MIRECC / CoE
VA Interprofessional Fellowship Program in PSR and Recovery Oriented Services
San Diego
Our PSR Fellowship is currently in its 13th year of providing advanced training in serious mental illness (SMI) to mental health trainees in sunny, vibrant, and diverse San Diego. Our fellowship has been recognized by the American Psychological Association for its excellence in training in recovery-oriented, evidence-based SMI services. PSR fellows are an integral part of our award-winning, CARF-accredited Psychosocial Rehabilitation & Recovery Center, the Center of Recovery Education (CORE), which specializes in serving Veterans with psychosis. The CORE family is a diverse group of talented, committed clinicians and scientist-practitioners who are deeply committed to serving Veterans with SMI. We are committed to delivering high-quality, culturally-competent evidence-based practices, developing and evaluating new practices, and disseminating best practices both on an individual level with our Veterans, and more broadly to the community through trainings, presentations, and publications. We are closely affiliated with UC San Diego, one of the world's leading public research universities with active research in psychosis. The 50 residents we have trained thus far have gone on to rewarding careers in a variety of settings.
Our Directors
Viara Quiñones, PhD
Program Manager | VA San Diego PRRC
Associate Clinical Professor | UC San Diego Dept. of Psychiatry
Professional Interests: Psychosis training; cultural informed care; dual-diagnosis; somatic comorbidities; leadership and professional development.
Jessica McGovern, PhD
Program Manager | VA San Diego PRRC
Associate Clinical Professor | UC San Diego Dept. of Psychiatry
Professional Interests: Psychosis evidence-based therapies (EBTs), Trauma EBTs, co-occurring social and anxiety related disorders, LGBTQ+ affirming care, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Compensatory Cognitive Skills Training.
The Fellowship Class of 2022 - 2023
Kenya Johnson, ASW, LMSW
Social Work
Professional Interests: Kenya earned her MSW from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, with a concentration in Mental Health and Clinical Social Work. She previously interned at the St. Louis VA, providing social work services to Veterans in the Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP). She was also a Mental Health Research Coordinator at the VA, for which she recruited and enrolled Veterans in a study of intensive case management for Veterans at risk of suicide post inpatient hospitalization. Kenya has experience providing CBT, Trauma-Focused CBT, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Motivation Interviewing (MI), and group facilitation and psychotherapy. She is interested in exploring the effectiveness of hypothesizing groups for Veterans with psychosis as well as CPT in trauma treatment for Veterans with SMI and PTSD. Kenya plans to pursue licensure in the hopes of working with Veterans at the VA and as a Medical Officer for the Air Force Reserve.
Jamie Rodriguez, MSW
Social Work
Professional Interests: Jamie earned her MSW from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, specializing in behavioral mental health. She previously completed an internship with the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) and the Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program (IPVAP) at the VA Pacific Island Healthcare System. During her internship, Jamie conducted mental health evaluations and provided recovery-oriented care to Veterans using evidence-based modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Mindfulness. Her interests include trauma work and incorporating integrative approaches into care. Jamie hopes to pursue clinical licensure and continue working with Veterans in an outpatient setting.
Additional Information
For more information on application process, deadlines, and training opportunities:
Download the VA San Diego PSR Fellowship Brochure
Site ContactJessica McGovern, Ph.D.
Jessica.McGovern@va.gov
P: (619) 228-8074
