History:  Founded in the middle of the last century, the VA Medical Centers in Nashville, Tennessee and in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Alvin C. York Medical Center) were administratively separate institutions for many years.  Historically the Medical Center in Murfreesboro was a large, long-term psychiatric hospital.  In the 1980s an affiliation was established with Meharry Medical School and the Center’s medical and surgical facilities were extensively upgraded.  The Nashville VA Medical Center is adjacent to and has had a long-standing affiliation with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  The Alvin C. York VA Medical Center has been training psychology interns as a part of the Consortium since 1994, the Nashville VA Medical Center since 1980.

The two medical centers merged administratively, into the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS), in the late 1990s.  TVHS consists of two campuses, the Alvin C. York Campus and the Nashville Campus, as well as nine Community Based Outpatient Clinics, which provide services closer to veterans who live at a distance from the campuses. 

When the merger was first contemplated, the Psychology Services at both medical centers began to work to integrate their training programs.  As the merger progressed the two Psychology Services merged into one, funding six intern positions, with a single Training Committee coordinating the training program. 

Over the last several years TVHS has hired a significant number of new psychologists and initiated new Mental Health programs.  Beginning with the 2008-09 year the training program was restructured to incorporate new faculty interested in training and new training experiences.   These changes included the decision to reserve one position for a specialized Neuropsychology training track, featuring two three-month Neuropsychology rotations with different supervisors.  This track is farther described below and is considered a separate program by NMS with its own match number.  The other five positions are labeled the General Track and are considered a single program by NMS.  The training experience for these positions will consist of four three-month rotations chosen from those described below.   Starting in 2008-09 the number of possible training rotations was expanded to include new faculty and programs resulting from the VA s national expansion of Mental Health services.

Changes for 2010-11:  If you reviewed this website before it was updated for 2010-2011 it is important to note that there have been a few changes in the TVHS program.    The major ones involve the addition and deletion of a few rotations.  Dr. Panucci, in Nashville, now has a well established Women's Health Clinic rotation (which can only be filled by a female intern) located in an attractive location off the main Nashville campus.   Because of restructuring and staff changes the PTSD Rotation may not be offered next year.  Beginning in 2010-2011 two Poly-Trauma Rotations will be offered, one on each campus.

Training Objectives:  It is the objective of the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System training program to prepare interns as generalists with a strong base of experience in assessment, intervention, and consultation.  Although all training obviously takes place in a medical center setting, the experience is sufficiently broad that it should generalize to a wide range of post-internship settings.  A second important objective is to prepare interns to move with competence and confidence into the role of working professional at the conclusion of the internship.  Interns who successfully complete the program are prepared, by the depth and variety of their internship experience, to function confidently in a variety of work settings including medical centers, academic departments, university counseling centers, and community mental health centers, depending somewhat on their choice of secondary placement.  A third objective is to assist interns in learning to function as effective participants in the health care delivery system, interacting professionally and with appropriate assertiveness with other disciplines involved in the provision of health care.  It is the intention of the faculty to model behavior reflective of committed, competent, caring, thoughtful, and ethical psychological practitioners and to encourage interns to reflect on their personal characteristics and how these affect their work in therapy and other professional interactions.

GRECC:  The Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, a research oriented consortium involving TVHS, Vanderbilt Medical Center and Meharry Medical Center, and supported nationally by the VA, funds two internship positions.  We have chosen not to single out particular intern slots as geriatric training slots, so all interns participate in the training sponsored by the GRECC and thus acquire some training and experience in geriatrics.  Psychology does not design this program, and it changes somewhat from year to year.  This year the GRECC experience has required a full day of orientation, eight hours in a clinical research seminar divided into two hour blocks over several months, monthly attendance and occasional presentation at a geriatric ethics case conference and the writing of a brief literature review for publication through the VA network.

Rotations:  Unlike the other Consortium sites VA TVHS has a system of training rotations structured so that interns receive significant depth of experience across a broad range of specialty areas.  The interns' time at the VA will be divided into four, three-month rotations, with approximately three and a half days a week spent in rotation-related activities.  The rotations available at the two campuses of the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare system are described below.   

Outpatient Psychotherapy: Interns will carry an outpatient psychotherapy caseload throughout the internship year, with approximately four therapy hours a week beyond the requirements of the individual rotations.  These cases may involve individual therapy with male or female clients, or couple therapy.  There is great diversity in the demographics of the client population and in the nature of the psychological problems brought to therapy.  Three interns will see their therapy cases at each campus; therapy cases will probably be scheduled on Friday afternoons. 

