Child Abuse Research Education and Service Institute

Educating the Next Generation of Professionals

In addition to providing the highest level of pediatric care, our faculty and staff are committed, dedicated and enthusiastic teachers. Our commitment to educating the next generation of experts in child abuse pediatrics is unparalleled. We offer three fellowship opportunities.

The Rowan-Virtua CARES Institute has proudly partnered with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU) and Cooper University Health Care to establish the first accredited three-year Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship Program in New Jersey. This CAP fellowship is fully-funded by the CARES Institute, Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine (SOM), and the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF), accepting one fellow per year.

The program will launch a fellow’s career in Child Abuse Pediatrics by building a foundation and experience evaluating children who may have been affected by child maltreatment. The fellow will be an integral part of both the child abuse pediatric team at the CARES Institute of Rowan-Virtua SOM and the inpatient CARES multi-disciplinary team at Cooper University Health Care.

For years, CARES has partnered with the Cooper to provide medical services for children who may have suffered abuse and neglect. The Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper is committed to excellence in education, research and high quality, safe, family-centered care for pediatric patients and their families. As the only state-designated acute children’s hospital, hospital-based pediatric surgery program, and Level 1 Trauma Center in southern New Jersey, the Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper provides exceptional pediatric primary care and comprehensive specialty support services for every patient, every day.

At CARES, the fellow will work with six board-certified child abuse pediatricians, general pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers. In addition to clinical experience, the fellow will gain skills by participating in regional and/or national systems including: multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), child fatality review, and child abuse prevention programs. The fellow will have opportunities to develop pertinent skills for administration of a child abuse program, as well as the communication skills necessary to provide expert opinions in documentation and while testifying in court.

The fellow will also be provided ample time to conduct research to further the knowledge in the field. Due to our unique relationship with two premier medical schools, the fellow will have access to a wide variety of mentors from various academic and medical specialties from Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Cooper University Health Care, Rowan-Virtua SOM, and the CARES Institute.

For complete information, including application details, please visit this Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship page at Cooper Health. The full brochure can be downloaded here.

Fellowship Director
Laura Brennan, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
CARES Institute, Rowan-Virtua SOM
856-325-3849 or brennanl@rowan.edu

Fellowship Administrator
Yolanda Virella
CARES Institute, Rowan-Virtua SOM
856-566-6744 or virellyo@rowan.edu

The Rowan-Virtua CARES Institute offers postdoctoral psychology fellowship opportunities that provide specialized training in the area of childhood adversity/trauma. These full-time clinical and research/clinical fellowships are offered under the direction of Esther Deblinger, PhD, co-developer of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).

Clinical fellowship opportunities include:

conducting assessments of children who have experienced trauma/maltreatment;
providing evidence-based therapy to children and families impacted by child sexual abuse, physical abuse, and other traumas;
conducting mental health screenings for children entering foster care andconducting comprehensive psychological evaluations in cases with unclear allegations of sexual abuse.

Possible Research/clinical fellowship opportunities include:

participating in research related to childhood adversity/trauma and resilience under Dr. Deblinger’s guidance;
providing assessment and evidence-based treatment of children, and families, who have experienced trauma.

The CARES Institute has conducted cutting-edge research on childhood PTSD; TF-CBT; child sexual abuse and child physical abuse; sexual behavior problems; implementation, outcome, and dissemination science; and secondary traumatic stress among professionals. The balance of research and clinical responsibilities is flexible and takes into consideration the candidate’s interests and academic focus.

For both positions, a doctoral degree in Psychology is required and child clinical experience is preferred. A strong research background is preferred for the research/clinical position. Please contact Dr. Elisabeth Pollio at 856-566-7036 or pollioes@rowan.edu for additional information.

Based out of Rowan-Virtua CARES Institute's Vineland Office, the Post-Master’s Fellowship Program is designed to assist Licensed Associate Counselors (LAC) and Licensed Social Workers (LSW) accrue hours towards their clinical license, while receiving specialized training related to child sexual abuse, child physical abuse and other trauma. Formal training and supervision of clinical work are provided, including the use of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), which was co-developed by Esther Deblinger, PhD, CARES Institute Co-Director.

Responsibilities for this full-time position include providing assessments and evidence-based therapy for children who have experienced abuse and other traumas. Positions are appointed for one year, with a possible extension. Please contact Marissa Mansueto, MA, LPC, ACS at 856-896-2329 or mansueto@rowan.edu for additional information.

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Child Abuse Research Education and Service Institute

Educating the Next Generation of Professionals