SPOTLIGHT ON CVHEC: Priscilla Arrellano

CVHEC appoints Arrellano new admin specialist

 

Joining the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium  core team is Priscilla Victoria Arellano, who was named the consortium’s fulltime administrative specialist effective June 10.

She will oversee and provide high-level support in all consortium administrative needs, budgeting and special events/meetings, said Ángel Ramírez, CVHEC finance and operations manager, as well as provide support to Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director.

An experienced professional in medical administrative services, Arellano said she welcomes the challenges of translating her experience to the educational field and contributing to furthering the consortiums’ mission of increasing the degree attainment rate of the Central Valley’s nine-county  region from San Joaquin to Kern.

“I am especially enthusiastic about this new journey with an organization that brings together college executives and educators who are helping residents of our valley get a college education and improve their lives,” said Arellano. “I enjoyed working with medical professionals the past six years and all they do for healthcare. Now I look forward to applying that experience at CVHEC working with educators and all they do for higher education in our area.”

Ramirez said the addition of Arellano is a major organizational step as the consortium’s work continues to expand.“We are impressed with the extensive experience Priscilla brings from the medical field and look forward to her completing our team,” he said. “We are only a month in, and I can already feel the relief of having her onboard full-time.”

He also extended heartfelt gratitude to outgoing admin specialist Priscila Villanueva who worked parttime for the consortium since 2018.

“We now call her our first Priscila and we are forever grateful for the crucial role she played, even in a part-time capacity, helping launch the new direction CVHEC has undertaken in recent years,” Ramirez said. “I am sure we will continue to see her around, once a CVHEC-er always a CVHEC-er.”

 

See BIO-Priscilla Arrellano

MEDICAL EDUCATION (MAY 2024): UCSF Fresno expands access

UCSF Fresno: expanding access to
medical school degrees for Central Valley students

 

BY BRANDY RAMOS NIKAIDO
Office of Communications — University of California San Francisco Fresno Campus

The UCSF School of Medicine Fresno Regional Campus (UCSF Fresno) extends the reach and impact of the top-ranked UCSF School of Medicine to Fresno, the San Joaquin Valley, and Central California. UCSF Fresno’s mission is to improve health in the region, state, and beyond through teaching, patient care, research, and public service and community partnerships. This includes a commitment to providing high-quality medical education in the region and expanding access to a medical school degree for Valley students.

A great need exists for both primary and specialty physicians in California. In the San Joaquin Valley, the need is even more urgent. There are 47 primary care physicians in the San Joaquin Valley per 100,000 population, in contrast to the recommended 81.

The path to becoming a practicing physician is long and rigorous, taking 11 years or more after high school, depending on the specialty. UCSF Fresno is involved at almost every step of the way – from our longstanding Doctors Academy for high school students who are interested in medical careers, the new SJV-MedBridge pathway for community college students, the recently launched SJV PRIME+ Baccalaureate-to-MD pathway in collaboration with UC Merced, UCSF Fresno residency and fellowship training programs, and UCSF Fresno’s robust continuing medical education portfolio.

To better coordinate and increase the success of existing pathway programs, in summer 2022, UCSF Fresno established the Office of Health Career Pathways (OHCP) within the Department of Undergraduate Medical Education. OHCP provides administrative oversight to all UCSF Fresno pathway programs.

Thanks to long-standing partnerships, state funding, and new collaborations, including with UC Merced, Fresno State, and Valley community colleges, UCSF Fresno is widening the path for local students to become physicians and serve the region that they call home.

 

UCSF Fresno Doctors Academy

With a focus on addressing the increasing health professional shortage, the Doctors Academy program was established in 1999, by Katherine A. Flores, MD. The program began as a partnership between UCSF Fresno, Fresno Unified School District, and the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools. The first graduating class from the Doctors Academy was in 2003 from Sunnyside High School. The first Caruthers High School graduating class followed in 2010. Middle school programming was introduced through the Junior Doctors Academy program and currently has four school sites that host the program, including Caruthers Elementary, Kings Canyon Middle School, Sequoia Middle School and Terronez Middle School. The UCSF Fresno Doctors Academy programs continue as a partnership with contracting schools. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply.

All graduating students in the Doctors Academy programs at Sunnyside and Caruthers High Schools received admission to post-secondary institutions. Several Doctors Academy graduates are medical students in the SJV PRIME and three have been accepted into the SJV PRIME+.

