JPS is starting a new Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship program that will train psychiatrists who want to specialize in diagnosing and treating young people with psychiatric illnesses. Leaders are actively recruiting for the first class to arrive at JPS next year.
The two-year program is for physicians who have completed a psychiatry residency program and want to focus on treating patients from underserved populations.
With this new Fellowship program, JPS is providing for more psychiatrists to serve the needs of young people and their families who do not have access to private behavioral healthcare. It is all part of the Network’s commitment to the diverse populations we serve. As the largest medical training institution in Fort Worth, learning and residency training are the heart of the mission of JPS Health Network.
“We are excited about starting our new JPS Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship. This is a further extension of JPS’ continued commitment not only to the training and education of our next generation of physicians but to addressing and caring for the behavioral health needs of our community, particularly for some of our most vulnerable patients such as children and adolescents,” said Tricia C. Elliott, MD, FAAFP, Senior Vice President, Academic and Research Affairs and Chief Academic Officer, JPS Health Network. “We are grateful for the team here at JPS who helped to make this happen and to our collaborative partners across our Tarrant County community.”
In April 2022, JPS Psychiatry Department leadership received the green light from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to launch the fellowship. Plans are to start with two fellows per year, with four fellows at a time.
Leaders expect to receive applications from physicians completing residencies at health systems across the country. Interviews with candidates interested in the program will begin in the fall and the first fellows will start July 1, 2023.
“This fellowship has been a longtime dream for our department. We were fortunate to have the support of the state of Texas through the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium and the University of North Texas Health Science Center to secure the funding of this milestone for JPS and our greater community,” said Alan L. Podawiltz, DO, MS, FAPA, Chairman, JPS Psychiatry Department. “Access to mental health services for children and adolescents has been a significant unmet need. Our belief is that the Fellows who train here will continue to stay here as a part of community.”
The new fellows will have educational experiences in the JPS Psychiatric Emergency Center, the only one of its kind in Tarrant County and an excellent teaching venue for severe and emergent psychiatric illness. They will also work in consultation, community, outpatient, forensics, and telehealth settings at JPS. JPS has a general Psychiatry Residency Program, a four-year program which is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). In addition, JPS has a fellowship program in Behavioral Medicine, which prepares fellows for work in medical education.