Practicum

The Family Wellness Center/San Diego Center for Children specializes in a variety of outpatient therapy services (individual, family and group therapy), and autism spectrum treatment and support services. Their team of therapists help children, teens, young adults and family members of all ages discover and develop individual strengths, build strong families and provide guidance through personal challenges.

Hospice of the North Coast was established in 1980 to fill the need for comprehensive, compassionate hospice care in North County San Diego. The agency was reorganized as an independent agency, licensed by the State of California and certified by Medicare in 1989. Since then, Hospice of the North Coast has provided hospice services, counseling services, support and education to thousands of children, teens, adults and elderly within the North County Community. Hospice of the North Coast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency, with administrative offices in the City of Carlsbad. In 2013, Hospice of the North Coast opened its doors to Pacifica House, the first-ever North County inpatient hospice house.

Kickstart-Pathways is a diverse clinical team specially trained to educate the community, treat youth and assist families in preventing psychosis. They serve young people ages 12 to 25, their families and their social networks to build support around the youth and promote success in relationships, education and employment. Kickstart is a prevention and early intervention program funded through San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency and the Mental Health Services Act. Kickstart is a recovery oriented program that strives to keep hope alive through education and early intervention. The Kickstart team consists of mental health professionals trained to assess and treat youth experiencing early warning signs of psychosis.

Narrative Institute of San Diego is an innovative counseling, training and research center. Our team of mental health professionals, students and community members provide a collaborative, comprehensive and empowering opportunity to explore life’s challenges – whether those challenges are relational, physical, psychological or cultural. Our mission encompasses the following:

• To provide access to affordable individual, couples, family and group therapy services to a wide range of clients.
• To provide a training center for those interested in Narrative Therapy practices and post-structuralist thought in the work of helping professionals.
• To create a space for research, ideas, clinical work and professional development to be supported in ways congruent with the theoretical concepts of Narrative Therapy. To contribute to the expansion of Narrative Therapy locally and globally.

Rady Children's Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic is the interdisciplinary outpatient mental health department of Children's Hospital and Health Center. It provides services in three main locations (San Diego, Oceanside and Escondido), some smaller clinics and at many school sites. It is a full service clinic providing diagnostic assessment and treatment (individual, family and group), medication assessment and treatment, and psychological assessment. It also provides consult/liaison services at Children's Hospital. Children’s Outpatient Psychiatry serves a population of children and adolescents up to age 18 and their families, representing a wide range regarding family composition, ethnicity, presenting concerns and socioeconomic status. Clients have a range of DSM-IV diagnoses, with Attention-Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders, Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Adjustment Disorders and Relational Problems being quite typical. Most referrals are from schools, parents and physicians, and from mental health, social service and juvenile justice programs. Trainees and interns receive individual and group supervision from licensed staff and participate in interdisciplinary teams, staff meetings, case conferences and Grand Rounds.

The San Diego Center for Children Intensive Services Practicum trains mental health interns in youth and family-driven interventions within our adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and residential program. Interns will obtain direct experience across the continuum of care with an emphasis on higher levels of care. Instruction and supervision in risk assessment and treatment approaches for various mental health needs will be provided. Interns will spend the majority of their time within our adolescent IOP, learning and implementing Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills training in addition to more integrated therapeutic approaches. Interns will have opportunities to conduct intake assessments with families, participate in a caregiver group, and provide brief family therapy. Interns will also provide small group interventions and/or individual therapy in our residential program which serves youth ages 6-18.

Students will join the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) Prevention and Early Intervention Programs that serve Central/South East and North Central elementary schools. Students will be trained in the Incredible Years (evidence based curriculum) and provide individual, group and family sessions to students and their families. Students will gain experience working collaboratively within the school system and learn to navigate the intersectionality between education and mental health.

Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital is the largest privately operated psychiatric hospital and provider of mental health, chemical dependency and substance abuse treatment in San Diego County. In 2010, Sharp Mesa Vista had more than 5,200 inpatient behavioral health discharges — more than any other provider in the county. Located in Serra Mesa, it provides behavioral health services for children, teens, adults and seniors experiencing anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders and other conditions.

SBCS (formerly South Bay Community Services) is a community-based nonprofit organization providing a comprehensive range of services for children, youth and families in San Diego County. Although we’ve grown to serve more than 50,000 annually through a wide array of services, South Bay Community Services started small and grew thanks to the support and donations of our neighbors. Our treatment and case management services assist survivors of domestic violence in recovering from the trauma experienced in an abusive relationship. Students will receive 40-hour training and become certified Domestic Violence Counselors.

At Stronger Together Community Services, we strive to promote mental health and wellness by providing access to individualized healing practices that support both the mind and body. We understand the stigma that often surrounds seeking mental health services, and our goal is to create a safe and inclusive environment for everyone on their journey to wellness. Through empowerment, growth, and community building, we believe that together, we can overcome any obstacles and embrace life to its fullest potential. STCS and its clinicians provide Individual, Relationship, Group, and Family therapy. Each of our clinicians operates under a variety of psychotherapy models and integrative approaches to individualize treatment to client(s) needs and preferences. Some of these include but are not limited to: Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Eye Movement
Desensitization and Reprocessing.

UCSD Center for Healthy Eating and Research (CHEAR) is a multidisciplinary patient care team for the management of child and adolescent obesity. They screen patients for individual physical, nutritional and psychosocial needs and expectations and tailor a safe treatment for our patients and their families. They are dedicated to reducing the health burden of obesity in children, and our focus is on reasonable, achievable goals.

The UCSD Eating Disorders Treatment and Research Program offers a range of treatment options for teens and adults with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Each individual receives a comprehensive evaluation that determines their individualized treatment plan. As a university-based program, they provide state-of-the-art treatments based on research and new understandings of eating disorders. Genetic vulnerabilities to anxiety, obsessive and perfectionistic traits predispose individuals to develop eating disorders. These traits can be modified through new coping strategies, to allow these traits to become assets rather than liabilities. The adult programs primarily use the evidence-based approaches of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). DBT is a non-judgmental therapeutic approach that balances acceptance with teaching skills for managing dysregulated emotions that can trigger eating disorder symptoms. CBT is a therapeutic approach that is designed to help individuals identify and challenge thoughts that contribute to anxiety, depression and eating disorder symptoms. The adolescent programs are based on a Family Based Treatment approach (FBT; also known as the Maudsley Model), and incorporate DBT as well. In this treatment approach, training families to be integrally involved in helping their child recover from an eating disorder is the backbone of treatment. We also teach the child skills to regulate their emotions and challenge eating disordered thoughts.

The mission of the UCSD Family Medicine Residency Program is to foster resident individuality and growth in an academically rich and culturally diverse environment, emphasizing the development of excellent clinical skills and evidence-based analysis, community service to underserved populations and preventive medicine in the context of the entire human lifecycle. USD students work collaboratively with residents and attending physicians in the Hillcrest and Scripps Ranch clinics.

UCSD Reproductive Medicine offers comprehensive women's health care at multiple locations throughout San Diego. USD students work collaboratively with residents and attending physicians in the care of patients.

YMCA Of San Diego is an intensive two-week residential treatment program for youth, ages 12-17. While in treatment, youth participate in 4-5 individual therapy sessions, 6 group therapy sessions, and 3 family therapy sessions. Upon discharge, youth and families return for 8 therapy sessions of family aftercare therapy. Pre-licensed therapists facilitate therapy sessions, complete documentation (including treatment summaries), and participate in weekly individual/triadic and group clinical supervision. In addition to therapy, youth also engage in daily enrichment and recreational activities that are treatment-focused and are led/supervised by residential milieu staff.