Training program.

Top candidates will have clinical experience with children and adolescents, fluent knowledge of risk and protective factors for suicide in children and adolescents, strong grasp of severe psychopathology as it presents in children and adolescents, and training in fast-paced settings requiring flexible response. Experience with evidence-based therapies is heavily preferred; training in DBT is not required.

In addition to the experiences described above, the fellows will also participate in a range of other child/adolescent psychology experiences described below in the section, “Activities Common to All Tracks.”

V. Autism Spectrum Disorders Track (2 positions):
The Autism Spectrum Disorders fellow at the Thompson Autism Center at CHOC will gain experience and skills in providing psychodiagnostic assessments and treatment for patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other mental health needs. During the assessment rotation, the fellow will conduct psychological assessment and testing for diagnostic purposes, including test administration, scoring, and comprehensive report writing. During the intervention rotation, the fellow will identify preliminary issues for treatment focus, develop treatment plans under supervision, and deliver individual and/or group therapy in multiple settings including the center, the home, and/or community. The fellow will gain experience in providing care to patients and their families in a multidisciplinary setting and will coordinate closely with the medical team and other members of the team (e.g., social work, behavioral analysts, occupational therapist, physical therapists).

Duration: 6 months in assessment and 6 months in intervention.

In addition to the experiences described above, the fellow(s) will also participate in a range of other child/adolescent psychology experiences described below in the section, “Activities Common to All Tracks.”

Activities Common to All Tracks:

Postdoctoral Fellowship Project
All fellows will have the opportunity to generate a postdoctoral fellowship project that is clinical or research oriented. Projects have included formal research questions, quality improvement initiatives, needs assessments, generation of individual or group manualized treatments, and development of psychoeducational materials. In addition to the core pediatric psychology faculty listed below, many of whom have ongoing programs of clinical research. Upon completion of the postdoctoral fellowship project, fellows will have an opportunity to present their results as presentations, posters, and/or papers within local, regional, and national forums, or to use the results to build upon in future programs or research development.

Supervision Experiences
Postdoctoral fellows will be provided with an opportunity to supervise interns and/or practicum students. Training in the provision of supervision will be provided. Supervision and responsibility for the patients will ultimately be the responsibility of a licensed clinical psychologist on staff. Depending on the specialty track, fellows will either supervise therapy cases, assessments, or inpatient consult cases.

Supervision
Fellows receive a combination of individual and group supervision (a minimum of four hours) per week. Supervision occurs on an individual basis, during group rounds, within clinic settings, and within the Training Program seminars. All supervision is performed by departmental staff who meet the California Board of Psychology requirements and CHOC Medical Staff qualifications.
Fellows are offered at least two hours of individual supervision per week for ongoing therapy cases, assessment cases, and rotational experiences. Supervision of consults is handled with both individual supervision and via group supervision (rounds). Rounds are co-led by a board- certified child and adolescent psychiatrist/pediatrician and a licensed psychologist.

Presentations
Fellows will have the opportunity to deliver presentations on mental health topics within our training program seminars, hospital, and/or community. They will observe faculty members’ presentations and generate feedback on presentation style, content, and achievement of objectives. Then, fellows will work with our supervisors, faculty mentors, and/or community education team to develop presentations, which may include the psychology training program, hospital teams, schools, parent groups, pediatricians, and other community organizations.

Teaching Assistantship/Department Committee Representative
Fellows have the opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant for a seminar or rounds or serve as the representative for the training program on a department committee during the training year. Teaching assistantship/department committee assignments are determined based on fellowship track and fellow interests. As a teaching assistant, fellows will work with a faculty mentor to develop competencies in designing didactic series for psychology trainees, formal presentation skills, ways to facilitate meaningful discussion, and how to elicit seminar feedback from participants. As a department committee representative, fellows will attend department committee meetings as scheduled, serve as a liaison between the committee and the training class, illicit feedback from the training class and present to the committee, and provide feedback back to the training class regarding relevant issues raised at committee meetings.

