Verdugo Mental Health Children's Services School-Based Program

2005-2006 Pre-Doctoral Internship Information Sheet 

The School Based Mental Health (SBMH) program is part of the Children's Services division of Verdugo Mental Health (VMH). VMH is a private, nonprofit mental health facility founded in 1957 to provide a variety of services to all residents of the community.

The SBMH program is designed to make mental health services accessible to a wider range of at-risk children and adolescents by offering services on school campuses. The objective of the program is to increase student academic success by identifying high-risk students with mental illness through psychotherapy, and collaborating with teachers and administrators in assessing for and responding to emotional disturbances in students. Referrals to the program come from parents, school administrators, teachers, school counselors, school nurses, other school personnel, and the county. Services offered include the following: individual, group, family, and collateral therapy; psychological assessment; referrals for psychiatric evaluation and treatment; parent education; crisis intervention; collateral services with teachers and school personnel; classroom and playground observation; teacher consultation; substance abuse prevention and intervention.

• Time Commitment: September 6 th , 2005 - July 31 st , 2006
• Required Days: 3 days per week (typically Monday through Wednesday)
  • Wednesdays required
  • Specific daytime schedule is flexible; one evening is required
• Settings: Elementary Schools, Middle Schools, and High Schools
• Weekly Hours: 25
• Supervision: 2 hours individual and 1½ to 2 hours group supervision
• Seminars Include: Child Development, Play Therapy, RATC, Parenting, Childhood Medications, Child Abuse, Multicultural Issues, Bender Gestalt, Projectives, Learning Disabilities, Family Therapy, Childhood Diagnoses, Group Therapy, Childhood Anxiety, Risk Assessment, Substance Abuse, Loss and Grief, Anger Management, Childhood Depression, Termination, Professional Development, etc.
• Requirements:
  • 10-12 client hours
    • Intake evaluations/testing
    • Individual therapy, family, and or collateral therapy
    • Group therapy (as needed; based on site demand)
    • Collateral parenting (as needed; based on site demand)
    • Classroom observation/intervention
  • 2 case presentations
  • attendance at weekly seminars
  • attendance at case conferences (scheduled on as-needed basis)
  • attendance at all supervision sessions
  • attendance at school meetings (e.g., IEP meetings)
  • case management and client advocacy