Bilingual Treatment Program
(Including Training Tracks in The Institute for Hispanic Multicultural Behavioral Health & The Center for the Asian Family)
The Bilingual Treatment Program
The Bilingual Treatment Program Clinic (BTP) is an outpatient mental health clinic designed to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services to the Hispanic and Asian communities. BTP offers two training tracks, one for the Hispanic population, and one for the Asian population. In both tracks, externs provide therapy for low income mentally ill patients, many of whom also have medical problems, histories of trauma, and multiple psychosocial needs. Externs’ duties include clinical evaluation, and individual, group, family, and couples therapy. Externs engage in assessments as well. Assessment referrals are often made to BTP by the inpatient psychiatry units which are seeking assistance in differentiating between organic and functional illness or between psychiatric diagnoses.
The Institute for Hispanic Multicultural Behavioral Health
The Institute for Hispanic Multicultural Behavioral Health provides insight-oriented, supportive, and cognitive behavioral therapies as well as crisis intervention. Externs working on theis track participate in interviewing and evaluating patients; they also conduct individual and group psychotherapy, family and couples therapy, and provide health psychology services, crisis intervention, psychological and cognitive testing, and psychoeducation.
The Institute has established a liaison with the outpatient medical clinics to respond to the intertwined medical and psychosocial needs of Hispanic patients. Trainees participate in the Multicultural Health Psychology Program, which provides services for patients with chronic medical or life threatening illnesses. The emphasis is on helping individuals manage the stress, trauma and anxiety of medical illnesses, accept functional limitation, and improve their quality of life, mood, and interactions with their family. Interventions emphasize helping the patient use his or her social and cultural support system. Trainees also employ behavioral pain management techniques, psychoeducation, psychotherapy and family crisis intervention to alieviate relational problems and other psychological distress caused by a medical condition.
The Center for the Asian Family
The Center for the Asian Family (CAF) offers outpatient mental health services to Asian patients and their families. The CAF facilitates Asian patient’s access to mental health care and serves to improve the quality of life of these mentally ill patients. The following guideposts inform programming decisions:
- Absolute mindfulness and respect of Eastern mental health philosophies. Remaining open to understanding and incorporating aspects of native treatment interventions.
- Interdisciplinary professional team that is collaborative and utilizes consensus building.
- Focus on mobilization of family strengths; enlisting natural support systems - including extended family and community.
- Acknowledgment that this population is in and of itself heterogeneous (socioculturally, linguistically, etc.)
Many of CAF’s patients have a severe and persistent mental illness, multiple medical problems, undocumented legal status, and psychosocial stressors. The refractory nature of, and general lack of insight about, their illness (resulting in non-compliance with treatment), make this a challenging population to work with. However the innovative nature of this program, and the team approach, make this track an exceptional training opportunity.
Externs working on the CAF track engage in individual, group and family psychotherapy. With this population, treatment is intended to instill hope, foster trust, and construct "explanatory models" that make sense to the patient and focus attention on recovery. Group therapy serves to facilitate the post hospitalization transition and integration into the community. The groups also serve to reduce shame and isolation. Involving family supports as allies in therapy and treatment is a priority.
Training Period and Time Commitment:
Twelve-month (early September through August), Academic Year (early September through either June), and Summer (early June through July) programs available. There are also optional January and July start dates. At least two days a week are required during the year and at least three days a week in the summer.
Qualifications:
Open to any graduate student enrolled in a program in Clinical, Counseling, School or Forensic Psychology. Must be bilingual and fluent in either Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, or Bengali. Candidates fluent in other Asian languages will be considered as well.
Application Procedure:
E-mail Dr. Yvette Caro at yvette.caro@bellevue.nychhc.org for a BTP Externship Application. Return the completed form along with a copy of your c.v. and a letter of reference to Dr. Caro, preferably by February 1. Admission is on a rolling basis and the number of externs chosen each year changes with the clinic’s needs.
You may also mail applications to:
Yvette Caro, Ph.D., Unit Chief
Bilingual Treatment Program
Bellevue Hospital Center
C & D Building, Suite 241
First Avenue and 27th Street
New York, NY 10016