Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing

Institute Affiliated Center Director Interview Series

 

Mitchell Family Counseling Clinic Interview

(This interview was conducted by: Andrea Diaz, Jamie Manning, Analise Murguia, and Jessica Salaz)

Joyce Medley, Executive Director

Wellbeing Interview Team: Please state your title and position at the Mitchell Family Counseling Clinic.
Joyce Medley: I am the Executive Director of the Mitchell Family Counseling Clinic part of the department of Educational Psychology and Counseling within the Michael D. Eisner College of Education.                 

WB: What training did you pursue and need for this position?
JM: I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and have been since 1990. Prior to that, I did a four-year internship as part of the licensing requirement. Before the completion of my license, I was teaching at public schools. As a licensed marriage and family therapist I have set up and marketed my own business. In addition, I have 22 years of experience as a clinical supervisor at the Valley Trauma Center, which is now known as Strength United, as well as at CSUN. I have been a professor at CSUN since 1993, and gained a greater teaching load in 2004.  Along with working at the university, I have also been a part of starting and operating a non-profit organization. Prior to the 1994 Northridge earthquake the faculty had plans to create a counseling center where we could use graduate students as part of their training in family and marriage counseling but unfortunately at the time, there weren’t any funds available. After the earthquake, Dr. Shari Tarver-Behring received the FEMA grant to provide treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. I was hired to set up what was then known as Community Counseling and Resource Institute (CCRI). Lastly, I am identified by the board of behavioral sciences as a subject matter expert in marriage and family therapy and am one of the professionals responsible for writing the marriage and family therapist licensing exam. I have had the opportunity to gain a broad base of experiences in teaching, supervising, and administration that have given me the ability to direct the Mitchell Family Counseling Clinic.

WB: Please describe your organization and mission statement.
JM: The Mitchell Family Counseling Clinic is a community mental health clinic that serves as a training site for CSUN students and provides quality counseling services to the community at large.

WB: What type of active committees and supervisory staff exist within the Mitchell Family Counseling Clinic?
JM: The primary committee would be the clinical director which is myself, the department chair Dr. Shari Tarver-Behring, our clinical supervisor Dr. Dana Stone who is also an assistant professor and the MFT fieldwork coordinator, the MFT program curriculum coordinator Diane Gehart, and the MFT program student coordinator Stan Charnofsky. The department as a whole also meets as a committee on an as needed basis. In addition, the administrative committee consisting of myself, the administrative coordinator Hannah Goff and two student assistants Ryuji Yoneyama and Rich Solla also meet regularly. I also serve on the directors committee of the Teaching, Learning, Counseling Consortium (TLCC) of which the MFCC is a part of.

WB: How does the organization serve as a catalyst for positive change related to the strategic priorities of your programs?
JM: Our committee meetings allow us to explore and develop creative ways to ensure a quality training program while providing quality services to the community.

WB: In what way have old or existing partnerships with other campus organizations, clubs, or facilities on or off campus been enhanced as a result of the Mitchell Family Counseling Clinic?
JM: We have had a lot of contact with other organizations and agencies here on campus. I have only been here for two years and so part of my job has been reaching out on campus. We have made connections with other departments and programs that have made us stronger. I hope that in the process they have received benefits as well. We certainly collaborate with the department of social work, student housing, the TLCC, and we share facilities with the credential office and the Family Focus resource center. Lastly, there is a curriculum committee in the department that is led by Diane Gehart. When this committee meets, we discuss issues that we are having with the curriculum that can be tweaked and enhanced. We talk to each other and we come up with ways to make it work and make it better.

WB: Have new relationships been built with new partners as a result of the Mitchell Family Counseling Clinic? If so, in what way and with whom?
JM: When I came in, there were already relationships in place. I know that the director before me already had a relationship with the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing. I think that I have become more active there. That has definitely been an important asset for myself and for the Mitchell Family Counseling Clinic. I think that the partnership that we have with the Department of Social Work has also been enhanced. It’s like I’m always meeting new people. We are also working with the University Counseling Center, often receiving client referrals.

