Postdoctoral Fellowships at Next STEPS Worldwide

Because of our commitment to your development, securing a postdoc fellowship placement at Next STEPS is a competitive process with openings in general Next STEPS positions as well as in our specialized clinic for the treatment of eating disorders, the RecoverED (RED) Clinic.

We are so honored you are considering Next STEPS Worldwide for your post-doctoral fellowship! NSWW has multiple offices and providers across the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. A list of office locations can be found here. All services offered are outpatient and include: therapy and psychological assessment services for children/adolescents, families, and adults across all psychiatric presentations.

The team is skilled in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Group Therapy, Clinical Research, Crisis Intervention, and Family Therapy.

The practice also specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, through the RecoverED Clinic (RED Clinic). Specifically, the RED Clinic focuses on Relapse Prevention and Recovery for traditional eating disorders and a specific treatment protocol for the treatment of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. For eating disorder treatment, the RED Clinic focuses on treatment according to the APA standards of care, which includes use of a multidisciplinary treatment team, as well as family-based treatment. Trainees are exposed to evidence-based treatments at the outpatient level of care.

Trainees will take part in a variety of training activities including, psychological assessment, individual/couples/family/group therapy, parent education and training, didactics trainings, professional networking, community outreach, individual and group supervision, and special projects. We hope the information that follows helps you better understand our program’s foundations before you consider applying. Please review the material carefully and contact us here.

The application deadline is January 19th each year.

During the fellowship year, postdoctoral fellows will spend 12 months in the Next STEPS Worldwide general outpatient clinic working with adults, adolescents, children, and families. Because there is a specialized clinic (The RecoverED clinic) the postdoc will also have experiences in the treatment of eating disorders. All services are outpatient. Fellows will provide psychological assessments and therapy services to psychiatric outpatients across clinics. As a part of the RecoverED clinic, the fellow will become an integral member of a multidisciplinary treatment team. Fellows function as consultants on the treatment team and provide services that include individual therapy, group therapy, and psychological assessments to patients in the outpatient recovery programs. Fellows will also have opportunities to supervise psychology doctoral students, present psychology talks to a cohort of masters and doctoral level students and participate in ongoing research protocols.

Licensed psychologists on staff at Next STEPS Worldwide provide supervision as appropriate to the clinical work being done and research activities pursued by the fellow. A full range of educational opportunities at NSWW are available including weekly case consultation, weekly didactics, and monthly postdoc seminar. Regularly scheduled training activities include individual and group supervision as well a monthly professional Continuing Education and networking. The fellow may also develop a research project for presentation and/or publication during their term and engage in a variety of teaching and training opportunities.

In order to qualify for this position, all fellows are required to have completed all professional degree requirements from an APA-accredited graduate program, and an APA-accredited predoctoral internship. This fellowship meets all requirements for Texas state licensure and is comprised of 1,500 hours in not less than 9 months and not more than 24 months and fellows are encouraged to pursue licensure in Texas during the fellowship year. The training program is flexible and tailored to the fellow’s interests and needs based on agreement of supervisors and fellow. Some activities are required; however, there is considerable room for customization within the general categories of training activities. To complete the training program successfully, the fellow must achieve overall ratings of “Pass” on all core competency areas on their final evaluation. In addition, the fellow has completed 12 months of supervised, full-time work during the postdoctoral fellowship and if applicable all aspects of remediation plans were successfully completed.

The following aims are in place to ensure that each fellow has focused training and professional development opportunities that prepare them to achieve the American Psychological Association’s Profession Wide Competencies in Research; Ethical and Legal Standards; Individual and Cultural Diversity; Professional Values, Attitudes, and Behavior; Communications and Interpersonal Skills; Assessment; Intervention; Supervision; and Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Skills. These competencies are formally evaluated throughout the training year. NSWW aims to accomplish the following within the postdoc training program:

Produce clinicians who are competent to practice in the field of clinical psychology.

Competency areas include

a. Assessment and Evaluation

b. Intervention and Therapy

c. Consultation/Multidisciplinary Team Collaboration

d. Expertise in an outpatient model of relapse prevention and recovery

Produce clinicians with competence in ethical decision making and sensitivity to individual and cultural diversity. This aim focuses on:

a. Clinicians’ ability to identify and resolve ethical dilemmas

b. Clinicians who can identify and respect individual and cultural differences

c. Clinicians who can integrate knowledge of ethical and diversity issues into all areas of clinical practice.

