The Behavioral Science Division (BSD) at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is pleased to announce the availability of 2 year long, full-time Pediatric Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship positions beginning in August/September 2025. We are offering 1 position in our Chronic Illness subspecialty track, and 1 position in our Acute Pediatrics track. Candidates may apply to 1 or both positions.
Chronic Illness Track
The Pediatric Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is designed to prepare individuals for a career in academic medicine, with a focus on clinical care for children and families with chronic medical conditions. The program provides the postdoctoral training experience needed to meet clinical hours and supervision requirements for licensure in Pennsylvania. This position is a 1-year subspecialized fellowship focusing on developing competencies in pediatrics working with children, adolescents, and young adults with chronic illness, as well as their families.
Preferred applicants will have completed an APPIC internship in Pediatric Psychology with experience in inpatient/outpatient medical settings.
Trainee experience will support understanding of the emotional and behavioral needs of individuals diagnosed with chronic illness that include (but are not limited to):
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Diabetes
- Sickle Cell disease
- Sleep Disorders
The pediatric psychology postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to work with a variety of presenting concerns and establish ongoing treatment relationships by engaging in 2 major rotations (12 months) within our Hematology and Pulmonology integrated behavioral health. The fellow will complete an additional 2 minor rotations (6 months) through our Sleep Medicine and Endocrinology clinics. Combined, these experiences will support understanding of the behavioral health issues that present with infants, children, and adolescents with acute and chronic illnesses in a large tertiary care pediatric hospital. Opportunities exist for individual and group interventions, including The Comfort Ability Program.
Hematology
This is an intensive rotation for post-doctoral fellows to learn about clinical framework and evidence-based practice with pediatric hematology. The hematology rotation has a heavy emphasis on screening/preventative care, trauma informed care, culturally informed/sensitive care, and family-centered care/consultation. Care is provided both on an inpatient and outpatient basis, using a brief intervention/solution focused model of care.
The hematology psychosocial team is highly integrated within the medical system and there is an expectation for frequent interdisciplinary involvement and care coordination. Because of the unique needs of patients served within hematology, fellows will be expected to dedicate at least 10-16 hours per week to the rotation. The focus of the rotation is on pediatric sickle cell disease, coagulation disorders, and there will be opportunities within BMT and benign hematology if appropriate and desired.
Pulmonology
In this intensive rotation, the post-doctoral fellow will be able to learn and implement evidence-based behavioral health interventions to support individuals with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). This rotation provides a unique opportunity to provide evidence-based interventions across the developmental spectrum, ranging from provision of family/caregiver support at initial diagnosis, parenting interventions to support treatment adherence and manage difficult behaviors in early and middle childhood, individualized interventions for older children and teens emphasizing independent treatment adherence and adjustment to living with chronic illness, and supporting transition to adult models of care for young adults.
The fellow will work closely with a multidisciplinary team of providers including physicians, nurses, registered dieticians, social workers and respiratory therapists to help provide support to children, adolescents, young adults, and families of individuals with CF. The fellows will learn to implement evidence-based interventions and assessments in outpatient, inpatient, and multidisciplinary clinic settings. While most interventions in this rotation will emphasize a brief intervention/solutions-focused model of care, the fellow will have the opportunity to provide more traditional outpatient therapy for individuals with co-occurring CF and mental health diagnoses.
Endocrinology
The pediatric psychology endocrine rotation provides opportunities for the fellow to learn about various endocrine presentations and implications for evidenced-based approaches to assess and address biopsychosocial factors to improve patient health outcomes. This rotation has a primary focus on the treatment and support of our pediatric diabetes patient population with opportunities to potentially provide support for patients followed in Endocrine Wellness Clinic, Gender and Sexual Development Clinic, and patients presenting with concerns of growth and development.
The fellow will learn about psychological impacts of and adjustment to diabetes at onset, as well as implications of “burnout” or fatigue associated with diabetes management. This rotation provides a developmental approach to skill development and support of treatment delivery with opportunities to support patients during inpatient admission and/or outpatient clinic. The fellow will have the chance to gain experience working with our pediatric diabetes patients and their families in individual and/or group settings and collaborating with medical providers to provide multidisciplinary care in the hospital.
Sleep Medicine
The Pediatric Sleep Program at UPMC Children's consists of a team of pediatric experts, including physicians and psychologists with specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders affecting infants, preschoolers, school-age children, and adolescents. Sleep issues may stem from medical conditions, developmental challenges, mood, or behavioral factors.
