Emory Healthcare’s Brain Health Center combines psychiatry and behavioral sciences, rehabilitation medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, and sleep medicine to offer complete, coordinated care for disorders of the brain. Bringing these specialties together allows more than 400 researchers and clinicians from different specialties to work in collaboration and predict, prevent, treat, or cure devastating diseases or disorders of the brain. These unique collaborations are demonstrated in some of the more than 20 centers and programs within the Brain Health Center. Emory’s Brain Health Center is based on a model of collaborative, interprofessional patient care that is individualized.
Emory Neurobehavior and Exposure Clinic (ENEC). This placement in the Division of Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Programs in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences allows the resident to work with a multidisciplinary team to provide diagnostic and intervention services to children and adolescents, 0-21, exposed to alcohol and other drugs, illicit and prescription, and their families as well as children with a history of abuse/neglect and foster placement. The multidisciplinary team includes psychologists, physicians, and educators. The ENEC Clinic serves a diverse community with a wide range of developmental and behavioral problems and provides a comprehensive experience in developmental psychopathology. Typical problems of children presenting at the Clinic include fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, prenatal exposure to cocaine and prescription drugs, learning and developmental disorders, behavioral and emotional disorders associated with abuse, neglect and institutionalization, issues associated with international adoption or foster care and a variety of genetic disorders. A Medication Management Clinic is part of the activities of ENEC. The resident’s clinical activities include participation in interdisciplinary diagnostic evaluations, individual evaluations, therapy with children and families, and interactions with other educational and social agencies. In addition, as part of ongoing research activities, residents can participate in community intervention, development of educational methods, and evaluation of research outcomes. As part of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine, residents can participate in prevention activities that include the design and implementation of workshops and teaching modules, as well as outcome research. Under the supervision of the primary investigators, residents may design and carry out their own independent research or prevention activities as well.
Infant, Toddler, and Young Children Mental Health and Developmental Progress: The infant, toddler, and young children mental health and developmental progress position is based in the Neonatal Intensive Care High-Risk Follow-Up Program within the Emory Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology. This placement requires the resident to work with a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, and allied health professionals conducting assessments and providing developmental follow-up services to patients discharged from the Emory Regional Perinatal Center’s neonatal intensive care units at highest medical risk for developing long-term disabilities. Services begin neonatally, with visits to neonates and their parents during neonatal hospitalization and continue through discharge from follow-up at 5 years of age. The resident’s clinical activities include assessments of infant development, developmental screening and psychological assessment of preschool and early school-age children, and brief intervention with parents experiencing difficulties related to traumatic delivery and infant illness. Clinical activities will also include participation in interdisciplinary screening of parental mental health needs and providing consultation to parents and medical professionals regarding optimal support for behavioral and emotional development. Residents will participate in the team’s monthly case review and journal conferences, including presenting on relevant topics of particular interest to the Resident. There are opportunities for contributing to ongoing research activities as well as the potential for supervised independent research.
OCD and Anxiety Intensive (Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic, EP12). This placement, embedded in the Adult Outpatient Clinic in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, allows the resident to work with an interdisciplinary team (psychologists, physicians, social workers) in an intensive 2–3-week specialty clinic format. They provide team-based care for diagnostic and intervention services to adolescents and adults aged 15-65 experiencing symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social anxiety, or panic disorder. The program offers one full-time training opportunity and aims to prepare the resident for the clinical, training, and program evaluation/research aspects of independent practice within an academic health center setting. The resident will provide diagnostic evaluations and individual therapy (primarily exposure therapy with response prevention) within the context of an intensive outpatient treatment program, as well as group therapy through the Adult Outpatient Clinic. Residents will attend team rounds and work on cases with attendings, assist with the supervision of doctoral practicum students and undergraduate research assistants, participate in program intakes, and facilitate continuity of care after discharge. Residents can participate in outcome research or design and carry out their own independent research activities as well. Residents participate in community-based projects in collaboration with OCD Georgia, the state affiliate of the International OCD Foundation.
