We offer a 1-year, ACGME accredited program that combines cutting-edge research, in-depth didactics, and diverse clinical experiences.
New Mexico is a beautiful state. There are challenges here, too, in delivering healthcare to its diverse and historically underserved rural and urban populations. When you study with us, you’ll have the opportunity to train in this unique environment. You’ll learn to be an outstanding clinician, scientist, and leader in Addiction Psychiatry who serves communities with the highest level of expertise, respect, compassion, and professionalism. While you’re with us, you’ll become proficient in evidence-based psychosocial, behavioral, and pharmacologic treatments for a variety of substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring conditions, delivered in a culturally sensitive and inquisitive manner.
“The faculty of the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship are supportive and unrivaled in their knowledge of Addiction Psychiatry. Rotations were a great experience where I learned a great deal about detox. I particularly enjoyed working with adolescents who struggled with substance abuse.”
How to Apply
Criteria:
We accept up to two qualified fellows each year. Completion of an ACGME accredited general adult residency training program in psychiatry is required.
To apply:
Only ERAS applications are accepted.
Please submit your application and the following supporting documentation via the ERAS system:
Our program directors will review applications regularly. If you are selected, we will contact you directly to schedule an interview.
Applicants may begin applying on July 1, 2024, via ERAS for our 2025-2026 fellowship class. Interviews and offers will occur via a rolling admissions process from July—November.
Questions? Contact our education division program specialist:
As an Addiction Psychiatry Fellow, you rotate at various supervised clinical placements and gain experience treating a full range of co-occurring psychopathologies and substance use disorders in adults and adolescents.
University of New Mexico Addiction and Substance Abuse Programs (ASAP)
ASAP is a comprehensive outpatient program for individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring conditions. The clinic offers primary care and hepatitis C treatment, evidence-based psychotherapies, case management, psychiatric treatment, as well as a daily walk-in clinic- all under one roof. ASAP also serves as an Opioid Treatment Program, with around 500 patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment, and is the ONLY clinic in the entire state of New Mexico that provides care to pregnant women with opioid use disorders. ASAP also serves as the site for a number of major clinical trials.
While at ASAP, you will staff the walk-in clinic with close faculty supervision. Through this, you will become proficient in carrying out complex detoxifications, and in starting and managing medications, including methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone, and disulfiram. You will also have a continuity clinic to manage co-occurring psychiatric illnesses. Additionally, you will receive expert psychotherapy supervision side by side with our psychology interns. You will be a part of an interdisciplinary learning team and have the opportunity to provide clinical supervision to medical students, as well as psychiatry and family practice residents. During this rotation, you’ll care for pregnant women with substance use disorders and work closely with our primary care colleagues in the Milagro Program.
Dual Diagnosis Resident Clinic
This is a continuity clinic for second-year psychiatry residents who provide care to individuals with substance use disorders and serious mental illnesses - usually schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or treatment-resistant OCD. Your role in this clinic will be to provide clinical supervision and didactics to residents so that you can experience the role of an academic addiction psychiatrist. Your supervisor will be the clinical director, Paul Romo, MD.
Truman Health Services provides comprehensive care to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Here, you will provide psychiatric outpatient consultations, and will be a part of an integrated behavioral health team. You will also learn the principles of providing sensitive and compassionate care to LGBTQ2 populations.
UNM Pain Consultation and Treatment Center
This is New Mexico’s only comprehensive center dedicated to the interdisciplinary treatment of chronic pain. During this rotation, you will learn the basics of chronic pain management, opioid stewardship, and the role of non-pharmacological as well as non-opioid modalities for the treatment of individuals with chronic pain. You’ll also learn the basics of evidence-based psychotherapies for chronic pain, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for pain.
New Mexico VA Healthcare System
You will have a number of essential clinical experiences at the VA system. While here, you will rotate through a residential unit that provides care to veterans with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn a variety of evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD, including Prolonged Exposure. You’ll work alongside a consultation-liaison psychiatry fellow to conduct inpatient consults for veterans with substance use disorders and/or acute pain management needs. Finally, you will provide outpatient care to veterans with co-occurring substance use disorders and chronic pain.
Sample of the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Clinic Schedule
This is only a sample and subject to change. Please contact us if you have specific questions about the clinic schedule.
Didactics
As an Addiction Psychiatry fellow, you attend weekly didactics with faculty, board-certified in Addiction Psychiatry and/or Addiction Medicine, from the departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Family Practice, and Emergency Medicine/Toxicology. We often hold didactics with Addiction Medicine fellows to enhance the learning experience for everyone. Didactics cover a range of topics to expand knowledge, hone expertise, and successfully complete the board examinations.
You’ll also participate in the Addiction Psychiatry journal club once a month as well as weekly Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences grand rounds.
In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to experience telehealth by becoming a panelist for two ECHO clinics - Medications for Opioid Use Disorders ECHO, as well as Chronic Pain and Substance Use Disorders, ECHO. Each ECHO clinic combines a targeted didactic with case consultations from providers across the United States.
The University of New Mexico serves as the Southwest Node for NIDA Clinical Trials Network [CTN]. At any given time, multiple major clinical trials are being conducted here. If you’re interested in research, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in ongoing studies, design and implement quality improvement projects, develop presentations for local and national meetings, and publish articles.
We expect you to develop and complete an academic project during your time with us. We will make sure that you have faculty support, mentorship, and supervision to help you thrive.
UNM addictions faculty currently involved in research in the following areas
Investigating psilocybin as a treatment for alcohol use disorder
Neuroimaging of substance use disorders
Finding optimal dosing and psychosocial treatment strategies for buprenorphine treatment
Investigating a novel medication to treat opioid withdrawal
Investigating TMS as a potential treatment for methamphetamine use disorder
Role of naloxone in people being prescribed opioids to reduce overdoses
Hepatitis C treatment in people currently injecting drugs
Training and mentoring rural providers to treat addictive illnesses
Core Faculty
Snehal Bhatt, MD
Associate professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Chief and Fellowship Director, Addiction Psychiatry
Vanessa Jacobsohn, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Medical Director, ASAP Primary care clinic
Assistant Fellowship Director, UNM Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program
Ann Waldorf, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Vice-Chair for Behavioral Sciences
Cynthia Geppert, MD
Chief, Consultation Psychiatry and Ethics, NM VA Healthcare System
Additional Key Faculty
Larissa Maley, PhD
Director of Behavioral Health Clinical Programming, UNM Hospitals
Joanna Katzman, MD
Medical Director, UNM Pain Consultation and Treatment Center; Project ECHO
Brant Hagar, MD
Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Psychiatrist, UNMMG Truman Health Services
Valerie Carrejo, MD
Associate Professor, Family Medicine
Fellowship Director, Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program
Julie Salvador, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Director of Implementation Science Mentorship
Brandi Fink, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
(l to r) Chris Fore, Ph.D., Joanna Katzman, MD, and Snehal Bhatt, MD, facilitate a Project ECHO clinic. The team was honored with the Indian Health Service Director’s Award for Community Engagement
NIDA Clinical Trials Network logo:
UNM serves as the Southwest Node for the NIDA Clinical Trials Network. This allows us to participate in cutting edge clinical trials.
Visit the state’s wonderful tourism website for stories and videos about living in the Land of Enchantment
Medical Education Program Specialist
Desirae Rosales
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
2400 Tucker Avenue NE
1 University of New Mexico
MSC09-5030
Albuquerque, NM 87131