Please call Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm at

(520) 327-7273 or (800) 400-1001

TTY/TDD/SMS Line: (520) 327-1721

to learn about eligibility requirement and to

complete a mental health referral for therapy.

The Mental Health Services Program operates as an outpatient clinic licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Individual, couple, family, and group psychotherapy is provided for the female or male survivor of the assault, significant others and family members.

The focus of treatment is on the psychological, relational, behavioral, cognitive, physical, and spiritual consequences of sexual violation and violence. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) may also supplement therapy. Services initiate and reinforce the healing process and hasten the client's empowerment. To learn more about EMDR, please visit www.emdria.org.

Master's level therapists provide services. The clinical team, through its specialized training of interns and adjunct therapists, is able to enhance the amount of unique, specialized service available in our community. Clinical staff are skilled in working with trauma survivors and utilize treatment methods that are unique to each individual’s needs. Psychological impacts of sexual trauma are diverse and unique and therefore clinicians at the center operate under the concept that a “one-size fits all” approach is inappropriate. The selection of treatment strategies are dependent upon the client’s areas of difficult (Yuan, P., Koss, M., & Stone, M., 2006).

Your First Visit for mental health services

Your initial visit will consist of a discussion of potential treatment options and will take approximately one hour. The purpose of your first visit is to assess your needs and how we can be of help to you. A thorough analysis of the problem and possible treatment options will be discussed with you.

What you talk about and when you choose to share your experiences, thoughts and feelings will be up to you. We endeavor to create a safe, facilitating environment. The therapist will want to help you move through the pain of your experience, but you and the therapist will co-create how that process will unfold. For example, within the first three sessions you and the therapist will write a treatment plan together which will define specifically what you want to work on and the goals you seek to achieve. All therapy at the Center is directed toward empowering our clients.

Canceling/Rescheduling Appointments

If for some reason you cannot keep your appointment, please contact our office; by doing so you allow another person to use that time. You may also reschedule your appointment. If it is after hours, please leave your name and number and a brief message on our voice mail and we will return your call in the morning.

Some services offered are bi-lingual and bi-cultural and are offered at two locations, Su Voz Vale (Southside satellite office), and at the center’s main office.

Through our Mental Health Services we:

• Seek to alleviate the trauma of sexual assault through specialized therapeutic services to recent and past victims/survivors, their families and friends.
  
• Facilitate the transformation of victim (an individual who has been harmed and is hurting) to a survivor (an individual who is healing and is able to return to regular activity).
  
• Provide referrals to the victim/survivor of sexual assault to appropriate community resources.
  
• Advocate for victim rights and increased resources.
  
• Create and participate in activities to raise community awareness relating to the biological, psychological, psycho-social impact of sexual assault.
  
• Work in partnership with other departments of the Center, as well as with other organizations in the community, state and nation-wide to prevent sexual violence.

Our guiding principles:

• All forms of sexual violence are rooted within a socio-political and cultural context, and conditions that promote sexual violence require change.
  
• Traumatic events have a psychological impact that may develop into serious, painful and long-lasting disruptions in the survivor's life.
  
• We reject viewing responses to trauma as pathological.
  
• We do not overlook even the most severely disabling psychological issues.
  
• We create a safe, facilitating environment for the exploration and emotional understanding of relevant issues.
  
• We use a variety of clinical modalities (individual, couple, family, group) and treatment approaches, including EMDR, to address our clients' needs.
  
• We focus on restoring dignity and empowerment.
  
• We partner with people, not symptoms or diagnostic categories.
  
• We endeavor to be optimally responsive.
  
• We affirm and appreciate cultural diversity.

Who we are and what we do:

• Trained, credentialed professional clinicians provide an assessment session and on-going psychotherapy to individuals, couples and families.
  
• We are a training facility for interns in graduate and undergraduate social work, counseling and other human service programs.
  
• Our Adjunct Therapist program provides volunteer opportunities for therapists. In exchange for four hours of direct practice, the Adjunct Therapist receives one hour of supervision which may be applied to Board of Behavioral Health Credentialing
  
• Clinical team partners with crisis team to provide crisis intervention for persons needing immediate support, information or referral.
  
• Groups:
  Adult Male Survivors Group
  Adult Female Survivors Group
  Adult Spanish Speaking Group

Potential adjuncts and interns are encouraged to call 327-1171 or email sacasainfo@arizonaschildren.org.