“The dedication and commitment from our school sites and community partners are the catalysts that allow us to offer students and their families a wide range of services and opportunities for academic excellence and clinical mentorship experiences,” said Dr. Flores.

“It is because of the collaborative efforts of these strong partnerships that the Doctors Academy students continue to attain their academic goals and are successful applicants to colleges and universities, most with continued aspirations to enter a health profession.  We are extremely proud of all our students’ accomplishments and look forward to having them join our Central Valley’s health care provider team in the future.”

 

San Joaquin Valley Med-Bridge (SJV-MedBridge) 

San Joaquin Valley-MedBridge (SJV-MedBridge) is an outreach-focused program that connects community college students in the San Joaquin Valley to the resources, avenues, and mentors that will help them reach their goals and further allow them to explore the world of medicine.

SJV-MedBridge was developed by UCSF Fresno and launched in the fall of 2023, with the encouragement and support of Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Executive Director Ben Duran, EdD, and in partnership with Fresno State, community colleges in the San Joaquin Valley, California Health Sciences University, and multiple medical education programs.

The program was made possible through Senate Bill 40, which was proposed by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (then D-14) in 2021. A native of Sanger, Sen. Hurtado (SD 16) helped fund the establishment of the California Medicine Scholars Program, which is administered by the Foundation for California Community Colleges.

SJV-MedBridge aims to extend and highlight access to various workshops related to medicine and support transfer efforts from community colleges to four-year institutions. The program also encourages and provides networking opportunities to and with experts in the pre-medical community, while fostering a community-focused environment for individuals with a shared interest and passion for medicine.

Each month, students participate in a virtual session and an in-person session, including a simulation day at UCSF Fresno where they learn about CPR, wound care, and ultrasound.

Currently in its first year, the program has enrolled two cohorts for a total of 102 community college students from across eight counties in the San Joaquin Valley.

“We try to eliminate as many barriers as possible to get into SJV-MedBridge,” said Sydney Farnesi, program supervisor. “Qualifications include interest in medicine and completion of 12 units in community college within the San Joaquin Valley. We specifically look for students who do not have a previous bachelor’s degree.”

The goal for SJV-MedBridge is to enroll 50 students each year. Current community college students in the San Joaquin Valley who are driven and seek opportunities to advance into the medical field with a goal of becoming a physician are encouraged to apply to the program. Applications for the next cohort will open in the Summer of 2024.

 

UCSF San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education 

 

The UCSF San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education (SJV-PRIME) is a tailored track at the UCSF School of Medicine for students from the Valley who are committed to working with underserved populations in the region at the individual and community levels.

SJV PRIME started in 2011 as a partnership among the UC Davis School of Medicine, UC Merced, UCSF School of Medicine, and UCSF Fresno, with UC Davis serving as the degree-granting institution. UCSF became the degree-granting institution in 2018.

Students in the second class of the UCSF SJV PRIME took part in the 2024 Match, gathering with loved ones, faculty, and staff at a breakfast celebration on March 15 at UCSF Fresno to open the envelopes that would reveal the next step on their paths to becoming physicians.

Match Day takes place annually on the third Friday in March and is the time when soon-to-be medical school graduates across the United States simultaneously learn where they will spend the next several years conducting residency training (the hands-on clinical training under faculty supervision that is required prior to practicing independently).

Seven of the eight SJV PRIME students who participated in this year’s Match will continue their medical education at University of California campuses. Two will stay at UCSF Fresno in Emergency Medicine.

The UCSF Fresno medical residency programs that participated in the National Resident Matching Program received 8,305 residency applications and conducted 1,067 residency interviews for 75 available residency positions.

“We are very excited for our second class of SJV PRIME students on National Match Day,” said Loren Alving, MD, director of UCSF SJV PRIME. “These students are from the Valley, completed two and a half years of medical school in the Valley, and are committed to serving in the Valley. We look forward to great things from them and to one day welcoming them as faculty and as colleagues once they finish their residency and fellowship training.”

SJV PRIME students possess a common desire to provide care and to give back to the communities where they grew up. They also share a calling to promote health equity and mentor Valley students who follow in their footsteps, just as they were mentored.

UCSF Fresno is committed to developing an outstanding physician workforce that reflects Valley communities and improves patient care and access in the region and state. It has long been established that two factors play an essential role in determining where physicians practice: 1) where they grew up, and 2) where they complete their medical education.

By offering Valley students opportunities to complete medical education and training in the San Joaquin Valley, we increase the likelihood they will stay here to practice where they are needed most. Our goal is to recruit, train, and retain highly skilled clinicians and patient advocates for the Valley. UCSF Fresno is the most significant regional contributor to the physician workforce.

