Mr. Adam Kurilla is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. Since 2016, he has worked as a psychologist at the Center for Treatment of Drug Dependencies in Bratislava, Slovakia. Previously, since 2010, Mr. Kurilla worked as a psychologist in the rehabilitation center and as a coordinator for the housing and social counseling services for people with mental health disorders. He earned his bachelor's and master's degree in psychology from Comenius University in Bratislava and is currently a PhD. candidate in clinical psychology at Comenius University in Bratislava. In 2018, Mr. Kurilla completed a specialization in clinical psychology from Comenius University and training in cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy (CBT) from ABC Slovak Institute for Training in CBT to became a certified psychotherapist. In 2020, Adam became an international certified addiction professional (ICAP I).
Mr. Kurilla is 2019-2020 Hubert H. Humphrey Program Fellow, a Fulbright exchange activity, at Virginia Commonwealth University, USA. He is a member of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals, Slovak Psychiatric Society, Slovak Psychotherapeutic Society, and Czech Society for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Mr. Kurilla's research interests are mainly in the field of clinical research on addictive behaviors and substance use disorders and the use of mobile technologies in therapy.
Abstract
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program at Virginia Commonwealth University
The Hubert H, Humphrey Fellowship Program was established in 1978 to honor the accomplishments of the late US Senator and Vice President, Hubert H. Humphrey. It is a Fulbright exchange activity that brings accomplished professionals from selected countries to the U.S. at a mid-point in their careers for a year of study and professional experiences.
Fellows are nominated by U.S. Embassies and Fulbright Commissions based on their potential for leadership in a wide range of fields. Fellows participate in a variety of educational and training experiences including academic coursework, a specially designed seminar, conferences and workshops, cultural excursions, and a professional affiliation with an organization in their particular areas of interest.
Now completing its 16th year, the primary focus of the VCU Humphrey Fellowship Program is on drug abuse prevention, treatment and policy. Since its initiation, the VCU program has had a strong record of accomplishments. Evaluation results indicate that at one year following completion of their fellowship, nearly 70% of the fellows had started a new job, with approximately 70% of those fellows reporting that their fellowship helped them obtain their new position. In addition, a large percentage of fellows continued to actively engage in professional development activities, including approximately 20% of fellows who had enrolled in an academic degree program. Finally, nearly 40% of the fellows continued to collaborate with a US partner after completing their fellowship.
In this session, the director of the VCU Humphrey Fellowship Program, Dr. J. Randy Koch, will provide an overview of the goals, structure and content of the training program, and one of the program’s alumni will describe how his/her participation in the program increased his/her ability to advance the field of drug abuse prevention, treatment and policy.
(This work is supported in part by the Humphrey Fellowship Program under a granfrom the U.S. Department of State, Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs. The work reflects the views of the authors and not necessarily the views of their employers or the Department of State.)