Human Relations Center takes hands-on approach in reaching out to surrounding community

By Karen Newell Young

Collaborations at USC College aren’t always about research and teaching. Another university mission, that of community service, is met by the Human Relations Center (HRC), which helps low-income residents of Los Angeles deal with psychological problems and relationship difficulties.

The HRC serves as a community clinic as well as a training program for graduate students in the departments of psychology and social work. An interdisciplinary team of graduate students offers assessment, therapy and referrals to community residents, as well as to USC students and staff who are seeking help with common mental-health concerns, including anxiety, depression, relationship conflict and behavioral or emotional strife.

“Because of the tremendous range of our clients in age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and financial status, the clinic is able to offer excellent diversity training while providing needed services to the community,” says Barry Reynolds, executive director of the center.

The HRC was established in 1997 as a joint program between clinical psychology and the marriage and family program in sociology, although the latter is no longer in existence. Psychologists at the Tingstad Older Adults Counseling Center—a collaboration of clinical psychology and the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology—are also involved with the center. Ph.D. students comprise the bulk of the trainee service providers and are supervised by regular faculty from psychology and gerontology and volunteer clinical faculty who are practicing clinicians.

“A primary benefit for the community is that clients receive services that are greatly influenced by clinical research,” says Reynolds. “We’re providing many therapy programs that have demonstrated effectiveness in published studies and are state-of-the-art.”

One popular offering at the center is the 12-session group therapy program for helping people with social anxiety. Reynolds says that social anxiety, which can include moderate to severe fear in situations such as public speaking, conversations, parties, dating or romantic relationships, is second only to depression as a frequently occurring mental disorder.

Cognitive behavior therapy is often used at the HRC. Although Reynolds says the exploration of causes of psychological problems can be very important for understanding a person’s current experiences, clients also are encouraged to apply new skills in current living situations that have been avoided or associated with painful emotion. “We focus on helping people make changes in their thinking and their view of the world,” says Reynolds. “Eventually, our focus becomes more on the present than the past.”

For many students, the interdisciplinary approach of the program is what draws them to the HRC. “This is one of the few places in the country that brings highly respected programs in gerontology and psychology together,” says Steven David, a second-year graduate student in clinical psychology. “I’m getting training that can’t be found at most schools. It’s building the foundation of my whole career.”

Michelle Ramos, a third-year graduate student in psychology, says her work at the HRC has been the most gratifying part of her academic career. “By actually working on the front lines we are really making an impact in terms of helping families cope better with stress and other problems,” she says. “We study different approaches in the lab and apply it in real life.”

Some of the faculty members who have supervised students include Beth Meyerowitz, Margaret Gatz, Mitchell Earleywine, Bob Knight, Gerald Davison, Shannon Daley, Stanley Huey Jr. and David Schwartz.