Many of our graduates stay in the Central Valley to provide care, continue their education, and teach the next generation.

 

MEDICAL EDUCATION (MAY 2024): UC Merced – ‘building the middle’

Read more

MEDICAL EDUCATION (MAY 2024): CHSU – opportunity to attend an accredited medical school in Central Valley

 The historic inaugural California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM) Class of 2024.

CHSU: successful match rate and

historic inaugural commencement

ceremony held for 66 new physicians 

 

BY RICHELE C. KLEISER
Vice President, Marketing & Communications – California Health Sciences University

With recent commencement exercises for its inaugural class of 2024, the California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM) concludes a dynamic academic year as the first university of its kind in the Central Valley offering a local option for medical school and a master’s in biomedical sciences to help remedy the shortage of health care services provided in the Valley.

The spring semester alone was filled with celebrating key milestones and achievements most notably Match Day March 15 when the inaugural class of 2024 achieved a remarkable 100 percent residency match rate (medical students learn the residency specialty program they will start after completing medical school).

The university also received news of achieving a seven-year accreditation for the medical school; the first cohort of Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences students graduated May 18; and college’s first doctoral medical degrees were conferred on 66 graduates at the CHSU-COM Commencement and Hooding Ceremony May 19.

Also at the commencement, CHSU Founding President Florence Dunn was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in recognition of her leadership, dedication and service to the university by Dr. John Welty and Dr. Kristin Clark, founding chair and vice chair of the CHSU Board of Trustees, respectively. (President Dunn is a member of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors, Chancellor Clark is the current chair of the CVHEC board and Dr. Welty, president-emeritus of Fresno State, is CVHEC’s founder and former chair of the board).

Dr. Teresa Hubka, president-elect of the American Osteopathic Association delivered the commencement keynote held at the Save Mart Center.

“The inaugural graduating class of CHSU medical students is significant because it shows local students that they can become doctors without leaving home to study and train,” President Dunn said. “We hope the opportunity to go to an accredited medical school in the Central Valley will encourage and inspire many others to become physicians.”

Accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), California Health Sciences University now has about 500 medical students in attendance and plans to grow to approximately 600 medical students in the next year. In addition to the inaugural class of 2024 medical students graduating this month, the CHSU will matriculate its fifth cohort of about 150 students in July.

The university also offers a one-year Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) program at its College of Biosciences and Health Professions with many of those who graduated this month already receiving acceptance into the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and other medical and dental schools.

The significance of the Inaugural Match Day is worth emphasizing. The festive occasion where the medical students, with loved ones in attendance, opened envelopes revealing the residency specialty program they will start after completing medical school marks the start of each physician’s career with post-graduate medical training.

In a nationwide process that is highly competitive, CHSU-COM’s 65 fourth-year medical students were matched with a wide variety of residencies, including 34 percent located in the Central Valley and 65 percent who will complete their residency in Primary Care, which includes family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics.

“Achieving a 100 percent match rate for our inaugural medical students is extraordinary and we are so proud of these future physicians,” said John Graneto, DO, dean of CHSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. “Having such a large number of CHSU graduates complete residencies locally, especially in primary care specialties, is an important part of our mission and will help underserved populations have more equitable access to health care.”

Shortly after came the good news that CHSU-COM was granted a seven-year accreditation by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). COCA is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the accreditor of colleges of osteopathic medicine.

The college had been working towards full accreditation since its inception in 2020 when it unveiled the newly constructed, state-art-of-the-art facility and welcomed the first cohort of medical students.

Based in Clovis, with gorgeous views of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the three-story College of Osteopathic Medicine building incorporates innovative technology throughout. The facility features large classrooms, an Osteopathic Skills lab, a library, plentiful private and collaborative study spaces, a spacious student lounge with Teaching Kitchen, and a Simulation Center.

The Simulation Center includes an inpatient area that resembles a hospital environment and an outpatient area that is like a clinic or doctor’s office. The innovative Simulation Center was meticulously planned to maximize interactive learning. CHSU’s 110-acre campus site provides plenty of space for decades of expansion. The campus could ultimately approach 2,000 students and nearly 300 faculty and staff. Further development of the campus will occur in multiple phases, as new programs and colleges are added for postgraduate health education.

“This accreditation achievement has been long anticipated and brings a sense of pride to the Central Valley,” said Dr. Graneto. “We can now offer local students the opportunity to earn a doctorate degree at an osteopathic medical school that is held to the same high standards as other programs and stay close to home to serve our community.”

