| Veterans
News Flash 
VA to Train More Psychologists
March 4, 2008
Peake: Expansion Meets Current and Future Needs
WASHINGTON – To
meet increased needs for mental health services
for Veterans, especially those returning from
the Global War on Terror, the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) is expanding its training programs
for psychologists.
“Not all the wounds of war are visible,” said
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “VA
is committed to ensuring Veterans receive world-class
care for mental health services. This initiative
meets our short-term needs, but it will also guarantee
we have a pool of well-trained psychologists in
the future.”
VA, which has more than 11,000 mental health professionals
to care for Veterans, has hired more than 800 psychologists
in the last three years. Because psychology is
a key part of comprehensive health care, the Department
anticipates an ongoing need to employ additional
psychologists.
The best resource for
VA recruitment of psychologists has been the
Department’s own training programs.
Seventy-three percent of psychologists hired in
the past two years have had VA training.
As a result, VA has worked with its partners among
professional schools and universities to increase
the number of psychologists who receive training
through VA programs each year, beginning with the
2008-2009 training year.
The new positions will include 61 internship and
98 post-doctoral fellowship positions, bringing
the national number of training positions in psychology
to 620 per year.
The recently awarded positions include four new
internship training programs and 26 new post-doctoral
fellowship programs. In addition, 31 existing internship
programs and 17 existing postdoctoral fellowship
programs have been expanded.
The new internship programs are at the following
locations: Anchorage, Alaska; Asheville, N.C.;
Iowa City, Iowa; and Richmond, Va.
The new post-doctoral fellowship programs are
located at: Albany, N.Y.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Ann
Arbor, Mich.; Baltimore; Bay Pines, Fla.; Buffalo,
N.Y.; Columbia, Mo.; Detroit; Durham, N.C.; Los
Angeles; Hines, Ill.; Honolulu; Jackson, Miss.;
Little Rock, Ark.; Loma Linda, Calif.; Long Beach,
Calif.; Manhattan, N.Y.; Providence, R.I.; Salem,
Va.; Salt Lake City; San Diego; St. Louis; Tampa,
Fla; Washington, D.C.; West Haven, Conn.; and White
River Junction, Vt.
SOURCE:
US Department of Veterans Affair
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