Updated July 11, 2024
NOTE: The CLC/ARU rotation will require the fellow to be on-campus and perform face-to- face clinical work on most days; however, there may be some opportunities for remote/telework for a smaller percentage of the time.
Blind Rehabilitation Center Supervisor: Ashley A. Vaillancourt, Ph.D.
The Major Charles Robert Soltes, Jr., O.D., Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC) is a 24-bed residential, inpatient rehabilitation program. We are 1 of 13 VA Blind Rehab Centers across the United States, making this a unique and specialized training setting. Notably, the skills learned in this rotation are beneficial for trainees interested in working with health/medical/rehabilitation populations. We serve Veterans or active-duty service members who are legally blind or have functional visual impairments. They are referred from across CA and flown in from other states to attend our program. Patients range in age from 20’s to their 100’s but most pat ients are older veterans in their 60s to 90s with legal blindness and others health conditions that may or may not be related to their vision loss (e.g., Diabetes, Hypertension, COPD). A smaller subset of returning Veterans with traumatic brain injuries or other neurological conditions and vision loss participate. The comprehensive rehabilitation training program in comprised of a variety of disciplines including Blind Rehabilitation (i.e., Living Skills, Manual Skills, Orientation & Mobility, Visual Skills, and Accessible Technologies), Medicine (i.e., Nurse Practitioner, Attending Physician), Nursing, Optometry, Psychology, Recreation Therapy, and Social Work. The psychologist and fellow work closely with the above interdisciplinary team members to develop individualized rehabilitation treatment plans. Our goal is to assist Veteran’s in maximizing their rehabilitation potential during their stay. Assessments are completed for every admitting Veteran regarding adjustment to vision loss/blindness, cognitive functioning and overall mental and behavioral health. You will learn to administer brief cognitive screens, adapted for vision loss. More importantly, you will learn how to utilize information collected during interviews to create meaningful recommendations for Veteran and staff. Interventions include disability affirmative psychotherapy, individual and group psychoeducation, stress reduction/relaxation training, behavioral management, and family education. More comprehensive neuropsychology testing opportunities are typically available, depending on trainee interest. As much as possible, I try to tailor the clinical experiences available to fit your needs and training goals. While most trainees do not go on to work with the blind, feedback is consistent that the skills learned are generalizable to complex medical populations and benefit those seeking assessment/conceptualization skills within this population.
NOTE : This rotation requires trainees to be on-site and meet with Veteran at bedside. No teleworking/telehealth options available.
Medical Psychology/Consultation & Liaison (C&L) – Elective Rotation Supervisor: Kristina Moncrieffe, Psy.D.
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