USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice Mental Health Fellowship
The USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice (OTFP) offers a fellowship program to provide Lifestyle Redesign® training opportunities to licensed occupational therapy practitioners.
Fellowship Program Features
The purpose of the USC OTFP Fellowship program is to foster the development of expertise in administering the Lifestyle Redesign intervention to individuals living with chronic physical and mental health conditions.
The fellowship curriculum will include more than 1,400 hours of didactic and clinical education, mentored service delivery and non-mentored service delivery and will cover topics including pathophysiology of chronic conditions, occupation-based and evidence-based practice guidelines, safety regulation and ethical practice guidelines, interpersonal skills, and professional engagement. Fellows will be paired with a faculty clinician and will engage in training, structured mentoring sessions and scholarly activities to enhance their clinical practice and leadership skills. Throughout the experience, fellows will work on interprofessional teams, engage in public speaking, and participate in community engagement activities. The fellowship will expedite the process of meeting requirements for the Lifestyle Redesign certification, as fellows will complete the didactic content and clinical hours needed to apply.
The fellowship program is currently in candidacy status with the American Occupational Therapy Association. See additional information about the OT Faculty Practice and current programs.
Anticipated Timeline
- Duration: 14 months
- Accreditation: Candidacy status
- Application open: December 2024
- Application deadline: February 2025
- Admission decision: April 2025
- Program start: August 2025
- Program end: Fall 2026
Application Requirements and Selection Process
- A job posting for an OT staff position for an Occupational Therapy Clinical Fellow will be posted on the USC Career Center website. The posting will include information about the fellowship program, timeline, minimal education requirements, and pay range.
- A search committee will be created to review applicant materials and conduct interviews. Upon completion of interviews, candidates will be selected and notified.
- Upon acceptance of the fellowship position, the fellow will complete all HR requirements. As an employee of the University of Southern California, fellows will receive a salary with benefits, including medical and paid time off.
Eligibility Criteria
Minimum eligibility requirements
Program-specific eligibility
- All prerequisite Human Resources requirements for placement in the clinical settings (e.g., background check, drug screen, immunizations) are to be completed prior to start of Fellowship
- Demonstrates clinical practice or academic learning experiences in areas of mental health and lifestyle management treatment OR demonstrates a strong interest in becoming an expert in Lifestyle Redesign interventions
- Demonstrates experience in areas of clinical practice either through fieldwork or previous employment
- Demonstrates desire to participate in clinical teaching, research, program development and quality improvement efforts
Fellowship Program Goals
The educational goals of the fellowship program are:
- Provide trainings and learning opportunities to develop advanced clinical skills in the areas of mental health and Lifestyle Redesign, including in-services, interprofessional shadowing and collaboration opportunities and case studies
- Engage in innovative program development, quality improvement or clinical research activities that advance their knowledge and skills in a specialty area or in alignment with organizational growth
- Develop leadership skills that improve the visibility of OT’s unique role and support knowledge mobilization at the local, national or international level
- Incorporate principles of access, equity, diversity and inclusion into clinical practice and service delivery
- Meet the needs of the patients by delivering high-quality, evidence-based, client-centered care
- Complete requirements to apply for Lifestyle Redesign Certification
Fellowship Coordinator
Lindsey Shomer OTD, OTR/L, LRC ⟩
Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
(323) 442-3340
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Contact Us
USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
(323) 442-3340
Fax: (323) 442-3351
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