Agency Description

IMCES is a private, non-profit community clinic founded in 1989 by Dr. Tara Pir, aka Tahereh Pirhekayaty. Under her leadership, IMCES has become associated with the Department of Public Information / Non-Governmental Organizations (DPI/NGO) for human rights and has earned special consultative status with the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The mission of IMCES is to promote human rights and social justice. Equal access to health and mental health services in our society is the human right of all. At IMCES we are committed to level the ground for all to walk on. Dr. Pir’s commitment to social justice and human rights is demonstrated by her development and implementation of high standard services to our community in two domains: One: clinical service delivery for our culturally diverse population; Two: professional workforce development/clinical training program for mental health professionals. This means we provide highly effective, culturally and linguistically competent services to the most needy, underserved populations in our community by professionals who are trained to the highest standard of practice. Dr. Pir led the Institute to become one of the few outpatient community clinics designed specifically to treat the varied needs of the underserved, culturally and linguistically diverse communities of Los Angeles. Every year, IMCES serves thousands of individuals and families who have been identified to be 100-200% or more below the poverty level. IMCES offers a variety of clinical programs developed to reach children, youth, families, and adults who have many barriers to their wellness, success, and sustainability within the community. IMCES is committed to helping underserved members of the community overcome adversity, achieve independence, and create sustainable and meaningful lives for themselves and their families. IMCES provides culturally proficient services to its clients based on the proven success of integrative model of service delivery through the utilization of prevention and early intervention strategies. IMCES makes a lifelong commitment to promote responsiveness to the need of our culturally diverse communities including ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation of all people from unserved and underserved populations. The agency is amongst the most culturally proficient service providers in the county, providing linguistically proficient services in ten different languages including Arabic, Armenian, English, Farsi, Hebrew, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, and Tagalog. We honor and respect the many different customs that cultural and ethnic diversity brings forth. At the same time, IMCES contributes to the wellness of our community, while promoting social justice and striving to eliminate the stigma, discrimination, and disparity associated with health and mental health services in our community.

Agency Mission

Our philosophy is based on humanistic values and approaches. We operate based on the principle of inclusion by design to prevent disparities. We promote whole health. The whole health of individuals includes physical, mental, spiritual, social, as well as community health. We believe this overarching goal can be achieved and implemented by an integrative model of service delivery, which provides a continuation of care and advocacy for clients in the context of community. Our clinical training program is designed as an effective and necessary professional workforce development to respond to our community’s needs. Our operation has been based on the principle of commitment to “excellence” and “lifelong learning,” which promotes the high quality of our services to clients and the community.

Population

IMCES provides culturally and linguistically sensitive mental health services to all the diverse individuals and families in Los Angeles County. IMCES provides various programs for children, youth, and adults based on the proven success of integrative, coordinated services. IMCES services range from prevention and early intervention to services for the severely mentally ill populations. Clinicians work primarily with low to mid-SES clients, in the office, home, field, or school. Demographics of the populations served include both genders and all ages with a wide range of racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds (Hispanic, African-American, Russian, Armenian, Persian), and sexual orientation. Psychoeducational groups include domestic violence (perpetrators and victims), anger management, and parenting.

Staff (#, Degree, Prof. Lic.)