To stay up to date with the latest CHSU-COM news and events, visit the university’s website at chsu.edu or follow along on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

See:

 

CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine earns seven-year Accreditation – ABC30

California Health Sciences University Celebrates Inaugural Doctors Graduation Ceremony

Sixty-six graduating doctors recognized from California Health Sciences University

 

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (May 2024): Bienestar and Mental Healthcare

As Mental Health Awareness Month winds down — and keeping in the theme of our special medical education issue — our CVHEC  “What the CV-HEC is Happening” blog this month presents a community voice discussing how CVHEC members are participating in a unique project that promotes mental healthcare for Latinx families and how mental illness, like other diseases, can be managed: the Bienestar Wellness Early Intervention Program.  Juan C. Garcia, PhD., executive director of the Integral Community Solutions Institute (Community Counseling Services), presents how a two-year $2 million grant from the California Youth Behavioral Health Initiative Round 5 will help reduce barriers in obtaining medical health care; provide a culturally congruent introduction to mental health care in the Central Valley; and provide unique medical education opportunities on partnership with UCSF Fresno and Fresno State.   Dr. Garcia is a licensed family therapist, a professor-emeritus of Fresno State’s Marriage and Family Therapy program, and a member of the Latino Mental Health Concilio. He co-founded ICSI in 2011 to provide counseling services to the unserved, underserved and the inappropriately served populations in the Central Valley by promoting community health through advocacy and wellness of the body, mind and spirit.  

 

Mental Health Awareness Month:

early psychosis in Latinx families 

Bienestar Wellness Early Intervention Program for mental healthcare

services to Latino and underserved communities includes CVHEC members

 

BY JUAN C. GARCIA, PhD.
Executive Director — Integral Community Solutions Institute

Stigma is an overwhelming concern when seeking mental health services in any community.  In the Latinx community it is even more of a barrier to services.

Early psychosis in Latinx families is a devastating psychological breakdown of a family member.  In the past, Latino families did not know that their child had treatment options.

However, Latinx families can be educated to understand that mental illness is a disease like other diseases and that it can be managed.  If they wait too long to receive services for themselves or for their children, the mental illness may become so severe that it would be difficult to manage in the coming years. The earlier they receive services the better for everyone.  Prevention education of Latinx families using cultural strategies reduces the long-term severity of this chronic mental health condition.

It is to this end that our community-based, non-profit organization, the Integral Community Solutions Institute (publicly known as Community Counseling Services), has secured funding for the Bienestar Wellness Early Intervention Program to reduce those barriers and provide a culturally congruent introduction to mental health care in the Central Valley.

We are excited to gain the support of the University of California San Francisco-Fresno psychiatry residency program as well as support from Fresno State. Both are members of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium which is made up of 28 institutions of higher education in its ten-county region.

We hope that soon the news will spread to the rest of the community that you don’t have to suffer  to receive mental health services.  We at ICSI believe in promoting community health through advocacy and wellness of the body, mind and spirit.

 

The need: services provided inappropriately may trigger more emotional and psychological damage

In California, based on 2019 data, almost four percent of adults were diagnosed with a serious mental illness (SMI) and 7.3 percent of children were diagnosed with severe emotional disorders. In the San Joaquin Valley the incidence rate was 4.8 for adults and 7.8 for children, both slightly higher than the state.

When taking into consideration the federal poverty line, the INCIDENCE rate increases to 8.5 percent for adults with SMI and 10 percent for children with severe emotional disturbance. For the Latinx population, the incidence rate was 4.1 percent for adults and 7.8 percent for children with severe emotional disturbance.

As you probably can surmise, there may be several barriers to mental health access.  Some of them are structural such as distance, location and times services are available.  Even in the schools the sparse counseling available is limited to the school hours of operation. Critical services are not available in rural areas such as may be needed by someone having a psychotic break in an emergency in Mendota or San Joaquin.  To get to services takes time, transportation and availability.

Once you do get to services though, there are another set of problems.  If the services are not provided in a language you can understand, that creates lack of access.

There are many indigenous dialects being spoken in the San Joaquin Valley that originate in Mexico and Central America.  The cultural clashes are inevitable and the mental health issues ensuing shortly after may become insurmountable without appropriate help.  The mental health provider may use interpreters, but many mental health concepts are not translatable creating a cultural and linguistic gap in services. As such, services are provided inappropriately and could trigger more emotional and psychological damage.

