The fellowship is offered through a partnership between Augusta University (AU) and Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities partnership (DBHDD). The fellowship has one full-time position available each year. The fellow will be part of the Psychiatry Department at AU, where a high priority is afforded to excellent clinical care and training. As such, the fellow will have the opportunity for research collaboration, access to AU libraries and databases, and grand rounds or other training opportunities through AU.
There are 3 clinical sites the fellow will have opportunities to provide clinical services, have fellow supervision and involve in research projects.
Augusta University Stoney Building
Stoney building is the home of the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Outpatient psychiatry and psychology services, neurostimulation consultation services are offered at this site. Stoney building is also one of the sites where recruitment for clinical studies takes place. The department has developed a strong infrastructure for the conduct of clinical trials in various psychiatric disorders. Trials that are sponsored and initiated by industry, funded by industry but initiated by the academic investigator, and federally funded trials (which are initiated by the investigator) have been conducted at MCG in recent years. Currently, we are conducting both industry-sponsored and federally funded treatment research.
East Central Regional Hospital (ECRH)
ECRH is a licensed, state-supported facility located in Augusta, Georgia that serves individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI). Many of the individuals who are treated and served at ECRH are dually diagnosed with SPMI along with substance abuse and or developmental disabilities. It provides assessment and treatment programs for adults (18 years and older). ECRH is made up of two inpatient campuses. The Gracewood campus was established in 1921, and the Augusta Campus was founded in 1960. On July 1, 2003, the two previously separate facilities officially consolidated and became ECRH. The Adult Mental Health division of the facility serves a 33-county catchment area, and the Forensics division serves 48-county catchment areas which makes up the East Central Region of Georgia. ECRH currently employs approximately 1,400 staff.
The Psychology Department at ECRH provides a variety of clinical services to patients, including comprehensive assessment, individual and group counseling sessions, social skills training groups, behavioral training sessions, and family feedback and education sessions. Treatment generally includes cognitive-behavioral interventions, behavioral techniques, and solution-focused therapy. Psychological evaluation is referral based and assists in treatment and discharge planning. Psychological testing involves comprehensive assessments of cognition, psychopathology, neuropsychology, and/or community reintegration needs.
Serenity Behavioral Health Systems (SBHS)
SBHS is a licensed, state-supported facility also located in Augusta, Georgia that offers outpatient services including psychiatric assessments, pharmacological management/monitoring, counseling, case management and community support services to individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities. SBHS also has an inpatient unit to serve individuals in need for shorter duration inpatient treatment. SBHS is also a recruitment site for clinical research studies.
