Sanford East Dickinson Clinic (SEDC)

*This site has one (1) remaining resident slot available for the 2025-2026 cohort. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

The Sanford Health Dickinson Postdoctoral Psychology Residency site is within a primary care outpatient clinic in a rural part of the state. The clinic is open from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. After hours appointments can be arranged and there is no on-call. Since Dickinson is a hub community, patients may travel 100 miles for services here and/or be served through telehealth.

This training environment at Sanford Health Dickinson will expose a resident to a wide range of clinical and professional challenges as referred from primary care. The majority of referrals for psychological services are for a balance of assessment/testing and therapy services. There are not discrete rotations but there is considerable flexibility for personal and professional growth. There are opportunities for involvement with behavioral health programming that is non-traditional, focused on school and community involvement. There is also opportunity to work within a team of professionals to expand behavioral health services to other sites within the region.

A Psychology Resident at the Dickinson site can expect to be warmly welcomed and also expected to be part of the team supporting primarily two areas of focus:

1. Sanford Behavioral Health Dickinson is within primary care, physically located in a primary care outpatient clinic. As such, primary care providers look to psychology to provide diagnostic expertise to help guide treatment and specialized referrals. A resident will be exposed to a wide range of clinical and professional challenges, often completing evaluations related to neurodevelopmental challenges. And it is also an opportunity to have a positive impact on patients and families, helping them to re-focus and work together more constructively. Through the evaluation process, the resident may be the first person to help a patient understand that they are dealing with bipolar disorder, autism spectrum, dissociative identity, or signs that they are in an abusive relationship. There is a need for a resident to primarily be a generalist with curiosity and readiness to be challenged by a wide variety of issues and concerns. Depending on the resident’s prior training and experience, supervision will be tailored to support and grow the resident’s professional competence, especially to communicate their expertise in oral and written form.
2. Sanford Behavioral Health Dickinson is in a multi-year SAMHSA project, known as Healthy Transitions. The program targets youth/young adults ages 16 to 25, supporting them in a wide variety of ways to transition successfully to the challenges of adulthood. The heart of the program is the Sanford Care Coordinator staff, who refer participants to counseling and community services for financial support, housing, childcare support, educational opportunities, vocational training, and employment opportunities. There are a wide variety of challenges that young people face and the psychology resident can find many opportunities to support the program, particularly through diagnostic assessments and the resulting guidance afforded to participants and their families. Many of the program participants are young moms, high school drop-outs, or individuals with neurodevelopmental challenges that interfere with relationships, completing school, holding jobs, and effectively managing their finances. Some level of substance abuse is often an added concern.

Although rural psychology is inherently generalist by nature, residents and licensed providers are encouraged to develop specialized interests. For example, a resident would be encouraged to develop expertise in neuropsychological assessment, health psychology, treatment for trauma, or substance abuse recovery. There also may be opportunities for school consultation, supervision/consultation to behavioral health staff, providing trainings for Care Coordinators, providing community educational programs, or other areas of interest that support community needs. This residency is a place to hone and refine skills, preparing for licensure and considering a career within Sanford Health.

Sample Schedule

*One Thursday per month is for didactics with the cohort.

Site Supervisor: Alan Fehr, Ph.D., LP