General Overview

Funded by the VA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA), the Fellowship programs offered by the Rocky Mountain MIRECC (Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center) are located at MIRECC centers in Colorado (Denver/Aurora) and Utah (Salt Lake City). Our Fellowship offerings include an APA-accredited Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment in Suicide Prevention (Colorado only), an APPIC-recognized Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment in Suicide Prevention (Utah Only), and a non-clinical Advanced Research Fellowship in Suicide Prevention: Big Data Science Program (Colorado only). Each of our Rocky Mountain MIRECC Fellowship programs offer a unique, dynamic opportunity for professional and personal growth.

Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment in Suicide Prevention (Colorado)

Denver/Aurora, Colorado (APA-Accredited)

The Denver/Aurora, Colorado site has been fully accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) Commission of Accreditation (CoA) since 2013.

Our Colorado site is currently accepting applications for the APA-accredited Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment in Suicide Prevention.

Application Deadline: Application materials are due by December 1, 2024.

The training faculty currently accepting Fellows are Dr. Sean Barnes, Ph.D., and Dr. Bryann DeBeer, Ph.D.

Dr. Sean Barnes is accepting applications for a psychology postdoctoral Fellow. As part of the 2-year, APA-accredited Rocky Mountain MIRECC Advanced Fellowship Program in Suicide Prevention, Dr. Barnes’ Fellow will have the opportunity to contribute to Project New Day, a multisite efficacy trial comparing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to Present Centered Therapy for optimizing recovery following suicidal crises. Candidates with training in ACT may also have the opportunity to gain hours toward licensure and receive advanced ACT training by serving as a study therapist. This is a unique opportunity for psychologists interested in clinical trials research, as well as the use of ACT to prevent suicide and assist clients in building meaningful vital lives.

Dr. Bryann DeBeer is seeking a Fellow for the Rocky Mountain MIRECC’s 2-year, APA-accredited Advance Fellowship Program in Suicide Prevention. The Fellow would have several projects that they could be involved in. Dr. DeBeer Directs the VA Patient Safety Center of Inquiry – Suicide Prevention Collaborative, which is a national suicide prevention research center within the VA. As a part of this work, Dr. DeBeer and her colleagues have developed a novel Veteran suicide prevention learning collaborative that aids community agencies in building suicide prevention programs in their own organization. The Fellow would have the opportunity to be involved in these community building activities. Dr. DeBeer is also developing and testing three new interventions: 1) a lethal means safety intervention that involves a concerned significant other; 2) an intervention that provides brief therapy to Veterans who are at risk for suicide, yet ineligible for VA care; 3) an intervention that follows Veterans who are “dual-users” (e.g., receive both VA and community care). The Fellow may have opportunities to become involved in this clinical work. The Fellow would also have the ability to contribute to publications based on this research.

General inquiries regarding the Fellowship and application materials for the Colorado Fellowship position(s) may be e-mailed to Dr. Ryan Holliday at Ryan.Holliday@va.gov.

The Rocky Mountain MIRECC Colorado Fellowship website, Brochure, and Training Manual describe the program admission criteria, requirements, and policy with regard to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and VA employment. We also provide descriptions of the training model and mission, requirements for Fellowship completion, resources, methods and expectations for supervision, and a brief overview of relevant pre-employment administrative policies and procedures.

View our 2024 Fellowship Brochure. [opens in new tab/window]

For additional information regarding program details and how to apply, visit our Colorado Fellowship page.

Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment in Suicide Prevention (Utah)

Salt Lake City, Utah (APPIC-Member)

The Salt Lake City, Utah site has been a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Center (APPIC) since 2012.

Our Utah site is currently accepting applications for non-clinical postdoctoral advanced research Fellows in suicide prevention commencing in fall of 2025.

To learn more view our Utah Fellowship Brochure [PDF opens in new tab/window] or visit our APPIC membership page.

For additional information regarding program details and how to apply, visit our Utah Fellowship page.

Advanced Research Fellowship in Suicide Prevention: Big Data Science Program (Colorado)

Denver/Aurora, Colorado (Non-Accredited)

The mission of the Rocky Mountain MIRECC Advanced Research Fellowship in Suicide Prevention: Big Data Science Program is to train data scientists and researchers in the high priority area of mental health care for Veterans, with an emphasis on prevention of risky behaviors among Veterans/military service members. Rocky Mountain MIRECC recognizes the rapid increase of data generated in the clinical setting and its potential to enhance our understanding of risk and its impact on patient care outcomes. This program seeks to leverage the VA data system to support clinically relevant, 2-year-long training and research opportunities in collaboration with VA researchers. The goal of the program is to train a new cadre of scientists that possess the skills to manage and analyze large-scale, multiple element patient data sets, and to develop new models that complement existing methodologies in patient-centered outcomes with a focus on Veteran suicide risk and prevention research.

The Advanced Research Fellowship in Suicide Prevention: Big Data Science Program is currently accepting applications. Candidates are encouraged to apply and applications may be reviewed on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

For additional information regarding program details and how to apply, visit our Big Data Science Program Fellowship page.

Last Updated 13 November 2024