Trainees enjoy some fun during a lunch break.
Psychology Fellowships
CENTER for the vulnerable child
The Psychology Fellowship at the Center for the Vulnerable Child (CVC) provides a comprehensive introduction to clinical work with children in foster care. Trainees will participate in three separate CVC programs specializing in a different area of foster care, each in collaboration with Alameda County’s Department of Children and Family Services:
- The SEED Program: Utilizes a multidisciplinary team including child welfare and public health nurses to provide comprehensive services to children in the child welfare system, ages birth to three, their caregivers and their families.
- The CATS Project: Works with children up to age eighteen with mental health issues who are living with their biological parents as part of the Family Maintenance program.
- The PASSAGE Program: Focuses on children up to age twelve who are in long-term foster care under the supervision of a permanent youth connections worker.
Each of these programs provides innovative services tailored to the particular needs of children and families in these different situations, while sharing a commitment to working comprehensively to provide children with secure and positive connections to the families and communities.
Program
Postdoctoral Fellows will carry a full clinical caseload made up of children from each of these programs. Clinical modalities taught and practiced include psychological assessment, infant-parent psychotherapy, individual child therapy, group child therapy, and family therapy. Clinical work at the CVC integrates diverse theoretical approaches, with an emphasis on applying attachment theory, infant mental health, and family systems theory in community mental health settings. Because many of the families that we work with are beset by the practical problems associated with urban poverty and racism, services are often provided in the home and include case management as an essential component. We pay particular attention to the impact of complex trauma on the social, emotional and neuropsychological development of children in foster care. Most importantly, we maintain a commitment to cultural responsiveness and accountability in all of the work we do at the CVC.
At the CVC, trainees will participate in a variety of weekly conferences, team meetings and didactic trainings across our different programs. There will be ample opportunity for informal contact with other CVC programs that focus on work with children and families that are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Training methods include videotape and co-therapy for group and family supervision.
Primary Supervisors
Vance Hitchner, PhD
Kathryn Orfirer, PhD
Erica Torres, PsyD
Training Staff
Lisa Berndt, LCSW
Marguerite Wright, EdD
To apply, see Psychology Internship page.
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