programs
The Spanish Speaking Psychosocial Clinic (SSPC)
OVerview
The Spanish Speaking Psychosocial Clinic (SSPC) provides training and clinical interventions in the provision of socio-culturally competent, comprehensive mental health services to the rapidly growing and underserved Latino/x community of Los Angeles. Patients span the full range of psychiatric diagnostic categories and are provided treatment in a variety of modalities, including individual, group and family psychotherapy, as well as, pharmacotherapy and behavioral modification.
From the time of its inception in 1977, the clinic has supported research projects devoted to expansion of knowledge related to the mental health care of the Latino/x population, including psychiatric epidemiologic and treatment effectiveness studies. The SSPC is one of the clinics currently nestled in the UCLA Hispanic Neuropsychiatric Center of Excellence (HNCE) which holds a cadre of Latino/x mental health leaders and clinics that create synergy for Latino/x patients at UCLA.
In July of 2022, under the direction of Dr. Erica Lubliner, the SSPC expanded its psychiatric services and training opportunities. The SSPC will be staffed by culturally competent, bilingual mental health professionals within the disciplines of psychiatry, psychology and social work who have extensive knowledge of Latino/x cultural issues related to immigration, ethnicity, class, socioeconomic status, language, cultural practices, traditions and beliefs that impact the psychological functioning of Latino/x individuals and families.
Clinic Program Components
Treatment and Interventions:
- Psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and behavioral interventions. Psychotherapy includes group, individual, and family therapy by psychology and social work interns. The SSPC will be launching: La Plática; a unique 12 week CBT for Depression Group in Spanish led by Dr. Jocelyn Meza.
- Medication evaluation and management by SSPC psychiatrists, including subspecialty care in geriatrics.
- Behavioral interventions will focus on: meditation, exercise, sleep, nutrition, and integrative practices. Each modality will be approached in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner, and involve group, as well as, tailored individual interventions.
Education and Training: We provide training for psychiatry residents, psychology interns, and social work interns. In addition to weekly treatment rounds, there will be weekly didactics on Latino/x Mental Health for the SSPC team.
Research: The paucity in research on Latino/x mental health warrants the SSPC to initiate and/or collaborate in the collection of data and contributions to research. This will be developed slowly within the SSPC as we build the clinic and group of Latino/x mental health researchers.
Who We See
Patients across the lifespan who are bilingual or monolingual Spanish speakers or who self-identify as Latino/x, regardless of language preference or dominance.
Contact
For any questions regarding the Spanish Speaking Psychosocial Clinic (SSPC), please reach out to sspc@mednet.ucla.edu.
Meet the Team
For more information, please visit: https://www.semel.ucla.edu/psychiatry/service/spanish-speaking-psychosocial-clinic