Training Program Seminars

Required
Postdoctoral Fellowship Seminar (once weekly for 1 hour, year-long)
Professional Practice Seminar (once-twice monthly for 2 hours, year-long): includes Diversity & Ethics Seminars

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training: In addition to the topics on DEI embedded in each Seminar series, there will also be several trainings provided during the year for the entire Department in which Fellows will also participate.

Advanced Neuropsychology Seminar (twice monthly for 1 hour, year-long): required for neuropsychology fellow(s), optional for other fellows

CHiSPA (twice monthly for 1 hour): required for students who are proficient in Spanish

Optional
Child and Adolescent Assessment Seminar (twice monthly for 2 hours, year long; fellows may serve as teaching assistants and assist in coordinating the seminar, attend any seminars of interest or to address any training gaps, attend trainee presentations)

Child and Adolescent Psychological Principles Seminar (twice monthly for 2 hours, year long; fellows may serve as teaching assistants and assist in coordinating the seminar, attend any seminars of interest or to address any training gaps, attend trainee presentations)

Pediatrics Grand Rounds (weekly)

Content of required seminars is biased in the direction of material needed for CHOC clinical activities. A didactic element is included in all seminars. Professional issues are addressed throughout the training year. Outside speakers with a particular area of expertise are invited to present several of the seminars. Trainees may also attend the CHOC Grand Rounds as time permits.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Seminar
This seminar is held weekly throughout the year. The seminar focuses on professional development and also provides training in supervision. The seminar is informal in nature and covers topics relevant to your own training interests and needs.

Professional Practice Seminar
This seminar consists of two main topic areas; diversity and ethics. It is designed to focus on learning and application to your clinical work that supports increased competency in these areas. The diversity series within the seminar consists of department wide diversity, equity, and inclusion training opportunities that are interactive in nature and consists of self-exploration activities. In addition, there will be seminars that focus on unique diversity aspects of patient populations and exploration of the surrounding community. While we expect diversity awareness to permeate all of your work throughout the year, this seminar is designed to help you develop your model of learning and practice. The ethics series within the seminar focus on cases in medical settings that bring a multitude of ethical challenges, which can be complex and difficult to identify a clear path forward. In this seminar, faculty present cases they have worked on that have presented ethical challenges. In these interactive presentations, faculty and interns discuss systems and strategies to assess ethical dilemmas and determine courses of action.

Children and Adolescent Assessment Seminar (CAAS)
This bi-monthly seminar focuses on topics relevant to assessment and evaluation within the practice of Psychology with children and adolescents. Presentations will focus on various evidence-based assessment approaches for youth, as well as assessment considerations when working with specialized pediatric populations. We will also have guest speakers from other disciplines that psychologists frequently collaborate with on multidisciplinary teams. Postdoctoral fellows make formal case presentations in the Child and Adolescent Psychological Principles Seminar or Child and Adolescent Assessment Seminar in an area highlighting their expertise. In addition, they present cases, facilitate consultation, or make informational presentations in Diversity Seminar, Postdoctoral Fellowship Seminar, Ethics, and CHiSPA.

Children and Adolescent Psychological Principles Seminar (CAPPS)
This bi-monthly seminar focuses on topics relevant to the practice of psychology with children and adolescents. Presentations will focus on various evidence-based treatments for youth, as well as use of these treatments in specialized pediatric populations. We will also have guest speakers from other disciplines that psychologists frequently collaborate with on multidisciplinary teams. This will be an opportunity to learn how different disciplines function both at CHOC and as a broader specialization with youth and how psychologists can help integrate skills on a team to better serve the mental health needs of children and adolescents. Postdoctoral fellows make formal case presentations in the Child and Adolescent Psychological Principles Seminar or Child and Adolescent Assessment Seminar in an area highlighting their expertise. In addition, they present cases, facilitate consultation, or make informational presentations in Diversity Seminar, Postdoctoral Fellowship Seminar, Ethics, and CHiSPA.

Postdoctoral fellows may serve as teaching assistants for Professional Practice Seminar, CAAS, or CAPPS and help to coordinate the seminar. They alternate attending the seminar throughout the year and all fellows attend all trainee presentations at the end of the year.

Training Opportunities for Spanish Speaking Fellows
Our fellowship is dedicated to providing training opportunities for fellows who speak Spanish. These experiences include the ability to conduct evaluations, consultations, and treatment in Spanish.

In addition, interns who speak Spanish have the opportunity to participate in a monthly seminar, CHiSPA, led by several bilingual faculty and staff members The seminar is designed to help increase skills in and comfort with conducting psychological interventions and assessments in Spanish. Activities include working on psychological vocabulary, practice in discussing cases, case conceptualizations in Spanish, and cultural modifications of interventions for Spanish speaking populations. The goal of the seminar is to provide support and build on participants’ individual strengths. You will have the opportunity to attend seminar twice monthly, as well as have individual supervision in Spanish with a Spanish speaking faculty member.

We currently have 11 full time licensed psychologists who are bilingual in Spanish, in addition to bilingual and bicultural department mental health providers.

Pediatric Psychology Fellowship Training

Training Model
Our training model is that of scholar-practitioner. All current staff members were trained in the scientist-practitioner model and see the inclusion of empirical work as necessary for the competent treatment of psychological problems. We strive to provide trainees with a breadth and depth of training experiences in the context of utilizing innovative scientific information to guide their treatment planning, conceptualization, and delivery. All staff members remain actively involved in scientific associations, continuing education, and reviewing the relevant literature, in order to constantly improve the quality of their work and supervision.
Licensure in the state of California requires 1500 Predoctoral and 1500 Postdoctoral hours of Supervised Practice, as well as successful completion of the national written exam (EPPP) and a written exam in Jurisprudence (CPLEE). Satisfactory completion of the post-doctoral fellowship at CHOC exceeds this requirement and provides at least 2000 hours of postdoctoral supervised practice. CHOC fellows in all tracks can anticipate that their weekly responsibilities will be approximately 45 – 50 hours per week. This time estimate includes clinical service, supervision, seminars, administration, scoring, and write-ups of psychological assessments.

Training Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of our Pediatric Psychology Training Program is to provide a training experience to post graduate psychology students within a multi-disciplinary setting that allows for the professional development of child and/or pediatric psychologists and meets the licensing requirements for the Board of Psychology of the State of California (as well as those of other states).

Through our program, fellows will further develop their expertise in assessing and intervening on the psychosocial impact of acute and chronic illness in children and their families by providing hospital consultation and liaison services and outpatient therapy. Through these experiences, fellows continue to grow and develop their own unique professional identities.
Our program is designed to provide more structure at the beginning of the year, and for you to play an increasingly independent role towards the end of the year. During this year of critical transition from an intern to a professional psychologist, we encourage you to coalesce your unique professional identity, professional values, and a professional demeanor.
We fully anticipate that fellows graduating from our program will be prepared to function as an entry level pediatric psychologist in a medical setting. Many of our graduates go on to work in hospital-based settings (both clinical and research), while others go on to assistant professorship positions, and others become private practitioners.

Our particular goals and objectives are:
Goal #1: To demonstrate at the skills necessary to practice independently in the psychological treatment and assessment of children and their family members, with a specific focus on children with medical diagnoses.

Objective(s) for Goal #1:
1a. Fellows will provide weekly outpatient and/or inpatient intervention services with children, adolescents, and their families.
1b. Fellows in the Neuropsychology track will provide weekly neuropsychological assessment services for children with medical diagnoses.
1c. Fellows in the Acute Services Track will work with children with acute mental health needs in an inpatient, emergency department, and intensive outpatient setting.
1d. Fellows will participate in weekly, regularly scheduled supervision.
1e. At the end of the year, Fellows will conduct a formal case presentation to demonstrate expertise in their specialty area either in the Child and Adolescent Psychological Principles Seminar or the Child and Adolescent Assessment Seminar. Presentations will include case conceptualization, diagnosis, assessment and treatment plans, and diversity factors.
1f. Fellows will participate in an Ethics seminar module and will also discuss a case that involved a potential ethical dilemma from the current training year.