Research Possibilities:  There is great potential for research within the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System and intern involvement in research is possible.  In particular VA interns will have the opportunity to participate in ongoing Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC) projects involving the examination of long-term cognitive outcome of critical illness.  Other research opportunities are described briefly under the appropriate rotation description.  The primary focus of the internship, however, remains the acquisition of clinical experience, and significant involvement in research is optional and will require a commitment of additional time on the part of the intern.

Training Tracks:  One internship position is reserved as a Neuropsychology Track.  This position will have a unique NMS match number.  Applicants who apply for this position should have an interest in specializing in Neuropsychology.   The successful applicant's first two training rotations will be Neuropsychology rotations, one with Dr. Marshman and the other with Dr. Denning.   The Neuropsychology Track Intern will choose at least one rotation from among the Mental Health rotations and the other from among the Behavioral Medicine rotations.  The other five VA Interns will be in the General Track, which will consist of four three month rotations which may or may not include one Neuropsychology rotation depending on the intern's preference.  To ensure breadth of training General Track interns should select at least one rotation from both the Behavioral Medicine and Mental Health rotations.

Rotation Selection:  There are more potential training rotations within TVHS than there are interns to fill them.  Assignment of specific rotations will be accomplished within the first two weeks of the internship.  Assignments will be based primarily on intern preference, although faculty judgment in relation to interns' training needs, practical issues such as office space availability, and the number of interns interested in specific rotations will also be taken into account.  Rotation assignment will be guided by the following factors/constraints derived from practical limits and faculty judgment. 

1. There will be only three interns at each campus at a time due to office space constraints. 

2. A Neuropsychology rotation will be available to any intern who is interested in completing one. 

3. No intern will complete more than one Poly-Trauma Rotation. 

4. Any interested intern will be able to complete at least one rotation in the area of PTSD, in the PTSD program if that is offered, the OIF-OEF Rotation, or the Poly Trauma Rotation. 

5. Interns in the General Track must select at least one rotation from the Behavioral Medicine rotations, and at least one rotation from among the Mental Health rotations. 

This internship is intended to be a generalist internship, however, the selection of specific rotations allows interns to develop emphasis areas in behavioral medicine, PTSD, Neuropsychology and Geropsychology, all as practiced in a medical setting.  The rotations are grouped into three categories as follows with the campus location indicated by (N) or (M). Behavioral Medicine:  Women's' Clinic (N); Inpatient Rehabilitation/Health Psychology Consultation and Assessment Rotation (N); Organ Transplant Rotation (N); Behavioral Medicine/Hospice Rotation (M); Geropsychology Rotation (M); Mental Health Rotations: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Program (N);  OEF/OIF Rotation(N); Inpatient Rotation (Y); Poly-Trauma Rotations (N) and (Y).  Neuropsychology Rotations: the two Neuropsychology Rotations (N) and (M).              

Constraints on Secondary Placement Selection:  The training experience within TVHS is diverse and covers many of the various kinds of experiences interns are expected to receive; therefore, relatively few constraints are placed on interns’ secondary placement choices other than the requirement that interns select a placement outside of either VA facility.  Faculty judgment of intern training needs will still take precedence in some cases, and choices are always constrained by the interaction of available training experiences and the preferences expressed by other members of the intern class.

Secondary placement experiences available this year within VA TVHS for interns with primary placements elsewhere include Psychotherapy with the veteran population(individual, couple and group), Behavioral Medicine/Hospice, Geropsychology, Organ Transplant, Inpatient Psychiatry, Inpatient/Health Psychology, Clinical Research and Poly Trauma.  Secondary placement possibilities may change from year to year so specific experiences cannot be guaranteed for 2010-11. 

Interviewing: Since all interns accepted at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System will work at both VA campuses, faculty at both campuses will be involved in the interview process.  Thus, if you are invited for an interview, you will spend the morning at one campus and the afternoon at the other.  Please note that this will involve travel between the campuses.  Arrangements for this will be your responsibility. 

Travel:  The Campuses are located approximately forty miles apart, and the internship will require a substantial amount of travel between campuses.  Travel time from campus to campus varies from 50 to 60 minutes with the time of day and direction of travel. 

Additional Criteria for Acceptance:  American citizenship and an APA accredited graduate program are nationwide requirements for VA internship positions.  Please Note: The requirements noted here are necessary for all VA Internships nationwide:  Before being accepted for employment in the VA system all potential employees including interns must pass a pre-employment physical examination and a background check. These will be performed after match day, but before the beginning of the internship.  Below is the text from a national VA internship website regarding citizenship, drug screening, and for males, selective service registration..