WB: How would you describe the relationship between partners in terms of collaboration and cooperativeness in upholding the CSUN mission statement?
JM: The Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing has been a major catalyst in the development of relationships between the Mitchell Family Counseling Clinic and other entities on campus. They have helped the clinic grow and become sustainable by helping us develop mission statements, connections on campus, needs assessments, and establish a new marketing plan. All of these and more help us to meet our goals of providing quality training and services. 

WB: What are some ways that the Mitchell Family Counseling Clinic has provided people in the CSUN and surrounding community with easier access to resources within your facility?
JM: We have increased our advertising through the Sundial and expanded our website. We are able to offer affordable fees that are oftentimes lower than insurance co-payments. We reach out to other community agencies to inform them of our services and attend local resource fairs.

WB: In what ways do you address the cultural diversity of the CSUN student body within your organization?
JM: The Mitchell Clinic is very diverse. I think we try to keep an open dialogue with our students. I know that as professionals we talk about the impact of culture on how it affects both individuals and the community. The faculty, staff and students accurately reflect the culture of the San Fernando Valley.

WB: How do you use social media to promote your organization on campus and beyond?
JM: This is an area of needed growth. We currently have a website and are in the process of setting up a social media site. The issue is keeping it updated and maintained.

WB: How and when do you conduct process evaluations (analyzing how program activities are delivered) within your organization?
JM: We are in the process of getting ready to do that. A few years ago a study was done on the program needs and was very beneficial. We are developing a needs assessment to evaluate the program and the services it provides.

WB: What are the different ways that you self-evaluate your faculty, staff, and students?
JM: We do observations, self-reports, we look at student grades, there is a formal evaluation of the students and the site at the end of each semester, professors at the clinic meet one on one with each student as well, students also evaluate both the program and their training site. It is important to myself and the clinic to observe morale and commitment throughout the entire process. 

 




Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing Interview

(This interview was conducted by: Andrea Diaz, Jamie Manning, Analise Murguia, and Jessica Salaz)

Dr. David Boyns, Director

Wellbeing Interview Team: Please state your title and position at the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing.                    
David Boyns: My name is David Boyns. I am a Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute of Community Health and Wellbeing.

WB: What training did you pursue and need for this position?
DB: I have a Ph.D. in Sociology and I have a tenured position on campus here at CSUN. My background is in community engagement, social science research and evaluation, and human subject ethics. I have a quite a bit of experience in those areas. I have worked in evaluation for almost 20 years, and in human subjects institutional review boards for about 12 years, and I also worked with the Institute for about 4 years before I became the Director. Initially, I was the Institute’s Coordinator of Research and Evaluation Activities.

WB: Please describe your organization and mission statement.
DB: The Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing is a collaborative and transdisciplinary institute. It draws together faculty, students, community members, as well as community and campus organizations in order to pursue issues related to health and wellbeing on campus and in the local community. Its mission is to promote professional development, research activities, and collaborative engagements among faculty, students, and community partners. Our core areas for the Institute are focused on autism services and prevention, obesity services and prevention, and in issues related to United States Veterans. These are the three core areas that the Institute was initiated to pursue. A fourth area was added and it is specific to community engagement in the community of Canoga Park. The Institute has been working really closely with the community of Canoga Park for about four years to help to build campus and community partnerships and to infuse student activities through community engagement and service learning. There are tutoring programs, early childhood intervention programs, and more.

WB: What type of active committees and supervisory staff exist within the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing?
DB: We have a Director, Associate Director, Staff Coordinator, and then we have a group of students who are the Project Coordinators. We also have volunteers that work with the Institute as well. During the Fall 2015 semester we probably had about 18-20 volunteers. We also have about 8 students who are working on research projects that are organized through the Institute.

WB: How does the organization serve as a catalyst for positive change related to the strategic priorities of your programs?
DB: One way is that we promote collaboration among campus partners from different disciplines at CSUN. We create a positive change in regards to communication skills, recreational activities outside of campus, and community collaboration. We do our best to promote research activities on campus and in the community.

