YOU MAY ONLY APPLY TO ONE TRACK WITHIN HARBOR/UCLA
HARBOR-UCLA MEDICAL CENTER
FIELD CAPABLE CLINICAL SERVICES
# of openings: 2
Department of Psychiatry, Psychology Division
(4 may apply)
1000 W. Carson St., Box 488
Torrance, CA 90509
Phone: (310) 222-1724 (Dr. Saberi) or (310) 222-3198 (Psychology Division)
FAX: (310) 320-3521
LEVEL:
PRACTICUM
CONTACT: Dorit Saberi, Ph.D. DSaberi@dmh.lacounty.gov
LIAISON:
Melodie Schaefer, PsyD
NATURE OF AGENCY / POPULATION SERVED
Field Capable Clinical Services (FCCS) was created as the result of a partnership
between the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, the Department of
Psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA, and the South Bay Chapter of the National Alliance on
Mental Illness, which is a “grassroots” advocacy and support organization run primarily
by family members of persons with severe mental illnesses. As the first of only two
Integrated Service Agencies (ISAs) directly operated by the LACDMH, FCCS has been
an innovative leader in providing services in a psychosocial rehabilitation model to
members diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness who are high utilizers of
psychiatric emergency and inpatient services. A primary feature of FCCS is that a
multidisciplinary treatment team serves as the single fixed point of responsibility for
enrolled clients or program “members.” This means that, to the extent possible, the
FCCS team retains primary clinical responsibility across time (24 hours per day, 365
days a year) and settings (inpatient, outpatient, and psychiatric emergencies). The
fixed point of responsibility also extends across virtually all domains of a program
participant’s life. Thus, the team attends not only to psychiatric symptoms, but also to
helping members meet their needs in physical health, dental care, co-morbid substance
abuse, housing, finances, education, work, social relationships, recreational activity,
legal, and transportation. This approach to service provision enhances continuity of
care and helps insure that clinical decision-making always has the benefit of relatively
complete and up-to-date information about the service recipient.
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SERVICES
Practicum students will be part of an interdisciplinary treatment team providing
psychosocial rehabilitation services and Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT) and/or
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for 2 to 3 FCCS members. Students will have the
opportunity to co-facilitate a number of groups offered at FCCS, including the CBTformat group “Healthy Living.” In addition, students will participate in the DBT
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consultation team meetings, and the CBT seminar. Depending on client enrollment in
DBT program, practicum students may also be involved in leading a DBT skills group.
SUPERVISION AND TRAINING
Primary supervision is provided by a licensed clinical psychologist and postdoctoral
fellows. One hour of individual supervision is provided weekly by a clinical psychologist.
Required courses include the DBT team consultation and the CBT seminar.
Recommended conference is Psychosocial Rehabilitation Case Conference. In
addition, the extern will be provided with a two-day required training in DBT at the
beginning of the year and a year long weekly didactic training in DBT. Opportunities for
other seminars and courses are available.
There are weekly teaching conferences and seminars. A year-long Psychosocial
Rehabilitation Case Conference (Tuesdays 1:30-3:00). A year-long course in CBT
(Mondays, 9:30 -11:00). A year-long DBT Consultation team meeting (Mondays 1:303:00).
THEORETICAL ORIENTATION
Empirically-supported interventions are used, including CBT and DBT.
LENGTH OF TRAINING
Training begins the first week of September and ends the last week in August.
REQUIRED DAYS
Practicum students are required to be on site a minimum of 16 hours a week for the
duration of the year. Required: Mondays (8:30-4:30) and Fridays (8:30am – 4:30).
Recommended Tuesday, 1:30-3:00. Attendance is required at the CBT Core Course
(Mondays, 9:30-11:00) and the DBT Case Consultation Team meeting (Mondays, 1:303:00).
Attendance is recommended at the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Case Conference
(Tuesdays, 1:30-3:00).
VACATION
Two weeks of vacation are offered.
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FIELD CAPABLE CLINICAL SERVICES -- PAGE 3
STIPEND
There is no stipend. Mileage is not reimbursed.
DISABILITY ACCESS
This agency is wheelchair accessible, but there is no guarantee of accessibility when
practicum students are in the field.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
After receiving approval from the Division of Professional Field Training to apply, please
mail the following to Dr. Saberi:
 Your CV
 Your letter of interest
 2 or 3 letters of recommendation
YOU MAY ONLY APPLY TO ONE HARBOR-UCLA PRACTICUM SITE!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Mileage accrued by the student is not reimbursed by the agency.
Please visit the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Psychology Division’s website at:
http://psychology.labiomed.org/index.htm Note that this practicum is called an
“externship” at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
This training program is operated directly by the L.A. County Department of Mental
Health (DMH). Students who are accepted must give the CSPP-L.A. Division of
Professional Field Training office a signed Release of Information form allowing us to
release your contact information (telephone number, mailing address, and email
address) to DMH central office for administrative purposes. Students should print this
Release form from the Field Training website (click on the “Forms” button). Students will
then be contacted by DMH to fill out County applications and have Live Scan (digitized
fingerprinting) in June or early July at the DMH central office (located at 550 So.
Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020). Students must finish this application
process and pass the background check about 3 to 4 weeks before receiving their
identification badge, which is required before seeing clients.
REVISED 12-11