Postdoctoral Fellowship; Forensic Psychology - Restricted Position

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP (FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY) - RESTRICTED POSITION

Title: POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP (FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY) - RESTRICTED POSITION
State Role

Title:

Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists
Hiring Range: $89,878 - $124,031
Pay Band: 4
Agency: Dept Behavioral Health/Develop
Location: Eastern State Hospital
Agency Website: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./
Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Note:

Deadline to submit application is January 3, 2026. Eastern State Hospital (ESH) is seeking a postdoctoral fellow for the  training year. ESH is the largest state psychiatric hospital in Virginia, situated on 500 acres with two patient care buildings, 300 patients, and a skilled staff of over 900. The current hospital population consists of adult and geriatric patients with either a civil or forensic commitment;

the population has largely shifted to primarily pre‑ and post‑adjudicatory forensic patients. ESH is part of the Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services (DBHDS) system and is accredited by the Joint Commission. The hospital is located in Williamsburg VA, near Richmond, Virginia Beach, Washington DC and Baltimore.

The Postdoctoral Training Year will include both clinical work and didactic seminars. The clinical work will primarily consist of working within the Psychology Department to:

• Conduct various types of forensic evaluations, including temporary custody evaluations, competence to stand trial, mental state at the time of the offense, and risk assessments for court‑ordered defendants.
• Conduct psychological testing, including forensic assessment instruments, IQ and personality testing, neuropsychological instruments, and tests of malingering. There may also be an opportunity for sex offender risk assessments.
• Serve in other clinical roles (e.g., more treatment‑oriented) in the hospital, depending on the postdoctoral fellow’s interest and training needs.

Treatment at ESH is offered to the patient in partnership with a multi‑disciplinary team; the post‑doctoral fellow also has the opportunity to be part of a treatment team alongside physicians, other psychologists, nurses, social workers, dietitians, and activities therapists. Thus, a treatment‑oriented role would include:

• Individual and group psychotherapy, psychoeducation, treatment planning and principles of recovery, team building, milieu intervention, risk assessment and management, crisis management and program development.
• Serving in a treatment role for acute admissions and jail‑transfer or the large population of “Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity” (NGRI) acquit tees.
• Working in a treatment role with NGRI population to assess and treat an individual’s level of risk after having been adjudicated NGRI; these individuals are remanded to the hospital for treatment while they move through the privileging and gradual release process under Virginia law.
• Working in a treatment role with acute admissions patients who are individuals under voluntary or involuntary civil commitment, individuals who have been transferred from a jail for emergency psychiatric treatment, and persons who have been court‑ordered for evaluation and/or treatment of competency to stand trial and/or mental state at the time of the offense.

Within the various clinical roles, the postdoctoral fellow will learn about the larger system of care in Virginia, may collaborate with team members for appropriate after‑care planning as patients return to the community, and may participate in research efforts throughout the hospital.

The ESH postdoctoral training program will also include didactic and case‑law seminars; weekly seminars focusing on various forensic issues—violence risk assessment, assessment of malingering, ethical considerations, psychology in the courtroom, insanity, competence to stand trial, and an overview of the legal system. Postdoctoral fellows will have the opportunity to participate in case‑weekly law seminars, focusing on landmark cases at both state and federal levels that set standards for the practice of forensic psychology and guidelines for conducting court‑ordered evaluations;

they will be…