PASADENA MENTAL HEALTH CENTER
Serving the community for more than
40 years
2008
Field Placement Manual
for
PMHC and Five Acres
1495 N. Lake Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91104
Telephone: (626) 798-0907
FAX: (626) 798-9043
Executive Director
David Swanson Hollinger, MSW, MPH
Clinic Director
Marilyn J. Owen, LMFT
Clinical Coordinator of Intern Training
Eden Garcia-Balis, M.S., LMFT
An affiliate of
five acres
Revised 1/29/08
HISTORY of AGENCY
Pasadena Mental Health Center - PMHC - has provided low and no cost mental health and
social services to adults, children and families since it was founded in 1965 by a group of
mental health professionals and concerned community leaders who had a vision and acted
upon it. They envisioned a group of volunteers making a difference in the community by
providing mental health services in an innovative and non-threatening way.
Paraprofessional volunteers received 52 weeks of nationally-recognized training in order to
provide crisis intervention and counseling.
PMHC’s mission is to provide affordable, accessible, and appropriate mental health services
for individuals and families in the diverse Pasadena area and surrounding communities
who have no insurance for their mental health needs.
In 1999, PMHC expanded its tradition of training and began a clinical intern training
program, thereby providing succeeding generations of therapists with practical experience
in the counseling field. We have grown from four interns representing three local
universities to 33 interns in 2007 from 11 different university programs. The majority of
mental health services at PMHC are now provided by a highly trained staff of graduate and
post-graduate interns / trainees in psychology and social work.
In 2007 Pasadena Mental Health Center affiliated with Five Acres, a large
multidisciplinary child and family services agency founded in 1888. PMHC remains a
separate legal entity under the Five Acres' umbrella, maintaining its programs and its
board of directors. Five Acres offers an array of services including residential care and
education, mental health services in homes and schools, foster care and adoption, and
domestic violence prevention. Five Acres has been accredited since 1957 and is one of the
few agencies in Los Angeles County accredited by the internationally-recognized Council on
Accreditation (COA). Services are funded primarily through contracts with the Department
of Mental Health and the Department of Children and Family Services.
Field placements for interns/trainees at all PMHC and Five Acres' programs are
coordinated by PMHC. This provides a wide range of opportunities for clinicians-intraining.
POPULATIONS SERVED
Center-Based Services at PMHC (Pasadena)
Pasadena Mental Health Center (PMHC) is located on north Lake Avenue. PMHC serves
adults, children, couples and families representing a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.
Our clients are primarily the working poor - those without any form of mental health
insurance. Services are provided on a sliding fee basis and most clients enter treatment for
mental health needs related to life cycle issues including birth and death; aging; marriage;
divorce; parenting; intergenerational conflicts; and adult, child and family relations. More
than half of our clients at PMHC are adults. Individual and group therapies are provided
along with psycho-educational and support groups. Some groups may be conducted at other
2
locations. The center does not serve clients who experience more severe pathology and
those who may require hospitalization and/or medication management
First Offender Program
The First Offender Program, part of the services provided at PMHC, provides
delinquency prevention/diversion to Pasadena youth who have committed a minor
first offense such as truancy, shop lifting, or possession of controlled substances. In
partnership with the Pasadena Police Department's Youth Advisory Board, the
program serves 72 youth per year, each of whom makes a 6 month commitment.
Youth receive individual and/or group counseling while their families attend group
parenting sessions.
Pasadena Homeless Prevention Program
PMHC is a partner of the Pasadena Homeless Prevention Program. We provide
mental health screenings, referrals and support groups at a monthly drop-in center the "Supplemental Resource Center" - held at the Pasadena First United Methodist
Church. All interns/trainees assigned to PMHC are expected to work a minimum of
4 hours at the Pasadena Homeless Prevention Program during their field placement.
Five Acres Programs (Greater San Gabriel Valley)
Five Acres began as an orphanage in 1888. Over its 118 year history, Five Acres has grown
and expanded its services to meet the changing needs of children and families. Programs
are family-centered and focused on the unique strengths of each client. As of 2007, over
80% of the services provided by Five Acres were through community-based programs with
only 20% of services provided in out-of-home care settings such as residential, group homes
and foster care. Five Acres serves over 4,000 individuals annually across its 15 programs
with offices in Altadena, Pasadena, El Monte and Covina. The following programs
represent those currently accepting student placements:
School-Based Services (Greater San Gabriel Valley)
School-based services prevent emotional and family trauma by delivering counseling
services to children and families at their public school sites. Five Acres works
within the Pasadena, Monrovia and El Monte School Districts to provide on-campus
assessment and treatment for students referred by teachers, nurses and parents due
to academic and behavior problems indicating a need for intensive individual group
and family therapy. Funding is provided primarily by the Los Angeles County
Department of Mental Health and Department of Children and Family Services.
