|
Portland VA Medical Center
|
Clinical Psychology Internship - Meet the Staff
The 19 staff members are scientist-practitioners of psychology. Staff roles include delivery of clinical service, research, consultation, intern supervision, and administration. Seventeen are on the OHSU faculty. |
|
David Drummond, Ph.D., Chief of Psychology and Manager of Mental Health Clinics in Astoria & Portland, and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU
|
 |
Clinical administration, patient care,
supervision, and consultation to clinical staff are Dr.
Drummond's primary assignments.
He also chairs the Medical Center's committee on
patient violence and is the chief threat assessment
professional for incidents involving employee violence.
Dr. Drummond has presented and published research and
other scholarly papers on PTSD, violence, and therapeutic
limit-setting with challenging patients. |
|
David W. Greaves, Ph.D., Director of Training for the Psychology Service, Patient Care Line Co-Manager for Substance Abuse & PTSD Programs and Salem CBOC, and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU |
 |
Dr. Greaves received his Ph.D. from Brigham Young University in 1991 and completed his internship at the Portland VAMC. Dr. Greaves worked for a year with veterans and families of Operation Desert Storm before formally joining the VA Staff.
His current professional interests include projects related to chronic illnesses (psychoses and hepatitis C) and psychotherapy outcome. |
|
Dennis J. Allison, Psy.D., Staff Psychologist, Couples and Family Therapist for the Mental Health Clinic, and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU |
 |
Dr. Allison received his doctorate from Baylor University in 1984. His current research interests are therapy with the families of bipolar patients, the measurement of rehabilitation outcomes, and the development of a general model of psychosocial rehabilitation. Dr. Allison has worked in a wide variety of community mental health settings since 1970, including the Austin Child Guidance Center where he was Clinical Director from 1985-87. His hobbies include snow-shoeing, creative writing, and studying Spanish, Italian, and Greek for travel. |
| Peter M. Benson, Psy.D., Supervisory Psychologist/Patient Care Line Manager of the Opiate Treatment Program and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU |
 |
After receiving his doctoral degree from the University of Denver School of Professional Psychology, Dr. Benson specialized in dual diagnosis treatment and program development in community mental health. He is experienced in administrative and clinical supervision of mental health and substance abuse programs, including dual diagnosis inpatient, outpatient, residential, day treatment, and case management programs. He is a member of the Washington Node Steering Committee, NIDA Clinical Trials Network, an organization that bridges research and clinical practice. He consults to the Medical Center’s Drug Seeking Behavior Board and Opiate Treatment Performance Improvement Committee. |
|
Linda R. Gonzales, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist for General Medicine Psychiatry and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU
|
 |
Dr. Gonzales completed her internship, with a focus on geropsychology, at the Palo Alto VA Healthcare System. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Oregon in 1984. She has been working in primary care psychology since 1997, focusing on assessment and short-term psychotherapy for medical patients. Dr. Gonzales has a strong commitment to a generalist psychological practice, serving the needs of a complex primary care patient population. |
| Elizabeth Goy, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU |
 |
Elizabeth Goy, PhD, is a clinical geropsychologist at the Portland VA Medical Center, a VA Health Services Research & Development Career Development Awardee, and core researcher with the PVAMC Columbia Center for the Study of Chronic, Comorbid Mental and Physical Disorders. She is currently the Director of the VA Postdoctoral Fellowship in Palliative Care Psychology. Her clinical practice is focused on mental health interventions for patients with chronic or life-threatening illness. She specializes in research on psychiatric and psychological aspects of end-of-life care, with an emphasis on neurological disorders. Current research includes: documenting the prevalence of mental disorders in hospice patients at the end of life; treatment strategies for depression in hospice and palliative care patients; identification of early predictors of dementia in Parksinson’s Disease; family and patient experiences with and views on Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act; and documenting the end-of-life trajectory for patients with Parkinson’s Disease. |
| Marilyn Huckans, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist for the Mental Health Department and Assistant Professor with the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU |
 |
Marilyn Huckans, Ph.D., is a Staff Psychologist at the Portland VA Medical Center and Assistant Professor with the Dept of Psychiatry at OHSU. After completing her doctoral training in clinical psychology at George Mason University in 2004, she began her postdoctoral training in health psychology research and clinical neuropsychology at PVAMC. Currently, Dr. Huckans provides neuropsychological assessment and consultation services through the Neuropsychology Service at PVAMC. She also serves as a funded investigator on several research projects examining the cognitive and neuropsychiatric effects of hepatitis C, methamphetamine abuse, and war-time blast exposure. |
