UCLA faculty have developed many evidence-based behavioral health interventions, many of which offer training to community providers and agencies. Learn more about each program and training opportunities below.
Stress, Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Seminars
The Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR) Seminar brings together experts in the field of child and family trauma to discuss important topics related to prevention science, family intervention, best practices, and cutting edge research.
FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress)
The FOCUS program was originally developed at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, in collaboration with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School. FOCUS is a manualized, strength-based, and family-centered intervention designed to support couples, parents, and youth who are experiencing ongoing stress, trauma, and/or transition.
Training in FOCUS is available through the Division of Population Behavioral Health Training Institute. Training consists of independent learning, two days of interactive training led by a member of the Division Training Team, and ongoing model consultation.
UCLA EMPWR Program for LGBTQ mental health
The EMPWR (“empower”) Program is an initiative of the UCLA Division of Population Behavioral Health designed to promote well-being and resilience in LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning) children, teenagers, and adults.
EMPWR provides a safe, open environment for LGBTQ individuals with mental health concerns related to stressful and/ or traumatic experiences. This program links patients and families to an expert team of attending psychiatrists and psychologists as well as supervised advanced trainees who deliver comprehensive mental health care. Specialized individual, family, and group programs build on personal strengths, foster healthy identity formation, and mitigate the consequences of stressful and/or traumatic experiences.
Training and professional development for mental health clinicians, students, and professionals on established best practices for affirming LGBTQ care, sexuality and gender related minority stress, and trauma is also available from the EMPWR Team.
The Program for Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) was originally developed at UCLA by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, Founder and Director of the UCLA PEERS® Clinic, and Dr. Fred Frankel. PEERS® is a manualized, social skills training intervention for youth with social challenges.
The UCLA PEERS® Clinic offers three-day certified training seminars for mental health professionals who are interested in using the PEERS® Curriculum in their clinical practice. Certified school-based trainings are also available and are designed for teachers, school psychologists, counselors, speech and language pathologists, administrators, and school-based professionals. Additionally, PEERS® provides off-site training seminars, presentations, or talks for a variety of agencies based on their specific needs. For more information about training from the UCLA PEERS® Clinic, please visit their training website at www.semel.ucla.edu/peers/training or contact them directly at 310-26-PEERS (310-267-3377) or peersclinic@ucla.edu.
Latest news: https://www.semel.ucla.edu/group/7832/news
UCLA TIES for Families believes that every child deserves permanency in a stable nurturing family, and seeks to optimize the growth and development of children and young people from birth to 21 who are, or have been, in foster care. Most of the children served have experienced trauma and many have had multiple foster placements. The program reduces barriers to permanency for children by providing pre-placement education to foster and/or adoptive parents countywide, and supporting the children and their resource families with an array of high-quality, accessible, and free comprehensive services. UCLA TIES for Families’ interdisciplinary services include comprehensive mental health, pediatric, educational, psychiatric, speech and language, occupational therapy, youth and parent mentorship, parent and child support groups, and therapeutic in-home behavioral services to address the wide range of needs potentially presented by children and families.
UCLA TIES for Families also provides training and professional development for students and professionals from child welfare, psychiatry, psychology, social work, pediatrics, law, and education and to community and foster family agencies, with intern and externship training for psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists. Based on its unique model and promising results, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) has designated UCLA TIES as a Community Defined Evidence Based Practice, and TIES continues to research and publish about outcomes of the unique program. TIES for Families is a collaboration of the Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities, the UCLA Psychology Department, the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, and private foundations.
Contact TIES: https://www.uclahealth.org/mattel/ties-for-families/contact-us