Produce clinicians with competence in professional development and scholarship. This aim focuses on:

a. Clinicians’ ability to reflect on their own knowledge and professional development with awareness of the limits to their competence.

b. Clinicians’ professionalism and demonstration of respect for others

c. Clinicians who understand, appreciate, and use evidence-based practices

d. Clinicians who become life-long learners and accept responsibility to disseminate knowledge as well through use of a practitioner-scholar model. Clinicians should be able to consume and produce research to further their practice and the state of the field of psychology.

Produce competent clinicians who are prepared to function independently in the field of clinical psychology.

a. Fellows will obtain their professional license to practice psychology within six months of completion of the fellowship training.

b. Fellows will obtain positions in the field of clinical psychology, upon completion of their training.

We believe it is important to clearly communicate goals and objectives of the Postdoctoral Fellowship.

1. The fellowship will promote professionalism, including appreciation of and sensitivity to diversity and ethics, preparation for licensure, and preparation for securing employment in the field of psychology after the fellowship year is complete.

A. The fellow will work with a culturally diverse patient population, including those who are traditionally underserved.

B. The fellow will participate in monthly meetings for continuing education/networking. In addition, the fellow will participate in monthly community outreach efforts for professional networking.

C. The fellow will be prepared for licensure in the state of Texas.

D. The fellow will present a mock job talk to the staff at Next STEPS or to a community professional meeting.

2. The fellowship will provide training in outpatient psychological assessment.

A. The fellow will conduct comprehensive psychological assessments in an outpatient setting.

B. The fellow will conduct focused psychological assessment in the eating disorder relapse prevention treatment center, the RecoverED Clinic.

3. The fellowship will provide training in psychotherapeutic interventions.

A. The fellow will conduct individual, family, couples, and group psychotherapy in outpatient programs for clients who present with a wide range of psychiatric presentation.

B. The fellow will conduct individual, family, couples, and group psychotherapy in the outpatient eating disorder relapse prevention treatment center, the RecoverED Clinic.

C. The fellow will co-facilitate weekly groups offered for Next STEPS and RED Clinic clients.

D. The fellow will be exposed to techniques unique to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy Interpersonal Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Parent Training, and Family Systems.

4. The fellowship will promote multi-disciplinary consultation.

A. The fellow will serve as a consultant to other mental health care disciplines, therapists, dieticians, and psychiatrists.

B. The fellow will participate in weekly case conference and rounds for the RecoverED Clinic.

5. The fellowship will provide training in clinical supervision. (when available)

A. The fellow will supervise psychotherapy cases being treated by practicum/intern level psychology trainees.

B. The fellow will present at least one training topic in didactic presentations to either psychology, professional therapist, or registered dietitian trainees.

6. The fellowship will promote evidence-based practice.

A. The fellow will conduct clinical activities based on an empirical approach, consulting relevant research, and using scientific methods of evaluating evidence.

B. The fellow may be involved in ongoing research projects and will develop at least one project for presentation and/or publication by the end of the fellowship.

1. Professionalism

A. The fellow participates in a weekly staff meeting focusing on clinical and ethical issues and other professional matters. This is one hour every week and takes place with all trainees present along with all licensed staff. Consultation and case conference occurs in this setting. This meeting occurs at the Headquarters office in Mckinney and the training director along with all staff are involved. (Required)

B. The fellow participates in the monthly Collin County Psychological Association Continuing Education meetings. The CCPA meets monthly to discuss professional topics including ethics, licensure, and cultural diversity in addition to providing a venue for professional networking. The fellow will present their mock job talk at this meeting by the end of the training year. This meeting is for 1.5 hours every month and allows the fellow to build a professional network in the community and gain exposure to regular CE events in the community. The fellow will attend these meetings with staff psychologists and the training director each month. (Required)

C. The fellow participates in a monthly peer supervision meeting led by a licensed staff psychologist to discuss a variety of topics including providing supervision, job search, job talk, interviewing skills, and other topics related to professional development. The fellow will present advanced case conceptualizations two times during these meetings during the training year. This meeting is two hours every month at the Mckinney Headquarters location and the training director or another licensed psychologist on staff leads these meetings on a rotating schedule. (Required)

