UPAC offers practicum and field placements in a number of our Mental Health and SUD Treatment programs. Please see individual program descriptions, requirements and contact information below. All interns will be required to complete UPAC’s onboarding process, which includes, but is not limited to, a background check and fingerprinting.
Counseling and Treatment Center
Counseling and Treatment Center provides outpatient mental health services to all populations, with a focus on Asian and Pacific Islander adults, who are 18 years of age and older with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, co-occurring substance abuse and other related difficulties. We provide services to those with moderate to severe mental health conditions. Our main location is in City Heights, and we also have a satellite location in Serra Mesa. Services are culturally and linguistically appropriate in order to meet the unique needs that are connected to the tradition and culture of an individual.
Our clinical team is made up of clinicians (AMFT, ASW, APCC), interns, case managers, employment specialist, Nurse Practitioners, Nurse, Geriatric Specialist, and Care Coordinator who provide direct services to our clients. Our administrative staff includes Program Manager, Office Manager, Assistant Supervisor, administrative assistants, and Quality Management Specialist. Our clinical supervisor is on site (also available via phone and e-mail) and provides group and triadic supervision.
Intern responsibilities include holding a caseload of 10-15 clients, assisting with screenings, completing intakes, completing other documentation and other duties as needed. There are 2 required meetings a week which include our Staff Meeting and Treatment Team meeting (these are currently held Friday mornings). We utilize electronic health record- Cerner- to document all interactions and services provided to our clients. Training includes Cerner, documentation training, cultural competency annual requirement of 4 hours, and others, as needed.
Our hours of operation are 8:30 am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. We ask for a 12-month commitment and 20 hours a week during this 12-month period. Interns have flexibility to schedule their hours with this site within the hours of operation as we understand you are balancing different responsibilities.
Contact Information:
For internship opportunities please e-mail resume to: Katherin Torres- Program Manager (Ktorres@upacsd.com)
Positive Solutions
UPAC Positive Solutions Program is a county contracted program successfully serving the older adults of San Diego for more than a decade. Our incredible team of professionals work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of home bound, socially isolated, marginalized older adults of San Diego. We are well-established and have been serving San Diegans successfully for more than a decade. Our entire services are FREE for the clients as we do not charge any insurance. We have two offices; one in Miramar and another at San Marcos to cover the Central, North Central, North Inland, and north county of San Diego.
We utilized the evidenced based treatment modality called PEARLS (Program to Encourage Active and Rewarding Lives), developed by University of Washington, Seattle which continues to evolve toward better service deliveries. PEARLS is a combination of Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) short term intervention aimed at treating depression or symptoms of depression.
Interns/students are trained on these modalities so that they can be a successful clinician in their practice. We provide weekly 2 Hrs. Clinical Groups and an hour of individual training/supervision as needed. Interns/Students are expected to contribute at least 16 hours/week with a year of commitment. Along with the required weekly 2 hours clinical groups students are also required to attend monthly all staff meetings to stay current with the policy & procedures and program information.
Contact Information:
Please do not hesitate to reach us if you are interested to join a great team of professionals. You can email your resume to; Syed Imam, PhD (Program Manager/Clinical Psychologist) at simam@upacsd.com or our Program Assistant, Yndira Esquivel at yesquivel@upacsd.com.
Children’s & Adolescent Mental Health
UPAC Children’s Mental Health (CMH) provides services to individuals age 5-20 and their families who meet seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) criteria established by Medi-Cal and County Mental Health. Population is low-income, Medi-Cal eligible or uninsured, that present multiple psychosocial and environmental problems. 80% of CMH clients are of Latino and/or African American descent.
Services are provided at the clinic site, in the schools, in the homes and within the community. Majority of our schools are in Southeast and City Heights/Mid City. Some evening work required. We provide strength-based and culturally sensitive services and welcome those with alcohol and/or drug and mental health disorders. Individual, family and some group therapy. Psychiatric evaluation, medication management, substance abuse counseling, and case management services are also provided.
Some prior experience working with children, youth and families preferred but not required. Ability to maintain strict confidentiality, ability to prioritize multiple tasks and bring them to fruition, organized, excellent oral and written communication skills, and be comfortable and committed to the field and to working with children and families of low socio-economic status and are multicultural. Must submit to and receive clearance on criminal record background check prior to placement.
Please note, we currently only accept students from CoAAMFT accredited programs.
Contact Information:
At this time, CMH is only recruiting at SDSU and Alliant fairs.
New Leaf Recovery Center
New Leaf Recovery Center provides therapy services to adults +18 with co-occurring Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health Diagnosis. We have 3 different locations (Lemon Grove, Chula Vista and Oceanside) and ask interns for a 10-12 months commitment at around 15-20 hours a week. Interns will be trained on county paperwork, documentation and billing systems that accompanies each client contact and consultation.
Therapists have weekly individual therapy sessions with clients on their caseloads, help to run therapeutic groups (about 2 a week) and can help assist in screenings, assessments and intakes. Counseling occurs on site Monday through Friday, 8:30am- 5:00pm/ 10:00am- 6:30pm. Group and triad supervision are provided weekly depending on how many units are needed that week and there is a required 1 hour administrative staff meeting each week.
This practicum offers extensive training and prepares students to be professional therapists with high legal and ethical standards.
Contact Information:
For internship opportunities please email resume and cover letter to: Kaitlyn Oviedo- Program Manager (koviedo@upacsd.com); Jessica Martin- Assistant Program Manager (jmartin@upacsd.com)
Adult Alcohol & Drug Treatment and Recovery
At UPAC Adult Alcohol & Drug Treatment Recovery Center, our mission is to provide outpatient Substance Use Disorder treatment specifically focused on adults 18+, refugees, immigrants and other underserved populations who reside in San Diego County. Our program provides innovative and effective substance abuse treatment and recovery services to empower the individual to reach their full potential, improve their quality of life, strengthen their families, and benefit the communities they live in. ATR takes a client centered approach in which clients can receive group counseling, individual counseling, and or therapy each week. Clients have access to case managers to assist them with finding housing, income resources, food banks in the community, transportation needs, and other daily living needs.
The length of the commitment: 10-12 months | The number of hours required of trainees per week: 18-20 hours/week | Site Operating Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00am-6:30pm | Group Supervision is provided
*Currently not accepting interns until Fall 2022 | Next internship projected start date: 7/1/2022
Contact Information:
Amir Vahabinejad, avahabinejad@upacsd.com
Teen Recovery Center
At UPAC’s Teen Recovery Center (TRC), our mission is to provide teens and families the support they need throughout the recovery process. We offer affordable evidence-based care to our teens and provide a safe place where they can connect with others they can relate to. We provide SUD services to youth ages 12-17 at our main site and three schools in the San Diego Unified School District.
Interns are expected to commit to 10 months with the program, with a weekly average of 16-18 hours on-site. Interns will be paired with a Primary Counselor and assist in providing/facilitating the following: assessments; individual, group, and family counseling sessions; case management; drug testing; and prosocial activities. All interns will be required to register with CCAPP and complete about 15 hours of County trainings in the first month. They will also receive training on DMC-ODS paperwork and documentation. UPAC also provides weekly BBS-required clinical supervision and bi-weekly AOD supervision for all interns.
*Currently not accepting interns until Fall 2022
Contact Information:
Melissa Lindo,mlindo@upacsd.com