Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology Services

Our Services

Our Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology program provides comprehensive assessment and treatment services for persons with neurological disorders (such as traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, dementia, stroke, and multiple sclerosis), and chronic illness (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain). Treatment services are tailored to suit the individual's needs based on the strengths and weaknesses identified in the assessment. Evaluations can be completed with both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking patients

Making Referrals

Referrals can be made by physicians, attorneys, allied health professionals, and patients. Our administrative offices are located at 1150 NW 14th Street in Miami Florida. To make a referral please contact patient services representative, Ms. Linda Gleason, at 305 243-4567. Upon receiving financial clearance we will schedule an appointment. For directions to our clinics, click here http://www.med.miami.edu/campus/map.asp?coord=348-62

The Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology service is led by Doug Johnson-Greene, PhD, MPH, ABPP, who joined the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Miami in 2009 after 12 years on the faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where he was an Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Director of Clinical Training. Dr. Johnson-Greene is one of only a handful of psychologists nationwide who is board-certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in three separate psychology subspecialties (Neuropsychology, Rehabilitation Psychology, and Clinical Psychology). He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN), and the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN). Dr. Johnson-Greene is an NIH-funded researcher who has published extensively in the areas of cognitive and emotional changes associated with neurologic illness, injury, and other chronic medical conditions. Dr. Johnson-Greene's curriculum vitae is available here.

Larry Brooks, PhD completed his doctoral training in psychology and an APPCN–accredited fellowship in neuropsychology at the University of Miami. His clinical internship was completed at the Yale University School of Medicine. He received his undergraduate education at the University of Pennsylvania. His clinical interests focus on the assessment and treatment of the cognitive and emotional issues associated with neurological disorders, such as TBI, stroke, and Multiple Sclerosis. Additionally, he assesses and treats patients with chronic pain. His current research focuses on three areas: 1) early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, 2) the etiology and assessment of fibromyalgia, and 3) behavioral change and depression in persons with spinal cord injury. Dr. Brooks’ curriculum vitae is available here.

Program Overview

Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology Services are offered under the auspices of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The Department is committed to improving the quality of life for individuals disabled by injury or disease through generation of essential new knowledge, training leaders in patient care and research, and providing the finest medical and psychological care. Our Department works in concert with the mission of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology are health care specialties focused on increasing quality of life and maximizing functional abilities of people after acute illness or injury. We offer comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological evaluations and treatment for patients with a variety of illnesses and injuries requiring rehabilitation including persons with brain injury, stroke, brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, dementia and other neurological illnesses. We also provide services to persons with spinal cord injuries and disorders, amputation, fibromyalgia, post-polio syndrome, chronic pain, and recent heart surgery. We provide these services at three centers: The University of Miami Hospital and Clinics (UMHC), the University of Miami Hospital (UMH), and the Professional Arts Center (PAC).

Neuropsychological and psychological assessment is helpful in identifying the emotional, cognitive, behavioral and interpersonal problems that may arise as a result of neurological dysfunction, whether due to trauma, disease, or aging. Neuropsychological testing evaluates a patient's cognitive functioning in a wide range of domains such as memory, attention, language, affect, and problem-solving skills. Evaluations are typically used to assist in diagnosis, rule out possible medical conditions, or to assist in treatment planning. For each case, a written report and one-on-one verbal feedback is provided to the patient. Due to the complexity of neuropsychological evaluations, the consensus guidelines established for the field recommend that evaluations only be conducted by individuals who have received specialized training in neuropsychology.

Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology

Our Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology program serves persons with neurological (including spinal cord injury, dementia, stroke and acquired brain trauma), orthopedic, chronic illness (diabetes, cardiovascular disease), amputations and chronic pain conditions. The guiding philosophy of Rehabilitation Psychology is to help maximize individuals independence and to help them to adjust to chronic illness and disability. Rehabilitation Psychology services are provided across the continuum of recovery, from inpatient throughout outpatient treatment, to improve function and quality of life.

Rehabilitation Psychology services include behavioral and psychological interventions to aid patients and their families in coping with chronic illness, chronic pain and disability. We can provide recommendations for patients, their families and health care providers in areas such as the need for psychological intervention or psychiatric referral, driving ability, assessment of competency, need for supervision, occupational issues, and ability to return to work. Brochures in English and Spanish can be found by clicking these links.

Our Providers

Our psychologist providers are full-time faculty and are dedicated to advancing knowledge of brain injury and illness and effective treatments for these conditions, and to delivering the best possible patient care. University of Miami psychologists collaborate with others as part of a team of professionals including physiatrists and other physician specialists, nurses, and therapists to help our patients return to their highest levels of independent functioning. We consider the patient and their family to be important members of the treatment team. Evidence-based practice is a hallmark of our approach. It is our goal to apply the latest discoveries and to provide the highest quality of care to our patients.

Training Program

The Department offers a two-year postdoctoral training program in Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology and is a full member of the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology (APPCN). Our APPCN program is one of only two programs in Florida and the only one in South Florida. Our website for the training program can be viewed at http://www.appcn.org/programs/miller.html and our program description can be viewed at the following link: program description. The Department also offers externship/practicum training placements to graduate students from APA-accredited graduate clinical or counseling psychology training programs in Florida. Our training brochure is available here.

Research

The Neuropsychology Service is actively collaborating with researchers throughout the medical campus. Primary research interests of the faculty include emotional and cognitive effects of cerebrovascular disease, acquired (e.g., multiple sclerosis) and traumatic brain injury, and chronic pain. There has been recent interest in adjustment to disability and the impact of depression and other psychological factors on achieving rehabilitation goals, evaluation and treatment of somatoform or pseudoneurological disorders, and hazardous drinking and its impact on recovery from neurological illness.

Current research projects include the following:

• Metabolic and cognitive sequelae of mild TBI and PTSD
• Post-Polio
• Fibromyalgia
• Alcohol
• Projects include the following:
• Neuroendocrine function, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction following traumatic brain injury.
• Verbal learning strategies after stroke.
• Personality and neuropsychological differences between fibromyalgia patients and other chronic pain populations.
• Behavior change and weight loss in obese individuals with spinal cord injury.
• Effects of social environment on adipose tissue pro-inflammatory cytokine release and metabolic function.

Charitable Giving

Training the next generation of health care providers and new discoveries in research conducted at the University of Miami Department of Rehabilitation Medicine has a far-reaching impact, affecting how diseases are diagnosed and treated throughout the world. This research continues to flourish with the support of grateful patients, alumni and friends who choose to provide through their philanthropy. We invite you to discuss with our faculty, in confidence, opportunities that might match your interests.

To reach the Director of Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology please e-mail djgreene@med.miami.edu or call us at 305-243-4567.

Related Links

University of Miami School of Medicine (www.med.miami.edu)
American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (www.theaacn.org)
National Academy of Neuropsychology (www.nanonline.org).
Division of Clinical Neuropsychology American Psychological Association (http://www.div40.org)
National Institute of Mental Health (www.nimh.org)
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/index.html)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/index.htm