|
David W. Indest, Psy.D., Staff Psychologist, Program Manager of the Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center
(NWHCRC), and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU
|
 |
Dr. Indest served his internship at the VA Northern California Healthcare System in 1997 and received his doctorate from the Virginia Consortium, Program in Clinical Psychology, in 2000. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in behavioral medicine at Dartmouth Medical School in 2002. As the NWHCRC Program Manager, he oversees administrative, research, and clinical activities supporting care for veterans with hepatitis C. His background is in public health, focusing on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and his clinical specialties are behavioral medicine and primary care psychology. His current research interests are in motivational interviewing, behavior change, and clinical best practices. When not working, he chases his dogs through the Oregon wilderness. |
| Benjamin Morasco, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist in Complex Addictions, Substance Abuse Treatment Program, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU |
 |
Dr. Morasco received his doctorate in clinical psychology from Saint Louis University in 2003. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical health psychology at Harford Hospital in 2004 and a research fellowship in addictive behaviors at the University of Connecticut Health Center in 2005. Dr. Morasco joined the PVAMC in 2005 as a research psychologist with the Hepatitis C Resource Center, and joined the staff in the Substance Abuse Treatment Program in 2006. Dr. Morasco has clinical expertise in treating patients with comorbid medical, psychiatric, and substance-related disorders. His current research interests are in the treatment of patients with chronic pain and comorbid substance use disorder, pathological gambling, psychological assessment, and examining the impact of psychological and behavioral factors on heath outcomes. |
| Julie Nelligan, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist for the Mental Health Clinic and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU |
 |
Dr. Nelligan received her doctorate from Ohio State University in Clinical Psychology with a specialty in Health Psychology. She is currently a psychologist at the Portland VA Medical Center, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), and a member of the Center of Excellence in Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis at OHSU. She works with patients on managing mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders along with their medical diseases, including psoriasis, obesity, chronic pain, and infectious diseases, as well as heart, liver, and lung diseases. In addition, she conducts psychosocial assessments as part of a multidisciplinary chronic pain team, substance abuse relapse assessments for liver transplant candidates, and gastric bypass pre-surgery assessments. |
|
Gina L. Ortola, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist for the Mental Health Clinic and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at
OHSU
|
 |
Dr. Ortola received her doctorate from Washington State University in 1996 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in geropsychology at the Portland VAMC. Her professional interests include psychological treatment of older adults and their caregivers, cognitive assessment of older adults, and the development and implementation of group treatments. When not working as a psychologist, she enjoys gourmet cooking, photography, and hiking. |
|
Irene G. Powch, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist for the Posttraumatic Stress Disorders Clinical Team (PCT) and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU
|
 |
Dr. Powch completed her Ph.D. at the University of Kansas in 1995 and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Pacific Center for PTSD/VA National Center for PTSD in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1996. Her clinical work focuses on the assessment and treatment of PTSD related to war trauma, sexual trauma, and childhood trauma. She integrates object relational/attachment, emotion focused/gestalt, cognitive-behavioral, and feminist/social learning approaches in her work. Dr. Powch is Principal Investigator for several PTSD-related research projects and the Site Principal Investigator for National Center research on PTSD treatments for women veterans. Her recent adventures include climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, tracking hyenas in the Masai Mara and gorillas in Rwanda, and climbing/snowboarding down several of our local mountains. |
|
James M. Sardo, Ph.D., Program Co-Manager for the Substance Abuse Treatment Program (SATP) and the PTSD Clinical Team (PCT) and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU
|
 |
Dr. Sardo received his Ph.D. from SUNY Binghamton in 1998 and completed advanced training in PTSD at the Portland VAMC in 1999. As the Program manager for the SATP, he is engaged in administrative duties and in the provision of individual and group services for the treatment of substance abuse. Dr. Sardo consults with the Regional Liver Transplant Team and participates in the Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center. His research interests include both the etiology and treatment of Alcohol Dependence and the efficacy of skill-based management of PTSD. Dr. Sardo serves in the United States Air Force Reserves as a member of the Mental Health Rapid Response Team attached to the 446 ASTS at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington. Dr. Sardo recently completed a four month deployment to Iraq where he provided a range of mental health services while attached to 332nd EMDG. |
