POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP 2026-2027 - CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital is accepting applications for a post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Psychology for the 2026-2027 training year. The position provides the opportunity for enhancement of the fellow’s clinical, supervisory and administrative skills. The fellowship carries a competitive stipend of $60,000.00 with full benefits. The start date for the position is summer or fall of 2026.     

The post-doctoral fellow will be actively involved in the supervision of pre-doctoral practicum students, as well as in program development and administration. In addition, the fellow will engage in direct delivery of psychotherapy and diagnostic services across the continuum of care, including our inpatients and partial hospitalization program.

About us:

Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital is an 88-bed psychiatric hospital dedicated to providing quality behavioral health service for its diverse population of children and adolescents.  Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital is a state-of-the-art facility offering some of the most advanced technologies and programs found in the behavioral health field.  We are dedicated to our teamwork approach and provide a compassionate and therapeutic environment, as well as offering a continuum of specialty programs throughout our inpatient and partial services.    

Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital is owned by Universal Health Services, Inc., one of the largest and most respected hospital management companies in the nation.  UHS owns and operates 218 locally-managed facilities, including 25 acute care hospital, 187 behavioral health facilities and six ambulatory surgery centers in 26 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital has specialized programs the post-doctoral fellow will take part in including:

• The POLARIS program: Polaris is a first-of-its-kind, inpatient psychiatric unit (19-bed) for sexual and gender minority youth (ages 12 to 17). Polaris provides a place where gender and sexual minority adolescents can receive affirming psychiatric care and help addressing identity. For centuries, people have used Polaris, commonly referred to as the North Star, to navigate long and difficult journeys. Today young people face many challenges and stressors on their journey that can lead to serious mental health difficulties. One such challenge is living as a gender or sexual minority.
• The WORTHY program: The Worthy Program is an acute inpatient program at Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital for adolescents who are at risk of being sex trafficked or have experienced it. This specialized program provides an accepting, judgement-free environment to help young patients heal from psychological traumas related to sex-trafficking. The Worthy Program is the first known program to address the acute mental health needs of commercially exploited youth in an inpatient psychiatric setting. The Worthy Program utilizes a trauma-informed care approach to meet the complex needs of youth in a secure environment.

To Apply:

Applicants should submit the following materials:

1. Letter of interest
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Three letters of recommendation (at least one should be from an internship supervisor)
4. Transcript
5. Diagnostic report sample

Please submit all application materials electronically to Dr. Victoria Pocknell at victoria.pocknell@uhsinc.com

Requirements:

Applicants must have completed a minimum of a 2,000 hour internship in clinical psychology, and have been awarded their doctoral degree by the start date. Applicants should possess strong diagnostic and therapy skills. They should also demonstrate leadership qualities, strong verbal and writing skills, and the ability to work independently. Applicants should have a vested interest in furthering their clinical, supervisory, and administrative skills.