Externships, internships and residencies

Psychology Training

Externship opportunities have been available at SLVHCS since 2019 to applicants from Ph.D. or Psy.D. programs in clinical or counseling psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) or Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) only. Extern positions are currently offered at multiple sites (New Orleans VA Medical Center, Baton Rouge Community-Based Outpatient Clinic, etc.). Please view the below brochure for application procedures, externship faculty and a complete listing of volunteer externship opportunities offered for the current academic year. If your academic program does not currently have an affiliation agreement with the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, please contact one of the directors of training below.

Internship Program

The Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. 

Applicants for internship must be Ph.D. or Psy.D. degree candidates from APA accredited doctoral programs in clinical or counseling psychology with supervised clinical practicum work to include at least 300 hours of direct contact hours in intervention and 100 hours in assessment. VA requirements specify that eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens and have fulfilled departmental requirements for internship as certified by their Directors of Clinical Training. Further details regarding the program are available in the APPIC Directory. The Department of Veterans Affairs is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As an equal opportunity training program, the internship welcomes and strongly encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, age, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, disability or other minority status.

Postdoctoral Residency Program

The Postdoctoral Clinical Psychology Residency at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. The next site visit will occur during academic year 2027. Applicants must have completed all requirements of an American Psychological Association, Canadian Psychological Association, or Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System accredited clinical or counseling psychology doctoral program and an APA-accredited psychology internship prior to the residency start date.

We have residency positions in the following areas: Health Psychology with an emphasis in Pain & Rehabilitation Psychology, Health Psychology with emphasis in Primary Care-Mental Health Integration, Palliative Care/Geropsychology, Rural and Underserved Populations and PTSD/Trauma. We may not recruit for all positions each year. Further details regarding the program are available in the APPIC Directory and the Universal Psychology Postdoctoral Directory. The Department of Veterans Affairs is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As an equal opportunity training program, the residency welcomes and strongly encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, age, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or other minority status.

Jessica Walton, Ph.D.

Director, Psychology Training Program

Jessica.Walton2@va.gov

Christopher R. L. Parkinson, Ph.D.

Co-Director, Psychology Training Program

Christopher.Parkinson@va.gov

P.O. Box 61011
New Orleans, LA 70161-1011
(800) 935-8387

APPIC Match Number: 1318

The psychology internship and residency programs at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation (CoA) of the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA CoA can be reached at: 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242; Telephone: 800-374-2721; 202-336-5979; https://www.accreditation.apa.org/. 

Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency Program

The Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System Physical Therapy Service offers licensed physical therapists a year-long advanced practice residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy.

Our residency program is in development status and seeking accreditation by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency (ABPTRFE) and Fellowship Education as a post-professional program for physical therapists in Orthopaedics. The residency program is currently funded by the Office of Academic Affiliations.

Residents will enjoy full-time employment in the heart of New Orleans, Louisiana, with a thriving, diverse cultural scene with benefits and completing 150+ hours of one-to-one mentoring with Orthopaedic and Neurologic Clinical Specialists and experienced clinicians across a variety of settings. Our program supports one resident annually. Residents who successfully complete the program are well-prepared and eligible to sit for the Orthopedic Clinical Specialist exam.

Susan Kurtz, MPT, CWS, SCCE

Director, Physical Therapy Residency Program

Susan.Kurtz2@va.gov

Post Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency Program 

The Post-Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency (PB-RNR) at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System is a 12-month traineeship designed to provide additional training and support to post baccalaureate registered nurse graduates. Trainees receive didactic educational seminars, simulation and other educational activities, as well as rotate to a variety of clinical departments (in-patient medical and surgical services; emergency and critical care and mental health and out-patient services).

The mission of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System post baccalaureate program is to build upon the knowledge and experience of nurse residents by bridging academic education and professional nursing practice to provide optimum veteran-centered care.  The traineeship is supported by the Veterans Affairs Office of Academic Affiliations. Upon successful graduation from the PB-RNR program, the trainee is eligible to apply for a staff registered nurse position at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System.

Mail application packets to:

Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System

Nursing Education Department

2400 Canal Street, Suite 2Q-108

New Orleans, Louisiana 70119

Dr. Jacqueline Harrison, D.N.S.,R.N.

Director, Post Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency Program

Jacqueline.harrison@va.gov

(504) 507- 2000 extension 67517

Dr. Antoinette Jefferson, Ph.D., R.N.

Coordinator, Post Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency Program

Antoinette.jefferson@va.gov

(504) 507-7568

VA Student Trainee Experience (VA-STEP) Program

The Nursing VA-STEP Program is designed for outstanding students who are completing their junior year in a Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) accredited Baccalaureate programs.

VA-STEP students develop clinical competencies in a selected nursing specialty area, under the guidance of VA Registered Nurse (RN) preceptors. Learning opportunities will be enhanced by structured clinical experiences including competency-based clinical practice and participation in interdisciplinary clinical conferences. Continuing Education programs held by the medical center are often open to VA-STEP students

Adonis Holmes, MSN, RN

Coordinator, VA Student Trainee Experience Program

Adonis.Holmes@va.gov

(504) 507-2000, Ext 67516