Goal #2: To demonstrate at the skills necessary to practice independently in the provision of consultation to medical or other allied health professionals or providers as well as school professionals.

Objective(s) for Goal #2:
2a. Fellows will provide consultation services to either medical providers and/or school providers.
2b. Fellows will receive specific training on consultation through either Inpatient Consultation Liaison rounds, supervision on consultation with teachers and counselors, participation in IEP’s with supervision or working with School Based Advocacy services.
2d. Fellows will participate in after hours call or experiences along with licensed supervisors that are in line with their fellowship track. Any hours worked after hours will be compensated.

Goal #3: To complete the training and experience necessary to fulfill requirements for applying for state or provincial license or certification for the independent practice of psychology and be prepared for functioning as a professional.

Objective(s) for Goal #3:
3a. Fellows will accumulate at least 2000 hours of supervised clinical work over the course of the year, participating in the training activities of the Fellowship program.
3b. Fellows will receive a minimum of 4 hours a week of supervision (at least 2 hours individual).

Goal #4: To demonstrate at the skills necessary to practice independently in the provision of outpatient psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and consultation to culturally diverse populations.

Objective(s) for Goal #4:
4a. Fellows will participate in a Diversity seminar as well as Department wide Diversity training.
4b. Fellows will present cases and include diversity factors within the case conceptualization.
4c. Fellows will participate in training activities that encourage exploration of communities in Orange County and the experience of different cultural opportunities.
4d. Diversity issues will be discussed during supervision for outpatient psychotherapy, assessment, and consultation.

Competencies
To demonstrate at the level of minimum guidance to able to do well independently the skills necessary to practice independently in the psychological treatment and assessment of children and their family members, with a specific focus on children with medical diagnoses.

To demonstrate at the level of minimum guidance to able to do well independently the skills necessary to practice independently in the provision of consultation to medical or other allied health professionals or providers as well as school professionals.

To complete the training and experience necessary to fulfill requirements for applying for state or provincial license or certification for the independent practice of psychology and be prepared for functioning as a professional.

To demonstrate at the level of minimum guidance to able to do well independently the skills necessary to practice independently in the provision of outpatient psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and consultation to culturally diverse populations.

Evaluations
Informal evaluations are conducted throughout the year; formal evaluations are conducted at 3 months, at mid-training year (6 months), and at the end of the training year (12 months) by training teams consisting of the fellows’ supervisors. These evaluations look at the trainees’ strengths in a variety of areas including diagnostic skills, interventions, testing, ethics, professional development, multicultural awareness and response to supervision. Evaluation results are shared with the fellows so that goals can be defined and planned for and refinements in performance can occur. Fellows are also asked to evaluate their supervisors and the Training Program annually. Supervisor and Training Program evaluations are used to review and clarify rotation strengths and weaknesses, supervisor performance, and program efficacy.

Educational Services
Fellows can use Burlew Medical Library, located on the CHOC/St. Joseph Hospital campus. A selection of professional books, journals, and audiovisual materials are available. Literature searches are free. Professional databases include the National Library of Medicine MEDLINE, HEALTH and CINAHL. Access can be accomplished remotely.

The Department of Pediatric Psychology has an assortment of professional books and journals, germane to professional work at CHOC.

Copying and multi-media services are available for presentations.

Benefits

Fellowship Location

CHOC is located in central Orange County, placing it less than an hour drive from the City of Los Angeles and about 30 minutes from the Pacific Ocean. Mountain resorts and the California desert are less than two hours away. The Southern California climate is very moderate all year round. Housing costs in Orange County tend to be on the average to high average side, but are often more affordable than in other major metropolitan areas. Orange County offers training experiences working with youth and families from a range of cultural, linguistic, and religious communities.

