Through a new community partnership with the Los Angeles Mission, L.A. Campus students will soon begin providing mental health services to homeless women enrolled in a unique program designed to help them make critical life changes and regain their confidence and dignity.

Between 10 and 12 students in the Clinical Psychology, Forensic Psychology, and Marital and Family Therapy programs will make up the initial practicum cohort, each working under the supervision of a licensed psychologist to assess and participate in treatment plans for clients of the Anne Douglas Center for Women.

“Women who have been on the streets have a trauma component to their service needs,” says Terry Masi, interim senior director of training for the campus. “The sheer nature of their situation has made them vulnerable; their need to secure food and shelter has opened them up to sexual and physical abuse. They have so much to deal with, including a lot of guilt and shame.”

“Women who have been on the streets have a trauma component to their service needs,” says Terry Masi, interim senior director of training for the campus. “The sheer nature of their situation has made them vulnerable; their need to secure food and shelter has opened them up to sexual and physical abuse. They have so much to deal with, including a lot of guilt and shame.”

TCSPP students will work with women on an individual and group basis, using a variety of tools to assess their abilities and needs, and then to develop appropriate treatment plans. As a first step, students will be assigned in pairs to shadow chaplains during the Jump Start program—a one-month introductory phase during which clients receive preliminary services and decide whether to commit to a more comprehensive two-year Fresh Start program.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students, who will have the opportunity to put a wide variety of skills into practice,” Masi says. “They will perform holistic assessments to determine clients’ cognitive and work abilities, as well as their psychological and criminogenic needs. They will then be able to make recommendations about interventions and will participate directly in their treatment plans.”

The Los Angeles Mission is a 75-year-old faith-based organization dedicated to addressing the needs of men and women living on the streets of Skid Row. Currently 120 clients are served through the Jump Start and Fresh Start programs, and through the Douglas Center—named for the wife of actor Kirk Douglas—which tailors services to the unique needs of women who have been on the street.

As a Christian-based organization, the Mission has historically worked with clients on a spiritual and religious basis, Masi explained, but administrators have more recently come to realize that many women had mental health needs that needed to be addressed as well. Thus, a partnership with The Chicago School’s L.A. Campus was forged.

“The Mission bases its services on relationships, and the relationships that clients develop with our students will be an important part of that,” Masi says. “If they can learn to trust one person, it will be critical in helping them move forward and trust others. It will be a wonderful learning experience for our students as well; when you walk through the center, you can’t help but see the hope and the dignity associated with recovery. These are things that our students don’t see in their everyday lives.”