The primary aim of the EOVAHCS training program is to provide the highest quality generalist training using evidence-based psychotherapies and psychological assessments that are inclusive of diverse cultural methodologies and critical consciousness frameworks. Culturally responsive models and social justice principles undergird all aspects of our training program so that interns are equipped to serve BIPOC and marginalized groups who have historically and systematically been denied access to liberated spaces within mental health systems in their own communities.

The Scholar-Practitioner model is the underlying philosophy and will be followed to prepare interns as well-rounded competent clinicians. We emphasize the integration of research and practical experience and believe it is essential in the development of professional competency. Therefore, emphasis is placed on applying evidence-based practices, research-based programming, and the application of science into practice. The goal is to facilitate interns’ development of critical thinking, conceptualization, and problem-solving skills.

The Internship year is divided into two rotations of six months each and yearlong rotations focused on evidenced based assessment and therapy. In general, interns are expected to achieve foundational competencies in the area of clinical assessment, group and individual psychotherapy, consultation and treatment planning, professionalism and ethical/legal standards and policy, sensitivity to individual differences and cultural diversity, supervision and scientific knowledge and methods.

Generally, interns spend two days per week performing duties associated with their rotation, one day a week performing duties associated with assessment, one day a week performing duties associated with evidence-based therapy, and one day reserved

for training-related activities, including didactic seminars, group supervision, research, supervision seminar, participation in the multicultural committee and the yearlong diversity group project. Interns have the ability to individualize their training plans as well based on the intern’s training goals/interests and can include committee work (e.g., LGBTQ Committee; IPV Work Group, Mental Health Summit Planning Committee), outreach (e.g., Native American Outreach, MST Outreach) and/or participation in multicultural activities such as the Voices at the Table noted below.

Interns receive at a minimum of two hours and 30 minutes of individual supervision each week by three separate licensed psychologists (Assessment Supervisor, Rotation Supervisor, EBP Supervisor). In addition, interns have two – three hours of group supervision (Assessment, EBP, Supervision) and two hours of didactic activities each week. The didactics and seminars are coordinated by the training leadership and focus on multicultural issues, empirically based interventions, and/or assessments. Diverse perspectives in training are provided by clinical providers working in various areas of Veteran care as well as outside speakers with specific knowledge in psychological assessment, trauma-related care, and diversity issues.

VOICES AT THE TABLE

“Voices at the Table” is a small weekly discussion group whose primary goal is to expand our hearts and minds to the rich tapestry of the American experience. One of the ways this occurs is by creating a safe, non-judgmental, and liberating place for marginalized groups to give voice to their people’s history and personal experiences. It is truly a multicultural group that is open to all staff, residents, and interns who are committed to creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all. Our discussions may stem from specific readings, a presentation, or relevant topic in the news. Please join us for a very refreshing and informative hour. We meet each Thursday during lunch. All we ask is that you bring an open and caring heart that carries within it a burning desire to make this world a better place for all.

“What do we live for, if not to make the world less difficult for each other?” – George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)

Each intern is required to participate in year-long rotations which will focus on Psychological Assessment and Evidenced-Based Psychotherapy. These rotations are located at the Tulsa Clinic.

Personality diagnostic assessment & neuropsychological assessment

Over the course of the internship year, interns will conduct evidence-based assessments from referral sources throughout our service.  Assessment training at Eastern Oklahoma VA Healthcare System emphasizes collaborative/therapeutic and recovery-oriented approaches throughout the testing and feedback process. Interns will either be assigned to conduct personality/diagnostic assessments and/or neuropsychological assessments based on their foundational assessment experience prior to internship. If multiple interns meet the foundational requirements for neuropsychological testing and wish to have this experience, then it is possible that the assessment year will be split with half of the year focused on neuropsychological testing and half of the year focused on personality/diagnostic testing. Therefore, this rotation will vary from cohort to cohort based on prior assessment experience.