Community-Based Services (Greater San Gabriel Valley)
Community-Based Services at Five Acres provide counseling to children, youth and
families in schools, homes and other community settings with the goal of bridging
the gap between families and the services that they need. The Community-based
programs operate from a social work model of service delivery with an emphasis on
services being delivered from a strengths perspective. The program promotes
understanding families within the context of their environment. Interns are
3
afforded the opportunity to provide individual and family counseling for issues
stemming from ADHD, depression/mood disorders, oppositional defiance, anxiety
disorders, adjustment disorders, PTSD, school problems and domestic violence.
Funding is provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and
Department of Children and Family Services.
Aftercare (Greater San Gabriel Valley)
Aftercare provides individual and family therapy to facilitate successful
reunification for children returning to their biological, foster or adoptive families.
Services take place primarily in the client's home. Funding is provided by the Los
Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
Grace Center (location confidential)
Grace Center is an advocacy center for survivors of domestic violence and their
children. Services include emergency referrals, crisis intervention, counseling,
support groups for women and children, outreach and advocacy. Services may take
place in the client's home or community. Funding is provided primarily through
private donations.
Residential Treatment Center (Altadena)
Intensive treatment services are provided to children ages 6-13 and their families.
The majority of children are diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorders, mood
disorders and a significant number of clients are children who have been victims of
abuse, neglect or trauma. Treatment services include individual, group and family
therapy; psychiatric support; art, movement and music therapies; recreation
therapy; and milieu treatment.
FIELD PLACEMENT INFORMATION
As an affiliate of Five Acres, PMHC serves as the intern coordination site for both agencies.
Placements may occur within a PMHC program, a Five Acres program or a combination of
the two. Each intern/trainee will be assigned to a primary site which will carry the overall
responsibility for field instruction and collaborate as necessary with field instructors from
any secondary sites. Ph.D. and Psy.D. students are placed at PMHC only. Interns/trainees
may be rotated or assigned concurrently to provide expanded learning opportunities.
Interns/trainees must be committed to our program for 9-12 months depending on their
school contract. There is significant flexibility in terms of scheduling clients:
PMHC is open 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m.
Five Acres placement sites have schedule flexibility; evening hours and travel may
be required.
4
Students must be available
FRIDAYS FROM 11 AM TO 1 PM
for weekly training seminars
beginning October 17, 2008
Other Relevant Information
All field placements start in either July or September.
July start date:
July 10, 2008
September start date:
September 12, 2008
Orientation
July 10, 11, 2008
10 - 4 both days
Sept. 12, 19, 26, 2008
October 3, 10, 2008
9 .am. - 1 p.m. all days
Positions are only open to 2nd year MSW interns and MFT trainees or doctorallevel students.
SUPERVISION and TRAINING
Each intern receives at least one hour of individual supervision per week or two hours of
group supervision with a licensed professional according to the guidelines of the placing
university and student's particular discipline. In addition to focusing on clinical aspects of
the case, supervision covers treatment plans, case management, documentation and selfawareness. Interns completing their hours at more than one training site will receive
supervision from clinical supervisors at each site.
Mandatory orientation training occurs during the first weeks of the placement (see above
schedule). Topics covered include client populations, conducting intake assessments,
diagnosis, suicide assessment and intervention, abuse reporting, crisis intervention and
safety. In the afternoon on orientation days, students attend their placement site.
Ongoing training occurs via bi-monthly seminars held on Friday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at
the Main Campus of Five Acres. These professional continuing education seminars are
open to clinical staff at both PMHC and Five Acres in addition to being mandatory for
interns and trainees. These trainings address topics such as treating special populations,
utilizing specific treatment techniques, updating clinical understanding about a specific
mental disorder, cultural diversity issues, legal/ethical concerns, etc. Expert guest
professionals as well as clinical staff from PMHC and/or Five Acres teach these seminars.
5
2008 Potential Student Placements
Center-Based Services at PMHC
Program Description: The Pasadena Mental Health Center on north Lake Avenue in
Pasadena provides mental health treatment for adults, children, couples and families on a
sliding fee scale. Our clients are primarily the working poor without insurance. Most
clients present with issues such as anxiety, depression and communication / interpersonal
relationship problems. We do not serve clients who experience more severe
psychopathology or who may require medication management.