Like language, culture has a grammar, structure, and process for effective communication.  The use of familiar phrases based on mutually interpretable  cultural understanding is imminent in these critical cases.  The use of dichos, cuentos, canciones and other cultural understanding components facilitated by familiar symbols and linguistic devices provides the framework for trust, care and healing.

If I see a picture of George Washington cutting the cherry tree in the lobby of a mental health clinic, it does not help me if I am a Latinx client.  If I see the symbol of La Virgen de Guadalupe on the wall or even the Aztec Calendar, I can feel assured that someone here understands me.

Culturally responsive or congruent services are needed to reach the client in language and cultural terms that make sense.

Once Latinx families are informed about what mental illness is, the red flags, and that the symptoms are treatable whether through therapy or medication, Latino families and individuals will feel less concerned about stigma. Families need to know that the sooner they can get their loved adolescent or young adult to mental health services the better the outcome.  Psychotic symptoms if untreated for more than 18 months makes it more chronic and the individual may be unable to recover their full functioning in their lifetime.

 

And who is going to attend to these needs?            

San Joaquin Valley’s number of practicing psychiatrists is lower than any other region in California including the coast, Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento at 6.2 per 100,000, which is nearly half compared to other regions.  (See California Health Care Foundation Quick Almanac 2022 ).

We are heartened that, in recent years, the medical education movement in the Central Valley has picked up steam. We applaud leaders at all levels who are making this happen, and especially those who were central in helping us secure our two-year $2 million grant from the California Youth Behavioral Health Initiative Round 5. The project implements a strategy of the Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) First Episode of Psychosis Program. UC Davis Department of Psychiatry will provide technical support for this project.

In addition to providing services to our community, the ICSI Bienestar project hopes to provide unique educational and training opportunities for programs in the Central Valley including the UCSF Fresno Psychiatry Residency Program and two Fresno State programs: the Rehabilitation Counseling Department and the Department of Social work.

Our goal would be for these training practitioners to be introduced to individuals and their families, and provide treatment via medication and therapy. Importantly, we hope to guide residents and trainees in getting to know the Latinx community, learning to provide culturally competent services and perhaps develop a long-term relationship for care.

One of the current psychiatry residents, Dr. Cecilia Rangel-Garcia, grew up in the Central Valley and plans to practice in the area. An alumna of UC San Diego (Medical Doctor and Master’s in Public Health degrees), she works closely with her residency supervisor, Dr. Karen Kraus, professor of psychiatry in the UCSF Dept of Psychiatry, to finalize a collaborative relationship  for this project.  (Disclosure:  Dr. Rangel-Garcia also is the daughter of the author and Josie Rangel, LCSW, so she is very familiar not only with the professional medical aspects but also cultural and familial aspects).

 

Enriched training for the Central Valley

“Training in a specific community, working with an organization that is committed to this specific population which makes up a significant portion of the residents, is crucial in training,” says Dr. Rangel-Garcia. “By working with an organization like ICSI, our training will be enriched and we would be able to take and apply the lessons learned wherever we practice in the future. For me, that is the Central Valley.”

The trainee interns from the Rehabilitation Counseling Department and Department of Social Work, who stay with us for 9 – 12 months, are mentored to see clients under the supervision of ICSI’s licensed professionals with weekly meetings to review their cases. They receive training in multicultural aspects of counseling, counseling skills, hypnosis, ACT, DBT, family structural therapy and Integral psychotherapy. ICSI also accepts internships from other universities such as Alliant.

Together through the Bienestar Wellness Early Intervention Program, we can implement cultural strategies to make a connection with the client and communicate with him/her/she/them thus providing a framework for mutual understanding that facilitates the trust, safety and therapeutic alliance process needed while helping train more healthcare professionals to tackle these shortages we face here in the Central Valley.

MEMBER NEWS (May 2024): Medical training throughout CVHEC membership

This special edition of the Central Valley Higher Education e-newsletter featuring medical education in the Central Valley focuses on the medical school programs of two CVHEC members that confer medical doctor degrees (University of California San Francisco Fresno and California Health Sciences University) or partner directly (University of California Merced’s SJV Prime+ Program). Other valuable medical-related training is offered at nearly all the consortium member institutions, such as nursing and physical therapy at the 15 community colleges and three California State University campuses. At Fresno State, doctoral degrees are conferred in nursing and physical therapy.  In addition to our monthly board and member news, here are just a few highlights of what other CVHEC members have undertaken in recent years:

CSUB receives $1 million to build
Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

