About the Program
The Counselor Training Program is currently a hybrid of online and in-person training. Trainees must reside in California.
This comprehensive program provides counselors who are working towards their LMFT, LPCC or LCSW licenses the clinical skills and supervised hours necessary for licensure in the state of California. Each counselor commits to maintain a caseload of at least 8 clients with whom they meet weekly over the course of their two year commitment. Many counselors volunteer longer than two years and complete advanced training. We also offer a paraprofessional counselor track for counselors who want to volunteer their time but are not working towards licensure.
In addition to the core curriculum, counselors explore multiple specialties and serve diverse clients with a wide range of presenting issues as they master our strength-based, non-pathologizing and culturally sensitive approach to mental health care.
Year One
Clinical Skills
Year one is about developing clinical skills through hands-on counseling with adult clients. You’ll acquire skills through classes and workshops and then apply them in supervised counseling sessions. Your clinical supervisors will help you reflect on your session work so you can refine and improve your work. Clinical training is held every Thursday from 4-6PM for first year counselors.
Year Two
Family Therapy
Year two is about discovery and finding the right focus for your counseling career. You’ll explore multiple specialties and have the opportunity to move beyond one-on-one adult counseling by serving students, couples, families and children. You’ll continue to learn in weekly classes and apply multiple modalities so you’ll have an extensive knowledge base for your future. Clinical training is held every Tuesday from 4-6PM for second year counselors.
Year Three
Trauma & Resilience
In year three (for counselors who stay beyond their two-year commitment) you’ll study techniques for helping clients overcome Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and related effects of traumatic events. You’ll explore several modalities, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and the Trauma Resiliency Model.
Core Training Elements
Clinical Skills Training
Year long, supervised immersion in basic counseling skills.
Supervision
Explore multiple modalities and work with a wide range of populations through individual and group counseling. Throughout your time at SCCC, licensed clinical supervisors observe your counseling sessions with clients and provide ongoing feedback in weekly group and individual supervision.
Gang Awareness
All counselors a required to take our one day G.A.T.E: Gangs: A Therapeutic Education training. This culturally-grounded approach to learning about gang issues explores the philosophies and dynamics of gangs to develop respectful and effective counseling strategies.
Community Resiliency Model™
All of our counselors receive Community Resiliency Model training in their first year. This provides them with a foundation to begin to work somatically with clients who are impacted by trauma and highly stressful experiences.
Elective Training Opportunities
Family Therapy
Place your clinical focus on family dynamics, counseling children and helping families of every sort overcome obstacles together. SCCC’s renowned Family Therapy Training includes Family Systems and Postmodern approaches.
Parenting
Learn SCCC’s unique strength-based parenting curriculum, Best Practice Parenting, which focuses on mindful awareness techniques, child development, and exploration of the effects of social and cultural influences and power dynamics. The ten week class helps parents identify their own strengths and values and find tools to address the challenges of raising kids today.
Outreach Programs
Serve people beyond our walls through our partnerships in Watts and other underserved regions of LA. Outreach programs include the Stress Navigation & Anger Management group, Youth Empowerment & Enrichment group, and LGBTQIA+ Teen group at SCCC as well as off-site programs at Fairfax High and the Watts Labor Community Action Committee. The Community Counselor Course is also part of SCCC’s Outreach division.
Family and Intimate Partner Violence
Help families overcome violence by working in The Abuse Prevention Program (TAPP). You’ll work with court-mandated clients, self-referred individuals and their families.
School-Based Counseling
Get to know the world of K-12 counseling through our programs in 7 LAUSD schools. You’ll work with children, teens and their families.
Trauma & Resilence
Study techniques for helping clients learn resiliency skills and practices and overcome Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and related effects of traumatic events. You’ll explore several modalities, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM). This 9-month training is for counselors who have completed their two-year commitment with SCCC.
What does training cost?
$50
Licensure-track counselors
$35
paraprofessionals
We charge a small, monthly fee — currently $50 for licensure-track counselors and $35 for paraprofessionals — that covers the cost of training materials and honoraria for guest speakers and special seminars. We provide our core classes, supervision and specialty training in exchange for your volunteer service to the people of Los Angeles.
How to Apply
Because SCCC deals with the most personal and sensitive areas of clients’ lives, we believe it is important for us to also get to know you in a personal way. In addition, we want you to learn about us. The first step in the application process is to watch these videos to learn more about us and our current approach to telehealth. You can submit an application here.
The Application Process for Licensure-Track Counselors (LMFT, LPCC, LCSW) and Paraprofessionals – Requirements and Expectations
Standard Acceptance
We are currently accepting applications from Tuesday October 8th, 2024 through Monday, December 2nd, 2024 at 11:59pm.
The Application Process for Licensure-Track Counselors (LMFT, LPCC, LCSW) and Paraprofessionals – Requirements and Expectations
After your application has been submitted, the remainder of the application process is as follows:
Initial Interview – Your submitted application will be reviewed and if deemed appropriate, you will receive an email inviting you to an initial interview. This interview is 30-45 minutes and is conducted by two co-interviewers.
Evaluation Group – Should you pass the initial interview, you will be invited to participate in a 2-hour Evaluation Group Interview. This interview consists of exercises that will help us understand your knowledge of yourself, your empathic responses, self-awareness of defenses and biases, ability to be open, willingness to learn, and your style of giving and receiving feedback in a group setting. All SCCC counselors participate in group supervision so we believe that it is important for you as well as for us to get a sense of how this type of group interaction will be for you.
Until further notice, all interviews will be conducted online.
Upcoming Evaluation Group Dates
Tuesday, October 29th, 2024 from 1-3pm
Wednesday, November 20th, 2024 from 1-3pm
Tuesday, December 10th, 2024 from 1-3pm
SCCC is a unique organization that offers a broad range of counseling experiences, cutting-edge training, high-quality supervision from a variety of disciplines, and a supportive community of counselors and administrators. This atmosphere of community service makes the Center a very exciting and creative place that can add a new dimension to your life, personally and professionally.
We look forward to meeting you! To submit an application, click here. For additional questions, please fill in the inquiry box on the right, or email [email protected]
Applicant Inquiry?
Send us an email with the form below with any additional questions you have.