Radford University alumnus shows what Psy.D. can do

Last fall, Joshua Bradley Psy.D. '12 accepted the position of director of Behavioral Health with Tri-Area Health, a rural community health center serving communities in Carroll, Floyd, Franklin and Patrick counties.

Bradley was a member of the first cohort of RU Psy.D. students to graduate in 2012. His work among the rural communities of Southwest Virginia is an extension of Radford's APA-accredited Doctor of Psychology program with a focus on rural mental health.

Bradley specializes in integrated care, an approach which allows patients to attain health care from primary care providers and psychologists as well as other specialists in one central location. This model provides convenience for patients and helps reduce stigmas associated with seeking mental health care. Collaboration between psychologists and primary care providers increases patient access to care and enables professionals to treat the whole patient.

Three cohorts of Psy.D., a total of nine students, have graduated from the program. Many have stayed in the region and are providing care in underserved communities. Psy.D. graduates have a 100 percent pass rate on the Examination of Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), the national licensure exam for psychologists, and all graduates have obtained licensure as psychologists within one year of graduation.

Other graduates of the Psy.D. program are working in locations such as the Virginia Military Institute Counseling Center, Stone Mountain Health Center, Catawba Hospital, the NRV Community Services board, and the Frostburg State University Counseling Center.

Psy.D. faculty and students are active in research and service to the community. The incoming cohort of five students are providing behavioral health care at the NRV Community Clinic and the RU Counseling Center. Other students are cohorting at Virginia Tech's counseling center, The Mental Health Institute of SWVA, and the NRV Community Services board. Several faculty and students have had recent publications accepted in peer-reviewed journals.

In no time at all, these graduates have made their mark on mental health services in the Commonwealth and beyond.  

Apr 1, 2015