Kern Health Systems (KHS) has announced a $1 million grant toward the establishment of a Doctor of Nursing Practice Program at California State University, Bakersfield, part of a $20 million package of support made by Kern County’s largest health plan to expand access to health care, educate more primary-care professionals and narrow health equity gaps in one of the most medically underserved regions of the state.  [MORE]

University of Pacific receives nearly $1M to support future health care providers

University of the Pacific’s School of Health Sciences has been awarded nearly $1 million in state grants to further its mission of educating students who can fill the urgent need for health care providers in underserved areas. Pacific received a $2.5 million grant in 2022 to expand underrepresented students’ access to health professions and a $1.7 million grant earlier this year to increase the number of behavioral health care workers in California. [MORE]

• Nursing Pathway Program expands at the CSU [MORE]

• California Community Colleges Nursing Educational Programs Legislative Report 2020-2022 [MORE]

• Stan State: nursing program ranked among Top 4 in affordability by BestColleges.com [MORE]

• Fresno City College/Fresno State: federal funding to help address nursing shortage [MORE]

• UCSF School of Medicine, UCSF Fresno and Upstream USA expand access to patient-centered contraceptive care for Fresno County [MORE]

• San Joaquin Valley has a therapist shortage. Here’s how a university hopes to change that [MORE]

• Fresno State: Physical Therapy Program helps people across their lifespan [MORE]

• CSUB nursing alumni fundraiser event celebrates 50th graduating class milestone [MORE]

• UCSF Fresno Doctors Academy Programs Celebrate Graduating Students [MORE]

CHSU President Flo Dunn conferred honorary doctorate 

California Health Sciences University Founding President Florence Dunn was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in recognition of her leadership, dedication and service to the university.

Presenting the award at the university’s inaugural Commencement May 19 in Fresno were Dr. Kristin Clark and Dr. John Welty, vice chair and founding chair of the CHSU Board of Trustees, respectively. President Dunn and Chancellor Clark are current members of the CVHEC Board of Directors and President-emeritus Welty (Fresno State) is the founding chair of the CVHEC board.  [MORE]

MEMBER NEWS: UOP tackles therapist shortage in North Valley

UOP’s Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology opens to students in fall 2024 and will help addres healthcare shortage in North Valley.

 

UOP: Marriage and family counseling focus

of Benerd’s new master’s program

 

University of the Pacific’s Benerd College has created a master’s degree program that will focus on marriage and family counseling, an area with a severe shortage of services in San Joaquin County.

The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology major will open with a cohort of approximately 15 to 20 students in fall 2024.

“My sense is this will be a popular degree,” said Justin Low, program lead and associate professor. “Mental health practitioners are scarce compared to the overall population, and that certainly is the case with marriage and family counseling. The shortage is very serious in San Joaquin County.”

CalMatters detailed the reasons for shortages of mental health providers, such as counselors, in a 2022 report. They include workload and burnout, pay level and California’s cost of living.

Low said graduates of the new program can likely earn salaries starting around $90,000. Benerd College has worked to align the major with state licensing requirements.

The degree will lead to work counseling married couples and individuals as well as entire families.

“There are advantages for students with an undergraduate degree in psychology. They know the language and some of the background,” Low said. “But by the time they go through programs such as this, those who came from the workforce and different vocations fit right in. Both paths work.

“Those entering this field tend to be self-reflective. They look at their skill set and see where they want to improve. They tend to think ‘what can I do better next time?’”

The program requires 60 units—high for a master’s program, but in line for psychology-related programs, according to Low—and 280 hours of experiential work with patients. Pacific has identified agencies and adjunct professors who will work with students.

Andra Zastrow has worked in marriage and family counseling for the past 22 years in Stockton and is an adjunct faculty member at Pacific. She views the new program as a boost for a troubled system.

“This is a very important step for getting access to care because we have such a lack of resources in Stockton,” Zastrow said. “Getting an appointment can take up to a month. Beyond that, nobody is taking insurance. Many people must pay out of pocket.

“I am so excited that Pacific has approved this program. This is a positive change in a rewarding field.”

The program is part of Benerd College’s strategic move into areas of social education.

“Leadership, education and behavioral and mental health are three areas of focus within our degree programs,” said Patricia Campbell, dean of Benerd College. “We are really expanding.”