2. Psychological Assessment

A. Outpatient Psychological assessment: The fellow is responsible for conducting psychological/neuropsychological evaluations for psychiatric outpatients. These evaluations may be brief or extensive, depending on the referral question. Typical referrals include diagnostic, cognitive, neuropsychological, Autism, and/or personality testing. In addition to providing a full written report of evaluation results, the fellow will be responsible for converting assessment data into a feasible treatment plan for outpatient therapy services. The fellow will complete these assessments at the various office locations during the week. The fellow will be scheduled each week at 2-3 locations (no more than two locations in the same day) in order to service our clients. A supervisor/training director will always be available and involved as much as needed directly for client care (consistent with the developmental model of supervision) according to how the fellow is scheduled. In addition, all reports/notes will be approved and co-signed by the fellow’s primary supervisor. (Required)

B. Outpatient Eating Disorder Assessment: The fellow is responsible for conducting psychological evaluation specific to eating disorder diagnoses (e.g., Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) and creating a relapse prevention treatment plan for the clients. Typically, the fellow will have one eating disorder assessment on their schedule every week and a supervisor/training director will be available and involved as needed (consistent with the developmental model of supervision) during this time. In addition, all reports/notes will be approved and co-signed by the fellow’s primary supervisor.

3. Psychotherapeutic Interventions

A. Outpatient Therapy with Adults: The fellow will conduct individual and couple therapy for adult clients.

B. Outpatient Therapy with Children and Adolescents: The fellow will conduct individual and family therapy for children/adolescents.

C. The RecoverED Clinic Outpatient Group Therapy: The fellow will conduct psychoeducational and DBT skills groups for clients in the relapse prevention program for eating disorders.

D. Outpatient Parent Education/Training: The fellow will conduct parent education groups and parent training sessions for parents who need support with a child in treatment. Overall, the typical therapy caseload consists of 5-15 cases. These are scheduled according to location need and occur on a standing appointment basis each week. Treatment plans are typically 6-12 months in duration. A supervisor/training director will be available during the time the fellow is providing direct therapy to clients. In addition, all reports/notes will be approved and co-signed by the fellow’s primary supervisor.

4. Clinical Supervision (when available)

The fellow receives specialized training in the supervision of clinical psychology graduate students/psychology trainees. The fellow supervises the treatment of one or more individual psychotherapy cases and/or groups, under supervision of their primary clinical supervisor. In addition, the fellow may further contribute to the supervision and teaching of psychology trainees by demonstrating the use of assessment tools and participating in case consultation meetings. When clinical supervision opportunities are available, the fellow will engage in one hour of direct supervision with their trainee and provide in-the-moment supervision to the trainee for professional activities in which the trainee is developing their skill set (e.g., assessment, therapy, etc). The fellow will report to their primary supervisor on a weekly basis to provide updates about supervision of their trainee.

5. Multidisciplinary Consultation

A. As noted above, the fellow participates in a multidisciplinary team setting which may include Next STEPS Worldwide general psychological services or The RecoverED (RED) Clinic focusing on eating disorders. In each setting, the fellow provides consultation to other treatment professionals, such as attending treatment team meetings, providing oral and written feedback to the team, and seeking out the services of other professionals when necessary (e.g., by making referrals to dietary services, psychiatry, etc.). All activities will be supervised by the fellows’ primary supervisor/training director. (Required)

B. The fellow also attends the weekly staff meeting as noted above where client cases are staffed and case conceptualization from a multidisciplinary perspective takes place. This meeting is one hour per week. All activities will be supervised by the fellows’ primary supervisor/training director. (Required)

C. The fellow will attend biweekly rounds for the RecoverED Clinic clients. This meeting is 30 minutes in length and occurs in the Mckinney Headquarters location. Multidisciplinary team collaboration occurs at this meeting and the fellow will participate by providing updates on their client’s progress in therapy and with treatment goals. All activities will be supervised by the fellows’ primary supervisor/training director.

6. Evidence-Based Practice

The fellowship is evidence-based, and an empirical stance towards assessment and treatment is the norm. In addition, the fellow is provided opportunities to pursue a research project during the fellowship year, and to produce a manuscript for presentation and/or publication. The fellow may elect to create a new research protocol or to develop a smaller research study within the context of an existing protocol.