ENLACES Community Counseling Program
In support of the communities we serve, the JFK School of Psychology and Social Sciences partners with school districts to provide counseling services via practicum placement in our ENLACES Community Counseling Program (ECCP), internally managed by the Office of Professional Training.
Graduate- and postgraduate-level psychology students provide in-person counseling services in K-12s throughout the local region.
Counselors who participate in the ECCP receive individual and group supervision from highly experienced NU clinical supervisors licensed in clinical psychology, professional counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy. Counselors also receive extensive clinical orientation and didactic trainings to enhance their knowledge and skills.
Jes Moniz, LMFT
Jes Moniz, LMFT, is the associate clinical director of The ENLACES Community Counseling Program.
She began her professional journey in the mental health sector in 2013 and has accrued significant experience over the years, including overseeing the Michael Harris Community Counseling Program at JFK School of Psychology, National University. Jes most recently served as the clinical director for the Family Justice Centers in Solano and Contra Costa, where she supported clients affected by trauma from domestic violence, abuse and neglect, community violence, and human trafficking. In this role, she oversaw both the programmatic and clinical components of several clinical programs funded by federal, state, and local grants.
Throughout her career, Jes has worn multiple hats, assisting at-risk youth as a mentor and tutor, guiding emancipated foster youth in life planning while employed at a transitional home, and working as a preschool teacher to aid families in fostering their children’s healthy development. Her diverse experience also includes serving as a family service counselor, a role in which she offered support to families grappling with grief and loss.
Passionate about personal and professional development, Jes is committed to empowering clients to realize their inherent strengths and cultivate resilience. She finds fulfillment in helping her clients comprehend, accept, and harness their complete emotional spectrum in a way that is meaningful to them, guiding them to reauthor their preferred narratives.
Through the OPT’s ENLACES Community Counseling Program (ECCP), our counselors provide mental health services in school settings in the local community. Our counselors utilize a variety of treatment approaches, including, but not limited to, solution-focused brief therapy, humanistic therapy, expressive arts, and play therapy. Services offered include:
- Individual therapy for youth
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- Referrals for acute crisis intervention
- Services are tailored to the needs of each client, many who seek help coping with:
- Depression, anxiety, grief, divorce, stressful life events, and other personal concerns
- Youth issues: self-esteem, bullying, sexuality, and school-related problems
- Family issues: parenting, child-parent conflicts, blended families, and violence prevention
The ECCP currently provides services to the following districts:
- National City School District
- Chula Vista Elementary School District
Clinical Training Experience
The ECCP provides a comprehensive clinical training experience that enables counselors to become well-rounded mental health professionals:
- MFT, PCC, and MSW trainees and associates from the JFK School of Psychology and Social Sciences community and beyond are able to complete their mandated practicum and licensure hours and prepare for the state licensing exam
- Clinical supervision is provided by professionals employed by the OPT and licensed in clinical psychology, marriage and family therapy, and social work
Training Emphasis
The ECCP empowers counselors to provide therapy to a variety of populations and to be professionally successful in various settings.
Therapy
ECCP training emphasizes the practice of solution-focused brief therapy, family systems, and humanistic approaches. Counselors are also supported in exploring populations and theories they are passionate about and that are relevant to graduation and to the licensing exams. All counselors are supported in their growth as mental health clinicians through ongoing clinical trainings.
Professional Skills
Counselors are also equipped to expand their repertoire of experience beyond the therapy setting. Our program uniquely teaches counselors how to work in community-based settings and introduces them to the policies and procedures inherent to our community-based program. Counselors learn how to collaborate with other helping professionals such as teachers, nurses, and social workers, how to provide community presentations/workshops, and how to represent themselves as professional clinicians in the community.
Clinical training topics include, but are not limited to:
Theories and Modalities
- Solution-focused brief therapy
- Humanistic and holistic approaches
- Play/expressive arts/drama therapy techniques
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Family collateral and therapy work
Clinical Issues Relevant to ECCP Populations
- Depression/anger/anxiety
- Grief and loss
- Crisis and stressful life events
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- Working with Veterans
- Working with a variety of people and experiences
- Contextual understanding of self and other awareness
- Developmental stages
Professional Skills
- Comprehensive clinical assessment and screening
- Case conceptualization and treatment planning
- Law and ethics
- HIPAA compliancy regulations and electronic medical record keeping system
Commitment
The program typically requires a one-year (four-quarter) commitment and begins just before the fall quarter (September-October), with some exceptions due to program needs. Winter quarter is usually the next best time to start, although placement opportunities may not be as plentiful.
Counselors are typically required to work at least 20-25 hours per week, which includes a minimum of 10 client hours, paperwork, supervision, and trainings. This schedule gears counselors who are in graduate programs toward graduating in a timely manner. However, this schedule can be negotiated for trainees and MFT associates who work or are in other placements.
Students or associate therapists who are interested in more information regarding the clinical training provided through our ECCP can email [email protected] or submit an application below.