Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mood Disorders, & Trauma Track

Please see the Training Program Overview for details that apply across all tracks.

Unique Training Elements for this Track

DBT Comprehensive Program Required:

The primary clinical responsibility of the postdoc on this track will be to provide therapy services as part of the UF DBT Program. The UF DBT Program provides evidence based and comprehensive DBT treatment to children and adolescents (ages 12-17) as well as adults with complex and severe mental health difficulties that are at a high risk for suicide and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors.  Our DBT Comprehensive Program includes all four treatment modalities, including individual therapy (1 hour per week), group skills training (1-1.5 hours per week), between session phone coaching (as needed within business hours), and clinician consultation team meeting (1 hour per week). Individual therapy appointments can be delivered in clinic or over telehealth as clinically indicated. Postdocs will collaborate closely with treatment team and psychiatric providers. Focus on either adolescent or adult age groups will be determined by postdoc preference and clinic need.

Inpatient Therapy/Consultation Required:

As part of the DBT program, up to 10 hours each week will be allocated to providing psychological consultation and therapy services as part of an interdisciplinary team at the University of Florida Psychiatric Hospital (UFPH). The UFPH consists of a child/adolescent unit, an adult inpatient addiction unit, and two adult inpatient psychiatric units (one for individuals with psychotic symptoms and one general unit). The goals of inpatient treatment are to stabilize the patient in crisis and address issues that immediately resulted in the need for inpatient care so the patient can function safely and with less distress outside the hospital. Postdocs are expected to participate in morning rounds with the treatment team, provide consultation and brief therapy services as requested, and lead/co-facilitate DBT skills groups. DBT skills group will occur each weekday targeting skills acquisition (Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Walking the Middle Path). Focus on either adolescent or adult age groups will be determined by postdoc preference and clinic need.

General Therapy Required:

Remaining face-to-face therapy hours will be filled with General Therapy. Demographically, our general outpatient clinic population is fairly representative of the surrounding Alachua County population which is about 70% Caucasian, 8% Hispanic or Latino, 20% Black or African American, and 5% Asian (as of 2010). The age range is from 13 years old to 65 years old. The postdocs will provide services for patients with private insurance. Diagnostically, the clinic serves a wide range of presenting concerns, including mood disorders, behavior problems, personality disorders, adjustment problems, and trauma. Postdocs may use any evidence-based approach they determine to be fitting for the presenting concern including CBT, ACT, DBT, MI, PMT, as well as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) or Trauma Focused CBT (TF-CBT).  There is some ability to select patients based on individual training goals. We also encourage postdocs to take a few patients outside their usual area of focus to expand their training and readiness for independent practice.

Group Therapy Optional:

If the postdoc is interested, any number of general therapy hours may be converted to group therapy. Based on their interest, the postdoc may run a closed group or rolling enrollment group. Groups topics that may be of interest include: self-compassion, intuitive eating, therapeutic horticulture, art therapy, or mindful movement. We highly encourage postdocs to be creative and have fun organizing groups in their area of interest.

SampleĀ Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mood Disorders, & Trauma Track

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:00 AM Inpatient Therapy/ Consultation Inpatient Therapy/ Consultation Inpatient Therapy/ Consultation Inpatient Therapy/ Consultation Inpatient Therapy/ Consultation
9:00 AM Inpatient DBT Skills Group Inpatient DBT Skills Group Inpatient DBT Skills Group Inpatient DBT Skills Group Inpatient DBT Skills Group
10:00 AM Individual Supervision Admin General Therapy Individual Supervision General Therapy
11:00 AM Admin General Therapy Admin General Therapy Admin
12:00 PM Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch
1:00 PM Admin Didactics Teaching Admin Teaching
2:00 PM Admin Didactics Admin DBT Consultation Team Meeting Admin
3:00 PM Outpatient DBT Therapy Outpatient DBT Therapy Outpatient DBT Therapy Outpatient DBT Therapy Outpatient DBT Therapy
4:00 PM Outpatient DBT Therapy Outpatient DBT Therapy Outpatient DBT Skills Group Outpatient DBT Therapy Outpatient DBT Skills Group

Summary: 24 face-to-face hours, eight protected admin hours for charting and other case management, two didactic or case conference hours, two individual supervision hours, two teaching hours or time spent in supervision of graduate students.