Psychology
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Psychology Department is to optimize physical and mental well-being by removing barriers and facilitating growth and self-efficacy through compassionate care, education and advocacy.
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT VISION STATEMENT
We envision a department that maintains the ability to provide high quality psychological assessment and interventions across the lifespan and that include cognitive and neuropsychological assessments. We envision providing psychological services that enhance transdisciplinary collaboration on rehabilitation teams across inpatient and outpatient services to better serve our patients. We envision further development of our training programs to include greater opportunities for assessment, research and advocacy.
INPATIENT PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
We provide consultation on inpatient services to address pre-existing or acute psychological and cognitive conditions that can affect rehabilitation. We are able to provide all psychological services in both English and Spanish and can offer psychological services with use of interpreters in other languages. We conduct clinical and cognitive assessments and provide psychotherapy for inpatients on the following services:
Adult and Pediatric Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Adult and Pediatric Spine Injury Rehabilitation
Gerontology and Stroke Rehabilitation
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Limb Preservation
Epilepsy Assessment
Neurology and Acute Stroke
Chronic Medicine
Medicine – Community Adaptive Re-Entry
Intensive Care Unit
OUTPATIENT PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
Psychotherapy
We provide individual psychotherapy for Rancho Los Amigos outpatients in both English and Spanish and can provide services in other languages with assistance of interpreter if appropriate. The Psychology Department welcomes physician referrals for outpatient evaluation and treatment. Patients are encouraged to discuss need for referral to psychology with their primary Rancho physician so that a consultation can be placed.
Assessment
We provide a variety of psychological and neuropsychological assessments in both English and Spanish. Additional information is available in links below:
OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
For more information about our outpatient services please contact the Psychology Department at 562-385-8181.
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/.
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.
2024-25 Rancho Los Amigos – Inpatient Neurorehabilitation Psychology 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 three Board Certified Rehabilitation Psychologists: Dr. Aida Saldivar who previously served two terms as ABRP Treasurer, Dr. Serina Hoover who served as ABRP Oral Exam Coordinator and 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. We have several past practicum and postdoctoral trainees who are board certified and several who also serve on ABRP and the Academy of Rehabilitation Psychology.
Mentoring is a key element of our training programs as we strive to provide professional guidance both during training at Rancho and beyond. Evidence of our commitment to mentoring is that Dr. Fernando Gonzalez, past Chair of Rancho Los Amigos Psychology Department, was the first recipient in 2013 of the American Psychological Association’s Division 22: Rehabilitation Psychology Mentorship Award. More recently, in 2023, Dr. Serina Hoover, current ABRP President and Director of the Rancho Los Amigos Comprehensive Brain Injury Program was also awarded the American Psychological Association’s Division 22: Rehabilitation Psychology Mentorship Award for her dedication to mentoring Rancho practicum and postdoctoral trainees, ABRP candidates and participation on many dissertation committees.
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
MEET OUR STAFF
The Rancho Los Amigos Psychology Department is comprised of clinical psychologists that specialize in Rehabilitation Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Health Psychology. Our department is ethnically and culturally diverse and is reflective of the population served.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN PSYCHOLOGY
If you are interested in learning more about career opportunities for psychologists at Rancho Los Amigos, please contact:
Aida Saldivar, Ph.D., ABPP (RP), QME
Interim Chair of Psychology Department
Psychology Department, OPB Room 2049
Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center
7601 Imperial Hwy., Downey, CA 90242
Office number: 562-385-8181
Fax number: 562-385-6678
You can also go to the Department of Health Services Job Opportunities webpage: