IRON MOUNTAIN After six years of federal service, Barbara L. Belew Ph.D. of Iron Mountain retired from the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain.

Dr. Belew was born in Michigan and raised in Wyoming. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, majoring in elementary and special education. She later completed graduate training at the University of Kentucky in Lexington with Ph.D. Degree in clinical psychology. She then worked for several years as a psychologist in the private sector in Kentucky before her move to Iron Mountain.

Dr. Belew started her VA career in January 2009 at the Iron Mountain VA Medical Center. As part of her graduate training, she completed a one-year internship at the VA Medical Center in Lexington, Ky.

Dr. Belew worked primarily as a staff psychologist during her tenure at VAMC Iron Mountain. She completed certification in three of the VA’s evidence based practices and used that training to provide services to veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and depression. She also served as the training director of the doctoral internship in psychology during the first three years of that program, and worked with the training committee to earn American Psychological Association (APA) accreditation of the program. As a member of the Preventive Ethics Committee for the facility, she developed a method for raising awareness of the need for psychological safety in the workplace; this program has been used locally as well as at other VA Medical Centers.

Dr. Belew also completed VA training in mediation and served as a mediator under the VA’s Office of Resolution Management program; additionally, she assisted in developing a pre-mediation program used to prepare individuals who will engage in mediation for effective participation in the process.

Dr. Belew has two adult daughters, Belle and Kara Matheson. Her retirement plans include spending time with her daughters and their families at their homes in California and Minnesota.