WB: In what way have old or existing partnerships with other campus organizations, clubs, or facilities on or off campus been enhanced as a result of the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing?
DB: We have a meeting every semester with the Directors from different centers and we pursue concerns they may have, and develop collaborations on this campus and in the surrounding community. The Institute helps tie faculty to students, and faculty to organizations.

WB: Have new relationships been built with new partners as a result of the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing? If so, in what way and with whom?
DB: Yes, before the development of the Institute, we had many centers available on campus. The Institute is a hub that draw all centers together to collaborate, as well as have any opportunity to share experiences and new ideas.

WB: How would you describe the relationship between partners in terms of collaboration and cooperativeness in upholding the CSUN mission statement?
DB: Part of the CSUN mission statement is to benefit the broader community and the Institute has this focus in terms of promoting student growth, development, education. We are hands on in terms of creating student service opportunities, and working with community partners. 

WB: What are some ways that the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing has provided people in the CSUN and surrounding community with easier access to resources within your facility?
DB: We have a website (http://www.csun.edu/wellbeing) that was developed to serve with the purpose of community outreach. On our website, we make the health and wellbeing centers and the services being offered on campus available for the community to see. That is one way in which the Institute has helped to engage in outreach to the broader community so that folks know what kinds of services are being offered on campus.

WB: In what ways do you address the cultural diversity of the CSUN student body within your organization?
DB: CSUN is already such a diverse campus and we build on that by working with the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) on campus. Many students have autism, and we have created an Autism Affinity Group to pursue collaborative partnerships related to autism research, program development, and student support. There are also many veterans on campus, and working with veterans is one of our core areas. Our staff members work closely with the Student Veterans Organization on campus. These activities reflect and promote diversity and we try to be as inclusive as possible.

WB: How do you use social media to promote your organization on campus and beyond?
DB: We have a website and a newsletter (http://www.csun.edu/wellbeing/newsletter) that people can subscribe to. We distribute this newsletter weekly. We also have a Facebook page and Instagram account.

WB: How and when do you conduct process evaluations (analyzing how program activities are delivered) within your organization?
DB: We conduct process evaluations constantly. This is one of our primary areas of focus. We work with our campus partners in order to help them understand the impact of their own work. We have conducted both quantitative and qualitative evaluations. We also have an advisory board that meets several times each year to assess they are doing and reflect on how our activities should be changed. 


 

Family Focus Resource Center Interview
(This interview was conducted by: Andrea Diaz, Jamie Manning, Analise Murguia, and Jessica Salazar)

Dr. Ivor Weiner

Wellbeing Interview Team: Please state your title and position at the CSUN Family Focus Resource Center.
Ivor Weiner: I am the Director of the Family Focus Resource Center (FFRC) and I am also a Professor in the Department of Special Education.

WB: What training did you pursue and need for this position?
IW: In order to lead an organization with an annual budget of just over a $500,000 and 11 employees, you need strong financial and leadership skills. I have a Masters in Public Administration with an emphasis in government finance and I worked in city management for a few years. My degree and experience have proven to be valuable as I have a solid understanding of finance and budgets. Working in city management taught me how to be a collaborative partner and gave me a critical understanding of how to build consensus and partnerships, both inside and outside of a community.

WB:  Please describe your organization and mission statement.
IW: The Family Focus Resource Center provides referrals, emotional support, and training to families who have children with disabilities. Often times parents become very overwhelmed and disempowered when they first learn of their child’s diagnosis. Our employees assist families in navigating two large systems. The first is the school system such as LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) and the second, the North Los Angeles County Regional Center.  FFRC employees show parents how to get their child’s needs met through positive means; we do not engage in adversarial relationships. We believe that one can gain the right services for a child and her family by teaching families how to foster positive relationships with professionals.

WB: What type of active committees and supervisory staff exist within the CSUN Family Focus Resource Center?
IW: There are coordinators in different valleys that report to the program manager.

