Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship

The center’s mission is to improve the lives of young people with mental health conditions, including those with co-occurring developmental challenges and medical complexities. The program brings together psychology, psychiatry, social work, neurology and nursing to provide team-based, patient- and family-centered care for children, teens and young adults with developmental disorders and disorders of emotion, thinking and behavior.

The center’s postdoctoral fellowship training program offers two tracks—the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Track and the Integrated Health and Behavior (IHB) Track. Both tracks focus on outpatient interdisciplinary care for patients with complex medical, behavioral and emotional conditions and associated comorbidities. Fellows will have the opportunity to implement and adapt evidence-based interventions in novel settings, contexts and presentations to meet the needs of youth with complex needs, and their families. Fellows will also participate in clinically based research, including in collaborations across disciplines and settings (i.e., Johns Hopkins).

Fellows will participate in a 12-month major rotation in either the DD track or the IHB track starting on Sept. 1, 2027. Fellows will also participate in two minor rotations. Upon completion of the program, fellows will receive credit for 2,000 training hours, which can be applied toward the supervised clinical hours needed for licensure in the state of Maryland. Fellows will receive supervision in both individual and group formats and will have the opportunity to participate in additional didactic and training experiences offered through Kennedy Krieger and Johns Hopkins. 

Developmental Disabilities (DD) Track 

Fellows training in the DD Track will gain experience across a spectrum of service modalities and intensities serving neurodivergent children, adolescents and young adults presenting with behavioral and/or emotional dysregulation challenges, and their families. Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in outpatient and intensive outpatient levels of care. Outpatient referrals may range from direct client work to caregiver training, while intensive outpatient services will involve a team approach to intervention, including working with co-clinicians as well as a full interdisciplinary team. Fellows can expect to further expand their behavioral assessment skills from applied behavior analytic and cognitive behavioral therapy frameworks, leading to individualized function-based interventions and/or adapted use of manualized, evidence-based treatment protocols (e.g., Unstuck and On Target, Facing Your Fears). Caregiver education and training to improve long-term generalization and maintenance outcomes will be a significant area of focus for training as well.   

Integrated Health and Behavior (IHB) Track 

The IHB Clinic provides interdisciplinary evaluation and treatment to patients with a range of comorbid medical and mental health diagnoses, including youth with chronic pain and somatic symptoms and related disorders (SSRDs). Within a biopsychosocial framework, the IHB team offers a comprehensive approach to the emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioral needs of patients and their families. There are two interdisciplinary subspecialty clinics housed within the IHB Clinic: the Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Clinic and the Pediatric Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) Clinic. Fellows will have the opportunity to co-staff at least one of them. Additionally, fellows will conduct outpatient therapy with youth referred to the IHB Clinic for management of chronic illness and comorbid mental health challenges. Furthermore, fellows will have the opportunity to learn and implement a protocol to provide targeted brief intervention for FND symptoms. 

Minor Rotations  

Assessment rotation (six months): Fellows will conduct at least one psychological evaluation per month, as well as associated intake and feedback sessions, during this rotation. Common reasons for referral include diagnostic clarification and concerns about executive functioning/ADHD and personality/mood. Options to complete additional evaluations within the rotation may be available, commensurate with the fellow’s goals and experiences.  

Group therapy: Fellows will have the opportunity to observe and then co-lead at least one type of treatment group across the year. Fellows will choose from several different groups, depending on their interests and prior experience, as well as group availability. Options for groups may include: Chicago Parent Program (CPP) group, Working Effectively—Skills Training and Education for Parents (WE-STEP) group, dialectical behavioral therapy for adolescents (DBT-A) group, and a therapeutic group for youth with SSRDs. 

Stipend and Benefits

Stipend: At least $62,132

Time off: 15 vacation days, five professional days, sick days, plus typical university holidays

Benefits: Individual insurance (including health and dental coverage), free parking, and funding for professional activities (e.g., conference attendance, licensure costs)

Application Instructions

Application due date: Friday, Dec. 18, 2026

Interviews: Conducted virtually in January 2027

Qualifications: Applicants must demonstrate completion of all professional doctoral degree requirements from an APA-accredited program (PhD or PsyD), including dissertation defense and an APA-approved pre-doctoral internship or completion of a non-APA-accredited doctoral program in a related field (i.e., applied behavior analysis).

Materials:

1. Cover letter—fellows should indicate the track(s) to which they are applying
2. Current curriculum vitae (CV)
3. Three letters of recommendation addressed to Dr. Alia Dommestrup and Dr. Caitlin Thompson and emailed (or mailed) directly from the letter-writers using the contact information below
4. Transcripts for all graduate coursework 

Instructions:

1. Email (or mail) all application materials to Drs. Dommestrup and Thompson using the contact information below.
2. Feel free to contact Drs. Dommestrup and Thompson with any questions regarding the application process or the fellowship program. 

Dr. Aila Dommestrup: Dommestrup@KennedyKrieger.org

Dr. Caitlin Thompson: ThompsonCa@KennedyKrieger.org

Center for Developmental Behavioral Health
Kennedy Krieger Institute
1741 Ashland Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21205