Applicants

Why Apply to the PPF?

  1. If you get frustrated with the short comings of our current systems of care and you want a road map to fix them

  2. If you find that you are drawn to informal and formal leadership roles

  3. If you are curious about resource and fiscal management of organizations and how you can use these concepts to drive change

  4. If you care about social justice and want to provide trauma informed, culturally sensitive, and recovery oriented care

  5. If you are committed to working with people with complex medical and behavioral health needs and/or are underserved

  6. If you are interested in learning more about the different roles of psychiatrists, including direct patient care, supervision, consultation, advocacy, administration, and education.

  7. If you care about provider satisfaction and want to prevent burnout

  8. If you want to join a group of 10 likeminded fellows who will help each other to grow as public psychiatrists and be part of a growing network of alumni

Eligibility

  • Graduated from an accredited psychiatry residency training programs
  • A NYS license before the start of the academic year (July 1st)
  • Demonstrated interest in public mental health, especially in improving care for people with complex needs 
  • Interest and ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary team
  • Demonstrated psychiatric leadership, internal program evaluation and other academic endeavors
  • H1B visa sponsorship is available and will be considered on a case by case basis

The selection committee complies with the intent of the Affirmative Action Program and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Application Process

1. Complete the online application below which includes demographics, uploading your CV and 3 essay style questions (What stimulated your interest in Public Psychiatry? What is the role of a public psychiatrist? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?)

2. Interview for the fellowship 

3. If accepted- Interview for and choose your job.

We begin accepting applications on June 1st and we accept fellows on a rolling basis until positions are filled (usually October). We maintain a waiting list until March 1st.

Interviews for jobs are usually from December to February but fellows are encouraged to begin this process as soon as they are accepted into the fellowship.

 

Application Form

Structure of Fellowship

Fellows spend two days a week at the NYSPI, learning the major principles and practices of public psychiatry (see curriculum for more details):

  • Academic seminars are taught by core faculty
  • Prominent leaders in the field are invited guest speakers
  • Alumni of the fellowship are closely involved in teaching and collaboration projects
  • Fellows give 7 presentations throughout the year and get weekly 1:1 supervision and consultation with an assigned faculty mentor

Fellows apply concepts learned in supervision and didactics, three days a week, at a community- or hospital-based public behavioral health organization that they have selected as a job site. In this job the fellows:

  • function as attending psychiatrists
  • are encouraged to take on administrative roles
  • meet minimally twice a month with a field site supervisor who provides onsite clinical and administrative guidance

 

What makes us unique compared to other Public Psychiatry Fellowships?

The Peer Advisor program is the only one of its kind in the United States (modeled after a similar one at University of Toronto), which aims to challenge the power dynamics in medicine. People with lived experience, who are trained as Peer Counselors, meet with our fellows monthly in 1:1 pairs or small groups to explore a wide range of challenging topics from self disclosure and the impact of stigma and bias to involuntary commitment and suicidal thoughts/ self injurious behavior.

The Policy Position  provides the opportunity to work in the office of the Chief Medical Officer for OMH, on a variety of policies and state level guidance, ranging from treatment planning, to parity issues and working closely with other regulatory agencies and managed care organizations (full time).

The Global Health Track offers the opportunity to participate in international collaborations focused on evaluating, understanding and enhancing delivery of mental health services in areas of need (approximately 4 hrs per week).

PPF Express encourages our fellows to find their voice, through bi-weekly PPF Express meetings, incorporating guest speakers with expertise in media and communications as well as writing exercises, under the expert guidance of Peter Stein and Mena Mirhom- 2 of our recent alumni (approximately 4hrs per week).

Site visits provide experiential learning through visiting a variety of community programs from Riker’s Island to homeless shelters and supported housing programs to enhance the practical aspect of training (monthly). 

American Association for Community Psychiatry (AACP) Membership is offered to all fellows.

Job Description

One of the unique aspects of the fellowship is that fellows choose their ideal job, that is in line with their area of interest in terms of setting (outpatient, field work, nontraditional settings like shelters and schools), patient population, type of diagnoses, interdisciplinary teams etc. We work very closely with each fellow to help them find a job that fits their interests and allows them room for career advancement. The ideal job is one that can become a fulltime position at the end of the fellowship year. These are not typical med-management jobs. They include a combination of clinical, administrative and evaluative responsibilities and offer an opportunity for meaningful involvement in implementing organizational change and growth.