Salary and Benefits

Fellows: $71,614/year
Medical and Dental Insurance (after first full month of employment)
Paid time off (total of 21 days) for educational/vacation/sick leave (11-13 days) and departmental holidays (8-10 days)
Paid sick leave (total of 3 days per fiscal year)
An additional 3 days of educational leave (for conferences or licensure classes)
Medical leave consistent with the Family Medical Leave Act and California Family Rights Act
Each fellow is assigned a desktop or laptop computer
Embedded video cameras are available on site to enhance the supervision experience, including facilitating supervision of more challenging cases
Postdoctoral Fellows receive free parking at CHOC
A selection of professional books, journals, and audiovisual materials are available through the Psychology/Neuropsychology Training Program library and through the Burlew Medical Library, located on the CHOC/St. Joseph Hospital Campus

How to Apply

Application Procedure
The application deadline for fellows is December 1, 2023, to begin training on August 26, 2024.
Please email all application materials to Marni Nagel, Ph.D., Manager Psychology Training Program, Senior Psychologist at Psychology_Training@choc.org. Please have letters of recommendation sent directly by recommenders to Dr. Nagel at Psychology_Training@choc.org. Please include the following in your application:

  • Letter of interest indicating which track(s) you would like to be considered for, and your perceived fit with the program
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Graduate school transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendations from graduate faculty and/or clinical supervisors – 1 letter from your graduate program, 1 letter from your internship site, and 1 additional letter from a supervisor of your choice
  • Completed psychological test report on a child or adolescent (with identifying information removed) for Autism Spectrum Disorders and Neuropsychology Tracks only.

Selection Procedures
Virtual interviews will be held in January and are by invitation only in order to minimize the significant financial and time burden for applicants. On-site tours of CHOC can be arranged for any interested applicants and is not a requirement. The interview process includes a semi-structured interview. This format allows all applicants the same opportunity to show all of the skills and knowledge they have gained over the course of their graduate training. It also ensures that we ask you about all important areas. Time is also scheduled for more open-ended discussions where you can ask questions about our fellowship site. We also schedule time for you to talk to with current fellows. With applicants’ permission, we would like to take a picture at the interview in order to assist the memory of the selection committee. This is a totally voluntary process, and all applicants are welcome to opt out of the photograph. In the past we have had applicants bring a camera and take pictures of us as well. We invite you to do the same as we know how helpful that can be as a memory aide. We do ask that you respect the privacy of our patients and not take pictures that would include them.

We will be following the 2024 APPIC Postdoctoral Selection Guidelines, which include a common hold date for postdoctoral fellowships, however, clinical neuropsychology programs are not expected to follow the Standards and CHD. As such, we will be making offers following the completion of interviews; applicants can then accept, decline, or hold an offer until the designated CHD date of Monday, February 26, 2024.

The pediatric neuropsychology fellowship does not participate in the APPCN match and will be making offers on a rolling basis prior to the APPCN match date.

Applicants offered positions with our program should understand that prior to beginning the fellowship they will be required to successfully pass a required brief medical examination, which includes a drug test. Applicants will also undergo a required background test which CHOC requires of all employees in order to ensure the safety of our pediatric patients.

Application Requirements
Admission requirements for fellows include a doctoral degree in psychology from an APA accredited program; anticipated completion of a 1-year clinical APA accredited internship; one year of experience providing clinical services to children, preferably in a medical setting; a background in basic psychological testing measures (e.g. IQ, achievement, objective and projective personality measures); and finally, exposure to and interest in pediatric health psychology, pediatric neuropsychology, and/or child and adolescent psychology through coursework, clinical placement, or research. Postdoctoral fellows are required to complete their doctoral degree requirements prior to the start of the postdoctoral training year.

Questions
For additional information, please access our website at https://www.choc.org/wp/careers/residency-training-programs/psychology-postdoctoral-fellowship/
Programmatic Questions: Please email or call with any questions about the program. Please direct any questions about programmatic issues to:
Marni Nagel, Ph.D., Manager Psychology Training Program, Senior Psychologist
Department of Pediatric Psychology
CHOC Hospital in Orange
1201 W La Veta Ave
Orange, CA 92868-3874
Phone: (714) 509-8481
Fax: (714) 509-8756
Email: Psychology_Training@choc.org

Questions about application status: If you have questions regarding the status of your application (e.g. is it complete or what is missing), please email Andrea Samson at Psychology_Training@choc.org or call (714) 509-8299 and ask for Andrea.

