Mental Health Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program
The James A. Haley VA Medical Center’s Mental Health Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program is designed to help fellows gain the experience, knowledge, and confidence to work in the field of mental health occupational therapy.
Why choose our fellowship program?
Our mental health fellowship program includes gaining clinical experience in a wide range of mental health conditions in service members and veterans. The fellow will spend time learning about and treating veterans with various mental health conditions to include substance use/behavioral addictions, chronic pain, adjustment to disability, trauma related disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, and psychotic disorders.
Services are provided both inpatient and outpatient settings. Fellows gain skills in both group and individual settings.
Our mental health fellowship program uniquely provides career mentorship as part of the fellowship program.
James A. Haley VA is an established teaching facility with four AOTA accredited OT fellowship programs. Fellows and trainees come to James A. Haley VA from all over the United States to learn in a variety of specialty areas.
Philosophy:
Our fellowship program supports developing advanced, evidence-based mental health occupational therapy practitioners through a blend of clinical and academic (didactic) learning.
Mission:
To provide occupational therapy fellows with the knowledge and skills to progress their clinical and professional skills in mental health occupational therapy in order to become advanced practitioners by:
- Learning and using evidence-based practice unique to the field of mental health.
- Participating in mental health learning activities to support clinical practice.
- Collaborating with and/or observing other mental health professionals.
- Understanding unique needs of veterans and active duty service members.
Clinical Training
Mental health OT fellows will:
- Carry a caseload of patients with mental health conditions. This will include both individual as well as group therapy.
- Receive one-on-one mentoring sessions with highly experienced clinical staff
- Participate in development of interventions for individual sessions and group sessions.
- Contribute to interdisciplinary patient team meetings, journal clubs, and staff in-service presentations.
- Use a combination of in-person and video based sessions to gain skills and confidence in a variety of settings.
Didactics/Academic Learning
Our Mental Health OT Fellowship Program will focus on the fellow’s development of advanced clinical knowledge and skills in the following core areas:
- Mental health Evaluations and Interventions that are occupational based
- Clinical reasoning skills in mental health occupational therapy
- Unique ethical issues that may arise in the mental health field
- Developing core interpersonal skills for mental health
- Advanced level knowledge on mental health conditions
- Using clinical skills in scholarly activities
Goals of the Fellowship
1. Demonstrate the use of evidence-based treatment and advanced clinical reasoning.
2. Demonstrate understanding ethical principles and implement this into practice.
3. Establish collaborative relationships with other mental health professionals.
4. Use occupation based treatment while delivering mental healthcare.
5. Participate in didactic learning that will advance learning and skills.
6. Exhibit the highest standards of professionalism.
Program Coordinator/Primary Mentor: Mary Ann Swartz, MOT, OTR/L, BCMH
Primary Mentor: Julieth Williams, OTR/L
Primary Mentor: Amy Kimball-Carpenter, MOT, OTR/L
Primary Mentor: Michelle Schlesinger, MOT, OTR/L, CSRS, CFNIP
*This program is an AOTA recognized fellowship Program.
** Health Professions Trainees (HPTs) are appointed as temporary employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs. As such, HPTs are subject to laws, policies, and guidelines posted for VA staff members. There are infrequent times in which this guidance can change during a training year which may create new requirements or responsibilities for HPTs. If employment requirements change during the course of a training year, HPTs will be notified of the change and impact as soon as possible and options provided. The VA Training Director for your profession will provide you with the information you need to understand the requirement and reasons for the requirement in timely manner.
How to Apply
To apply please email vhatamotfellowships@va.gov the following documents by April 30th
- Completed Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program Application (see link below)
- Resume
- One-page essay explaining why a fellowship is important to you and why you chose the JAHVA as a fellowship site
- Two letters of reference (these may be included in your e-mail application submission and do not need to be sent separately)
- Copy of Valid OT license (temporary licenses not accepted) and NBCOT certificate OR proof of expected graduation date and proof of confirmed/scheduled NBCOT testing date that will allow for results to be received prior to June 30th.
Fellows are employed full-time by the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital for the year-long program. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen that are a graduate of an ACOTE accredited occupational therapy (OT) program and possess a current OT license (any state)/certification prior to the program start date.
Applicants should be AOTA members and be committed to pursuing a career in mental health occupational therapy upon completion of the fellowship program.
The Fellowship will be a paid position and the fellow will be eligible for health benefits, earn annual leave and sick leave, and have paid federal holidays. There are no tuition fees associated with this fellowship.
Interviews will be conducted during the month of May. The Fellowship Program is scheduled to start in late August and end one year later.
Download the informational brochure below
Download an Occupational Therapy Fellowship Application
See Frequently Asked Questions below.
