Psychology Postdoctoral Residency Program

The residential position at the ACSU at CHN offers extensive clinical, supervisory, administrative, training, and research experience. The ACSU is a 26-bed locked facility that serves adult men and women presenting with a wide range of acute or crisis-level psychiatric needs. It is one of Miami-Dade County’s designated treatment facilities for individuals under Baker Act orders.

The population is multiethnic, with a majority of patients identifying as Hispanic. Residents work with a cohesive, highly skilled multidisciplinary team that includes a psychiatrist, psychologist, nurses, case managers, team leaders, interns, master’s-level clinicians, and technicians. Resident responsibilities include, but are not limited to, providing individual, group, and family therapy; developing case conceptualizations; participating in case staffing and morning multidisciplinary rounds; attending staff meetings; assigning and supervising cases for master’s-level clinicians and interns; and completing treatment plans. Residents are valued members of the treatment team and are included in discussions regarding critical patient-care decisions. These duties support the resident’s development as a strong clinician, collaborative team member, and respected colleague.

Residents also contribute to the quality of care by offering basic clinical training to technicians who provide 24-hour supervision. Alongside teaching opportunities, ACSU residents continue their own professional growth through weekly individual and group case discussions with faculty and other residents, participation in educational seminars, and the option to conduct independent research to be presented at the end-of-year symposium.

In summary, CHN provides ACSU residents with a unique and exceptional opportunity to work with individuals experiencing severe adult psychopathology while receiving strong clinical guidance, training, and supervision.

The residential position at the Children’s Crisis Stabilization Unit (CCSU) at Citrus Health Network, Inc. (CHN) provides a wide range of clinical, supervisory, administrative, training, and research opportunities. The CCSU is a locked facility serving children and adolescents who require immediate intervention due to suicidality, severe behavioral disturbances, or psychosis. It is the designated treatment facility for all child Baker Act orders in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. The unit also serves adolescents requiring substance use assessment and treatment as a Juvenile Addictions Receiving Facility (JARF), as identified by the courts.

Residents work alongside a professional, cohesive, and knowledgeable multidisciplinary team that includes a psychiatrist, psychologist, nurses, case managers, team leaders, interns, social work students, and technicians. Psychology residents are closely involved in patient care through morning multidisciplinary rounds, individual and group therapy, family meetings, case conceptualization, participation in clinical discussions, supervision of master’s-level clinicians and interns, and the development and oversight of individualized treatment plans. Residents also gain meaningful exposure to community agencies, including CHN’s outpatient and inpatient programs, the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), and the Miami-Dade Police Department Threat Management Division, among others. Residents are regarded as valued members of the treatment team and are kept informed about critical patient-care matters, including after-hours updates when appropriate.

The psychology resident also plays an active role in supporting high-quality patient care by offering basic clinical training to technicians who provide 24-hour supervision to the children. In addition, residents have monthly opportunities to provide didactic trainings for newly hired CHN staff members.

In summary, CHN offers CCSU residents a unique and exceptional opportunity to work with severe child psychopathology, support children and their families during crisis, and serve as coordinators and supervisors of essential clinical services—all while receiving strong professional guidance, training, and supervision.

The Outpatient Mental Health Program (OMHP) provides Post-Doctoral Psychology residents with experience serving a diverse, multicultural population of children, adolescents, and adults presenting with a wide range of psychological and psychiatric concerns. The program emphasizes two primary goals: strengthening diagnostic interviewing and psychotherapeutic skills, and deepening awareness of cross-cultural and individual differences. Residents refine case conceptualization, formulation, diagnosis, goal setting, and the implementation of appropriate interventions. They also develop consultative skills by assessing a client’s readiness for ongoing treatment and collaborating on treatment planning with supervisors and, when applicable, the multidisciplinary team of psychologists, psychiatrists, and case managers.

