Diversity and Community Mental Health Emphasis

Training in community mental health is typically learned piecemeal and on-the-job. PAU’s approach is deliberately systematic. 

Our curriculum focuses on specific competency areas:

• Theories and practice models of community mental health
• Vulnerable populations and special diagnoses (e.g., substance abuse, co-occurring disorders, chronic and serious mental illness, homelessness, monolingual clients)
• Cultural competence as related to mental health disparities and underserved communities.
• Discrimination and stigma reduction.
• Risk management: suicidality, homicidally, child and elder abuse
• Organizational, economic, advocacy, and policy issues in the public mental health system
• Program evaluation and organizational research

Consumer-driven education is a key component of your training. In your courses, you will work with or visit different community mental health organizations to learn directly from consumers and families themselves.

We also invite consumers to share their experiences and offer invaluable perspectives, through organizations such as NAMI and Momentum for Mental Health.

The DCMH area of emphasis includes 15 units (5 courses) over the course of two years (the 2nd and 3rd or 3rd and 4th years of the PhD program). These 15 units are encompassed within the 18 units of elective coursework required of students in the PhD program.

Five courses required for all PhD students are also requirements in the DCMH emphasis:

• E212A: Psychopathology and Psychodiagnosis I
• E212B: Psychopathology and Psychodiagnosis II
• T303B: Psychological Science III:  Biological Bases of Behavior II: Psychopharmacology
• T300: Cultural Differences: Cross-Cultural Issues in Psychology
• T301A: Psychological Science I: History and Systems

Your coursework sequence is designed to supplement the PhD program’s general clinical psychology training with an emphasis in diversity and community mental health:

Year 1 (typically the 2nd year of the PhD program):

• DCMH course #1: Community Mental Health I (3 units)
• DCMH course #2: Serious Mental Illness (3 units)

Year 2 (typically the 3rd year of the PhD program):

• DCMH course #3: Community Mental Health II: Organizational Management and Consultation (3 units)
• Timing Optional (take the course during the spring quarter of whichever year preferred):
• DCMH course #4: Mental Health Disparities (3 units)
• DCMH course #5: Choice from numerous existing PAU elective courses including, but not limited to: substance abuse, child/family, trauma, health, forensic, global mental health, technology and mental health, LGBTQ, Black/African American mental health, or Latinx mental health.

Timing Optional (take the course during the spring quarter of whichever year preferred):

• DCMH course #4: Mental Health Disparities (3 units)
• DCMH course #5: Choice from numerous existing PAU elective courses on topics that include but are not limited to: substance abuse, child/family, trauma, health, forensic, global mental health, technology and mental health, LGBTQ, Black/African American mental health, or Latinx mental health. DCMH students should contact Dr. Chu for approval of eligibility for the 5th course.

Consumer-driven education is a key component of training in Diversity and Community Mental Health. Students in the DCMH emphasis will be required in the context of different DCMH courses to work with or visit different community mental health organizations to learn experientially from consumers and families themselves. Consumers are also invited as speakers in DCMH curriculum to share their experiences and offer invaluable perspectives, through organizations such as NAMI and Momentum for Mental Health.

Your DCMH coursework will be paired with both research and clinical training. You will complete dissertation work with one of PAU’s numerous research groups that support an emphasis in community mental health topics.

Research focused on cultural diversity issues, serious mental illness, substance abuse, systems-based interventions, or other special populations are only a small example of acceptable research topics.

Program evaluation or organizational research is typically needed in community mental health leadership, and is particularly encouraged in the DCMH area of emphasis.

The DCMH director will qualifying dissertation research projects.

All DCMH students, like other PhD students, will participate in a second-year practicum at the Gronowski Clinic. During your third or fourth, you will participate in at least one community mental health practicum training site.

Two internship spots in the APA-accredited Serious Mental Illness Recovery Track of Marin County Mental Health are available to PAU DCHM students each year. Clients are diverse, with intern opportunities to provide services (and receive supervision/consultation) in Spanish and Vietnamese.

These positions include supervised training in integrated psychology services for adults and older adults with acute or serious/persistent mental illness. You will provide individual and group psychotherapy, as well as learning skills for crisis intervention, stabilization and assertive case management.

Interns also provide intensive IDDT and case management services and field interventions to the homeless, older adults, in the medication clinic, in the Health and Wellness Campus, and in client homes.

All PAU PhD students are eligible for the DCMH emphasis area. 

Applications for the emphasis can be submitted after completion of coursework, practicum, and dissertation proposal at this link.

Students can only report completion of the Diversity and Community Mental Health Area of Emphasis if they have fulfilled all requirements of the emphasis listed above (coursework, practicum, and dissertation defense completion).