Internship Opportunities: Interns/trainees see clients for short and long-term individual,
couples and family therapy, facilitate psycho-educational or support groups for children,
adolescents or adults. They provide at least one hour per week to conduct telephone or
walk-in intake assessments and referral coordination. Interns/trainees commit to a
minimum of 10 hours per week and can expect to see a minimum of 5-6 clients or more
depending on the contract with the intern's graduate school. Interns/trainees provide
individual, couples, and/or family therapy and may be involved in running groups. Students
are expected to work a minimum of 4 hours at the Pasadena Homeless Prevention Program
during their field placement at PMHC. Daytime and evening hours are available Monday
through Saturday.
Available Positions: The PMHC accepts up to 30 student placements per year with priority
given to English-Spanish bilingual individuals. Bilingual stipends of $4,000 are available.
First Offender Program
Program Description: The First Offender Program, located at PMHC, provides delinquency
prevention/diversion to Pasadena youth who have committed a minor first offense such as
truancy, shop lifting, or possession of controlled substances. In partnership with the
Pasadena Police Department's Youth Advisory Board, the program serves 72 youth per
year, each of whom makes a 6 month commitment.
Internship Opportunities: Interns provide individual and/or group counseling for youth and
conduct group parenting sessions with their families. Additional cases from the Center's
population round out the intern's caseload.
Available Positions: The First Offender program accepts up to 8 students annually.
School-Based Services (Five Acres)
Program Description: The School-Based Services program of Five Acres provides
counseling to children and families at public school sites in Pasadena, Monrovia and El
Monte.
Internship Opportunities: Interns are afforded the opportunity to provide assessment,
individual and group counseling for children. Placements may be at one or two school sites
in Pasadena, Monrovia and/or El Monte; parenting groups may also be provided. The
6
majority of services are delivered within the school site; travel is required. Interns are
provided with valuable experience in documentation according to Department of Mental
Health protocol.
Available Positions: The School-Based program accepts up to 6 student placements per
year with priority given to English-Spanish bilingual individuals. Bilingual stipends of
$4,000 are available for MSW students only.
Community-Based Services (Five Acres)
Program Description: The Community-Based Services program of Five Acres provides
counseling to children and families in their homes and other community settings with the
goal of bridging the gap between families and the services they need. The CommunityBased program operates from a social work model of service delivery by promoting an
understanding of families within the context of their environment.
Internship Opportunities: Interns/trainees are afforded the opportunity to conduct
assessments and provide individual and family counseling in the client's home or other
community settings; travel is required. Interns/trainees begin by initially shadowing an
experienced clinician on an open case. Interns are provided with valuable experience in
documentation according to Department of Mental Health protocol.
Available Positions: The Community-Based program accepts up to 6 student placements
per year with priority given to English-Spanish bilingual individuals. Bilingual stipends of
$4,000 are available for MSW students only.
Aftercare (Five Acres)
Program Description: Aftercare provides individual and family therapy to facilitate
successful reunification for children returning to their biological, foster or adoptive families.
Internship Opportunities: Interns/trainees are afforded the opportunity to conduct
assessments and provide individual and family counseling in the client's home or other
community settings; travel is required. Interns/trainees begin by initially shadowing an
experienced clinician on an open case. Interns are provided with valuable experience in
documentation according to Department of Mental Health protocol.
Available Positions: The Aftercare program accepts up to 2 student placements per year
with priority given to English-Spanish bilingual individuals. Bilingual stipends of $4,000
are available for MSW students only.
Grace Center (Five Acres)
Program Description: Grace Center provides domestic violence prevention and survivor
support services. Services include crisis intervention, legal advocacy, case management,
support groups, parenting support, and violence education programs for adults, children
and families.
7
Internship Opportunities: Interns/trainees are afforded the opportunity to conduct
assessments and provide individual and family counseling to individuals who are struggling
with issues related to Domestic Violence. Therapy can occur in the community and/or in
the client’s home. Interns/trainees will also participate in weekly Empowerment groups.
Involves working with professionals from a wide range of mental health services. Travel
may be required. Location is confidential.
Available Positions: Grace Center accepts 1 student placement per year. Priority given to
English-Spanish bilingual individuals. Bilingual stipends of $4,000 are available for MSW
students only.
Residential Treatment Center (Five Acres)
Program Description: The Residential Treatment Center provides intensive therapeutic
services to children ages 6-13 who experience severe behavioral and emotional problems
which prevent them from being able to live safely in the community. Many youth have
histories of abuse, neglect and separation from family members. The RTC provides
individual and group therapies; family therapy; psychiatric services; art, movement and
music therapies; recreation therapy, nursing services; parent support groups.
Internship Opportunities: Interns/trainees are involved in child/family intake evaluations,
individual, family, and group psychotherapy.
Available Positions: The Residential Treatment program accepts up to 1 student annually.
Bilingual stipends of $4,000 are available for MSW students only.
8