Community Psychiatry Fellowship

The Community Psychiatry Fellowship is a 12-month, training program at the PGY-5 level designed to prepare board-eligible or board-certified psychiatrists for leadership roles in public and community mental health systems. The fellowship provides advanced, supervised clinical training in recovery-oriented care for individuals with serious mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia and bipolar spectrum disorders) while emphasizing systems-based practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and attention to social and structural drivers of mental health.

The fellowship is grounded in the principles of the American Association of Community Psychiatrists and aligned with ACGME core competencies. Its educational mission is to develop psychiatrists with advanced clinical expertise, population-based thinking, and the skills required to navigate and improve complex public mental health systems. Fellows gain proficiency in the assessment and longitudinal treatment of psychotic disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, trauma-related conditions, substance use disorders, and co-occurring medical illness, with particular attention to diagnostic formulation, psychopharmacologic management, and integration of non-pharmacologic and community-based interventions.

Rotations can be tailored to the professional goals of the fellow. Clinical training occurs across diverse community and public-sector settings, including:

Through these experiences, fellows develop skills in crisis intervention, care transitions, diversion from emergency and carceral settings, and continuity of care for individuals facing significant barriers to engagement. Fellows work closely with interdisciplinary teams that include social workers, nurses, psychologists, peer specialists, and community health workers, reinforcing collaborative, team-based models of care.

The fellowship includes a structured educational curriculum with weekly didactics and weekly multidisciplinary team meetings, supplemented by case conferences, seminars, and quality improvement discussions addressing health equity, ethics, and public mental health policy. Fellows are also required to complete a mentored scholarly product, which may include original research, quality improvement work, professional presentations, or guideline development.

Supervision is provided by board-certified psychiatrists with expertise in public and community psychiatry through a combination of direct observation, case review, and regularly scheduled supervisory meetings. Progressive autonomy is emphasized as fellows demonstrate increasing competence. Assessment is longitudinal and multimodal, incorporating direct clinical evaluation, interdisciplinary feedback, and review of scholarly and systems-focused work.

The community Psychiatry Fellowship is designed to produce psychiatrists prepared for independent practice and leadership in community mental health settings, equipped to deliver equitable, recovery-oriented care and to advance the quality and effectiveness of public mental health systems.

Eligibility

  • Graduates or PGY4 residents from an ACGME accredited psychiatry residency program are eligible to apply to the fellowship.
  • Applicants must possess a full or limited Massachusetts Medical License by the time the program commences in July of each academic year.

Application Process

Please send a CV and letter of interest by email to:

Hannah Brown, MD
hannah.brown2@bmc.org

Brittany Gouse, MD MPH
brittany.gouse@bmc.org