The fellow will learn to identify the social, environmental, developmental, cognitive, and behavioral influences that can negatively impact sleep. They will gain experience conducting comprehensive initial evaluations that primarily focus on sleep while also assessing various domains of functioning. As part of a multidisciplinary team, the fellow will develop a conceptual framework for understanding sleep problems and generating appropriate treatment options. They will also acquire expertise in behavioral interventions aimed at improving sleep among diverse populations. Common presenting concerns include bedtime resistance, excessive nighttime awakenings, over-dependence on parental assistance for falling asleep, insomnia, narcolepsy, inconsistent sleep schedules, recurrent nightmares, sleepwalking/sleep terrors, and adherence to medical treatments such as CPAP therapy.
Acute Pediatrics Track
The Pediatric Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is designed to prepare individuals for a career in academic medicine, with a focus on clinical care for children and families with acute, chronic, and/or severe medical conditions. The program provides the postdoctoral training experience necessary to meet clinical hours and supervision requirements for licensure in the state of Pennsylvania. This position is a 1-year subspecialized fellowship focusing on developing competencies in pediatrics working with children and families of critically ill/injured youth, including those with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. Preferred applicants will have completed an APPIC internship in Pediatric Psychology with experience in inpatient/outpatient medical settings.
The fellow experience will support understanding of the emotional and behavioral needs of individuals diagnosed with serious injury/illness that include (but are not limited to):
- Traumatic Brain/Spinal Cord Injuries
- Burn Victims
- Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)
- Congenital and Acquired Complex Heart Disease
- Life-Limiting and Life-Threatening Medical Conditions
- Limb Loss
The fellow will gain experience supporting patients through:
- Adjustment to Medical Diagnosis
- Living with Uncertainty in Prognosis
- Coping with Changes in Functioning
- Interpersonal and Developmental Differences
- Pain/Symptom Coping
- Neurodevelopmental Care Interventions in the ICU
- Family-Centered Care Interventions in the setting of critical illness
- End-of Life
- Anticipatory Grief
The pediatric psychology postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to work with a variety of presenting concerns and establish ongoing treatment relationships by engaging in 3 major rotations (4 months) in Palliative Care/Medical Trauma, (3) Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) and Acute Care Cardiology, and (3) Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation Unit (CHRU). Additionally, the fellow will complete one year-long minor rotation through our Consultation/Liaison (C/L) service. Combined, these experiences will support understanding of the behavioral health issues that present with infants, children, and adolescents, and families with acute and chronic illnesses in a large tertiary care pediatric hospital. Opportunities exist for individual and group interventions, including The Comfort Ability Program.
Palliative Care and Medical Trauma
The pediatric fellow will learn about the clinical framework and evidence-based practice with pediatric palliative care (PPC) and pediatric trauma (PT) populations. Through the rotation, the fellow will learn about psychological implications of serious childhood medical conditions and injuries through a developmental and trauma-informed lens, common psychiatric and medical symptoms that PPC and PT populations experience and evidence-based interventions for treating these populations in the inpatient medical setting.
The fellow will build on their existing strengths with a developmental progression of skill advancement with a goal to independently deliver ethical and culturally responsive psychological evaluation/consultation, evidence-based family-centered care and consultation to interdisciplinary teams throughout the hospital system.
UPMC Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation Unit (CHRU)
During this rotation, the fellow will work with patients in the UPMC Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation Unit (CHRU), a 12-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit. Fellows will conduct evaluations and provide evidence-based interventions to patients presenting with a variety of medical illnesses and injuries, including but not limited to spinal cord injuries, traumatic and acquired brain injuries, burns, limb loss, orthopedic injuries, and functional neurological disorders. The fellow will also develop competency in interdisciplinary team consultation and collaboration.
Cardiology/Cardiac ICU
During this rotation, the fellow will work with patients and families with both congenital and acquired cardiac diagnoses, offering longitudinal psychological services from the fetal period after parents receive a prenatal congenital heart disease diagnosis, through to adulthood with patients coping with complex heart disease across the lifespan. The fellow will work closely with an interdisciplinary team, consisting of physicians, social workers, child life specialists, nurses and therapists to provide integrated care. The fellow will be a part of the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Care team, implementing developmental care interventions at the bedside in the CICU for our youngest patients, and addressing familial coping through neurodevelopmental guidance and psychological support during the neonatal and infant patient’s critical illness.
