Behavioral Health Fellowship

July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009

Click here for PDF version of Fellowship brochure

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC) is a full-service health benefits company serving members throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and beyond. For more than 35 years Harvard Pilgrim has built a reputation for exceptional clinical quality, preventive care, disease management and member satisfaction and has consistently rated among the top plans in the country.

HPHC was founded with the support of Harvard Medical School and was the first medical-school-sponsored HMO in the country. Consistent with its origins HPHC has committed itself to teaching and research as well as to quality health care.

Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates

In the late 1990’s, a group of physicians and clinical leaders at Harvard Community Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim banded together to create a new, independent health care organization: Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. Their vision was to build a leading and innovative health care organization built upon the promise of an unwavering commitment to teaching, research, and patient care and a dedication to providing the very best health care possible.

The multi-specialty medical group practice delivers health and wellness services at offices in and around the Metropolitan Boston area. HVMA is widely recognized for its innovative approach to health care and its focus on prevention, early detection of disease and effective management of chronic illness.

Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention

The Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention (DACP) was created in 1992 as a joint partnership between Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Harvard Community Health Plan (HCHP), and is funded by HMS and the HPHC Foundation. The DACP was the nation’s first medical school department based in a freestanding HMO. This joint venture uses the strengths of both organizations to develop innovative research and educational initiatives.

The DACP offers training and educational programs for students in the health professions in the wide range of skills they will need to practice in the rapidly changing health care environment. The Behavioral Health Fellowship has graduated more than 200 fellows over the past 25 years and HVMA and HPHC have hired more than 60 fellows to regular staff positions.

The Behavioral Health Fellowship

The Behavioral Health Fellowship is a one-year, interdisciplinary program open to senior psychiatric residents, post-doctoral psychologists, masters prepared psychiatric nurses and social workers. The core program is 20 hours a week and involves participation as a clinician at a HVMA clinical site and engagement in direct clinical service and administrative activities.

A 2 1/2 hour weekly academic seminar and on-site supervision supports the learning in the placement.

The program strives to help the fellows develop clinical innovation as they practice within a system that actively manages care. We are particularly interested in accepting fellows whose experience and goals indicate that they may be among the future leaders in academic or managed care settings.

Fellowships are half-time and located in Harvard Vanguard outpatient behavioral health departments. Fellows receive a minimum of 2 hours per week of individual supervision. Clinical placements are available specializing in adult and/or child work. Additional supervision, particularly in specialized areas such as group therapy, substance abuse, or psychopharmacology, is easily arranged.

The Behavioral Health Fellowship is designed to

Enhance skills in specific clinical techniques, emphasizing time-effective psychotherapies.
Develop an understanding of the influence of economic concerns on the delivery of mental health care and organizational systems.
Support the development of professional identity.
Help fellows face career challenges in the next decade.
Provide the necessary background and competencies for fellows to consider an innovative career within managed care mental health systems.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

To acquaint prospective fellows with our program and to clarify application decisions, we have scheduled two informational meetings.
December 14, 2007 and January 4, 2008 from 10:00am-11:00am. Meetings will be held in the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, 133 Brookline Avenue, 6th Floor, Boston. Please RSVP to Stephanie Chauvet at 617-509-9879 or Stephanie_Chauvet@hphc.org.

Please submit three completed copies

A statement of your future professional goals and an explanation of how participation in the HPHC/HVMA Behavioral Health Fellowship would enhance those goals.
Résumé, including a description of past training experiences.
Three (3) letters of recommendation, preferably from current clinical supervisors.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Nurses and Social Workers have completed the Master's Degree. Psychology applicants have completed the requirements for their Ph.D. and a minimum of one year in pre.doctoral internship. Psychiatry applicants are at level PGY IV or above.

Inquiries and applications, including letters of reference, should be directed as follows:

Nursing and Social Work applications to:
Sharon Steinberg, R.N., M.S., C.S.
Department of Ambulatory Care & Prevention
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
133 Brookline Avenue, 6th Floor
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 509-9944
Email: sharon_steinberg@harvardpilgrim.org

Psychology applications to: <br> James M. Donovan, Ph.D.
Behavioral Health
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
230 Worcester Street
Wellesley, MA 02481
(781) 431-5239

Psychiatry applications to:
James E. Sabin, M.D.
Department of Ambulatory Care & Prevention
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
133 Brookline Avenue, 6th Floor
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 509-9926
Email: jim_sabin@harvardpilgrim.org

Applications should be received by January 11, 2008

SELECTION PROCESS

The Behavioral Health Training Committee will review all applications. Finalists for the positions will be offered interviews in February 2008. We will make our final selection decisions in early March, 2008. The fellowship lasts 12 months and begins July 1, 2008.