WB:  How does the organization serve as a catalyst for positive change related to the strategic priorities of your programs?
IW: As stated before, we avoid adversarial interactions with agencies that provide services for children with disabilities, and we help families to see their child’s strengths instead of the child’s deficits.  We provide a large number and variety of educational workshops for families and professionals. Empowering individuals to rely on their own knowledge and intuition is a powerful tool for positive change.  Empowering families and professionals ultimately empowers the individual with the disability.

WB:  In what way have old or existing partnerships with other campus organizations, clubs, or facilities on or off campus been enhanced as a result of the CSUN Family Focus Resource Center?
IW: My staff and I value collaborative relationships, both within the CSUN community and outside of CSUN. One recent partnership facilitated by the Institute of Community Health and Wellbeing involved the FFRC and the Department of Social Work. Our staff worked closely with social work interns to manage difficult cases that were beyond our expertise and capacity.

WB: Have new relationships been built with new partners as a result of the CSUN Family Focus Resource Center? If so, in what way and with whom?
IW: We have a strong relationship with the North Los Angeles County Regional Center, which is a state agency that provides direct services to individuals with disabilities, including autism.  Half of our budget comes from NLACRC funding and two years ago we partnered with them on a mobile screening van that provides free developmental screenings in underserved communities.

WB: How would you describe the relationship between partners in terms of collaboration and cooperativeness in upholding the CSUN mission statement?
IW: One of the missions of CSUN is to serve the community and this is our main goal. Another part of our mission is to provide students with practical experience within the community. We do this through our mobile screening van. As stated before, we have partnered with social work students and with our mobile van, students from the Educational Psychology and Counseling Department gain valuable experience working our community events.  The van is our attempt to give students hands on experience and to shuttle the research we are doing at CSUN into surrounding communities.  Our interaction with the community also informs our teaching and research at the University.

WB:  What are some ways that the CSUN Family Focus Resource Center has provided people in the CSUN and surrounding community with easier access to resources within your facility?
IW: We have helped the CSUN community with our mobile van that gives free screenings to children. Most of our clients are Latino and we understand their needs and are sensitive to those needs. A barrier for many underserved populations is transportation – getting to the University that is often seen as a very intimidating place. Our staff travel to meet families in their own community and we are very sensitive to the barriers these families face.  Little things like being accessible and sensitive to the their specific challenges allows us to build trust which is an essential first step in any relationship.

WB:  In what ways do you address the cultural diversity of the CSUN student body within your organization?
IW: We are keenly in tune with the needs and challenges of all those we interact with.  We also understand that many times people and organizations focus on the deficits – what’s wrong and what needs to be cured. Focusing on the strengths can be a very powerful tool to help families and professionals gain a deeper appreciation of those they interact with.  We use the same strength-based philosophy with students who work with Family Focus. We also understand that for many, college is a first time experience in their families, so we provide support, nurturing, and an opportunity to be connected to the community through our various programs.  

WB:  How do you use social media to promote your organization on campus and beyond?
IW: Any way we can get press in the social media world. My staff are pretty tech savvy and we utilize all social media platforms. Our monthly newsletter reaches approximately 5000 families, agencies, and professionals.

WB: How and when do you conduct process evaluations (analyzing how program activities are delivered) within your organization?
IW: We conduct evaluations every year with our end of the year report. Students that are studying to be researchers are given the opportunities to look at our data. An example would be with an employee spending too much time with one family which means another family is being neglected. These are the kinds of things that get brought to our attention that we don’t notice, and so we try to make our services more efficient and effective.

WB: What are the different ways that you self-evaluate your faculty, staff, and students?
IW: I don’t do formal evaluations. My staff and I have an open communication and I am intimately involved in the organization. My staff have been with the organization for a long time with little turnover, which speaks to the kind of organization we try to foster – one where diversity and inclusion are valued. I trust my staff and I try to do anything and everything I can to support them. They are the true heroes who work tirelessly for this University and the community members they serve.