University of Montana and Garden City Professional Offices Missoula , Montana

Applications due Friday, December 15, 2023 for Priority Deadline

The University of Montana Postdoctoral Training Consortium is a collaborative training experience offered by two primary training sites: the Clinical Psychology Center at the University of Montana, a university-based training clinic, and Garden City Professional Offices, a private practice providing psychological and psychiatric services. 

Located in Missoula, Montana, the Consortium draws upon a rich training environment connected to an APA-accredited doctoral training programs in clinical and school psychology at the University of Montana and an established clinics serving diverse populations. As a healthcare hub for Western Montana, Missoula is uniquely situated to provide trainees with diverse experiences in working with rural and underserved populations. Further, Missoula is also a cultural and recreational mecca for a wide variety of educational, entertainment, and outdoor activities. This university community offers a highly desirable progressive environment rich in career opportunities and unique in enhancing work/life balance and healthy lifestyles. Hiking, mountain biking, skiing, music festivals, whitewater rafting, and hunting/fishing abound. 

Training sites are located geographically close (1.5 miles apart) to one another to minimize commute times. Oversight of the training experience will be provided by Dr. Raurie Birch, the director of the CPC. During this first year of the postdoctoral fellowship, there will be ongoing development of opportunities to collaborate with university psychology department faculty and with local clinics providing integrated behavioral healthcare. Throughout their training, fellows will have two hours of face-to-face, individual, scheduled supervision per week. They will have the opportunity to participate in various didactic experiences within the psychology department and university at large, including with our affiliated family medicine residency program. 

Our post-doctoral training program is structured as a one year (2000 hour) clinical program. An initial contract of one year will be offered, with the possibility of renewal for an additional year. There is a level of flexibility in constructing schedules across our two participating sites, but they typically will consist of 2.5 days each week at both sites. 

Descriptions of each of the training sites are as follows: 

Clinical Psychology Center (CPC): 

The Clinical Psychology Center (CPC) serves as the training clinic affiliated with the Psychology Department at the University of Montana. Our primary mission at CPC is to foster the education and training of psychologists as versatile scientist-practitioners by offering evidence-based psychological services to the Missoula community and its neighboring areas. Our patient population spans across all age groups, ranging from children to seniors. In addition to our clinical services, CPC is committed to advancing the field of psychology through clinical research. 

Since its establishment in 1967, CPC has been an integral part of the doctoral program in clinical psychology at the University of Montana. At present, CPC functions as a pivotal training, research, and service component of our American Psychological Association accredited doctoral training programs in Clinical/School Psychology. Our facilities encompass therapy rooms and psychological testing spaces, as well as classrooms and workspaces dedicated to faculty and student clinical training, didactic instruction, and research initiatives. 

Our fellows will participate in conducting psychological evaluations within our outpatient setting for a diverse patient population who seek services for a broad spectrum of presenting concerns. Fellows also have the opportunity to provide supervision for our graduate psychology students for their psychotherapy and assessment cases. Additionally, consistent with the scientist-practitioner model of training, fellows will have the opportunity to engage in various didactic experiences as well as in research to develop their own research project and/or collaborate with other researchers at the institution. 

Garden City Professional Offices (GCPO): 

GCPO, a prestigious mental health group practice in Missoula, Montana, offers exceptional outpatient care for individuals dealing with a wide range of mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, family issues, trauma, and relationship difficulties. Our post-doctoral training program provides a unique opportunity, encompassing psychological evaluation and various treatment modalities. 

Our diverse team of clinicians excels in cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, psychodynamic therapies, and other evidence-based interventions. Their expertise covers areas like family therapy, eating disorders, OCD, anxiety/mood disorders, and psychotropic medication use.

 Although our professionals work independently within a group, we foster a collaborative atmosphere of mutual respect and collegiality. Post-doctoral experiences are tailored to individual needs, with weekly supervision from licensed psychologists focusing on case conceptualization, formulation, therapeutic alliance, and clinical treatment. Approximately 75% of time is devoted to client interactions, while the remainder is allocated to education, consultation, and research. 

Located in a modern downtown office building, our office is supported by skilled staff providing reception, billing, and secretarial services. We prioritize a productive, professional, yet friendly and respectful work environment where every team member contributes to our group practice's success.

Additional Information

Application Instructions

Prospective applicants should submit the following documents to Dr. Raurie Birch at raurie.birch@umontana.edu or 1444 Mansfield Ave., Missoula, MT, 59801:

1. A cover letter expressing interest in the Fellowship program.
2. A Curriculum Vitae (CV) detailing internship and practicum experiences.
3. Three letters of recommendation, ideally including one from a current clinical supervisor (each sent separately).
4. A letter from the graduate program's Director of Clinical Training, confirming enrollment status and the expected date of graduation (including the degree conferment date).
5. A letter from the internship Training Director, verifying program standing.
6. An official graduate school transcript.

Applications from students enrolled in APA-Accredited doctoral programs will be reviewed by two members of the Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Committee and the Training Director if fully submitted by the application deadline.

Interviews, conducted via video conference, will be scheduled individually. Invited applicants can anticipate a two-hour individual interview with two or more members of the Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Committee. They also have the option to request additional individual meetings with any committee member. Each applicant will have an opportunity to meet with the Training Director to learn more about the program. Interviews commence in February, with ongoing recruitment if positions remain unfilled. Interviews occur during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time Zone) via video conference.

Following interviews, supervising psychologists and the Training Director will collaboratively rank applicants based on applications and interview performance, reaching a final ranking through consensus.

Before starting the Fellowship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Completion of all doctoral degree requirements in clinical, counseling, or school psychology from an APA-Accredited program.
2. Successful completion of an APA-Accredited doctoral psychology internship program.
3. Possession of the doctoral diploma on the first day of the Fellowship or a letter from the Director of Clinical Training confirming degree requirements completion pending graduation.
4. Submission of an application to the State of Montana for psychology candidate status, allowing for licensure hours accumulation starting from the first day of the Fellowship.