Distinction Tracks

The Distinction Track in Leading Care Delivery provides psychiatry residents enhanced training in the cultivation, evaluation, and management of high quality and high value clinical programs, focused on driving patient-centered outcomes. Participating residents prepare for post-residency psychiatric administrative and clinical leadership roles by engaging in didactic and experiential learning in areas of psychiatric service delivery.

Mission: To train the next generation of transformative leaders in US psychiatric care delivery.

1. Recruit and graduate psychiatrists prepared to lead in different clinical contexts, supported by a diverse leadership mentorship group
2. Teach and verify appropriate technical skills in leadership, change management, communication, knowledge application and QI
3. Promote reflective leadership practices, including humility, curiosity, and emotional intelligence
4. Create pipeline, engagement, and supervisory support for undertaking leadership roles within residency
5. Build and maintain an alumni network of healthcare leaders - offering community, support and innovation within a Learning Healthcare Network (LHN) model

1. Formal curriculum - asynchronous learning with expert consultation and office hours
2. Monthly whole program meeting (evening): leader Q&As, trainee project presentations, case reviews
3. 2-weekly small group coaching for selected senior resident leaders
4. Individual longitudinal mentorship matching
5. Option of joining alumni LHN after graduation

1. Rolling application, limited capacity - please submit letter of interest and CV to track leadership.
2. Yale psychiatry residents currently meeting core training competencies
3. Starting July 2025, candidates must have joined the track by the beginning of their PGY3 year

1. Participant feedback
2. Trainee appointments to residency leadership positions
3. Graduate destinations
4. Tailored performance metrics in respective leadership roles
5. Clinical academic productivity of alumni LHN

The Psychotherapy Distinction Track (PDT) provides advanced education and clinical training to psychiatry residents who are highly motivated to learn and practice psychotherapy during their careers. Co-created by Yale residents and faculty, the PDT augments the residency’s core psychotherapy-related curriculum and clinical training with additional didactic, clinical, mentorship, and scholarly experiences tailored to the goals and interests of PDT-affiliated residents.

Mission: to develop, support, and advance psychotherapy skills in psychiatry residents.

1. Didactic curriculum – both synchronous and asynchronous online learning.
2. Participate in the Department of Psychiatry’s Psychotherapy Interest Group “Psychotherapy Education and Peer Supervision at Yale” (PEPSY).
3. Engage in peer supervision for an academic year.
4. Complete a scholarly project.
5. Clinical specialization for the PGY4 year in either CBT or psychodynamic psychotherapy.

1. Expand Foundational Psychotherapy Knowledge - develop a deeper theoretical and broader practical understanding of both CBT and psychodynamic psychotherapy modalities.

2. Strengthen Psychotherapy Skills –take on additional psychotherapy cases (either psychodynamic or CBT) with additional supervision to advance psychotherapy skills.

3. Cultivate Reflective and Collegial Practice –participate in monthly peer supervision to build reflective capacity, strengthen self-awareness of therapist identity, and enhance the ability to provide and receive constructive feedback within a professional community of peers.

4. Connect with the Psychotherapy Community - attend psychotherapy interest group meetings and other community psychotherapy events to broaden perspectives on psychotherapy, connect with faculty and peers, and stay engaged with current issues, innovations, and challenges in the field.

5. Contribute to the Advancement of Psychotherapy in Psychiatry - complete a scholarly project to foster skills in critical inquiry, teaching, or academic contribution, with the aim of advancing the practice and understanding of psychotherapy in psychiatry.

1. Yale psychiatry residents currently meeting core training competencies.
2. To begin the application process, please contact the PDT Leadership by February 1 of your PGY2 year to schedule a meeting to discuss your interest in the Track.
3. Candidate applications, including a CV, letter of interest, and one letter of recommendation, are due by April 1 of the PGY2 year.

The Department of Psychiatry created a new track in 2019 for residents who are interested in the field of Public/Community Psychiatry, broadly defined as the treatment of individuals with serious mental health and substance use disorders who are eligible for services supported by public funds. Other topics related to or included in this field are:

• Population Health and Health Equity
• Social Determinants of Mental Health
• Public Policy and Advocacy
• Inclusivity
• Recovery oriented practice, Person Centered Planning, and Shared Decision Making
• Integrated and Collaborative Care Models
• Street Psychiatry and Community outreach
• Education and mentoring in the public sector
• Professional roles and interdisciplinary teams in public sector work

The track is designed to foster the acquisition of knowledge, skills and experience in order to enhance expertise within this arena, and to prepare interested residents for academic or other leadership roles within the public sector. Residents may choose to be affiliated with the track at any point during the residency.

• Residents will identify their educational and potential career goals and receive mentorship to facilitate the achievement of these goals through periodic individual meetings with the track directors and other faculty.
• Residents affiliated with the track may use the “Public psychiatry roadmap through the Yale residency” as a blueprint for potential clinical, community, and academic experiences.
• Participation in the resident-lead Public Psychiatry Interest Group provides additional educational and networking opportunities.