 A CERTIFICATION OF REGISTRATION STATUS, CERTIFICATION OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP, and DRUG SCREENING are required to become a VA intern or VA postdoctoral fellow. The Federal Government requires that male applicants to VA positions who were born after 12/31/59 must sign a Pre-appointment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration before they are employed. All interns will have to complete a Certification of Citizenship in the United States prior to beginning the internship. VA will not consider applications from anyone who is not currently a U.S. citizen. VA conducts drug screening exams on randomly selected personnel as well as new employees. Interns and Fellows are not required to be tested prior to beginning work, but once on staff they are subject to random selection as are other staff. Interns and Fellows are also subject to fingerprinting and background checks. Match result and selection decisions are contingent on passing these screens.

Positions:  6 (one reserved for the Neuropsychology track)

Salary:  $22,898

Starting Date:  June 21, 2010

Ending Date:  June 17, 2011           

Contact:

Jonathan E. May, Ph.D.

(615) 873-6827

jonathan.may@va.gov

Faculty:

Erlete Ascensao; Emory University, Social Psychology Ph.D.  University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Clinical Psychology Ph. D.  Interests: Behavioral Medicine, Body-Mind Connection, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.

Mary Beth Covert, Psy.D.; Regent University. Assistant TVHS Training Director. Interests: Positive Psychology, Integration of Psychology and Spirituality, Forgiveness of Self and Others, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Women’s Issues.

John H. Denning, III, Ph.D.; Louisiana State University. Neuropsychology Postdoc; Johns Hopkins. Interests: Neuropsychological Assessment and Consultation, Geropsychology.

Pamela Drury, Ph.D.; Vanderbilt University. Neurobiology Postdoc – Duke University Medical School. Clinical Respecialization – Fielding University. Interests: Neuropsychology, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Treatment of Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress, Co-Morbid TBI and PTSD.

Elizabeth Fenimore, Ph. D.; Pacific Graduate School of Psychology. Neuropsychology Postdoc: Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center; Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute; Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  Posttraumatic Stress, Neuropsychology, Rehabilitation, Geropsychology. 

Sharon M. Gordon, Psy.D.; Antioch/New England Graduate School.  Chief of Psychology Section.  Interests:  Neuropsychology, Geropsychology, Behavioral  Medicine.

Thomas W. Hagood, Ph.D.; University of Southern Mississippi. Interests: Evidence Based Treatments, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Substance Abuse, Pain Management.

Shari L. Harwell, Psy.D.; Florida Institute of Technology. Interests: Trauma, Sexual Dysfunction, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Individual/Group/Couples Therapy.

Daniel F. Kearns, Psy.D.; Florida Institute of Technology.  Interests:  Behavioral Medicine, Group and Individual Psychotherapy, Psychological Aspects of Chronic Pain Management. 

Paul P. Lima, Ph.D.; University of Georgia.  Interests:  Inpatient Psychiatry, Rational Emotive Therapy. 

Kimberly C. Marshman, Ph.D.; Florida State University. Neuropsychology Postdoc; Memphis VA and St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital/Lebonheur Children's Hospital. Interests: Neuropsychological Assessment and Consultation, Behavioral Medicine, Geropsychology, Clinical Research.

Jonathan E. May, Ph.D.; Vanderbilt University.  Consortium Director and TVHS Training Director.  Interests:  Individual and Group Psychotherapy, Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction, Treatment of Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Kenneth Morel, MS; University of Utah, Chicago Medical School, Finch University of Health Sciences.  Psychology Technician.  Interests: Psychological Assessment, Response Bias.   

Stacey Owen, Ph. D.; Auburn University.  Interests: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Women’s Issues, Health and Rehabilitation Psychology, and Work-Life Balance. 

Michele M. Panucci, Ph.D.; University of Wisconsin, Madison.  Interests:  Psychotherapy, Treatment of Female Veterans, Personality Assessment, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Attachment, Health Psychology Issues, e.g. weight management and smoking cessation.

Erin L. Patel, Psy.D.; Nova Southeastern University.  Interests:  Geropsychology, Behavioral Medicine.

Jo Cara Pendergrass, Ph.D.; Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.  Neuropsychology/Neuroimaging Postdoc; Dartmouth Medical School.  Interests:  Neuropsychology, Geropsychology, Neuroimaging/Neuropsychological Research in Clinical Populations.

Saundra A. Saporiti, Psy.D.; Nova Southeastern University. Interests: Psychological Aspects of Organ Transplantation, Behavioral Medicine and Health Psychology, Trauma.

Lori J. Vehring, Psy.D.; Nova Southeastern University.  Interests:  Behavioral Medicine, Non-pharmacologic Pain Management, Complimentary and Alternative Treatments for Chronic Medical Conditions, Treatment for Female Veterans.

Dawn Wilkinson, Ph.D.; Tennessee State University.  Inpatient Staff Psychologist. Interests:  EMDR, PTSD treatment for combat veterans, Complementary/Alternative Medicine, multicultural issues, clinical treatment outcomes research

 9-30-2009