Allergy/Immunology and Long-Haul COVID-19

This externship offers experience with:

• Consultation/Liaison Services during Oral Food Challenge Clinic. On Mondays at the main hospital, externs will conduct consultation-liaison services during an oral food challenge clinic. Externs will conduct psychosocial assessments about food allergy management practices and impact of food allergy on quality of life with approximately three to six patients per week ranging in age from infancy to young adulthood. Externs will also provide procedural support. Primary concerns during this clinic are patient and parent anxiety related to potentially experiencing an allergic reaction during the oral food challenge.
• Outpatient Allergy Psychology Therapy Services. The primary mental health concerns addressed during outpatient therapy are anxiety and depressive symptoms related to food allergies, EoE, and primary immunodeficiency disorders, adherence to medical routines, needle phobia, and adjustment to new diagnosis. Externs may also can engage in feeding therapy for anxiety related to food allergy or mild ARFID cases. Externs may complete brief consultations with parents of young children who are navigating a new diagnosis or need assistance with a developmental transition related to their child’s medical diagnosis (e.g., preparation for school). Therapy includes medical psychoeducation and CBT and exposure techniques.
• COVID-19 Long-Haul Clinic. On Wednesday afternoons at the main hospital, externs will conduct consultation/liaison services with patients in the COVID-19 Long-Haul Clinic. Two patients are seen a week by 3-4 medical specialties, including infectious disease, psychology, physical medicine, rheumatology, neurology, gastroenterology, and cardiology. Patients come from throughout the United States to receive comprehensive services to address concerns related to COVID-19 diagnosis, such as fatigue, pain, physical weakness, cognitive concerns, GI concerns, anxiety and depression.

Applicants must be in at least the third year of a doctoral program and have prior practicum experience with child and adolescent assessment and therapy. Experience with pediatric populations is desired, but not required. Preference will be given to advanced doctoral students.

One extern will be recruited for this externship.

Please email a letter of interest, CV/resume and two letters of recommendation:

Linda Herbert, Ph.D. | Email

Interested applicants should also complete this survey one time, regardless of how many externships you are applying for.

• Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010

Sixteen hours per week. Mondays from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Wednesdays from 1 - 5:30 p.m. at the main hospital. There is flexibility regarding telehealth versus in-person services for outpatient therapy.

Supervision: Minimum of 1 hour set aside weekly; also as needed during consultation/liaison work.

Example Schedule

Monday

• 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Oral food challenge clinic
• 12 - 1 p.m. Supervision
• 1 - 3 p.m. Note writing
• 3 - 5 p.m. Therapy outpatients

Wednesday

• 1:30 - 2:15 p.m. COVID long-haul patient
• 2:15 - 3:30 p.m. Note writing
• 3:30 - 4:15 p.m. COVID long-haul patient
• 4:15 - 5:30 p.m. Note writing