Personality/Diagnostic assessment assists in differential diagnosis and treatment planning for veterans with diverse emotional and behavioral concerns. Common measures administered include: MMPI-2-RF, PAI, MCMI-IV, WAIS-IV, CPT-3, SCID-5, CAPS-5, and various symptom screeners. As part of this rotation, interns also will conduct comprehensive intakes which includes gathering of psychosocial history, assessing relationship violence, conducting suicide risk assessment and, if appropriate, safety planning. Using the shared decision making model the Intern will also provide information and rationale about EBP’s available and collaborate with the client to engage in treatment planning with the best fit based on the client’s presenting symptoms and goals.

Consultations to the EOVAHCS Neuropsychology Service are received from a spectrum of patient care providers with a diverse range of consult requests. Neuropsychological assessment referral reasons often include diagnostic clarification of neurocognitive versus psychiatric etiologies, and evaluating the extent of cognitive impairment in suspected dementia and in residuals of acquired injuries, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke. Interns assigned to the Neuropsychology assessment rotation gain experience selecting, administering, scoring, and interpreting a wide variety of neuropsychological measures and personality inventories using a flexible battery approach. The majority of the assessments are completed with veterans referred to the service on an outpatient basis, while there may be additional opportunities for brief assessment of veterans on inpatient services (i.e., psychiatry, rehabilitation).

Evidenced-Based psychotherapy

Interns will become proficient in a minimum of two evidenced based therapies Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Depression (CBT-D) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD during the course of their training year.  Interns will complete training during orientation in CBT principles and CBT for depression and will focus on implementation once orientation is completed.  Around January of the training year, the interns will participate in CPT training and consultation  provided by a Regional VA Trainer/Consultant. This unique training/consultation opportunity fulfills the training requirements to apply for VA or community provider status for CPT once licensed. Interns will participate in group supervision with the VA CPT consultant for CPT cases and with an EBP supervisor for CBT-D. Individual supervision will be provided as needed.

Choice of rotations include: (Interns will choose two each lasting 15 hours per week for six months )

• General Mental Health Clinic (GMH)
• PTSD Clinical Team (PCT)
• Women’s Mental Health Speciality/Sexual Trauma Treatment Program
• Substance Use Disorder Team (SUD)/Veterans Treatment Court
• Acute Inpatient Unit
• Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC)
• Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC)
• Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC)
• LGBTQ+ Program
• Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI)

In addition, rotation enhncements are potentially available contingent upon supervisor availability and intern’s rotation preference and can be individualized per intern’s training interests such as:

• Special Populations
• Specialty Assessment
• Rural Telemental Health
• Administration
• LGBTQ+ Program
• DBT Team
• Multidisciplinary Eating Disorder Team

The Diversity Seminar and Group Project strives to foster and encourage a life-long practice of professional multicultural competence. The interns and seminar facilitators work to embrace the idea of cultural humility and develop a process of openness, self-reflection and ongoing professional and personal development. Aspects of the project include: participation in culturally considerate supervision, delivery of culturally competent clinical interventions, encouragement of reflection on cultural identity and cultural interactions in professional spaces through personal reflective practice, group discussion, and facilitation of experiential encounters that increase awareness of cultural identity and interactions, as well as knowledge of a cultural group.

As part of the diversity seminar, interns will create individual and group presentations. First, each intern will present on an aspect of diversity in a formal presentation and facilitate discussion. The individual presentation could highlight an experiential project, deep self-reflection, or exploration of a particular case and include relevant research/literature. In the later part of the training year, interns present as a group on a topic of their choosing, related to diversity, as part of the quarterly psychologist training seminar.

Lastly, interns will be active participants in the multicultural committee which meets monthly. The Multicultural Committee includes members from Behavioral Medicine Service, Chaplaincy, The Veterans Center, and the office of the EEO Manager, to name a few. The committee was conceived as a catalyst for diversity and equality in the Psychology Internship Program. We held a vision to shift the existing theoretical

paradigm that maintains the status quo to one that is inclusive of all people, as well as culturally and socially responsive to the needs of marginalized communities we serve. The end goal was for the work being done by the committee to infiltrate and transform services facility wide. We are seeing this come to fruition.