 

See:

• UOP press release

• San Joaquin Valley has a therapist shortage. Here’s how a university hopes to change that – Recordnet (Jan. 10. 2024)

MEMBER NEWS: UOP tackles healthcare shortage in North Valley

 

Pacific receives nearly $1M to support future health care providers

 

(APR 14, 2024) — University of the Pacific’s School of Health Sciences has been awarded nearly $1 million in state grants to further its mission of educating students who can fill the urgent need for health care providers in underserved areas.

Pacific will receive $540,000 for its Entry Level Master of Nursing program and more than $430,000 to create post-undergraduate fellowships for students in any health care discipline.

“We are grateful that the state is investing in our students,” said School of Health Sciences Dean Nicoleta Bugnariu. “Many are from the Central Valley and are committed to returning to their communities to provide the care that is so needed. This funding will help us enhance their education and attract more students.”

 

Nursing grant to expand training opportunities

The Song-Brown grant, provided by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information, will allow the nursing program to create new training opportunities in places where there is a shortage of registered nurses.

Students currently conduct clinical training in several dozen sites throughout the Central Valley with more than half of them designated as shortage areas.

The funding also will allow the nursing program to expand simulation experiences to better prepare students for real-world scenarios.

The nursing program currently has a 1,650-square feet simulation space, which includes a lab, clinical skills area, simulators, control room and debriefing rooms. Simulation-based learning is incorporated in all clinical courses in the program.

“Human patient simulators are tremendously beneficial for student learning. They provide a safe environment for students to master the skills they have been taught,” said Nursing Chair and Program Director Ann Stoltz. “With this support from the state, we will be able to create even more practice opportunities for skill acquisition and clinical judgement to better prepare our future nurses.”

Pacific’s Entry Level Master of Science in nursing was launched in 2022 due to high demand for bedside nurses in the region. The first cohort will graduate in April 2024.

 

Supporting underrepresented students

A second grant will create paid fellowships for underrepresented students who are interested in pursuing a graduate health science degree.

“We are so grateful to have this opportunity at Pacific,” said Associate Professor and Chair of Speech-Language Pathology Derek Isetti. “This fellowship will greatly assist students from underrepresented backgrounds as they participate in clinical experiences that will help them to be successful in graduate health science programs.”

Five fellows per year will receive $15,000 each to help their transition through teaching, research, health career workshops, mentorship and other areas.

This is the third grant Pacific has received from the state’s Health Professions Pathways Program. The program is intended to support underrepresented students pursuing health care careers to create a more diverse workforce that better reflects the communities it serves.

Pacific received a $2.5 million grant in 2022 to expand underrepresented students’ access to health professions and a $1.7 million grant earlier this year to increase the number of behavioral health care workers in California.

 

 See also:

UOP Press release

UOP receives nearly $1M to support students to help fill the need for health care workers – BayCityNews Foundation

 

HIGHER ED NEWS (MAY 2024): Student Mental Health


College Futures Foundation commissions

report on student mental health

Commissioned by College Futures Foundation, the report “Degrees of Distress” examines through a racial equity lens how higher education institutions hurt and help student mental health, with the goal of informing policy, practice and narrative for a national movement toward students thriving and succeeding in postsecondary and beyond.

Authored by acclaimed researchers and professors Dr. Sam Museus and Dr. Lindsay Pérez Huber, the report addresses how, with rising public concern around mental health, serious stressors are taking a toll on the well-being of college students across the country — and that students of color and those with significant financial barriers shoulder an even greater burden than their peers. “Many larger forces are hurting student mental health — including hostile political rhetoric, violence, wealth disparities and the ongoing effects of the pandemic.

But the research is clear: colleges and universities themselves are directly impacting how their students feel and fare.”

See the CFF report.

CFF: who is responsible for college student mental health?

In the latest episode of “Opportunity Forum with College Futures,” Dr. Lindsay Pérez Huber and Dr. Tiffany Herbert, associate vice president for health and well-being at California State University, Dominguez Hills, discuss “Taking Responsibility for College Student Mental Health” with guest host Dr. April Yee, College Futures’ holistic student support and mental health lead.

The show is a conversation space presented by the College Futures Foundation for innovators and influencers to discuss emerging issues and equity solutions in and around public higher education. Eloy Ortiz Oakley, president & CEO of College Futures Foundation, hosts. See the CFF episode.

