UNMC is accepting fellow applications for the state’s first forensic psychiatry fellowship.
This marks a significant step in the collaborative effort between UNMC and Sarpy County to create a program that not only treats inmates housed at the Sarpy County Correctional Center but also establishes a pipeline of mental health experts in Nebraska.
The program’s first fellow will begin in July 2026 under the program’s inaugural director, Kimberly Clawson, MD.
“Our collaboration with Sarpy County makes it possible for UNMC to recruit and retain more psychiatrists, especially more psychiatrists who want to work in the forensic and legal space,” Dr. Clawson said. “You can have a large effect on a population that is very high needs, and there is a lot of professional satisfaction that goes into being able to make a difference with this community.”
UNMC and Sarpy County took the first steps toward this landmark program in 2021 when they established the psychiatry partnership to support existing mental health resources. Dr. Clawson was selected to lead the program in 2023.
“This fellowship is a groundbreaking opportunity to improve mental health outcomes in our community, and we’re proud to partner with UNMC to bring the program to Nebraska,” said Sarpy County Board Chair David Klug. “It’s meaningful work to get people the help they need while under our care, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to support vulnerable populations and public safety as a whole.”
Forensic psychiatrists practice at the intersection of mental health and the law. Some applications include treating people in jails, prisons and other legal spaces or evaluating people for competency to stand trial. In the civil space, forensic psychiatrists participate in a variety of evaluations, including mental health disability, malpractice evaluations and testamentary capacity.
“A forensic psychiatrist works with people who typically have a legal question and a psychiatric issue,” Dr. Clawson said. “Our jails and prisons in this country are the number-one provider of mental health care, so there’s a huge need for people who are well trained to work in mental health care and who understand the legal system that their patients are involved in.”
“As they learn how to navigate the system, they also can assist legislators in the process of making laws that would address mental illness in the legal system.”
The fellow will spend the year in Sarpy County, as well as Omaha and Lancaster counties, working in the legal system and state hospitals such as the Lincoln Regional Center, learning how to navigate those systems, how to do psychiatric forensic evaluations and reports, and how to provide treatment for people in those settings.
“This forensic psychiatry fellowship has been envisioned for well over a decade, and it took tremendous partnership to bring this innovative opportunity to Nebraska. We’re grateful for the efforts from Dr. Kimberly Clawson, the Sarpy County board, attorneys and administrators, Dr. Roger Donovick at the Lincoln Regional Center/NE DHHS, Dr. Terry Davis from the civil forensics community, Dr. Rick Martinez at the University of Colorado, and our UNMC graduate medical education and Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) leadership,” said Howard Liu, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Psychiatry. “This will be a new pipeline for a vital workforce we need across Nebraska, and I am so thankful for all of our supporters who have advocated to make the fellowship a reality.”
The one-year fellowship is open to board-certified or board-eligible individuals who have completed their psychiatry residency. Dr. Clawson expects the new fellowship to draw a number of interested applicants.
“Our goal at UNMC is to retain more forensic psychiatrists who want to practice in Nebraska,” she said.