Updated September 17 th , 2026
approach, both for acute rehabilitation and for ongoing care. The psychologists and various trainees work within closely-knit teams that include physicians, pharmacists, social workers, rehabilitation therapists, case managers, dietitians, respiratory therapists, psychiatrists, and especially the nursing staffs of the three different SCI units. Psychology staff assess each patient and provide interventions that address a wide variety of adjustment, mental health and health behavior concerns. Frequently seen problems include adjustment to disability, depression and anxiety, pain, and adherence concerns. Intervention approaches include individual counseling, education, psychotherapy, sex therapy, relaxation training, pain management, social skills training, patient education, couples therapy, and psychosocial support for the injured person’s family and social support systems. A neuropsychological testing service is embedded within the SCI/D department. This rotation provides opportunities for both inpatient and outpatient neuropsychological evaluations for a diverse and complex population that presents with a variety of cognitive concerns related to disorders frequently seen within the SCI/D and aging Veteran population. Opportunities to participate in neuropsychological testing and its associated responsibilities including report writing, rehabilitation specific feedback and team consultation are available. Given the fast-paced and interdisciplinary environment of inpatient rehabilitation, postdoctoral fellows are encouraged to operate at developmentally appropriate levels of autonomy within dynamic treatment teams. Through the training year, fellows will gain advanced skills in flexibly adapting to the needs of our Veterans as well as the treatment team to provide optimal interdisciplinary care. Additionally, our fellows are treated as valuable and professional members of the treatment team with opportunities to participate in administrative meetings and gain experience managing clinical crises as appropriate.
NOTE : Most responsibilities require the trainee to be on campus for in-person clinical services, although some remote work may be arranged.
Community Living Center (CLC)/Acute Rehabilitation Unit (ARU): Supervisors: Jennifer Kamar, PhD; Morgan Macaluso, PhD; Lina Vartan, PsyD
In 2026, the Long Beach VA opened a new 120-bed Community Living Center (CLC), a post-acute transitional care facility providing rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and inpatient residential hospice care. Veterans admitted to the CLC range from young adults to centenarians and often present with complex medical, psychiatric, cognitive, substance use, and psychosocial needs. Common reasons for admission include rehabilitation following illness, injury, surgery, amputation, cancer treatment, wound care, infections requiring IV antibiotics, deconditioning, respite care, long-term care placement, and end-of-life care. Psychologists are integral members of interdisciplinary teams that include physicians, nursing staff, social workers, pharmacists, chaplains, dietitians, and rehabilitation therapists. Psychology services are primarily delivered at bedside.
This rotation provides supervised clinical experiences tailored to each postdoctoral trainee's prior training and competency level. Training emphasizes understanding the diverse experiences of
10
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker