“The Creative Minds Project”
Academic Year 2012-2013 Volunteer Application
"...in the world of art, one can get past the usual confinements..."
Reneé Emunah, Past-President of the National Association for Drama Therapy
Overview:
The Creative Minds Project (CMP) is supported by the Donald A. Strauss Foundation
(http://www.straussfoundation.org/) and is affiliated with UCLArts and Healing
(http://www.uclartsandhealing.net/), a partnership between the UCLA Collaborative Centers for
Integrative Medicine and the Arts and Healing Initiative nonprofit organization.
The CMP connects UCLA undergraduate students within a community service and mentorship
network of creative arts therapists and interns to facilitate creative arts therapy groups in drama,
art, poetry, dance/movement therapy, and drumming at Step Up on Second (SUOS;
http://www.stepuponsecond.org/) and Daniel's Place (DP; http://www.danielsplace.org/) in Santa
Monica on 2nd and 16th street, respectively. SUOS is a nonprofit organization that serves adults
who are affected by mental illness (such as schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, depression) and in
some cases, chronic homelessness as well. DP is SUOS’s sister organization for transitional
aged youth (18-28 years old) who are in their first stages of mental illness.
Creative arts therapies (CAT) offer an interdisciplinary fusion of creative processes and
imagination through the arts with the power of psychotherapy and counseling to foster health,
communication, and expression while promoting the integration of physical, emotional,
cognitive, and social functioning. 1
Service learning under the mentorship of the creative arts therapists/interns (“CMP Interns”) will
offer the UCLA undergraduates “CMP Intern Assistants (IAs)” immediate opportunities to learn
effective and compassionate implementation of CAT interventions. Through the Creative Minds
Project, the CMP team will develop the skills and experience necessary to encourage the use of
creative arts as a vehicle for empowerment, self-discovery, and group support for individuals
affected by chronic mental illness and homelessness.
Creative Minds Project Creative Arts Therapy Groups:
The Creative Minds Project creative arts therapy groups include expressive poetry/writing
therapy, art therapy, dance/movement therapy, drama therapy, and UCLArts and Healing’s “Beat
the Odds” drumming and OM Rhythm Therapy11 adapted to this specific population. All creative
arts therapy groups will be given at least once/week at both agencies for an average of1.5 hours
per session.
* Art Therapy is the therapeutic use of art making, within a professional relationship, by people
who experience illness, trauma, or challenges in living, and by people who seek personal
development. 9 Research has shown that creating art and reflecting on the art products and
processes, people can increase awareness of self and others, cope with symptoms, stress, and
traumatic experiences; enhance cognitive abilities; and enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of
making art. 5, 9
* Poetry Therapy is the intentional use of literature, discussion, and creative writing for healing,
personal growth, and mental health. A trained poetry therapist selects a poem or other form of
written or spoken media to serve as a catalyst and evoke feeling responses for discussion,
reflection, and writing 10. When individuals discuss and write about emotional experiences,
significant physical, social, and mental health improvements follow 6
*Drumming therapy combines activities from contemporary drum circles and group counseling
to provide an opportunity for physical release and emotional expression. The activities are used
as a metaphor for life, whereby individual behavior can be understood in the context of
community. UCLA researchers have shown that Beat the Odds: Social and Emotional Skill
Building Delivered in the Framework of Drumming can significantly improve a spectrum of
problem behaviors such as inattention, withdrawn/depression, post-traumatic stress, anxiety,
attention deficit/hyperactivity, oppositional defiance, and sluggish cognitive tempo.4
* Drama Therapy can give the distance necessary to help participants gain perspective on their
roles in real life, patterns and actions, to actively experiment with alternatives and gain insight.2
The Imagination Workshop at UCLA showed that when people act, they can internalize their
characters and show change in behavior 3
*
Dance/Movement Therapy incorporates observing, analyzing, and creatively expressing human
movement to change overall mind-body functioning8. D/MT develops an awareness of
kinesthetic sensations, integration with emotional and physical expression, and a connection with
others7. This awareness arises from subtle shifts, rhythms, and patterns in posture, eye contact,
breath, and voice7 and can also improve self-esteem, circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, and
musculature systems, all enhancing both physical and mental health8.
Commitment:
UCLA students are required to complete a minimum of 4 hours once a week. The Creative
Minds Project operates Monday through Saturday from 10am-5pm. Students will need to
coordinate their schedules to commit to volunteering during CAT group time slots that fall
within these hours.
Students will also be expected to schedule and attend regular Creative Minds Project
committee/debriefing meetings. Interested students are expected to participate in Creative
Minds for all three quarters and in the summer (2013).
Undergraduate Academic Credit Opportunity:
Undergraduate students can chose to receive academic credit for their involvement in the
Creative Minds Project by enrolling in UCLA’s Civic Engagement or Disability Studies
internship courses. Sophomores or third-quarter freshmen that commit 6-8 hours per week of
volunteering can enroll in the Civic Engagement 95CE internship for credit towards the minor.
In addition to the internship hours, students enrolled in 95CE must complete 8 weekly
journals/writing assignments and submit a 4-6 page final research paper. Juniors and Seniors
who are interested in volunteering 8-10 hours a week can enroll in the 195 Disability Studies or
Civic Engagement internship courses and get credit by also completing 8 weekly journals/writing
assignments and submitting an 8-10 page final research paper. The Civic Engagement minor
requires 3 internship courses, and the Disability Studies minor requires 2 internship courses.
Please see the CCL website for more information and eligibility requirements
(http://www.ugeducation.ucla.edu/communitylearning/internships.htm)
Instructions to applicants:
The Creative Minds Project is open to UCLA undergraduates of all majors. Please note that the
number of students we can accept in the Creative Minds Project is limited.
Please complete and email this application to creativemindsatucla@gmail.com. Send application
as both a Microsoft Word AND pdf attachment. Applications with missing information will not
be considered. Early applications are highly encouraged as we are conducting interviews on a
first come first serve basis, and undergraduates will be accepted on a rolling basis. You may be
contacted via email or phone to schedule an interview.
1 National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Associations, Accessed online (http://www.nccata.org/index.htm):
January 29, 2012
2 National Association for Drama Therapy, Accessed online (http://www.nadt.org/): January 29, 2012
3 Imagination workshop of UCLA (online) http://www.imaginationworkshop.org/Our%20Research.html Accessed:
January 29, 2012
4 Ho, P, Tsao J., Bloch, L., Zeltzer, L. (2011). The Impact of Group Drumming on Social-Emotional Behavior in
Low-Income Children. Hindawi Publishing Corporation: Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative
Medicine. doi:10.1093/ecam/neq072
5 Richardson, P., Jones, K., Evans, C., Stevens, P., & Rowe, A. (2007). Exploratory RCT of art therapy as an
adjunctive treatment in schizophrenia. Journal of Mental Health, 16(4), 483–491.
6 Pennebaker, J. Writing About Emotional Experiences as a Therapeutic Process. Psychological Science, (8) 3: 162166. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00403.x
7 Valentine (2007) “Dance/Movement Therapy with Women Survivors of Sexual Abuse”. In S. Brooke. The Use of
Creative Art Therapies with Sexual Abuse Survivors, 181-195. Springfield: Charles C Thomas Publisher, LTD.
8 Homann, K. B. (2010). “Embodied Concepts of Neurobiology in Dance/Movement Therapy Practice”. American
Journal of Dance Therapy, 32, 80–99.
9 American Art Therapy Association, Accessed online (http://www.americanarttherapyassociation.org/aataaboutus.html): July 18, 2012
10 National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Association, “Poetry therapy”, Accessed online
(http://www.nccata.org/poetry_therapy.htm): July 18, 2012.
11 OM Rhythm Therapy, Accessed online
(http://omtherapist.com/www.omtherapist.com/OM_Rhythm_Therapy.html): December 15, 2012
Application (Creative Minds Project)
I.
General Information
Name: ___________________________ Age: ___
Sex: ___M ___F
Year in School: ______
Overall G.P.A.: ______
Career Goal: _______________________________________
Major: ___________________________________
# units completed (end of Spring 12)_____
G.P.A. in Major: ______
Are you a transfer student from another school? ___Y ___N
If transfer: Institution: ______________________ Units completed: _______ Dates attended: ________________
Email: ______________________ ___________________________________
PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL WEEKLY FOR UPDATED INFO
Current Address:
Permanent Address:
_________________________________________
___________________________________________
_________________________________________
___________________________________________
Phone: (______)___________________________
Phone: (______)_____________________________
II.
Quick Questions
1.
Please list all the academic courses that helped prepare you to serve as a creative arts volunteer assisting
individuals affected by mental illness and chronic homelessness. Include coursework from any department.
2.
Name all other organizations/jobs you are currently involved in. Please list and include an estimate of
hours spent per week on each.
3.
Do you currently hold any leadership positions?
4.
What are your plans for Summer 2013? Will you be in town?
6.
How many more years of school do you have?
7.
Will you have a car next year? Are you willing to drive it to Santa Monica?
8.
Undergraduate students: Are you interested in receiving internship credit through the CCL (Arts
Education/Disability Studies/Civic Engagement Minors)?
9.
If you had only three words to describe yourself what would they be?
10.
Please rank the following committees in the order of your preference (1-most desired, 6-least):
Drumming
______
Poetry Therapy
______
Art Therapy
______
Drama Therapy
______
Grant-writing
______
Dance/Movement Therapy ______
*Please provide a short explanation for your primary preference
III.
Short Answer
Please briefly respond to the following questions. Your responses should be specific and concise. Your
answers are an extremely important part of the selection process.
1.
How did you hear about the Creative Minds Project? How will this program fit into your
academic/work/extra-curricular activity load for the upcoming academic year?
2.
What is your current relationship or past experience in working with those who are affected by mental
illness and/or homelessness? What is your understanding of mental illness, and what do you consider the
priority concern for this specific population? What interests you most about working with those affected by
mental illness (and chronic homelessness)?
3.
Why do you specifically wish to get involved using the creative arts as a tool for healing and
empowerment?
4.
What do you expect to gain from your participation in the Creative Minds Project at UCLA? What do you
think you can contribute to the student-run program and to the lives of those individuals served?
IV.
Arts Related Experience/Training – Please attach a brief description of any training/experience you have in
the arts (visual arts/ music/ theater/ dance/ other).
V.
Degree Progress Report (DPR) – Please attach your degree progress report (only courses taken, GPA,
number of units completed) – PLEASE DO NOT attach full DPR).
VI.
Recommendation/References – Please provide the contact information for 2 or 3
academic/volunteer/work-related references
1st Contact:
Full Name: _______________________________
Organization: _____________________________
Affiliation: _______________________________
Phone: (______)___________________________
Email: ___________________________________
2nd Contact
Full Name: _______________________________
Organization: _____________________________
Affiliation: _______________________________
Phone: (______)___________________________
Email: ___________________________________
rd
3 Contact (Optional):
Full Name: _______________________________
Organization: _____________________________
Affiliation: _______________________________
Phone: (______)___________________________
Email: ___________________________________