EOVAHCS Training Program provides the opportunity for interns to gain experience supervising trainees including psychology and social work graduate students and psychiatry residents in individual and group formats over the course of the year. A weekly seminar provides a variety of experiences for beginning supervisors including: didactic presentations, discussions of readings, review of video depictions of supervision models, role-play exercises and real supervision experiences of interns and faculty. The seminar will serve to facilitate an understanding of basic functions and roles of clinical supervision, ethical and cultural diversity considerations which will be integrated across activities. Content will include specific theory, supervisor interventions and a range of topical and situational considerations.

Individual umbrella supervision is most likely to begin after the first quarter of the training year when interns have demonstrated competency in the nine domains. Individual umbrella supervision may be possible for both therapy and assessment experiences depending on rotation and number of active practicum students. Assessment supervision will be conducted both individually and in a group setting to facilitate high quality practice with interviewing, chart review, test selection, administration, scoring, interpretation, report writing and providing feedback.

Supervision experiences for interns during the training year are contingent upon rotation options, numbers of active practicum students and intern competencies as demonstrated by their informal and formal evaluations.

Our program is using the APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI) to enable you to complete one application for all sites that are participating in the APPIC uniform application process. The AAPI is available through the APPIC web site. Please go to the APPIC web site at www.appic.org for more information about accessing and completing the online application.

Please be aware that the “Academic Program’s Verification of Internship Eligibility and Readiness” form must be submitted electronically to the internship site by your graduate director of clinical training. Instructions regarding this part of the application process are contained in the online AAPI. No mail or email application materials will be accepted Applicants are encouraged to complete the application as early as possible so that ample time will be available for application review.

For your application to be complete, we must receive the following materials through APPIC by Nov. 15, 2021:

• Online APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI)
• Your Curriculum Vitae—to be submitted as part of AAPI
• Three letters of recommendation—to be submitted as part of AAPI
• Graduate school transcripts—to be submitted as part of AAPI
• Your Academic Program Verification of Internship Eligibility and Readiness Form—to be submitted by your director of clinical training as part of AAPI
• Cover letter (no longer than two pages) addressing how your experiences to date and current career goals make you a good fit for the training offered at EOVAHCS and emphasizing rotations of interest
• Should you choose, you may also identify representation with an element of diversity in your cover letter

Applicants who are selected for interview will be invited by email no later than Dec. 10, 2021. 

The residency is 12 months in length and will include clinical rotations and multidisciplinary didactic experiences focused on:

• strengthening confidence as a licensed, independent practitioner in the promotion of optimal mental health, prevention, and treatment of psychiatric disorders and health maintenance
• enhancing clinical skills and knowledge to provide effective, evidence-based, ethical, competent assessment, diagnosis, and management of mental health and psychiatric disorders.
• development and implementation of a VA related evidence-based quality enhancement and/or system redesign project with formal presentation to peers, faculty and interdisciplinary colleagues as part of program completion.

Training areas at the EOVAHCS will include the following clinics, programs or services:

• General Outpatient Mental Health
• Family and Couples Counseling
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Women's Stress Disorder Treatment Team
• Substance Use Disorder Clinic
• Neuromodulation Clinic (i.e. Ketamine, ECT, rTMS)
• Primary Care Mental Health Integration Team
• Mental Health Urgent Care/Emergency Psychiatry Team
• Inpatient Geropsychiatry
• Acute Inpatient Psychiatric unit
• PMHNP Salary and Benefits

Residents in our program are considered federal trainees with a competitive stipend and comprehensive benefits package that includes in part, paid vacation and sick leave, 10 paid holidays and health benefits. The resident stipend is based on the current year's allocation rate for the local area, the current rate is about $75,000 per annum.