Residents deliver psychotherapy using a predominantly short-term, psychoeducational, solution-focused, and maintenance-oriented approach. Given the complexity of the population served and the significant life challenges many clients face, treatment is not limited to any single traditional model. Instead, residents are encouraged to incorporate multiple theoretical frameworks, drawing from empirically supported interventions while adapting flexibly to the client’s needs.

In addition to outpatient psychotherapy, Post-Doctoral residents participate in assessment, triage, and diagnostic work within the psychiatric emergency room. One full day per week is spent in the Assessment and Emergency Services (AES) department conducting comprehensive biopsychosocial evaluations with children, adolescents, and adults. Residents also provide crisis intervention aimed at reducing acute psychological distress. This experience strengthens their ability to interview efficiently, diagnose accurately, determine appropriate dispositions, and make clinically sound referrals.

Primary Care Post-Doctoral residents and Outpatient Psychotherapy residents also participate in the Integrated Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Experience. They work closely with CHN’s HOPE Program, which serves adults with moderate to severe Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) through a DATA-waived Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) model. Residents use screening tools such as the NIDA Quick Screener, NIDA Modified-ASSIST, and AUDIT to guide treatment recommendations. They provide individual therapy focused on enhancing motivation, addressing contributing factors to substance use, building coping skills, and supporting either abstinence or reduced use. Residents attend the HOPE program’s bimonthly Clinical Rounds with the interdisciplinary team and receive an additional hour of SUD-focused supervision. The program also promotes faculty development in health service psychology specific to SUD care.

The Outpatient Psychotherapy rotation may also include opportunities to work with individuals involved in sexual abuse cases, including both victims and offenders.

The Primary Care Post-Doctoral resident works within a primary care setting providing integrated behavioral health services, with a focus on the psychological components of physical health conditions. Areas of focus may include depression, anxiety, sleep problems, hypertension, cardiac disease, obesity, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS, as well as manualized interventions for chronic pain and smoking cessation. Residents conduct diagnostic interviews and evaluate patients referred by primary care staff for behavioral health concerns, often using psychometric instruments as part of the assessment. They determine diagnoses and dispositions, and offer recommendations to the primary care team on how to best integrate behavioral health interventions.

Residents also organize and deliver individual therapy aimed at improving illness management, reducing psychological symptoms, and enhancing overall quality of life. They work collaboratively with physicians, social workers, and psychiatrists to provide comprehensive care, identify factors affecting health, and develop tailored interventions for patients experiencing biopsychosocial stressors. As part of their supervisory development, residents may provide supervision and consultation to psychology interns rotating through primary care. In addition, residents have the opportunity to lead Wellness Groups in CHN’s Adult and Children’s Crisis Units, offering ongoing groups centered on stress management and lifestyle modification.

Primary Care Post-Doctoral residents, along with Outpatient Psychotherapy residents, participate in the Integrated Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Experience. They work closely with CHN’s HOPE Program, which serves adults with moderate to severe Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) through a DATA-waived Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) model. Residents use standardized tools such as the NIDA Quick Screener, NIDA Modified-ASSIST, and AUDIT to inform treatment recommendations and referrals. They provide individual therapy that supports motivation, addresses underlying contributors to substance use, builds coping skills, and supports abstinence or harm reduction. Residents also attend the HOPE program’s bimonthly Clinical Rounds with the interdisciplinary team and receive an additional hour of SUD-focused supervision. The program further supports faculty development in health service psychology related to SUD treatment.

The Primary Care Post-Doctoral resident works in a pediatric primary care setting providing integrated behavioral health services alongside physicians and advanced practitioners. The focus is on identifying and addressing mental health concerns that arise during a child’s medical visit. Training emphasizes the psychological co-morbidities of physical health conditions and includes extensive exposure to neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), learning disabilities, conduct disorders, adjustment disorders, mood disorders, eating disorders, diabetes, and weight-management concerns.

