The Wright Institute Recovery Clinic (WIRC)
The Wright Institute Recovery Clinic (WIRC) was founded in 2002 in partnership with Options Recovery Services, as an extension of The Wright Institute's mission to address community and societal needs. The practicum is designed to help beginning clinicians learn the essentials of clinical practice supporting a high-risk population in early and ongoing recovery from substance use, as well as those contemplating reducing harms caused by their use of substances. Student clinicians develop the basic skills and knowledge required for the provision of psychotherapy in an outpatient community clinic treating patients with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
The WIRC receives most referrals for individual therapy from Options, and also offers treatment to Medi-Cal patients and community members with co-occurring disorders. In addition to providing therapy at our outpatient clinic, WIRC student therapists co-facilitate substance use treatment groups alongside Options counselors, learning in an apprentice role with increasing responsibility.
Practicum students provide the following services:
- Individual psychotherapy
- Co-facilitation of Options substance abuse treatment groups
- Psychosocial intake assessment
- Treatment planning
- Post-substance abuse treatment follow-up care
Practicum students participate in the following training activities:
- Didactic Seminar training (1.5 hours / week): Students begin by developing a fundamental understanding of psychotherapy with our population. Students learn clinical assessment and intake, including diagnosis, mental status, psychosocial interviewing, clinical writing, and documentation. We then explore various treatment considerations and topics relevant to the population. As the training year progresses, students gradually learn a more nuanced approach to treating co-occurring disorders. The winter quarter didactic training consists of a Chemical Dependency Seminar that meets California's psychology licensing requirement.
- Clinic Conference (2 hours / week): Group supervision addressing clinical work within the context of the WIRC training. Students learn to present their work, consult on one another's cases, and incorporate the various concepts they are learning into the treatment of their patients.
- Individual supervision (1 hour / week): Students meet for weekly individual supervision with therapists in the community. Supervision usually occurs in the office of the supervisor.
The theoretical orientation is highly integrative, among other approaches, applying psychodynamic thinking and a social justice framework to the medical model.
Fees
The WIRC offers low-fee, sliding scale treatment and accepts Medi-Cal for those patients authorized by Alameda County. Patients who are current clients of Options Recovery Services are seen at the WIRC pro-bono when not covered under Medi-Cal.
Areas of focus:
- Trauma
- Establishing and Sustaining Recovery
- Identifying and reducing harm related to substance use
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Interpersonal / relational Issues
- Employment / educational difficulties
- Transition / loss
Contact
Calla Belkin, PsyD
Program Director
cbelkin@wi.edu
510-841-1262
Deanna van Ligten, PsyD
Director of Clinical Services
dvanligten@wi.edu