Mental Health Fellowship FAQs
Why should I do a fellowship rather than just find a job I’m interested in?
A fellowship will provide post-professional training in mental health occupational therapy. Completion of a mental health fellowship will give the fellow knowledge and experience to provide mental health occupational therapy. It will combine didactic learning, mentorship, and clinical practice in mental health occupational therapy to progress the fellow towards becoming an advanced-level clinician. This fellowship experience has consistently increased professional marketability in our fellows seeking employment in the field after completion of the fellowship experience. Our past fellows now work full-time as mental health occupational therapists across the country.
What experience is needed to apply for a fellowship?
No experience is needed. Experience will be gained through participation in the fellowship program. Applicants should have strong interest in mental health and intend to pursue a career in mental health occupational therapy after completion of the fellowship experience.
Can I apply for more than one occupational therapy fellowship program at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital?
No, applicants are only allowed to apply to one program per year. We encourage applicants to reflect on which program aligns most closely with his/her professional interests and goals and apply to that program. Applicants can re-apply for the same program or apply to a different program the following year, if they were not selected when they previously applied.
Do I have to be a new grad to apply for a fellowship?
No. Any licensed occupational therapist can apply for a fellowship experience. While some applicants are newly licensed OTs, others have some basic experience, or are wanting to change practice areas. Most fellows typically have 0-5 years of experience.
What if my license is in another state?
The specific state you are licensed in does not matter as long as you meet criteria to apply.
What happens after the year-long fellowship?
The fellow will be considered an experienced clinician in mental health occupational therapy. This will help when applying for jobs in a mental health occupational therapy that requires experience. During the fellowship program you will receive job coaching as part of your didactic experience to help with finding a job after the fellowship experience. Our fellows have gone on to secure jobs as mental health occupational therapists.
Can I apply if I am not yet licensed or have not graduated OT school?
If you are not already licensed, you will need to have a license before you are able to begin the fellowship experience. You do not need to have a license to apply for the fellowship experience, however, you must have proof of confirmed/scheduled NBCOT testing date that will allow for the test results to be received prior to June 30th. If selected, acceptance will be contingent upon obtaining a license (temporary license not accepted).
Will the fellow get a salary/benefits during the fellowship experience?
Yes, the fellow will receive a stipend and health benefits, as well as, accrue paid time off and have paid federal holidays. The fellow’s total pay per annum is $48,846. The fellow’s pay is not negotiable.
There is no application fee or tuition associated with this fellowship program.
Will the didactic work required for the fellowship be completed while at work or in the evenings/weekends after the work day?
There is time built into the fellows weekly schedule to complete didactic work. Historically, fellows have completed little or no didactic work outside of regular working hours.
Is housing provided?
No, housing is not provided. We will gladly provide information about the surrounding areas, if requested, however, fellows are responsible for finding their own housing. We also try to connect our selected fellows together (up to 7 from all our programs) so they may secure housing together if desired.
What population will the fellow be working with?
The fellow will be working with a mix of active-duty service members and veterans. The fellow will work with veterans with mental health diagnoses to include anxiety and trauma related disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, substance/behavioral related addictions, chronic pain disorders, sleep disorders, and adjustment disorders.
A vast majority of the veterans will be fully independent with ADLs and IADLs. Fellows will get experience working with veterans with severe and persistent mental illnesses to activity duty service members who still work full-time.
What will the fellow be doing with the clients?
The fellow will provide a combination of individual and group treatments. Many of the group treatments will focus on life skills and psychoeducation. Individual treatments will focus on emotional regulation, coping skills, communication skills, pain management, lifestyle re-design, sexual health, civilian re-integration, and marital enrichment. Treatment will be delivered in person and via telehealth.
What does a typical week look like?
The fellow will get a schedule that will vary based on which rotation he/she is in. Rotations last anywhere from 8 weeks to 16 weeks depending on the rotation. The fellow will have protected hours each weeks to work on didactics. The remainder of the time is spent doing clinical work, attending meetings, and observing various clinicians/mentors.
How is mentorship structured?
Mentorship includes individual meetings with your mentor, observing your mentor, being observed by your mentor, and receiving feedback after being observed. Your mentors will change throughout the fellowship year. You will also receive mentorship from other occupational therapists within the department as well as other healthcare professionals in your rotation areas to include psychologists, social workers, nurses, psychiatrists, physical therapists, creative arts therapists, etc.
What does didactic work look like?
You will have protected work time each week to work on didactics. Didactics are a very important part of the fellowship program because it provides the knowledge and skills that will support you clinical work.
Didactic work in our mental health fellowship program focuses heavily on reflective learning, which is learning through experience, observation, self-reflection and assessments, and guided discussions.