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UCD Clinical Psychology
Box F546
13001 E. 17th Place
Aurora, CO 80045
303-724-3609

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Medical Students

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Residency

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Research

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Clinical

Department of Psychiatry

Division of Clinical Psychology

National Jewish Medical and Research Center and the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Clinic Health Psychology

National Jewish Medical and Research Center is a University affiliated hospital specializing in the evaluation and treatment of patients with immunologic and respiratory diseases. The Division of Psychosocial Medicine works collaboratively with the majority of the clinics within the medical center including allergy and immunology, infectious disease, general pulmonology, rheumatology and occupational medicine. The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Clinic within general pulmonology includes psychologists and social workers who provide biopsychosocial-based treatment for patients with COPD. The National Jewish minor rotation training program has the following goals for psychology trainees.

Goals of the Training Rotation

To educate trainees about the psychological and medical functioning of patients with chronic respiratory sleep and immunological disorders
To teach trainees how to conduct health and behavior evaluations within a tertiary care academic medical center
To teach trainees how to collaborate within a multidisciplinary team
To teach group, individual, and couple interventions for chronic illness and comorbid emotional disorders

Objectives of the Training Rotation

The psychology trainee will be trained to administer health and behavior evaluations to assess for mental and behavioral health problems
The psychology trainee will provide psychological and behavioral health interventions in both group and individual modalities
The psychology trainee will shadow physicians during clinics to learn about the respiratory system, lung disease, differential diagnoses, medications, and pulmonary rehabilitation treatments
The psychology trainee will participate in weekly interdisciplinary team meetings that include physicians, nurses, rehabilitation specialists, nutritionists, and psychologists to gain a sophisticated conceptualization of patients with respiratory illness, including test results and treatment recommendations

Specific Training Activities

Required Activities

Health and Behavior Evaluations: Each intern will receive training in the administration and reporting of the health and behavior evaluation. Each intern will be expected to independently complete evaluations and carry approximately two individual clients during the rotation period. They also will be expected to co-faciltate at least one group.

Supervision: Each intern will be supervised by faculty and staff in the Division of Psychosocial Medicine. Weekly supervision meetings with faculty will serve as a forum to learn about general screening and diagnostic issues, specific aspects of medical or mental illness relevant to patients the intern has seen, conceptualization of patients’ diagnostic presentation, and administration of appropriate behavioral health interventions.

Attendance of COPD Interdisciplinary Team Meeting: The intern will attend the weekly multidisciplinary team meeting to learn about test results and treatment recommendations for individual patients.

Optional Training Activities

As time permits, interns will have the opportunity to participate in a large NIDA-funded clinical trial investigating Behavioral Couples Treatment (BCT) for Smoking Cessation. Interns can be trained on couples-based treatment and have the opportunity to administer manualized treatment sessions.

Additional Courses

Ongoing weekly seminars are offered by the National Jewish faculty, including the “Airways Forum” as well as regular symposia from visiting faculty from leading academic institutions.

Theoretical Approaches

The Psychosocial Medicine Division at National Jewish Medical and Research Center utilizes a biopsychosocial model of treatment for patients with chronic medical illness. We seek to view the patient’s presenting problems by understanding how medical, psychological, and social problems are interconnected and influence one another.

Types of Clinical Approaches

Cognitive-Behavioral Treatments
Trauma-based and Insight-oriented Interventions
Relaxation Training and Stress Management
Smoking Cessation

Population of Clients

The COPD clinic and Psychosocial Medicine at National Jewish Medical and Research Center serves adults over the age of 18 with a wide variety of chronic respiratory illnesses. Referrals are typically received from pulmonary and immunologic clinics at National Jewish respiratory and autoimmune diseases (i.e., systemic lupus erythematosus, , asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, sleep disorder, sarcoidosis, interstitial lung disease, occupational toxic exposures).

Supervision

The intern will receive supervision for all aspects of assessment and treatment activities.

Supervisors

Liesel Dyar, Psy.D. ( Clinical Psychology, University of Denver, Denver 2004) Assistant Professor of Medicine, National Jewish Medical and Research Center. Areas of expertise include assessing and treating underlying emotional, behavioral and interpersonal issues which may be impeding the physical healing process. She is trained in psychodynamic, interpersonal and trauma-oriented approaches. She also specializes in mindfulness-based interventions.

Heather LaChance, LMFT Ph.D., (Clinical Psychology, University of Colorado, Boulder, 2004) Assistant Professor of Medicine, National Jewish Medical and Research Center
Areas of expertise include assessment and treatment of individuals, couples, and families with addictive, emotional, or behavioral disorders. Dr. LaChance has training from Harvard Families Addiction Program and Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies in treatment approaches for couples and families struggling with addictive behaviors. She currently has a large NIDA-funded research project investigating Behavioral Couples Treatment for smoking cessation.