Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology (Formerly: Western State Hospital)
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Washington State Department of Social and Health Services - Office of Forensic Mental Health Services
Tacoma, Washington
Starts on Sunday, September 1, 2024
Applications due Sunday, December 31, 2023
This program has chosen to follow the APPIC Postdoctoral Selection Guidelines.
The Washington Department of Social and Health Services Office of Forensic Mental Health Services sponsors a year-long fellowship in forensic psychology at Western State Hospital. The fellowship training program offers expertise in the area of forensic evaluation and assessment with an emphasis on preparing applicants for independent practice and board certification in forensic psychology. Forensic evaluators, and fellows under the direct supervision of a licensed psychologist, primarily provide pretrial evaluation services to inform local courts regarding a defendant’s capacity to proceed to trial and the defendant’s mental state at the time of the offense evaluations. Additionally, forensic evaluators participate in post-adjudication assessments of violence risk for individuals adjudicated as not guilty by reason of insanity.
Our fellowship is approved as a qualifying program by the American Board of Forensic Psychology to offer a waiver of the five-year experience requirement for forensic board certification applicants (approval period 2023-2028).
It is the strong belief of the Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee that advanced postdoctoral forensic training is essential for individuals who wish to pursue a career in forensic psychology. We believe the forensic psychology postdoctoral fellowship at WSH offers a unique opportunity to develop the high level of specialized expertise required by a forensic expert.
We seek to prepare professional psychologists to be highly competent and ethical forensic examiners capable of excellence in independent practice. Further, the fellowship program desires to prepare fellows for forensic board certification. To meet that end, one component of the fellowship is the study and application of relevant and current forensic literature as well as pertinent studies of legal precedents. We provide a multitude of training opportunities through didactic exercises, weekly case law studies, case conferences, literature reviews, and close supervision of all aspects of the completion of a variety of forensic cases.
Additional Information
- Agency Type
- State Hospital
- APPIC Membership
- Yes
- APA Accredited
- No
- Recognized Specialty
- Forensic Psychology
- Emphasis or focus area
- Assessment
- Other Emphasis
- Forensic Psychology
- Research Time
- Less than 25%
- Training Director
- Dr. Jacqueline Means
- Contact Email
- dshsbha.forensicfellowship@dshs.wa.gov
- Contact Phone
- (360) 603-1411
- Virtual Interviews
- Virtual Only
- Duration in Months
- 12
- Hours Per Week
- 40
- # of Licensed Supervisors
- 60
- Number of Positions
- 5
- Applications recieved last year
- 35
- Stipend
- $80,112
- Will follow APPIC Selection Standards
- Yes
- Estimated offer date
- Monday, February 19 2024
- Unfilled Positions
- 0
- Fringe Benefits
- Two weeks paid vacation, health insurance, paid leave for continuing education and studying for licensing examination and/or specialty examinations.
- Research opportunities
- Fellows are invited to participate in research programs that address questions relating to psycho-legal issues and forensic evaluations.
- Additional Comments
- We are currently able to offer one to five fellowship positions per year, depending on funding and the qualified applicant pool. Positions offered are located in the Tacoma area with additional positions in the Spokane area – regardless of location, the training curriculum, opportunities, and employment benefits remain analogous and the location will be provided to the selected fellow during the offer phase.
Funding for these positions is in the budget of the sponsoring agency but a guarantee is not possible until the governor has signed the requisite budget bill. Currently, Fellowship positions are under Psychology Associate job classifications with the state of Washington, garnering a salary of $92,868 annually. A minimum for this classification range is $80,112 with variation above this subject to yearly budgetary and agency considerations.
- Application Instructions
- Requirements: The forensic psychology postdoctoral fellowship is open to applicants who will complete an APA-accredited doctoral program, including an APA-accredited internship, in clinical or counseling psychology by August 31 of the preceding training year (i.e., completion of conferral requirements including dissertation and internship hours expected by August 31, 2024). Additionally, before beginning employment, a criminal justice background is mandatory for all fellows.
Preferred qualifications: Prior experience with providing forensic mental health assessment services in a psychiatric, correctional, or other forensically-related setting is preferred. We strongly encourage candidates of all different identities and cultural backgrounds to apply. While we do prefer applicants to have experience working in a forensic setting, we also recognize that valuable professional experience can come in many forms. We believe any applicants who have a strong generalist background and writing skills, and who share our core values, can develop the necessary skills to become highly competent and ethical forensic examiners through our training program.
How to apply: 1. Assemble an application packet, to be submitted to dshsbha.forensicfellowship@dshs.wa.gov or mailed directly to the Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee: c/o Jacqueline Means, Psy.D., Fellowship Director; Office of Forensic Mental Health Services, 1949 South State Street, Tacoma, WA 98405
Application packets must include the following: (1.) Cover Letter specifying the contents of the application packet, anticipated letter writers, and school(s) from where transcripts will be sent; (2.) Statement of interest and career intent; (3.) Curriculum Vitae; (4.) Sample of one completed and sanitized psychological report (forensic evaluation preferred). Submit the following documentation that the candidate requirements have been/will be met, directly to the above email or mailing address: (a.) Official transcripts of all graduate studies (no undergraduate transcripts needed); (b.) Letter from program official indicating expected completion date of dissertation; (c.) Letter from program official indicating the expected date of satisfactory completion of the internship; and (d.) Three letters of recommendation* should be submitted directly from the letter writers to the above email or mailing address.
Further information and instruction can be found on the official website for the program above.
This record was last updated on Thursday, November 30, 2023
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