CVHEC commemorates TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK (May 5-11, 2024)

Dr. John Spevak (at right), vice president-emeritus of Merced College and currently a regional coordinator for CVHEC, was an English teacher early in his career and now coordinates the English and Math Task Forces for the consortium working directly with community college teachers in the valley’s nine-county region. Here he facilitates the Math Task Force convening in Fresno January 26. For Teacher Appreciation Week, CVHEC reposts this column Dr. Spevak wrote for the Westside Express recently. This occasion is a special time to honor the men and women who lend their passion and skills to educating our children. It’s a chance for parents, caregivers, and community members to celebrate the hard work and dedication of teachers and school staff throughout the year. 

Teaching English In A Community College:

Today Versus Yesterday

 

BY DR. JOHN SPEVAK
CVHEC Regional Coordinator
Vice President-Emeritus – Merced College

 

The other day I had a conversation with college professors who teach English to community college students (as I taught English at the Los Baños college campus many years ago).

I came away from that conversation thanking my lucky stars I taught in the 1970s and 80s — and not today.

When I taught my first English class at the Los Baños Campus of Merced College in 1971, life was good, and so was teaching. I enjoyed sharing my love of reading and writing with the students gathered in my classroom.

I appreciated the many times when the students, young and old, expressed their increased enjoyment of reading and writing as a result of being in my class. There were many lively, interpersonal interactions.

When I gave writing assignments, I knew my students were responding with their own thoughts and ideas, which often were the result of questions they asked in class. I appreciated the growth I saw as students became more proficient writers, as well as more thoughtful readers.

And I enjoyed it when students came into my office and engaged in thoughtful conversations, with questions that enabled them to explore ideas in more depth.

Today, however, for all professors in community colleges but especially those who teach English, teaching has become much harder and less interpersonal.

Today’s community college English professors have to navigate and endure six challenges I never had to face: “bot students,” having to teach online, the lingering consequences of COVID, two new state regulations and (most recently) artificial intelligence.

I don’t know how they do it. But listening to them, I realize they persist while keeping their love for English and their passion for helping students succeed.

“Bot students” was a term that was new to me. My colleagues explained these are fraudulent or fake students, names and student ID numbers of nonexistent people that show up on class lists. Bot students are the work of sophisticated cyber-scammers trying to illegally collect financial aid.

One English professor told me he noticed 30 names on his first class roll sheet, only to find that just five of them were real.

College technology administrators are doing everything they can to distinguish real students from bot or fake students, but scammers keep finding new ways for bot students to appear on class roles, especially for online classes.

This brings up another current challenge for community college professors—teaching online. Currently about 50 percent of community college students prefer taking courses online instead of in person. For a professor to keep her or his job, this almost always results in being required to teach one or more classes online.

Teaching online, something I never had to do as an English instructor, is much different from teaching in person, especially after two years of COVID, during which the only classes were online.

Good online teachers really have to work to get interactions between themselves and their students. And they have to make sure the students’ work is truly their own.

COVID also created another challenge. During the pandemic, most high schools were reluctant to give Fs to students because many students had insurmountable challenges to online access. In many cases students passed courses just by virtually showing up.

After COVID, a lingering challenge for community college professors is the “COVID” approach many students have about passing the course. They ask their professors, “You mean I have to do the work?”

For California community college English teachers there is still another challenge. A few years ago, the state legislature passed regulations which essentially eliminated remedial English classes. Overall, it was a good idea, because too many students gave up when they had to keep taking remedial courses.

This created a new challenge for English professors. How do they help students who have had limited success in writing become proficient writers in one semester? Good college English teachers have found ways, but it requires much more time and energy than I spent teaching to make this happen.

Meanwhile, recent state legislation also makes it easier for community colleges to offer college classes to high school students on their high school campuses. This was another good idea, enabling more and more students to get a head start on college.

At schools where there are few if any high school teachers with master’s degrees in English, many community college English professors needed to travel to the high schools to teach those college courses.

Finally, here comes artificial intelligence (AI), which makes it much easier for real community college students to cheat by submitting essays generated by a computer and not by their own minds.

Today’s professors, especially in English courses, have to find ways to determine whether a student’s writing is truly his or her own. This is especially challenging when teaching online courses.

Whew, I’m exhausted just listing the challenges today’s community college English professors face that I didn’t 40 years ago.

All of this makes me appreciative and proud of my current English teaching colleagues. The community college English professors I know are determined to meet all these challenges even though it takes much more time and effort to teach English today than “in my day.”

I salute my current English colleagues who continue to do such an important job, making college students better readers and writers and giving them greater opportunities to succeed in college, in careers and in life.

 

See the original Westside Express version (March 29, 2024 )

CVHEC blogs by Dr. John Spevak :

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (September 2023): Teachers

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (December 2023): The gift of math

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