The fellow will participate in outpatient neurodevelopmental surveillance and assessment post-discharge within our Single Ventricle Cardiology Clinic and Cardiac Multidisciplinary Neurodevelopmental Clinic. Beyond the early childhood period, fellows will also conduct psychological evaluations and provide evidence-based interventions in the inpatient setting with patients and families throughout childhood and adolescence experiencing acute illness or surgical intervention in our CICU or Acute Care Cardiac services.
Consultation/Liaison (C/L)
The fellow will complete a rotation through the Consultation-Liaison Service of UPMC Children’s. During this rotation, the fellow will work closely with the child and adolescent psychiatry team on the inpatient floors. Common referral questions include suicidality, adjustment to medical diagnosis, compliance with medical regimen, pain complaints, and eating disorders.
During this fast-paced rotation, the fellow will evaluate medically ill patients for co-morbid behavioral health concerns, as well as provide appropriate referrals and follow-up care. Common responsibilities include developing safety plans with patients and their families, providing referrals to appropriate behavioral health services, provide short-term psychotherapy/psychoeducation to patients and their families, and develop/implement behavioral plans for patients that are struggling with participation in their care. Fellows will work closely with providers from other disciplines, including psychiatry; medical sub-specialists; social work; child life; and ancillary therapies including occupational, physical, and speech therapies.
Fellow Project
In addition to their clinical rotations, fellows will undertake a fellowship project. This project offers fellows an opportunity to explore their personal interests while gaining valuable experience in program development. Historically, the fellowship project has focused on quality improvement studies within the clinics where the fellow is rotating. However, fellows are encouraged to select a project that is personally meaningful, subject to supervisor approval.
Supervision
Supervision is provided by attending psychologists integrated within the medical subspecialties through which the fellow rotates. Fellows will be provided with at least two hours of individual supervision per week and direct observation and consultation during regularly scheduled rotations. Additional consultation is available based on the fellow's needs. Group supervision experiences also are provided to further enhance clinical skills and professional development. Individualized goals will be established and reviewed with the primary supervisor quarterly.
Didactic Experiences
Didactic experiences include weekly half-day virtual training sessions and presentations. Fellows will also participate in a professional development seminar. Additionally, fellows are expected to regularly attend case conferences and grand rounds organized by collaborating departments.
Our department strongly encourages trainees to seek out relevant didactic training opportunities, such as conferences and seminars, that align with their interests. To support this pursuit, fellows are provided with a stipend of $1,000 to cover associated expenses.
Compensation
- Competitive Annual Stipend
- Full benefits package including health, dental, and vision
- 4 weeks of paid time off (PTO)
- 7 paid holidays
- $1000 stipend to pursue additional training/educational opportunities
To Apply
Candidates must have completed all requirements for their doctoral degree prior to beginning the program and must be a graduate from an APA accredited doctoral program. APA accredited or APPIC member internship program training is preferred.
UPMC Children's will be offering two post-doctoral fellowship positions for the 2025/2026 training year: (1) Chronic Illness, (2) Acute Pediatrics. Candidates may apply to one or both of these positions.
Applications will be reviewed upon receipt with the final deadline for all application materials on Friday, December 6, 2024. Virtual interviews for selected applicants will take place in January 2024 and offers will be extended in early February, 2024. UPMC Children’s adheres to the Common Hold Date of February and all associated regulations.
Applications should include:
- A letter of interest describing training experiences, desired postdoctoral training objectives, professional goals, and which track(s) the fellow is applying to (Chronic illness and/or Acute Pediatrics).
- A current curriculum vitae.
- Three letters of reference, with at least two from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic and clinical training.
- An official copy of graduate transcripts.
- A letter from the applicant's training director or dissertation chair confirming that the candidate is on track to complete their dissertation before the fellowship's start date. Candidates who have already successfully defended their dissertation are not required to include this letter.
If the applicant is unable to send a transcript electronically, please send them to:
Attn: Kaycee Weir, PhD
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh-Behavioral Science Division
Lawrenceville Medical Building, 3rd Floor
4117 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Any questions regarding the fellowship or application process can be directed to our training committee by email at BH_trainingcommittee@chp.edu.
