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to Department Facilities
The
University of Missouri Department of Health Psychology (DHP)
has been the primary training site in Missouri for rehabilitation/neuropsychology
since 1986. DHP faculty provide seven of the eleven board certified
rehabilitation/ neuropsychologists practicing in the state
of Missouri. Training opportunities include post-doctoral research
and clinical neuropsychology child and adult fellowships, pre-doctoral
clinical internships (in conjunction with the University of
Missouri Health Sciences Psychology Consortium), and practicum
training for psychology doctoral students and master’s
level rehabilitation psychology students
All clinical
and didactic training is interdisciplinary and includes physicians,
rehabilitation therapists (e.g., physical therapy, occupational
therapy, speech therapy), nursing, vocational counselors, and
school personnel. In addition to direct clinical training opportunities,
there are many didactic training opportunities within DHP and
the University, including DHP didactics, which follow APA Division
22 and 40 training guidelines, journal clubs, and weekly discipline-specific
Grand Rounds.
The primary
training sites are Rusk Rehabilitation Center,
the DHP clinics in Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, and Missouri
Rehabilitation Center in Mount Vernon. Rusk is a 60 bed acute
comprehensive medical rehabilitation center  specializing
in inpatient and outpatient treatment of catastrophic injuries,
such as traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, geriatric
rehabilitation, and pediatric rehabilitation. Post-doctoral fellows,
interns and practicum students have the opportunity to provide
psychological assessments and treatment as part of a interdisciplinary
team of rehabilitation professionals. The population
is diverse with a wide age range, various medical and psychological
treatment needs, and from a wide catchment area. The DHP clinics
provide outpatient psychological assessments and treatment.
Missouri Rehabilitation Center offers both inpatient and outpatient
treatment.
Outpatient
Training Opportunities The outpatient
training opportunities include adult neuropsychology, pediatric
neuropsychology and outpatient psychotherapy with persons with
disabilities. The Adult Neuropsychology Laboratory provides
comprehensive neuropsychological assessment with a focus on
recommendations focused on improving functional status of persons
with medical conditions and disabilities. Care is coordinated
with referring physicians and community service agencies, such
as Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Child
Neuropsychology Clinic The
Child Neuropsychology Clinic offers diagnostic and
evaluative services for children who have developmental,
genetic, and/or neurological disorders. Evaluations are used
for diagnostic decision-making, determination of disability,
treatment planning, and monitoring the course of a medical
condition. Requests for evaluations come from a variety of
individuals including physicians, educators, other health
professionals, attorneys, and families.
Leadership
Education in Neurodevelopmental
and Related Disabilities
(LEND)
The
Department of Health Psychology is an active participant
in the LEND training program, which provides intensive interdisciplinary
training for advanced graduate students and post-doctoral
fellows in the field of neurodevelopmental and related disabilities.
Psychology trainees dedicate one day per week to working
side-by-side with others from a range of health disciplines,
including pediatrics, nursing, occupational therapy, physical
therapy, speech/language pathology, audiology, dentistry,
nutrition, social work, and health management and informatics.
Family members are also included in the training process.
Educational
activities focus on enhancing competencies in the areas of:
- neurodevelopmental
disabilities
- interdisciplinary
practice
- family-centered,
community-based care
- policy and leadership
development
Methods
of training include didactic and experiential activities,
participation in an interdisciplinary clinic, and opportunities
for involvement in policy development. Dr. Janet Farmer in
the Department of Health Psychology is currently the Director
of the LEND Interdisciplinary Clinic. The training program
is sponsored by the MU Department of Physical Medicine and
Rehabilitation and has been funded since 1995 by the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services.
Missouri
Health Sciences
Psychology Consortium The
DHP has been a member of the Missouri
Health Sciences Psychology Consortium since 1986. The overall goal of the APA accredited
internship consortium is to enhance current skills, develop
new skills, and encourage personal and profession al growth.
The primary goal of the internship is to provide integrated
and flexible learning experiences to assist in the emergence
of competent, ethical, and professional psychologists. This
goal is achieved through the following objectives: (a) to provide
training in a breadth of clinical skills central to the practice
of psychology; (b) to provide training in content areas relevant
to an intern’s career goals; and (c) to provide training
in the ethical and professional standards that form the basis
of psychological practice. The participating agencies in the
consortium are the MU Department of Health Psychology, Harry
S Truman VA Hospital, and Mid Missouri Mental Health Center.
The three agencies provide major and minor block training experiences.
The consortium provides supervision from a diverse group of
psychologists with specialized areas of expertise. The DHP
has the same general training goals as the Missouri Health
Sciences Psychology Consortium, except training is geared to
adding neuropsychological and rehabilitation psychology didactics
and experiences to round out intern training as generalists
in clinical psychology.
All clinical
and didactic training experiences are based on suggested training
guidelines of APA Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology) and
Division 40 (Neuropsychology).
HRSA Intern Training Grant
Principal Investigator: Brick Johnstone,
Ph.D., A.B.P.P.
Co-Principal Investigator: Renee Stucky, Ph.D.
Funding provided by the Department of Health and Human Resources, Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA)
Project Summary
There are an estimated 54 million Americans
with disabilities, many who are in need of psychological serves,
and particularly in rural areas. Although 32 percent of Missourians
(1.7 million people) live in rural counties, there are only 14
board certified rehabilitation/neuropsychologists in the state
(only 1 in a rural county). The MU Department of Health Psychology
(DHP) is the primary training site in Missouri for rehabilitation/neuropsychologists
since 1986. Recently, the Department of Health Psychology has
been awarded a three year (9/01/04-8/31/07) training grant from
the Department of Health and Human Resources, Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA), with the primary purpose
of improving the health outcomes of persons with disabilities
by increasing their access to psychological services in rural
areas.
The specific objectives of the training grant
are:
- to improve access to quality health care to
persons with disabilities in rural Missouri through appropriate
preparation of a) rehabilitation psychologists, b) pediatric
neuropsychologists and c) adult neuropsychologists;
- improve access to a diverse and culturally
competent and sensitive psychology workforce in rural areas
by increasing minority interns;
- improve access to a diverse and culturally
competent and sensitive psychology workforce in rural areas
by providing training to interns in cultural competence, particularly
as it relates to persons with disabilities in rural areas.
Interns are trained at Rusk Rehabilitation Center,
in Columbia, MO, Missouri Rehabiltiation Center (MRC) in Mt.
Vernon, MO, and the Harry S Truman VA Hospital in Columbia, MO.
Interns provide services to all age ranges of persons with all
types of physical and cognitive disabilities, which is a typically
underserved population.
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