Residents conduct diagnostic interviews and assess patients referred by primary care staff for behavioral health needs, including mothers of infants who screen positive for postpartum depression. Assessments may incorporate psychometric tools such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT). Residents determine diagnoses and dispositions, then provide recommendations to the primary care team regarding the most effective integration of behavioral health services.

Residents also develop and implement interventions, offering individual therapy aimed at managing illness, reducing psychological symptoms, and improving overall quality of life. They collaborate closely with physicians, social workers, and psychiatrists to provide comprehensive care, identify factors that impact health, and design tailored interventions for individuals experiencing biopsychosocial stressors. As part of their professional development, residents provide informal supervision and consultation to psychology interns rotating in primary care.

Additionally, residents may lead Wellness Groups in CHN’s Adult and Children’s Crisis Units. These ongoing groups focus on stress management, lifestyle modification, and the development of practical coping strategies.

The SIPP programs provide residents with the opportunity to work with adolescents in a structured, multidisciplinary mental health setting. Citrus currently operates a SIPP program in Broward County, located in the Pembroke Pines area. This co-ed, secure facility serves youth ages 13–17 who present with significant emotional and behavioral challenges and who have been unable to function successfully in less intensive settings such as group homes, foster homes, or community-based placements. Based on clinical presentation, residents may work with adolescents diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychosis, co-occurring substance use concerns, and trauma-related issues. The program also includes a specialized track for commercially sexually exploited female adolescents.

Residents are part of a comprehensive multidisciplinary team that includes Board Certified Psychiatrists, Licensed Clinical Psychologists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Mental Health Clinicians, a Certified Behavior Analyst, Licensed Occupational Therapists, a Pediatrician, and both LPN and RN nursing staff. The Psychology resident functions as an on-site therapist and provides individual and group therapy, crisis management, and contributions to program development. Additional responsibilities include supervising and training Mental Health Technicians, providing crisis intervention, and collaborating with treatment team members and external agencies such as the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Guardian Ad Litem Program, the Attorney Ad Litem Program, and both local and out-of-county court systems.

In summary, Citrus Health Network’s SIPP program offers residents a unique opportunity to work with adolescents experiencing complex and severe psychopathology while receiving strong clinical guidance, multidisciplinary collaboration, and professional support.

The Early Childhood Development (ECD) Program provides Psychology Post-Doctoral residents with specialized training in serving children from birth to five years old. The program is designed to strengthen residents’ knowledge and skills in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH), dyadic interventions, consultative practices, early childhood development, reflective supervision, screening and assessment for autism and related developmental disabilities, and familiarity with community-based resources. Residents are trained to adopt an approach that is relationship-based, trauma-informed, and grounded in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Within the clinical program, residents learn to use the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (DC:0–5) to support assessment, case conceptualization, diagnosis, and intervention planning for infants and young children. Residents maintain a clinical caseload and gain exposure to a variety of evidence-based interventions, including Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Circle of Security Parenting (COSP), and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). They also participate in behavioral health screening and triage of incoming referrals. Residents receive weekly individual and group supervision and attend biweekly didactics designed to enhance reflective capacity and strengthen IECMH clinical skills.

Through the School Readiness program, residents develop skills in IECMH consultation and the early identification of developmental delays. They work as part of a multidisciplinary team of Early Intervention Specialists to conduct developmental screening follow-up and provide support in Early Learning Centers across Miami-Dade County. Activities may include caregiver and teacher consultation, classroom observations, administering screeners and assessments, brief targeted interventions, developing and implementing classroom-wide support plans, providing community referrals, and conducting developmental monitoring or rescreening. Residents also have the opportunity to lead quarterly wellness trainings for Early Learning Professionals focused on stress management and IECMH-related topics.

The Early Childhood Development rotation may also include opportunities for additional testing experience through the Comprehensive Early Autism Diagnostic Services (CEADS) program.

In summary, Citrus Health Network’s ECD program offers residents a rich and unique opportunity to build advanced skills in infant and early childhood mental health while receiving strong clinical support, supervision, and multidisciplinary collaboration.