COMPENSATION

Fellows receive $12,000/year for the half time fellowship and three weeks vacation-educational leave.

EXPERIENCE OF PREVIOUS FELLOWS

This fellowship fulfills the promise of the postgraduate year. Through rich didactic training, supervision with experts in their field, exposure to role models and mentors, supportive collegial relationships, and breadth-and-depth of experience, I found consistent opportunity and structure to integrate my knowledge of theory, research and practice and apply ideas and skills in real-world ways. I learned to care for a large client population and practice effectively in the current managed care climate. At the end of the year, I felt competent and confident as a psychologist and well-prepared to meet early career demands in my area of concentration.
Vicki Putz, PsyD.

I spent a half.time elective at the Wellesley Center during my fourth year of psychiatric residency. Overall, it was an excellent experience, and one I would recommend enthusiastically to other psychiatry residents. There was a weekly seminar that was one of the best training seminars I have ever been a part of. The readings and our discussions were superb. I felt it was invaluable to work in an HMO and learn about the economics, politics, and inner workings of this type of mental health care delivery system. I saw an interesting variety of out.patients, more variety and volume than in my residency training program. This year was an opportunity to learn about the theory and practice of short.term dynamic psychotherapy and the history of its development within the mental health field.
Karen K. Dickson, M.D.

This was the best investment of my time. The fellowship offered a creative, empowering approach to therapy of the future, grounded in research. Working with all of the clinicians and staff was an opportunity to grow professionally in ways I never imagined. It was excellent.
Christina Sokoloff, RN, MS, CS

Just being introduced to such a wide range of talent and differing perspectives from therapists, to clinicians, to administrators – all contributed synergistically to broadening my knowledge of and enthusiasm for the field. I was exposed to a full range of outstanding and helpful clinical work, seminars and training. I really enjoyed the fellowship; it was a tremendous learning experience.
John Moynihan, MSW, LCSW

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF HVMA AUTHORS

Budman, S.H. and Gurman, A.S. (1988). Theory and Practice of Brief Therapy. New York: Guilford Press.

Donovan, J.M. (2003) Short-Term Object Relations Couples Therapy, New York: Brunner-Routledge.

Donovan, J.M. (1999). Short-Term Couple Therapy, New York: Guilford Press.

Donovan, J.M. (1987). Brief Dynamic Psychotherapy: Toward a More Comprehensive Model, Psychiatry, 50:167- 183.

Donovan, J.M., Steinberg, S.M., and Sabin, J.E. (1991). A Mental Health Fellowship Program in an HMO Setting. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 42:952-953.

Donovan, J.M., Steinberg, S.M., and Sabin, J.E. (1994) Managed Mental Health Care: An Academic Seminar,Psychotherapy, 1:201-207.

Feldman, J. and Fitzpatrick, R. (Eds.) (1992). Managed Mental Health Care: Administrative and Clinical Issues. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Press.

Friedman, S. and Fanger, M.T. (1991). Expanding Therapeutic Possibilities: Getting Results in Brief Psychotherapy. New York: Lexington Books.

Friedman, S. (Ed.) (1993). The New Language of Change: Constructive Collaboration in Psychotherapy. New York: Guilford Press.

Kreilkamp, T.K. (1989). Time Limited Intermittent Therapy With Children and Families. New York: Brunner/Mazel.

Sabin, J.E. (1991). Clinical Skills for the 1990s: Six Lessons From HMO Practice. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 42:605-608.

Steinberg, S.M., D’Afflitti, J.G., and Jimerson, S.S. (1999). Collaboration and Partnership in Managed Care, Advanced Practice Nursing in Psychiatric and Mental Health Care. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby.

Steinberg, S.M., and Block, S.D. (1998) Caring for Patients at the End of Life in an HMO. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 1:387-399.