|
Robert Socherman, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist, Program Manager of the Mood Disorders Research and Treatment Center and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU
|
 |
Dr. Socherman completed his internship at the American Lake VA in Puget Sound in 1999 and received his doctorate from the University of Georgia, Counseling Psychology Program. He then moved on to a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in Program Evaluation and Public Health at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Serving as the Program Manager of the Mood Disorders Center allows for the bridging of research and clinical activities throughout the VA that involve mood disorders (i.e., depression, bipolar disorder). His training and experiences have led to an interest in integrated care and the cost of healthcare and service utilization patterns. |
|
Daniel Storzbach, Ph.D., Head of the Neuropsychology Section, Research Psychologist, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at OHSU
|
 |
Dr. Storzbach received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1995 and completed his postdoctoral training in neuropsychology at the Portland VAMC. His primary research interests focus on the effects of environmental stressors, both psychological and physical, on neuropsychological function. He is currently involved in research on multiple sclerosis, seizure disorders, the effects of aging on auditory neurocognitive function, Gulf War unexplained illness, PTSD, and the effects of toxic chemical exposure. Dr. Storzbach is also an investigator at the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research and collaborates with investigators at OHSU’s Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology. He enjoys travel, hiking, and dining with his family in the Pacific Northwest. |
|
Lynn M. Van Male, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist for the Posttraumatic Stress Disorders Clinical Team (PCT) and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU
|
 |
Dr. Van Male received her doctorate from the University of Missouri - Columbia in 2000. She is a VA National Master Trainer in the Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior. In addition to her emphasis on violence risk and threat assessment, her clinical and research interests focus on the interface between human sexual concerns (e.g., sexual dysfunction, intimacy, and paraphiliac behaviors) and trauma (e.g., sexual victimization, combat trauma, medical trauma/injury, and domestic violence). |
| Amy Wagner, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist for the Posttraumatic Stress Disorders Clinical Team |
 |
Dr. Wagner received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Washington in 1995 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Center for PTSD, Women’s Division, at the Boston VAMC in 1997. Since that time she has held faculty positions at the University of Wyoming and the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. Dr. Wagner joined the Vancouver division of the Portland VAMC in September 2005. She has clinical expertise in cognitive-behavioral therapy for PTSD and anxiety disorders more generally, as well as Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She has research interests in treatment development and evaluation, emotion regulation, and treatment dissemination. Through a VA Merit grant she is currently examining the effectiveness and acceptability of Behavioral Activation Therapy for the early treatment of PTSD and depression among veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. |
|
Thomas M. Walsh, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist in the Mental Health Division's Substance Abuse Treatment Program
(SATP) |
 |
Dr. Walsh is a graduate of the University of Oregon and served in several VA medical centers before coming to the Portland VAMC in 1972. His past experiences include day hospital, outpatient services, inpatient psychiatry, and the SATP program. Dr. Walsh's special interests include stress management, depression, and assertiveness. His primary research interests are dual-diagnosis and PTSD. He is certified by the state of Washington as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor. |
|
Mark F. Ward, Ph.D., Patient Care Line Manager of the Day Treatment Program, Intensive Psychiatric Community Care and General Medicine Psychiatry programs, and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU
|
 |
Dr. Ward is a 1980 graduate of the University of Utah clinical psychology program and served his internship at the Portland VAMC. He has extensive experience in community-based outpatient and day treatment programs for patients with serious and persistent mental illness. Dr. Ward has specialized in psychotherapy of severe personality disorders, neuropsychological assessment, and adult attention deficit disorder. His current research activities involve diagnosis and treatment of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the neuropsychology of schizophrenia and methodologies for screening for cognitive deficits in a variety of psychiatric disorders. |
|
|
| Reviewed/Updated Date: May 13, 2008 |
|
