Clinical Psychology Training Programs
We offer training opportunities for postdoctoral psychology trainees seeking further supervision for licensure and expertise in neurorehabilitation psychology, and to predoctoral psychology graduate students through practicum and clerkship experience. The major area of study for our training programs is rehabilitation psychology.
Resident Training with Major Area of Study in Rehabilitation Psychology
The Department of Psychology offers a two year clinical training program at the residency level in Clinical Psychology with Specialization in Neurorehabilitation Psychology. Our program is a full member of the Council of Rehabilitation Psychology Postdoctoral Training Programs (CRPPTP). The program conforms with the Baltimore Guidelines for Rehabilitation Psychology Postdoctoral Training and requirements for board certification in Rehabilitation Psychology. Additional information about the residency program can be found in the brochure below, as well as at the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers website https://appic.org/, and Division of Rehabilitation Psychology website http://www.div22.org/.
Brochure for Rancho Los Amigos Resident Program 2023-25
Virtual Tour of Rancho Psychology Department 2021-22
Practicum Training
We maintain an active predoctoral training program and are members of the Southern California Association of Psychology Training Programs (SCAPTP). Rancho has two practicum training tracks: Track 1 has an emphasis on inpatient rehabilitation psychology. Track 2 has an emphasis on outpatient neuropsychological testing with Spanish speakers. We have affiliation contracts with Fuller Theological Seminary, Pepperdine University, University of La Verne and Azusa Pacific University. The goal of the program is to provide clinical training to psychology students who are interested in gaining clinical experience with patients with cognitive impairments, disability, and acute and chronic medical conditions. It provides an opportunity to learn about the application of psychological assessment and interventions in a medical setting, working as part of an interdisciplinary team model, and prepares trainees for future training or positions in rehabilitation psychology, neuropsychology, primary care psychology, and health psychology. Additional information about our predoctoral training program can be found in the brochure below, as well as, the Southern California Association of Psychology Training Programs (SCAPTP) website https://www.scaptp.org/ under PracticumFit tab.
2023-24 Inpatient Neurorehabilitation Psychology Practicum Program
2023-24 Outpatient Neuropsychology Practicum Program
Board Certification and Mentoring
The American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) increases consumer protection through the examination and certification of psychologists who demonstrate competence in approved specialty areas in professional psychology. The American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology (ABRP) and the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN) are two of the fifteen specialty boards under ABPP. At Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center we have four Board Certified Rehabilitation Psychologists: Dr. Fernando Gonzalez who is a past ABRP board member, Dr. Aida Saldivar who previously served two terms as ABRP Treasurer, Dr. Serina Hoover who served as past ABRP Oral Exam Coordinator and is the current ABRP President, and Dr. Sykora, our newest board certified staff member. We also have one Board Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist, Dr. Virginia Zuverza-Chavarria. Our Board Certified Rehabilitation Psychologists have served or are currently serving on the American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology (ABRP) Executive Board of Directors as mentors, practice sample reviewers, and as oral examiners.
Mentoring is a key element of our training programs as we strive to provide professional guidance both during training at Rancho and beyond. Of note, Dr. Fernando Gonzalez, Chair of Rancho Los Amigos Psychology Department, was awarded the Mentorship Award in 2013 by the American Psychological Association’s Division 22: Rehabilitation Psychology, for his exceptional dedication to mentoring staff, predoctoral students, postdoctoral trainees, and ABRP candidates.
Training Committee and Didactics
All of the Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Psychology Department staff are involved in the training program as supervisors and as presenters in our didactic program. Our staff psychiatrist also participates in trainings and our trainees have the opportunity to gain exposure to the use of psychiatric medications in a rehabilitation setting. Due to our staff’s recognized expertise in neurorehabilitation psychology and neuropsychology, several of our members have private practices that consist of teaching at local colleges, providing psychotherapy, and forensic work. Our didactics are structured to address mood and neuropsychological assessment and topics pertinent to the practice of rehabilitation psychology, as well as, trainings that address working with diverse populations, implementation of a variety of psychological interventions, and topics that address professional practice beyond attaining a doctoral degree.
For more information about our training programs, please contact:
Aida Saldivar, Ph.D., ABPP (RP), QME
Clinical Training Director
Psychology Department, OPB Room 2049
Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center
7601 Imperial Hwy., Downey, CA 90242
Office number: 562-385-6314
Fax number: 562-385-6678