 

Pediatric Psychology Department Faculty:

Heather Huszti, Ph.D., Chief Psychologist, Director of Training, Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Texas Tech University
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Hematology, Adherence, Consultation and Liaison services, Pediatric critical care

Carlos Y. Konishi, Ph.D., Director, Project Health, Department of Psychology, Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Coping and adjustment to chronic illness, Pediatric oncology, Diversity training

Julie Moghal, Ph.D., Director, Pediatric Psychology and Pediatric Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, University of Toledo
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Law and ethics, Mentoring and supervision, Autism, Young child/feeding

Marni Switkin Nagel, Ph.D., Manager Psychology Training Program, Senior Psychologist, Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical and Developmental Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Assessment and intervention with infants and young children, Neurodevelopmental assessment, Sleep medicine, Neonatal critical care, Chronic illness, Pain management

Julieta Aguilera Vasquez, Ph.D., Psychologist

  • School and Applied Child Psychology, McGill University
  • Clinical Training Interests: Pediatric Psychology, Oncology, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Health disparities, Cultural humility

Darcy Alcántara, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston
  • Clinical Training Interests: Integrated Primary Care, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Baleska Alfaro, LMFT, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Co-Occurring

Adrianne Alpern, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, University of Miami
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Cystic Fibrosis, Adherence, Diabetes, Gender identity and diversity, Adjustment and coping with chronic illness

Katelyn Anderson, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Counseling Psychology, University of Oregon
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Eating Disorders, Consultation-Liaison, Gender identity and diversity

Francesca Bahn, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Palo Alto University
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Inpatient psychiatric treatment, Assessment and treatment of early psychosis, ACT

Mitzi Bennett, LCSW, Manager Project HEALTH

Ava Casados, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Yale University
  • Clinical Training Interests: Integrated Primary Care, Law and Ethics, Health disparities

Elisa Corrales, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, University of Rochester
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Childhood trauma, PCIT, children’s chronic illness

Lauren Couch, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • School Psychology, University of California, Riverside
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Ana d’Abreu, Ph.D., Psychologist

  • School Psychology, Texas A&M University
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Social-emotional prevention programs, School-based mental health services, Resilience & acculturation factors in youth, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Meredith Dennis, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Loma Linda University
  • Clinical Training Interests: Acute psychiatric disorders, Emergency Department, Crisis Intervention and Management, Autism Spectrum Disorders

Wendy Gray, Ph.D., ABPP, Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, University of Florida
  • Clinical/Training Interests: IBD, Pediatric GI, Abdominal pain, Adolescent/Young Adult transition to Adult Care

Sarah Gubara, Ph.D., Psychologist

  • Counseling and School Psychology, Florida State University
  • Clinical Training Interests: Acute psychiatric disorders, Emergency Department, Crisis Intervention and Management, School-based services, Cultural Humility, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Gaby Hernandez, LCSW, Licensed Social Worker, MHIC

Mariam Ibrahim, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Arizona State University
  • Clinical Training Interests: Integrated Primary Care, Pediatric Psychology, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Jina Jang, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Louisiana State University
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Cindy S. Kim, Ph.D., ABPP, Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Biola University/Rosemead School of Psychology
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Pediatric feeding disorders in infancy and early childhood, Young child mental health, Cochlear implants, and Developmental Disabilities

Michelle Lopez, LMFT, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Co-Occurring

Karina Martinez, LMFT, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Co-Occurring

Esmeralda Marquez, LCSW, Licensed Social Worker, MHIC

Maleia Mathis, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Loma Linda University
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Consultation-Liaison, School based mental health, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Nancy Merlino, LCSW, Licensed Social Worker, Project HEALTH

Chris Min, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Integrated Primary Care, Consultation-Liaison, Neurology, Sleep medicine

