Department: The Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health
Rank: Postdoctoral Scholar
Annual Basis: 12 Month

Review of Applications Begins

March 15, 2023; position open until filled

Special Instructions to Applicants

Complete applications must include a cover letter, resume/CV, and contact information for three professional references. In your cover letter, please describe the nature of your training and how it aligns with the position.

We will not contact references unless you are a finalist for the position.

Department Summary

The Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health, based in Portland, Oregon, establishes a new national model for behavioral health care by uniting the University of Oregon's nationally recognized research programs in education, psychology, prevention science, Oregon public schools and families, and community support groups in the creation and delivery of promotion, prevention, and intervention programs that can be part of the daily lives of children and adolescents. This groundbreaking initiative was announced on March 1, 2022, and made possible by the extraordinary gift of more than $425 million from Connie and Steve Ballmer, co-founders of Ballmer Group Philanthropy. The Institute will serve youth K-12 while prioritizing the needs of children, adolescents, and families who have been persistently and/or historically underserved.

Position Summary

The Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health is recruiting a full-time postdoctoral scholar to support the development of a new professional role, a bachelor-level child behavioral health specialist, by building infrastructure and knowledge of effective promotion, prevention, and intervention practices to support the well-being of children and adolescents.

You will contribute to the development of a comprehensive database of evidence-based practices for common presenting concerns such as anxiety and depression; evidence-based preventive interventions designed to be delivered in community settings; effective strategies for responding to student distress following school-based occurrences of violence; and the current strengths, needs, goals, and strategies of social-emotional learning. You will help to develop an inventory of evidence-based practices that can be used by child behavioral health specialists. You will also have the opportunity to work on ongoing community trials of preventive interventions for children and adolescents and participate in program evaluation of the implementation of child behavioral health specialists in community settings. In community outreach work, the ability to speak a language in addition to English can be a benefit. We welcome applications from bilingual applicants as well as all applicants with the ability to contribute positively to our diverse team.

Your primary mentorship will come from Dr. Katie McLaughlin, incoming executive director of the Ballmer Institute. Successful postdoctoral scholars will have interest and prior research experience in: 1) understanding and improving mental health, psychosocial functioning, physical health, and quality of life for children and adolescents; 2) development and evaluation of evidence-based interventions to prevent or treat mental health problems in youth; and 3) systemic interventions to reduce disparities in access or care provided to individuals from disadvantaged or minoritized groups.

As a postdoctoral scholar, you will be expected to 1) synthesize theories and knowledge to inform research questions, study design, measurement tools, and analytic procedures, 2) analyze existing and emerging data to co-author scholarly publications, and 3) contribute to and learn from improvement networks that seek to enact research evidence in policy and practice. Co-constructed duties are likely to include: engagement in research-practice partnerships, paper and proposal writing, protocol design, IRB submission, oversight of data collection and cleaning processes, analyses of quantitative and qualitative data, summarizing and interpreting research findings, research administration support, and contributing to regular research and professional development meetings with colleagues, mentees, and collaborators.

This position will begin in the Summer of 2023 and is a limited-duration postdoctoral appointment potentially renewable for up to a total of three years.

Minimum Requirements

• Ph.D./Psy.D. from an APA-accredited doctoral program by start of position.
• Knowledge of development across the lifespan, psychosocial contributors to behavioral health, and evidence-based intervention strategies for youth and families.
• Commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Professional Competencies

• Excellent scientific writing ability and effective communication skills.
• Interpersonal skills that foster teamwork and collaboration, the ability to work effectively individually and as part of a team, and the ability to coordinate multiple projects and staff.
• Demonstrated competency in evidence-based and brief, solution-focused interventions tailored to the presenting problems, psychosocial environment, and cultural context.
• Skills in implementing research, training, or technical assistance projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in clinical research design and methodology, statistics, and manuscript preparation.
• Experience in grant writing.
• Advanced quantitative methodology skills and training (e.g., research synthesis, growth mixture modeling).
• Ability to communicate in more than one language.

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The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit http://hr.uoregon.edu/careers/about-benefits.

The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply, and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at uocareers@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5112.

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