University of California, Los Angeles, Division of Population Behavioral Health, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA

UCLA TIES for Families is accepting applications for an APPIC-member Clinical Child Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship to begin September 2025. The mission of UCLA TIES for Families is to improve outcomes for foster children, from birth to age 21, with special needs who are or will be in adoptive placement and their adopting families. Clinicians provide treatment and comprehensive psychological evaluations for children and their resource/adoptive families within an interdisciplinary team while consulting with child welfare workers.

The following postdoctoral fellow tracks are available for the upcoming training year:

Infant Mental Health (2-years)
Clinical (1-year)
Clinical-Research (1-year)

Clinical postdoctoral fellows provide the following services to children and families:

  • Child, adolescent, and family psychotherapy utilizing evidence-based approaches (e.g. Child Parent Psychotherapy, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Managing and Adapting Practice, Attachment Regulation and Competency, PEERS, Reflective Parenting Program, Seeking Safety, UCLA TIES Transition Model)
  • Group therapy, aimed at fostering attachment and better supporting both children and families adjusting to the specific circumstances of adoptive placement
  • Involvement in the Infant Mental Health program, including developmental assessments, home visiting, and parent-infant support groups
  • Therapeutic home visiting to strengthen parent-child attachment, support parents through the child welfare and court systems, and provide interactive guidance about developmental, emotional and behavioral issues of infants and toddlers
  • Participation in clinical trial of ADAPT, a manualized adoption-specific intervention for older children being adopted from foster care and their parents
  • Interdisciplinary, comprehensive psychological evaluations

Clinical-Research postdoctoral fellows split time providing clinical services mentioned above (60%) while engaging with the research team on a collaboratively identified clinical research project (40%).

Infant Mental Health postdoctoral fellows provide the clinical services mentioned above, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of infants and toddlers and their foster/adoptive families. Click here for more information on the IMH program. 

All postdoctoral psychology fellows will complete a project during their training. They have the opportunity to lead new data collection efforts or work from existing projects. A list of previous, current, and upcoming research projects, presentations, and publications will be provided for reference. Click here for more information about the project.  

Download our Postdoctoral Fellowship Brochure

Click here to view Postdoctoral Research Brochure

Click here to view handout about the postdoctoral research project

Application deadline is December 1, 2025. To apply, send curriculum vitae, cover letter, and three letters of reference directly to Paisha Allmendinger at pallmendinger@mednet.ucla.edu or mail to UCLA TIES for Families, 1000 Veteran Ave, Box 957142, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7142.

Start date is September 1, 2026.

UCLA is an equal opportunity employer. Please note this is a distinct and separate position than the fellowship advertised with Harbor-UCLA.

Current PostdocsJennifer Scheller, Ph.D. (Clinical)B. Erika Luis Sanchez, Ph.D. (Clinical-Research)Kendra Knudsen, Ph. D. (Infant Mental Health)
2023-2024Ana-Carina Ordaz, Ph.D.Debra Christy, Psy.D.
2022-2023Samantha Gonzalez, Ph.D.Tiffani Tejada, Psy.D.; Licensed Clinical Psychologist at UCLA TIES for Families
2021-2022Christine Moody, Ph.D.; Licensed Clinical Psychologist; Director of Research at UCLA PEERS ClinicGillian Binnie, Psy.D.; Licensed Child and Family Psychologist Nekolas Milton, Psy.D.; Registered Psychological Associate; Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University 
2020-2021Jessica O’Leary, Ph.D; Licensed Clinical Psychologist; Private PracticeLucia Cardenas, Ph.D.; Private Practice; Adjunct ProfessorChristine Moody, Ph.D.; Licensed Clinical Psychologist; Director of Research at UCLA PEERS Clinic
2019-2020Mercedes Fernandez Oromendia, Ph.D.; Executive Functioning Coaching; Consultant for mental health startupsErica Wendel, Ph.D.; Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and The Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California
2018-2019Elizabeth Ollen, Ph.D. – Clinical Director, EMPWR Program for LGBTQ Youth at UCLA SemelMercedes Fernandez Oromendia, Ph.D.Diana Santacrose, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology, Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts at Loyola Marymount UniversityErica Wendel, Ph.D. – Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and The Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California
2017-2018Kristen Axelsen, Psy.D.Alycia Davis, Psy.D. – Staff Psychologist, UCLA TIES for FamiliesCaitlin Lepore, Ph.D., LCSW – Research and Program Evaluation at County of Santa Barbara
2016-2017Debora Jason, Ph.D. – Co-Founder and Clinical Director at Trauma TherapyCaitlin Lepore, Ph.D., LCSW
2015-2016Allison Brandt, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor at Pacific University, School of Graduate PsychologyDebora Ganz, Ph.D. – Clinical Director and Co-Founder, Trauma Therapy CA; Clinical Psychologist II, Orange County Health Care Agency, Clinical Evaluation & Guidance Unit, Orangewood Children and Family Center 
2014-2015Jennifer Ly, Ph.D. – Clinical Psychologist at UCSFMatthew Ruderman, Ph.D. – Research and Program Development Manager, UCLA TIES
2013-2014Rachael Berg-Martinez, Ph.D. – Licensed Clinical Psychologist at Western Youth Services
2012-2013Kalani Makanui, Ph.D. – Licensed Clinical Psychologist at Didi HirschMaria Paasivirta, Ph.D. – Licensed Clinical Psychologist at Summit Center Los Angeles
2011-2012David Anderson, Ph.D. – Senior Director, ADHD and Disruptive Behavioral Disorders Center at Child Mind InstituteJennifer Shultz, Psy.D. – Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice in Los Angeles, CA
2010-2011Le Ondra Clark Harvey, Ph.D. – Chief Policy Consultant to the California State AssemblyJennifer Shultz, Psy.D
2009-2010Kristin Olson, Ph.D. – Licensed Clinical Psychologist at Harbor Regional Center and Private Practice in South Bay California
2008-2009Sapana Donde, Ph.D. – Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice in Austin, TXHeather Gibb, Psy.D. – Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice in Downers Grove, IL