Sheila Modir, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, University of Santa Barbara
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Coping mechanisms and understanding resilience in the context of trauma for vulnerable populations

Shirin Mostofi, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Loma Linda University
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Intensive outpatient programming, Crisis Management, Acute Psychiatric Crises, Working with young children

Grace Mucci, Ph.D., ABPdN, Neuropsychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Neuropsychological assessment, Neuropsychological aspects of pediatric oncology, Oncological cognitive late-effects, Epilepsy, Neurological disorders

Anton Petrenko, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Northern Illinois University
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Hematology, Consultation-Liaison, Pediatric Psychology

Eric Proffitt, Psy.D., Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Azusa Pacific University
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Hematology/Oncology/BMT, Consultation-Liaison, Eating disorders

Nancy Ramirez, LCSW, Licensed Social Worker, MHES

Jonathan Romain, Ph.D., ABPP-CN, Neuropsychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology, Fresno
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Epilepsy, Pediatric neuropsychology, TBI and Concussion

Kevin Rowen, Psy.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant University, Los Angeles
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Intensive outpatient programming, Crisis Management, Acute Psychiatric Crises

Sarah Ruiz, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Child Clinical Psychology, University of Minnesota, Institute of Child Development
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Integrated Primary Care, Diversity training, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Scott Ryan, LMFT, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Intensive outpatient programming

Anita Z. Saavedra, Psy.D., Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Pepperdine University
  • Clinical Training Interests: Pediatric Psychology, Oncology, School-based services, Bilingual providers, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Alexander Tan, Ph.D., Neuropsychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Children’s Health & University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW), Dallas
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Neuropsychology, Cardiac neurodevelopmental concerns

Mery Macaluso Taylor, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Child Psychology, University of Kansas
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Consultation-Liaison services, Chronic Pain, Latinx populations, Diversity Training

Tien Thai, LCSW, Licensed Social Worker, MHIC

Micaela Thordarson, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Intensive outpatient programming, Crisis Management, Acute Psychiatric Crises

Tiffany Torigoe-Lai, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, University of Virginia
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Oncology, Consultation-Liaison, Coping and adjustment to chronic illness, Quality of life

Carolina Eberhard Veira, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Co-Occurring Clinic

Isela Aguirre Verdugo, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Co-Occurring

Nicole Vincent, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, University of Miami
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Anxiety in children and adolescents, Pain management, Tic disorders, Therapy with school-age children and adolescents, Psychosocial and cognitive issues in pediatric oncology

Lisa Walsh, LCSW, Licensed Social Worker, MHES

Kristen Yule, Ph.D., Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Marquette University
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Diabetes, Consultation-Liaison, Pain management, Pediatric Psychology

Psychiatry Faculty:

Hoang “Wayne” Nguyen, MD, Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Director, Mental Health Inpatient Center, Board Certified Child/Adolescent Psychiatrist

  • Medical School, Texas A & M Health Science Center, Internship and Residency, University of Utah Medical Center
  • Clinical/Training Interests: Child and adolescent psychiatry,
    Psychosomatic Disorders, Developmental Disorders, Pain Medicine

Michael Chu, MD, Board Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

  • Medical School, University of Maryland, School of Medicine
  • Psychiatry Residency: University of Maryland Sheppard Pratt
  • Fellowship: University of California, San Diego/Rady Children’s Hospital Clinical/Training Interests: Child and adolescent psychiatry, consultation liaison and emergency department.

Michael Hwang, MD, Board Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, IOP, Pediatric Psychology Continuity Clinic

  • Medical School, New York University, Internship: Tulane University, Fellowship: University of California, Irvine

Laura Lai, MD, Board Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, ASPIRE IOP

  • Internship and Fellowship: University of California, Irvine

Uma Rao, MD, Board Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Director of Behavioral Research

Lavanya Wusirika, MD, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, MHIC

  • Fellowship: University of California, Los Angeles

Esther Yang, MD, Board Certified Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

  • Internship and Fellowship: University of California, Irvine Medical School