Telecare not only believes on quality services to be provided to our members, but to our staff as well. We think that helping with staff development from early on in an individual's career will move the mental health field toward the future. The training program offers services of mental health, targeted case management and medication support support to individuals with serious mental illness. The interns will be helping with also providing individual psychotherapy.

Interns are expected to attend group (1 hour weekly) and individual supervision ( hour weekly). The professional experience begins with basic issues being discussed in group supervision and trainees are expected to provide examples weekly of ethical issues they may have faced throughout the week. Group supervision then proceeds to discussions about the major diagnoses that are seen on the field. Trainees are expected to know and be able to apply DSM-IVTR diagnostic criteria and are assigned to provide case presentations on a weekly basis to other staff. Diagnostic criteria is followed by discussions about the major medications prescribed by the field psychiatrists. Side effects, uses of the medications and coping skills to manage side effects are discussed, such as harm reduction, recovery based treatment, motivational interviewing, etc. Trainees also attend DMH seminars and conferences whenever offered. Evaluations will include live supervision during groups, peer evaluation and primary report evaluations. Group supervision will utilize role-play and peer supervision. Didactic trainings will be offered throughout the year and will apply to all the skills needed to be proficient on the field. Interns work as part of a multidisciplinary team and are exposed with all the stages of a client’s treatment. Interns will work closely with physicians, licensed psychologists, licensed MFTs, MSWs, LVNs, LPTs, administration and peers. Group supervision includes both interns and psychological assistants. Interns will provide individual sessions to clients at their houses, Board & cares, etc. The primary theoretical techniques used are recovery based treatment, harm reduction, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral, family systems and psychodynamic. Interns will teach clients to increase coping and problem solving abilities as well as how to create a safety plan for when they are feeling out of control. Interns will participate in treatment planning, case conceptualization, case management activities, intake assessments, chemical dependency assessments, discharge planning, outreach and engagement activities, etc. Interns will also be exposed to crisis intervention, evaluating clients for high risk and determining whether the client needs hospitalization or a different level of care. Interns will also learn the law and ethics pertaining to 5150 detention of clients. The primary populations served in this setting include severely mentally ill clients, clients who also have a co-occurring disorder of chemical dependency, and clients who are also under conservatorship.

Training/Clinical Services Offered:

Comments Regarding Theoretical Orientation of Staff