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Leeward O’ahu Family Guidance Center (Kapolei, O’ahu)

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Positions: 1 Full-time Funded Position

General Information

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division (CAMHD) is a part of Hawai‘i’s state-wide Department of Health. The Leeward O‘ahu Guidance Center (LOFGC) is one of the 7 Family Guidance Centers (FGCs) under CAMHD and provides services to children, adolescents, and emerging adults ages 3 through 20, as well as their families on the Leeward side of O‘ahu, including Pearl City, Nānākuli, Waipahu, ʻEwa, Kapolei, and Waiʻanae. This center serves a racially and ethnically diverse population, with many youth identifying as multicultural, including Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander backgrounds. Most youth are Med-QUEST (Medicaid) eligible, and many families have limited resources. Youth have at least one qualifying mental health condition and significant impairment across multiple areas of functioning. Many have histories of trauma, co-occurring substance use concerns, or involvement with child welfare or juvenile justice. LOFGC provides assessment, therapeutic services, treatment planning, case management, care coordination, advocacy, and linkage to community resources.

The Internship Experience

The intern places at LOFGC will be engaged in many aspects of service delivery. The intern will conduct brief intake or eligibility evaluations and more

comprehensive psychological evaluations throughout the training year. Assessment training includes administration, scoring, interpretation, integration of interview and record information, report writing, and providing feedback to youth, caregivers, and treatment teams. The intern will also have opportunities for therapeutic intervention, which may include family therapy; individual therapy with children, adolescents, and caregivers; and group therapy. Services are generally provided in-person at the center, but may also take place through telehealth, in the client’s home, or in the community, depending on the client’s needs. The intern’s clinical work will draw from multicultural, attachment, psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, trauma-focused, and motivational interviewing frameworks. There will likely be opportunities for PracticeWise Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP) training and certification. The intern will collaborate with CAMHD colleagues and professionals from schools, child welfare, the Judiciary, developmental disability services, adult mental health programs, and community agencies. Depending on assigned cases, these experiences may include treatment team meetings, IEP meetings, and court hearings. Additional CAMHD training, community outreach, and peer supervision with graduate students may be available, depending on staffing and supervisory capacity.

Contact Information

Site Director: Veronica M. Acosta, PhD

Email: Veronica.Acosta@doh.hawaii.gov

Phone number: (808) 692-7700

Address: 601 Kamokila Blvd, Suite 355, Kapolei, HI 96707