About Our Program
Kaiser Permanente’s Postdoctoral Residency Program in Health Service Psychology with a specialty in Maternal Infant Resilience is comprised of six positions embedded in the OB-GYN and Pediatric departments at the medical offices in Antioch, Pleasanton, and Walnut Creek, California.
The residency is a one-year, full time (40 hours per week), temporary position with benefits. It is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and follows APA training standards, guidelines, and principles. Training begins at the end of August, and the resident accrues 2,000 supervised professional hours over the course of the year.
Training Program Start/End Dates
September 12, 2022 – September 8, 2023
Recruitment is on Hold for the 2024-2025 Training Year
Program Mission and Curriculum
The mission of the Maternal Infant Resilience program is to provide residents with advanced training in mental health service delivery within an integrated and multidisciplinary system to prepare them for dynamic roles as practicing psychologists in the health care system of the future.
The focus of training is on preventing the inter-generational impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACEs. Residents selected for these positions will be at the cutting edge of treatment, designing and implementing early interventions and programs that address the health consequences of ACEs. Residents receive specialized didactic training and supervised experience in the areas of infant attachment, resiliency and coping, development across the lifespan, and ACEs with an emphasis on childhood intervention.
Residents will also have the opportunity to work as Behavioral Medicine providers. Duties in this role include treating patients experiencing sexual dysfunction, chronic pelvic pain, and peripartum mood disorders as well as broader concerns such as how specific illnesses affect mental health.
One-half of the resident’s time (approximately 20 hours per week) is devoted to direct patient care. Residents are also engaged in community partnership projects focused on improving mental health in local communities, perform psychological assessments, and conduct program evaluations. They attend multidisciplinary team meetings including case consultation, Regional didactic seminars, and a bimonthly diversity forum organized by our Mental Health Training Program EID Officers.
Professional Competencies, Supervision and Evaluation
To accomplish the goals of personal and professional development for each resident, an individual learning plan is developed by the resident and their primary supervisor at the beginning of the training year. The emphasis of the plan is to organize training in a sequential, cumulative, and graded manner. The resident and supervisor review the learning plan quarterly to ensure that training is meeting the needs of the resident and that the resident is sufficiently guided through the professional development process. Particular emphasis is placed on the following APA Profession-Wide Competencies:
- Integration of Science and Practice
- Individual and Cultural Diversity
- Ethical and Legal Standards
- Professional Values, Attitudes and Behaviors
- Communication and Interpersonal Skills
- Assessment
- Intervention
- Consultation and Interdisciplinary Skills
Resident supervisors, who are all licensed psychologists, use a competency-based supervision model to ensure that all training goals are met. Individual and group supervision occur weekly during the training year. Efforts are made to provide ongoing feedback to residents in addition to the quarterly evaluations. Residents also have an opportunity to evaluate the training program twice a year.
