The American Psychological Association has awarded seven-year accreditation to the Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program of the USC Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

The program, which has been training psychology fellows since 1990, currently includes nine first-year fellows who will graduate in 2008, and six second-year fellows who are scheduled to graduate in August 2007. The next class, which will include eight first-year fellows, will begin in September 2007.

Fellows specialize in one of five areas: Trauma Psychology, Child and Family, Adolescent Medicine, Early Childhood Mental Health or Pediatric Psychology.

The program is based on an integrated community mental health and health psychology model, and it is designed to train psychologists to assume leadership roles as experts in clinical psychology in pediatric, community and medical settings.

Fellows may gain professional experiences in outpatient mental health clinics, community clinics, schools and/or pediatric hospital units.