LLU Graduate School news

Loma Linda University psychology department collaborates with University of Redlands

(From left) Graham Stacey, PhD, director, psychological services clinic, LLU; Reuben Robles, MS, associate dean for student life at University of Redlands; and Lorraine Young, PhD, post doctorate fellow, psychological services clinic, LLU, get together to discuss the collaboration between LLU and University of Redlands.

"It's a win-win situation," reports Graham Stacey, PhD, director, psychological services clinic, LLU, on an agreement between the Loma Linda University Psychological Services Clinic, department of psychology, and Student Counseling Services of the University of Redlands. Clinical psychology students from Loma Linda now provide the psychological services for student counseling services at Redlands.

"The doctoral students at Loma Linda University need clinical experience with university student populations as part of their clinical training," continues Dr. Stacey. "And they need this before embarking on their internships." At the same time University of Redlands needs psychological services for its 2,000 plus students."

A long established relationship between the department of preventive medicine and the University of Redlands provided the foundation for the agreement. For many years, preventive medicine provided Redlands with all student health services including counseling. For the 2003 to 2004 school year Wayne Dysinger, MD, chair, preventive medicine, SM, invited the psychological services clinic to provide the counseling in connection with preventive medicine. The counseling had previously been provided by individual private practitioners with no contact with the department of psychology. For the 2004 to 2005 school year, in a departure from the past, preventive medicine plans to concentrate on physical health services and psychological services clinic will step in and provide the psychological services. The new agreement is viewed as a positive step forward by all concerned.

In the best tradition of university to university agreements, graduate students from Loma Linda will provide services for Redlands, another community entity, while receiving much needed training alongside fully licensed colleagues. "It is an agreement that transcends business arrangements and financial contracts," says Dr. Stacey. "It includes students, licensed professionals, and university faculty from both schools working for their best interests of their students; it benefits both the providers and the receivers of the services."

In a major development the agreement will be expanded to include psychological testing for learning disabilities, ADHD assessment, and educational accommodation where required. It is widely recognized that there is a critical need for psychological testing in the modern university setting. In the past, the services included only individual and group therapy.

Reuben Robles, MS, associate dean for student life at University of Redlands, Dr. Dysinger, and Dr. Stacey put in the groundwork, bringing the agreement to reality. Lorraine Young, PhD, a 2003 graduate of Loma Linda, has been hired as the director of contract clinical services and will coordinate the liaison between the program on behalf of the department of psychology. Matt Gragg, marriage and family therapist, will assist Dr. Young and together they, and the Loma Linda graduate students, will continue the winwin relationship between Loma Linda Univeristy and University of Redlands.

Thursday, August 19, 2004 TODAY [Graduate School]

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