Emory Transplant Behavioral Health. One full time position may be available (pending funding) in a combined research/clinical position working with individuals in the Emory Transplant Center who need a solid organ transplant (lung, heart, kidney, liver) or who are recovering from transplant. The postdoctoral resident will be an integral part of an interdisciplinary team consisting of two full-time clinical psychologists, two part-time psychiatrists, and a full-time clinical social worker. This position offers three primary opportunities: 1. conducting pre-surgical evaluations and providing outpatient individual and group psychotherapy, 2. providing inpatient behavioral health services, and 3. conducting research. The postdoctoral resident will complete multiple virtual pre-surgical assessments per week and provide virtual outpatient psychotherapy to patients experiencing mental health difficulties related to their transplant or chronic illness. The resident will also co-facilitate ongoing groups (post-transplant recovery group; relaxation and mindfulness group etc.) and can develop a novel group for transplant patients. As part of an interdisciplinary team, the resident will provide brief in-person behavioral health interventions for anxiety, depression, and motivation difficulties for individuals on the inpatient floors with one of the psychiatrists. Finally, the resident will be able to participate in ongoing research efforts through data collection and manuscript writing or initiate a new research project of their interest.
Division of Rehabilitation Neuropsychology: Adult Neuropsychology. (This position is not available for the 2023-2024 training year). The Division of Rehabilitation Neuropsychology is an integral part of the interdisciplinary Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Based largely in the Emory Rehabilitation Hospital (ERH), it is part of Emory Healthcare, which is the largest most-comprehensive health system in Georgia with more than 7 hospitals and 1,800 hospital beds. As an academically based medical treatment center and a division of the world-renowned Emory University School of Medicine, we have access to state-of-the-art technologies and the collaborative resources of a full range of specialty and sub-specialty physicians. As the ERH is located on campus of Emory University, the resident has access to exciting opportunities at both Emory University Hospital and Emory University. It includes a 56-bed adult inpatient facility that offers comprehensive inpatient services for Adults with Stroke, Brain Injury, Neurological Disorders, Spinal Cord Injury, Amputation, and other orthopedic conditions. Additionally, ERH offers comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation services for individuals following inpatient rehabilitation. Consults are received from various departments within the Medical School including Rehabilitation Medicine, Neurology, the Emory Epilepsy Center, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurosurgery, and Cardiac Surgery. Services include neuropsychological assessment, cognitive rehabilitation, individual psychotherapy, and behavioral health interventions. Faculty provide consultation to interdisciplinary teams on cognitive and behavioral disorders and play a vital role in developing rehabilitation programs for persons recovering from stroke, traumatic brain injury, tumor surgery, and other conditions affecting the central nervous system. Rehabilitation neuropsychology faculty also maintain an active research program and serve as project directors or consultants on federal grants.
The postdoctoral residency in adult neuropsychology meets International Neuropsychological Society/APA Division 40 training guidelines. The program has been approved for affiliation by APPCN. Please refer to the Rehabilitation Medicine website for more detailed information regarding our program.
The residency provides two years of intensive training and supervised clinical experience in neuropsychological diagnosis, cognitive rehabilitation, and team consultation. Neuropsychological assessments incorporate both quantitative and qualitative approaches to testing and focus on the diagnosis of cognitive syndromes, the specification of functional strengths and weaknesses, and the development of detailed and practical recommendations for patient rehabilitation. The approach to cognitive rehabilitation emphasizes the enhancement of real-world performance using compensatory aids and strategies. Residents conduct neuropsychological examinations, provide feedback to patients and family members, provide consultation to rehabilitation teams, develop and carry out cognitive rehabilitation programs, and acquire supervisory skills as they work with practicum students and technicians. Optional supervised psychotherapy experiences and inpatient neurorehabilitation rotations are available.
In addition to receiving individual supervision, residents participate in a variety of conferences and seminars including Rehabilitation Medicine, Neurology, and Psychiatry Grand Rounds, as well as Neuropsychology Case Seminar, Epilepsy Case Conference, and Neuropathology Rounds. Residents are involved in research; they develop a research idea by the end of the first year and conduct a study during the second year. Residents receive supervised grant writing experience.