Vision is not enough. It must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs.
- Vaclav Havel
The Pacific Institute’s combined strengths in research, education, and direct care achieve an exceptional standard of training and care through an integrated, comprehensive, and holistic approach. The Institute's Education Program includes continuing education in the fields of mental health, nursing, gerontology, social work and residential care administration for the elderly, a clinical internship that providers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on and practical training in geriatric care and geropsychology in model care facilities that provide integrated medical and mental health care, and public programs for individuals seeking to unfold their own eldership skills.
The Continuing Education and Public Programs
The goal of the continuing education and public programs is to optimize patient care, delivery of services, and help individuals to create the role of eldership in our communities.
To this end, our programs are designed to provide the most up-to-date information and strategies for individuals seeking to utilize their own wisdom and eldership skills, clinicians and allied health professionals. The Continuing Education and Public Program offer seminars four times a year that qualify as continuing education units towards license renewal and accreditation for administrators of residential facilities and mental health providers, interns, caregivers and volunteers from residential care facilities in the fields of mental health, nursing, gerontology, social work and residential care administration for the elderly. Educational and Public program course topics include: New approaches to mental health; The Myth of mental illness; The Role of Elders; A New Approach in Dementia; Existential Counseling for the Aging and Elderly; Beyond Aging and Long Term Care: The Power of Caring; and Feminism and Agism; the new role. From Crone to Mentor.
The California Board of Behavioral Sciences and the Health and Human Services Department, Division of Community Care Licensing to train applicants for licensing and renewal for administrators of Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) and Adult Care Facilities (ACF) accredit Pacific Institute as a continuing education provider.
The Internship Program
The goal of the Internship Program is to build capacity - as a healer in the mental health field, the geriatric care and geropsychology- among graduate students preparing their masters or doctorate degrees in gerontology, social services, psychology, counseling and other behavioral sciences. The Pacific Institute offers a unique clinical internship designed to train mental health professionals in a client-centered approach that promotes the full development of individuals, encouraging personal growth and self-actualization. A combination of practical experience working directly with the elderly and with individuals experiencing unique states of consciousness, formal training sessions on theory and technique, demonstrations and clinical case conferences make up the components of the program.
The Internship Program is designed for students who have completed their masters or doctoral course work in psychology, gerontology, nursing or social work. Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and Social Work interns must be registered with the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Psychology interns must prove that they comply with the guidelines set forth by the Board of Psychology. The internship is open to students in good standing enrolled in Ph.D. or Psy.D. clinical level and M.A.s in counseling psychology graduate programs. Applicants must have completed at least one year of graduate work and be certified by their department or school as ready to begin internship level training. The clinical internship at Pacific Institute creates access to practicum hours required for students to take the California licensure exam in their associated discipline. Pacific Institute is an Accredited Internship Site through the American Psychological Association and California Professional Internship Council, Board of Psychology and Board of Behavioral Sciences. All interns receive official Supervised Experience accreditation for the hours they have served. There is no cost associated for interns to be part of the program.