The details of the job description are negotiated between the Fellow, PPF faculty and the job site supervisor/representative:

  • There is a minimum of 4 hours per week of protected time allotted for management and evaluation activities.
  • A senior staff member from the agency serves as job supervisor, meeting with the fellow on a regular basis (minimally every 2 weeks, preferably every week)
  • A PPF faculty mentor will also meet weekly with the fellow and who will be in periodic contact with the job supervisor.
  • Fellows are hired by the agencies on a part time Attending position, with salary and benefits provided (usually for 3 days/ week). Most agencies allow for moonlighting. For select job sites and dependent on the salary and position, there is the possibility of an additional stipend from NYSPI.
  • Below is a partial list of job sites. We frequently add new sites depending on the interest of the fellows.

NYS Office of Mental Health Facilities: 

  • Washington Heights Community Service (WHCS), Audubon and Inwood Clinics, New York, NY . A state-run comprehensive treatment program for the severely and persistently mentally ill living in the inner city.
  • Rockland Psychiatric Center, Orangeburg, NY, is the largest state hospital in New York, treating 400 inpatients and 3500 outpatients.
  • South Beach Psychiatric Center, Staten Island, NY. A model state psychiatric facility, providing comprehensive community and inpatient service to patients from Staten Island and Brooklyn.
  • Manhattan Psychiatric Center, Wards Island, 125th St OPD, NY provide state-of-the art inpatient and outpatient services for the severely and persistently mentally ill living in the inner city.
  • Bronx Psychiatric Center, The Bronx, NY, affiliated with Albert Einstein College of Medicine, providing inpatient and outpatient services, including an ACT team.
  • Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center, Wards Island, NY, a maximum security hospital providing secure treatment and evaluation for the forensic patients and courts of New York City.
  • One fellow each year has the opportunity to work with the Chief Medical Officer for the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH). This placement mainly involves participation in the development of NYS OMH policies.

Janian Medical Care (formerly PPOH) of the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS) recruits psychiatrists to work on-site at outreach programs, shelters, drop-in centers and transitional and permanent residences for mentally ill homeless persons.

Project Renewal, a not-for profit community based rehabilitation agency providing residential, counseling and social services to homeless adults who are suffering from substance abuse, mental illness and/or AIDS

ICL is an award-winning not-for-profit, human service agency offering health care, mental health care, family support, residential assistance, and treatment to almost 10,000 adults, families, and children.

Maimonides Health, Department of Psychiatry, Brooklyn, NY, one of the nation's first Community Mental Health Centers

Community Healtcare Network (CHN): CHN is an FQHC whose mission is to provide access to quality, culturally competent and comprehensive community-based primary care, mental health and social services.

Mount Sinai Health System -A comprehensive public sector mental health service system with a variety of programs and settings.

New York Presbyterian - Comprehensive Psychiatry Emergency Program (CPEP): The CPEP includes a psychiatry emergency room, extended observation beds and mobile crisis team.

Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS)- comprehensive recovery oriented program for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.

DOHMH-  Mental Health Service Corp through the Thrive NYC initiative provides integrated collaborative care in primary care programs throughout the city. There are also opportunities to act as a consulting psychiatrist to various other behavioral health, medical and community programs in NYC.

http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/index.page

The Bridge- Offers a comprehensive range of evidence-based rehabilitative services, including mental health and substance abuse treatment, housing, vocational training and job placement, healthcare, education and creative arts therapies.

Other job opportunities - In consultation with Fellowship faculty, Fellows may choose an alternate site in a public mental health facility in the Metropolitan New York area. Sites may operate under federal, state, municipal, or non-profit auspices. Fellowship faculty will evaluate proposed sites with regard to their potential for relevant clinical and administrative work, availability of a field site supervisor, training and research opportunities, and value as an educational experience. Final site selection will be made jointly by faculty, the incoming Fellow, and field site supervisors.