# of Psychologists: 3

# of Psychiatrists: 1

# of MFT: 3

# of LCSW: 2

Required days and times

Monday through Friday, flexible schedule by arranged appointment

Training and Education Offered

Educational Goals & Training Objectives: IMCES' educational goal is to provide specific clinical training to prepare Interns/clinicians to become clinically and culturally competent mental health service providers, as well as socialization into the professional role and responsibilities. Each Doctoral Intern will be given the opportunity to develop an individual training plan within the context of supervision. A sequential evaluation plan to assess the status of progress will be incorporated with the aim of giving and receiving feedback to effectively achieve the competency outcome. The Goals and Competencies of the Doctoral Internship Program: 1. Research Competency: Doctoral intern demonstrates the substantially independent ability to critically evaluate and disseminate research or other scholarly activities at the local, regional, or national level. 2. Ethical and Legal Competency: Doctoral intern demonstrates knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, rules, and policies governing health service psychology at the organizational, local, state, regional, and federal levels; and relevant professional standards and guidelines and the ability to recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise, and apply ethical decision-making processes in order to resolve the dilemmas. 3. Individual and Cultural Diversity Competency: The Cultural Diversity Competency training is uniquely designed to be in parallel with and actualized through the Advocacy/Outreach and Engagement Competency training. Doctoral interns demonstrate an understanding of how their own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and unconscious biases may affect how they understand and interact with people different from themselves. Doctoral interns demonstrate the ability to integrate awareness and knowledge of individual and cultural differences in the conduct of professional roles (e.g., research, services, and other professional activities). Also included is the ability to work effectively with individuals whose group membership, demographic characteristics, or worldviews create conflict with their own. 4. Professional Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors Competency: Doctoral intern will behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, including integrity, deportment, professional identity, accountability, lifelong learning, and concern for the welfare of others. Doctoral interns will engage in self-reflection regarding their personal and professional functioning; and engage in activities to maintain and improve performance, well-being, and professional effectiveness. 5. Communications and Interpersonal Skills Competency: Doctoral intern develops and maintains effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, and those receiving professional services, demonstrating effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communication well. 6. Assessment Competency: Doctoral intern will demonstrate current knowledge of diagnostic classification systems, functional and dysfunctional behaviors, including consideration of client strengths and psychopathology. The doctoral intern will also demonstrate the ability to select and apply assessment methods; interpret assessment results; and effectively and accurately communicate the findings and implications of the assessment. 7. Intervention Competency: Doctoral interns will develop and implement evidence-based intervention plans specific to the service delivery goals and informed by the current scientific literature, assessment findings, diversity characteristics, and contextual variables. The doctoral intern will also evaluate intervention effectiveness to be outcome based, and adapt intervention goals and methods consistent with ongoing evaluation. 8. Supervision Competency: Doctoral interns will apply supervision knowledge in direct or simulated practice with psychology trainees, or other mental health and health professionals. Examples of direct or simulated practice of supervision include, but are not limited to, role-played supervision with others, and peer supervision with other trainees. 9. Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Skills Competency: Doctoral interns will demonstrate knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions. Doctoral interns will apply this knowledge in direct or simulated consultation with individuals and their families, other health care professionals, interprofessional groups, or systems related to health and behavior. In addition to the nine (9) required profession-wide competencies, IMCES has developed two additional program-specific competencies to further enhance the training experience of doctoral interns in response to our communities’ needs. 10. Risk Assessment and Management Competency: Doctoral intern will develop competency in proactively assessing and managing critical incidences in the context of individual, family, and community (i.e. school, home). Doctoral interns will also develop competency in responding to psychological trauma and to provide psychological first aid/intervention and assistance. 11. Advocacy/Outreach and Engagement Competency: Doctoral intern is to facilitate opportunities for doctoral interns to develop and practice their leadership potential in the context of the Cultural Diversity Training. Doctoral interns will conduct needs assessment survey in the context of clients and the community and develop competency in identifying disparities in availability and accessibility of resources including but not limited to health and mental health services in the context of the community. The fundamental aim of this competency is to facilitate and motivate necessary systemic changes in policy and procedure as it relates to clients and communities in relevant domains. 11. The Advocacy/Outreach and Engagement Competency training is uniquely designed to be in parallel with and to actualize the Cultural Diversity Competency training.

X-Cultural Training

Responsibilities

Intern/clinicians have a multitude of opportunities to participate in both direct service to clients, professional development, community projects, including advocacy, outreach & engagement, conducting psychological testing, consultation, community liaison, crisis management, research and development, and didactic public education seminars. Weekly commitment includes: Attending didactic seminars Attending team meetings/case consultations for each clinical program Individual Supervision Group Supervision A combined caseload of 10-12 clients from children and adult services Leading or Co-Leading one group treatment session Attending weekly Quality Assurance (QA) meetings for self and peer chart review IMCES provides the opportunity for organizational skill development and time management. Each Intern/clinician is required to schedule and maintain their professional appointments, proactively balance their personal and professional time and be responsible and responsive to their clients as well as self needs.

Prerequisites

Application Procedures