• Completed PMHNP Residency Application: Application Link VA Form 2850-D
• Letter of Interest – limit to 2 double spaced pages to include but not limited to the following:
  • Your three most important professional goals
  • Discussion of your experience with a variety of patient populations (e.g. Veterans, vulnerable, underserved or elderly populations).
  • How your career goals align with the PMHNP role and with furthering the profession
• Curriculum Vitae/Resume to include each of the following in this order:
  • Education
  • Work Experience
  • Research & Publications (if applicable)
  • Leadership Service
  • Life Experience
  • Professional Memberships Awards/Honors
• "Unofficial" nursing school transcripts (Official transcripts are required upon graduation)
• A copy of recent BLS
• A copy of APRN License (not required with application but required prior to beginning residency)**
• A copy of DEA License (not required with application but required within 30 days of beginning residency) **
• A copy of PMHNP Board-Certification (not required with application but required prior to beginning residency)
• Three (3) letters of recommendation*
  • One (1) letter from an academic instructor
  • One (1) letter from a preceptor (a different person from the above-mentioned academic instructor)
  • One (1) letter from an employer or co-worker
  • Content in each letter should include the nature of the work relationship with the candidate, the candidate's work performance, the candidate's interpersonal skills, and any strengths/talents the candidate would bring to the residency program.

**Residents are strongly encouraged to hold APRN licensure from a state that provides licensed independent practice without practice restrictions or physician collaborative agreement requirements

• Application Due Date – last day of February annually 
• Candidate Selection Announcements – mid-April annually 
• PMHNP residency start date – first Monday in August annually 
• Annual Stipend Amount - approximately $75,000 (please note this is not tax free)

If you have questions about our residency program or need help with the approval process, please contact our training director: 

Stephanie Plummer DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, PMHNP Residency Program Director
Behavioral Medicine Service – JCMVAMC – Mail Code 118
Eastern Oklahoma Veterans Health Care System
1011 Honor Heights Drive
Muskogee, OK 74401
stephanie.plummer@va.gov

Presently, we offer one CPE program to help clergy increase their pastoral effectiveness.  

Full-time, twelve-month, four-unit CPE program from early October to late September, intended for persons aiming at a level of competence that permits them to attain professional board certification as chaplains and/or admission into Supervisory CPE.

These stipend positions are limited.  Applications are received early in the calendar year, followed by an admission interview, and potential invite to join the forming cohort group. 

CPE resident chaplains are well integrated into the healthcare team and empowered to provide pastoral care to patients, families, and staff.  Each participant is encouraged to develop learning objectives relevant to his/her needs in accordance with Level I or Level II outcomes.

These objectives are addressed through pastoral care experiences, seminars, case conferences, interpersonal group seminars, and individual interviews. Focused attention will be given to increasing understanding of the needs of veterans and their families and the available resources.

Dates: October - September (12 months)

Schedule: Monday – Friday

Pre-Requisites:

Required;

• M. Div. degree or equivalency
• Permanent U.S. citizenship

Preferred;

• One (1) prior unit of CPE
• Veteran or currently in military service

Application: Standard ACPE Application Form (see link below)

A Unit of CPE consists of at least 100 hours of classroom/reading time and at least 300 hours of clinical ministry.

As a government sponsored program, there are no application or tuition fees.

The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. (ACPE) – “The Standard for Spiritual Care & Education” is nationally recognized as an accrediting agency in the field of clinical pastoral education by the U.S. Secretary of Education through the U.S. Department of Education.

We are accredited to offer Level I and Level II CPE by;

The Association of Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc.
55 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. Suite 835
Atlanta GA 30308

Tel: 404-320-1472; website: www.acpe.edu

M. Jeffrey Hoppe, Certified Educator
merlin.hoppe@va.gov
888-397-8387, ext. 73942