California Department of Mental Health

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The Patton State Hospital Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). The Postdoctoral Fellowship Program offers advanced training opportunities designed to developed specialized skills beyond those acquired in competitive clinical psychology graduate and internship programs.

Presently, the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program offers specialized training in three distinct fields of professional psychology practice:

  • Forensic Psychology

    The Forensic Psychology Track is intended for those individuals who wish to pursue advanced specialty training in forensic psychology. Please follow the link above or to the left for more information about the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology.
  • Clinical Psychology

    The Clinical Psychology Track is intended for those individuals who desire advanced training with severely mentally ill individuals, performing both assessment and therapy functions. Prior experience working with the severely mentally ill is necessary. Given the nature of the setting, the applicant also should demonstrate an interest working with a forensic population. Please follow the link above or to the left for more information about the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Psychology.
  • Neuropsychology

    The Neuropsychology Track is a two-year fellowship training program that meets the training requirements for later application for later board certification in neuropsychology. Training in neuropsychology will involve both internal and external training opportunities over the course of the two year program. Prior neuropsychology training is strongly preferred. Please follow the link above or to the left for more information about the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychology.

The fellowship is a training program, and as such, the fellow is not privileged to practice independently, but works under the supervision and license of a fellowship faculty member. All written work products, including reports, consultations, and progress notes are countersigned by the licensed supervisor.

General Program Information:

Patton State Hospital is one of the largest forensic hospitals in the United States. At present, the facility has a census of approximately 1,500 individuals, almost all of whom have been committed by the courts under provisions of the California Penal Code or California Welfare & Institutions Code. Most individuals are diagnosed with a severe mental illness, many also have personality disorders, and a large percentage of the individuals served come from diverse backgrounds.

The hospital presently employs 64 psychologists on staff, and all psychologists either are licensed in California or are actively pursuing California licensure. Each postdoctoral fellow is assigned a primary supervisor who coordinates the fellow’s training experiences, and each fellow also is supervised by several staff psychologists trained in the relevant speciality area.

Current salary is $3,717 per month (approximately $44,600 per year), with full medical and dental benefits, holiday time, plus accrued sick leave and two weeks vacation. Starting date is typically September 1st.

Minimal Qualifications:

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, clinical, or neuropsychology. For those applying prior to completion of the predoctoral internship year, the applicant must provide substantiation from the internship director that the applicant is in good standing and making adequate progress towards completion of the predoctoral internship program. 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).

Application Procedure:

The application deadline is February 1st.

All application materials must be received in our office by February 1st to allow the Postdoctoral Fellowship Director and Committee sufficient time to review applications for the selection process. All of the following materials must be received by the February 1st deadline in order to complete the application (although we will consider letters of recommendation and official transcripts postmarked by February 1st to be timely).

Completed applications require receipt of the following:

In addition, prior to beginning employment as a postdoctoral fellow, a criminal justice background and fingerprint check is mandatory, and the fellow must complete a pre-employment physical.

Please note that all application materials, including the California Examination and/or Employment Application form and the Supplementary Information to Application-Psychology Classes form must be completed in their entirety. Our Human Resources Department will not accept these forms with notations such as “see attached vita” in lieu of completing the items in the actual forms.

After a preliminary review of applications, the top candidates will be invited for an on-site interview. There are no telephone interviews. On the day of the interview, applicants will be asked to complete a written work sample based on psychological testing data that will be provided.

For further information or to request an application packet, e-mail, write, or call (e-mail is preferred):

Craig R. Lareau, J.D., Ph.D., ABPP
Director, Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
Patton State Hospital
Department of Psychology
Administration Annex, Room 230
3102 E. Highland Avenue
Patton, CA 92369
Phone: (909) 425-7927
e-mail: clareau@dmhpsh.state.ca.us