Psychology Practicum

We are a psychology practicum training site operating under an agreement between the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) Student Professional Development Program and various local educational programs. Local educational programs with current training agreements in place with LACDMH are designated as Affiliated Training Partners. Our practicum program only accepts students from programs that are identified as LACDMH Affiliated Training Partners.

Application to our practicum program is facilitated through the respective training directors’ offices at the educational institutions of our Affiliated Training Partners.  Only training director approved students may submit application materials for review. Upon receiving approval from their training directors, students may submit an application directly on our website.

All students undertaking practica with LACDMH at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center are required to be cleared by the LACDMH Human Resource Bureau, which involves but is not limited to successful Live Scan clearance. Students are also required to have a National Provider Identification (NPI) number prior to beginning their training at Harbor-UCLA.

The program year starts at the beginning of September and ends in mid-August of the following year.  Hours on site are either 16 or 20 hours per week; the specific days and times vary by track. Please scroll down to view details of the specific tracks we offer.

 

Practicum Track

Adult Outpatient Program (AOP)

The Adult Outpatient Program (AOP) practicum track aims to familiarize student with evidence-based treatments, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Opportunity may also be available for exposure to trauma treatment (Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure for PTSD) and evidence informed approaches focusing on resiliency (e.g., Community Resiliency Model (CRM®).

Practicum students will provide individual and group psychotherapy to adults in the AOP Clinic. The client population includes various demographic groups presenting with psychiatric diagnoses ranging from moderate to severe persistent emotional problems, including mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, emotional dysregulation, and substance abuse. Additionally, this client population includes individuals who are high utilizers of psychiatric emergency and inpatient services as well as those who have a recent history of justice system involvement. The setting is interdisciplinary and patients are seen for culturally sensitive, evidence-based mental health treatments and services.

Required HOURS/Days

General: 20 hours/week
Mondays and Wednesdays
8:00am – 6:30pm
(half hour allocated for lunch)

UCLA/USC: 16 hours/week
Mondays and Wednesdays
8:30am – 5:00pm
(half hour allocated for lunch)

Assigned Supervisors

Janice Jones, PhD

Dorit Saberi, PhD

More Information

Click here to download a PDF with more detailed information about the AOP practicum track.

Required Materials

Cover Letter
2 Letters of Recommendation*
Unofficial Transcripts
CBT Case Conceptualization

* One letter required from a clinical supervisor

Practicum Track

Behavioral Medicine

The Behavioral Medicine practicum provides training in treatment delivery to patients presenting with co-morbid medical conditions, particularly HIV/AIDS and complex pregnancy, postpartum, and gynecologic presentations. Opportunities for brief psychodiagnostic evaluation and consultation/liaison experiences may be available based on patient census/need.

Practicum students provide psychological treatments to medical patients presenting with primary psychiatric conditions and/or psychiatric sequelae impacting their medical illnesses; presenting psychiatric conditions range in severity from adjustment disorders to severe and persistent mental illnesses.

The Behavioral Medicine practicum serves safety-net medical patients representing the rich diversity of Los Angeles County. Students will train and provide psychological treatments on a service steeped in the social determinants of health, reproductive justice, and inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accountability.

Required Hours/Days

16 hours/week

Mondays & Thursdays

8:30am – 5:00pm

(half hour allocated for lunch)

Assigned Supervisors

Lynette Lau, PhD

Astrid Reina, PhD

More Information

Click here to download a PDF with more detailed information about the Behavioral Medicine practicum track.

Required Materials

Cover Letter
2 Letters of Recommendation*
Unofficial Transcripts

* One letter required from a clinical supervisor

Approved By Your Training Director?