DSH - Patton: Psychology Fellowship Application Process

The minimal qualifications for applicant candidates include receipt of a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in clinical psychology, completion of an APA-accredited predoctoral internship program of at least 1,800 hours, and a strong interest in pursuit of advanced training in forensic psychology or neuropsychology. Our fellowship programs are generally geared for individuals who have just completed their internship and doctoral studies. Because most applicants apply while they are currently completing their predoctoral internship year, they must provide substantiation from their internship director that the applicant is in good standing and making adequate progress towards completion of the predoctoral internship program. Similar documentation is needed from the applicant’s dissertation chair (including the expected defense date) if the dissertation is not completed by the time the application is submitted. Applicants applying prior to completion of the graduate degree must provide firm evidence that the doctoral degree will be conferred prior to the start date of the postdoctoral training year (usually September 1). We are unable to complete the hiring process for fellows who do not have their doctoral degree prior to the start date of the fellowship.

Our Neuropsychology fellowship accepts one new fellow every year for two-year fellowship appointments. Therefore, we have two neuropsychology fellows each year (one first-year fellow and one second-year fellow). The Forensic fellowship accepts two new fellows each year for one-year fellowship appointments.

CalCareers Application Process:

To apply for either of our postdoctoral fellowship positions, applicants must complete a California State Application Form (STD 678) and complete the online examination process (Training and Education Examination) on the CalCareers website (www.calcareers.ca.gov) by clicking on this examination link. Applicants who do not complete these two steps on the CalCareers website will not be considered for the fellowship positions. The job announcements for these positions will be posted on the CalCareers website by mid-December. Separate job bulletins/announcements will be posted on the CalCareers website for the Forensic Fellowship and Neuropsychology Fellowship. Please make sure to follow the application instructions for the specific fellowship position/job code to which you are applying.

Additional Fellowship-Specific Materials Sent to DSH-Patton Fellowship Directors:

Please note that the application process for the DSH-Patton fellowship positions requires additional materials that are not required for applications to Staff Psychologist positions in DSH. In addition to completing the two steps listed above, applicants must send the following materials to the fellowship director(s) at DSH-Patton. Applications that do not include the materials listed below will not be considered for the fellowship positions, but they may be considered for Staff Psychologist positions if they include the necessary information to apply to those positions. There are two parts to the fellowship application process (CalCareers and Patton fellowship-specific materials). Applicants who have questions about the application process are encouraged to email Dr. Glassmire well before the application deadline at david.glassmire@dsh.ca.gov for clarification.

For Forensic Fellowship Applicants:

1. A copy of the State Examination and Employment Application (STD678). Please note that a copy of this must be submitted following the instructions in the examination bulletin on the CalCareers website and another copy needs to be submitted directly to Patton with the additional application materials.
2. Cover letter addressing why Patton's forensic fellowship is a good fit for the applicant. The letter should outline your training experiences in forensic psychology and how those training experiences have prepared you for advanced postdoctoral training in forensic psychology. Please include the dissertation defense date (or expected date), clinical interests, and research interests in your cover letter.
3. Curriculum Vita (CV)
4. Official transcripts of all graduate schools attended.
5. Personal Statement (similar to the internship AAPI personal statement in length and content).
6. Three letters of recommendation.
7. Table listing all forensic tests that have been administered under the supervision of qualified supervisors (including the number of times each test has been administered and interpreted).
8. A fully de-identified forensic psychological assessment complete with test scores and data underling the opinions expressed in the report.

Applicants to the forensic fellowship should mail the materials listed above to David Glassmire, Ph.D., ABPP, Department of Psychology/AX-234, 3102 E. Highland Ave., Patton, CA 92369. All materials must be received by January 9th, 2023. Dr. Glassmire can be reached via email at david.glassmire@dsh.ca.gov.

For Neuropsychology Fellowship Applicants:

1. A copy of the State Examination and Employment Application (STD678). Please note that a copy of this must be submitted following the instructions in the examination bulletin on the CalCareers website and another copy needs to be submitted directly to Patton with the additional application materials.
2. Cover letter addressing why Patton's neuropsychology fellowship is a good fit for the applicant. The letter should outline your training experiences in neuropsychology and how those training experiences have prepared you for advanced postdoctoral training in neuropsychology. Please include the dissertation defense date (or expected date), clinical interests, and research interests in your cover letter.
3. Curriculum Vita (CV)
4. Official transcripts of all graduate schools attended.
5. Personal Statement (similar to the internship AAPI personal statement in length and content).
6. Three letters of recommendation.
7. Table listing all neuropsychological tests that have been administered under the supervision of qualified supervisors (including the number of times each test has been administered and interpreted).
8. A fully de-identified neuropsychological assessment complete with test scores and data underling the opinions expressed in the report.

NOTE: Neuropsychology applicants must be registered in the APPCN Match in order to be considered for this position. Neuropsychology fellowship applicants who are not registered in the APPCN Match will not be considered.
Applicants to the neuropsychology fellowship should mail the materials listed above to Dominique Kinney, Ph.D., ABPP-CN and Steve Nitch, Ph.D., ABPP-CN, Department of Psychology/AX-234, 3102 E. Highland Ave., Patton, CA 92369. All materials must be received by January 9th, 2023. Drs. Kinney and Nitch can be reached via email at Dominique.kinney@dsh.ca.gov and steve.nitch@dsh.ca.gov.

Interview Process:

After a preliminary review of applications, the top candidates within each fellowship track will be invited for interviews conducted over a web-based teleconferencing platform. We conduct teleconference interviews to reduce the cost to applicants. Therefore, on-site interviews are not offered. On the day of the interview, applicants in both tracks will be asked to complete a written work sample based on psychological testing data that will be provided.
The neuropsychology fellowship is a member of the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology (APPCN) and participates in the APPCN match. Applicants are encouraged to review the APPCN match policies and deadlines early in the application process on the APPCN website. We are unable to consider neuropsychology applicants who do not participate in the APPCN match.
The forensic fellowship does not participate in a formal computer match program. Therefore, offers for forensic fellowship positions may be made at any point after we complete our interview process. If/when our HR hiring process timeline allows, we make every effort to adhere to the APPIC Common Hold Date.

Background Check:

Prior to beginning employment as a postdoctoral fellow in either track, a criminal justice background and fingerprint check is mandatory, and the fellow must complete a pre-employment physical exam.

Requests for Further Information:

For further information you can e-mail Dr. Glassmire using the email address below:

David Glassmire, Ph.D., ABPP
Director, Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
Department of State Hospitals - Patton
Department of Psychology (AX-234)
3102 E. Highland Avenue
Patton, CA 92369
Phone: (909) 425-6573
E-mail: David.Glassmire@dsh.ca.gov