JOB POSTINGS
and FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and the Center for Advancement of Youth is recruiting for a 12-month postdoctoral fellowship position in Perinatal and Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. Opportunity for extension to a 2-year fellowship is possible, and preferable, pending goals of the fellow and satisfactory progress in the training program. The fellowship position is supported by funding from a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The project, Perinatal to Preschool (P2P) is located within the Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior. The aim of P2P is to establish, implement, and evaluate a continuum of behavioral healthcare services (promotion, prevention, screening and intervention) for infants and preschoolers with high-risk term and preterm deliveries, beginning with the prenatal and post-natal periods, through expansion and dissemination of evidence-based interventions UMMC, via telehealth, and through state-wide dissemination and implementation efforts.

 

Program activities and training areas:

The fellow receives extensive research and clinical experience and skills related to the following areas: (1) Perinatal mental health, including post-partum mood, anxiety, and high-risk pregnancy related stress; (2) Caregiver and infant screening antenatally and postnatally within the UMMC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; (3) Developmental evaluations (e.g., Bayley Scales of Infant Development) in the NICU high-risk follow-up clinic; (4) Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and related promotion/prevention strategies such as Child-Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE) for schools; and (5) dissemination and implementation efforts for evidence-based interventions for early childhood based on PCIT and UMMC’s first ever perinatal services clinic. Mentoring and support for publications, grant writing, program evaluation, supervision of externs, and licensure eligibility will be provided and the Postdoctoral Fellow is expected to complete a first author publication. Continuing education support ($1000) will be provided and the grant will support active learning/research dissemination and conference travel as permitting. Additional funds to support licensure and educational leave for EPPP preparation will be provided.

 

Position overview:

The fellow plays a key role in research, evaluation, and clinical activities. Fellows will spend approximately 50% effort (negotiable) in clinical service delivery through perinatal mental health screening/consultation/intervention in UMMC’s maternal-fetal medicine clinic and/or NICU, performing collaborative care on multidisciplinary teams and developmental evaluations on medically complex infants and toddlers in the high-risk follow-up clinic, as well as performing PCIT-related interventions on an outpatient basis. Previous experience with perinatal mood or anxiety disorders, developmental evaluations and PCIT is highly desired, but not necessary, for the position. The remaining 50% effort will be expected to include assisting the Principal Investigators (Drs. Dustin Sarver & Courtney Walker) in protected research time, coordination of grant activities, and program evaluation and related scholarly activities. The exact distribution is negotiable given the goals of the fellow towards additional research versus clinical activities.

 

About UMMC and Jackson: The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) is Mississippi’s only academic health science center and encompasses 6 health science schools, including the Bower School of Population Health, the 3rd of its kind nationally. Children’s of Mississippi is the only children’s hospital in Mississippi and has the only Level IV NICU in the state. Extramural research funding for UMMC last year reached >$110 million. The Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior is comprised of 4 divisions and 5 Centers and seeks to carry out the mission of UMMC in patient care, research, and education. Active sponsored funding in the department is $54 million from a variety of federal, state, and foundation sources. The Department of Pediatrics is comprised of 33 divisions and has close ties to the Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior.

 

The Center for Advancement of Youth (CAY) is a clinical research, education, and public policy center jointly operated primarily through the Departments of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Pediatrics. It is staffed by 70+ persons including psychologists, psychiatrists, developmental pediatricians, nurse practitioners, social workers, research assistants, speech/OT therapists, an ABA program, multiple graduate and postgraduate trainees across multiple disciplines, and data support staff. The clinical arm of the CAY provides integrated diagnostic and treatment services for children (birth-18 years) and families and is housed in a 24,000 sqft. integrated health office space including four dedicated state-of-the-art PCIT therapy rooms and dedicated telemedicine space. UMMC Women’s Care is home to the largest group of maternal-fetal medicine specialists in the state and provides diagnosis and management of special and complicated pregnancies caused by fetal diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other maternal disorders or diseases.

 

UMMC is located in Jackson, MS, the state’s capital. The Jackson metro area and Mississippi offer a rich array of outdoor, cultural, musical, recreational and culinary opportunities. The area has an incredibly desirable cost of living and high quality of life.

 

APPLICATION and SELECTION PROCESS

Applicants must have a doctorate (PhD or PsyD) from an accredited graduate program in clinical, school, educational or developmental psychology prior to the start date. Applicants who have already completed a 12-month fellowship are welcome to apply for additional training. A review of applications will begin 11/6/2023 but will be accepted until the position is filled. The program will follow the APPIC Common Hold Date of 02/26/24. The projected start date for this position is June-September 2024 depending on the candidate’s availability. Pay is at NIH stipend level plus an excellent benefits package.

 

Applications should be submitted to dsarver@umc.edu and include:

• A brief letter of interest describing training experiences, professional goals, desired fellowship experiences, and any relevant previous background or training.

• An updated curriculum vitae.

• Two (2) letters of reference

 

For inquiries about the position please contact:

Dustin E. Sarver, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Pediatrics

Director, Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Disorders Research and Services Lab

PCIT Within Agency Trainer

Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior

Department of Pediatrics | Center for Advancement of Youth

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Ph: (601) 815-5994

dsarver@umc.edu

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