CPLA is a mental health provider for children and adolescents.
CPLA clinicians support students at partner schools throughout Los Angeles County. 


We would love to consider you for our August 2022 team, ​
​and hope that you will send us your application materials.

AUGUST PLACEMENTS
We are now considering applicants for next school year, August 2022-June 2023.
We are holding interviews via zoom at this time. 
If your university/degree requirements include individual or triadic supervision and/or relational hours,
please apply early as those positions are limited. 
In order for us to set up an interview with you, please send in all the required materials (see list and info below)
to apply@counselingpartnersofla.org. 
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We look forward to meeting with each and every one of you. In these uncertain times, we at CPLA look at all the positives and we feel so blessed to have the chance to meet people who share our passion for helping at-risk children in a clinical setting. 

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INTERESTED IN TRAINING WITH CPLA? 
A COMMITMENT WITH COUNSELING PARTNERS OF LOS ANGELES (CPLA)
CPLA clinicians (we use the school-friendly title “counselor”) provide mental health therapy
2 or 3 days a week from 7:30 to about 3:00 at one of our partner school sites for the full school year,
from August thru June and receive ongoing supportive, empowering clinical supervision.
 
TRAINING CPLA PROVIDES CLINICIANS
CPLA provides a comprehensive initial 3-day training tentatively scheduled for August 10th, 11th, and 12th)
​and 6 follow-up trainings throughout the year. Topics covered in addition to CPLA protocols and procedures are:
ACES Screening & Intervention, Sand tray Therapy Training, Fostering Cultural Sensitivity & Humility,
Healing with Art, Helping Families who Struggle with Domestic Violence, 
and Suicide Prevention and Intervention.
 
THE WORK OF CPLA CLINICIANS
Counselors can expect to accrue 250-300 direct client hours for 2 days and 350-450 hours over 3 days, providing one-on-one therapy supporting students experiencing difficulties, which include: depression, anxiety, trauma recovery, grief and loss, family relationship struggles, peer relationships as well as crisis intervention under the direction and support of CPLA Senior Staff.
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From our core values: We believe that our volunteer counselors are our greatest assets and act as the
driving force for positive change in our organization & in supporting our students, families, & school communities.
We hope that you will consider joining the CPLA team this coming school year for your practicum experience.

What our counselors say about their experience with CPLA

"CPLA provided me with outstanding supervision, support, and feedback at every moment. CPLA has a tremendous work culture that challenged me to rise to a better version of myself while also promoting self-care.
The feedback and supervision I received were delivered with warmth, compassion, and care for their counselors."
                                                                                                          -Lauren Kazarian, CPLA counselor 2020-2022  
"CPLA gave me the platform and confidence I needed as a clinician to know in my gut that
this was what I was put on this earth to do." 
                                                                                                                 -Ashley Richter, CPLA counselor 2018-2019
"CPLA prioritizes the wellness of its counselors and clients over everything else.
Their mission to provide empowerment touches the lives of everyone they come in contact with."
                                                                                                   -Katie Holland, CPLA counselor 2021-2022

CPLA MFT trainees and associates commit to working a full school day for a minimum of 2 days per week
at their assigned school for a minimum of one school year (August-June). 
Our 50  partner schools for the 2021-2022 school year are located throughout Los Angeles,
from Long Beach to the San Fernando Valley and include one school in Palmdale.

In one school year, counselors can expect to receive approximately
700-800 hours (250-450 face-to-face child/family  hours).
Individual and/or group supervision is provided, per the requirements of counselors' universities.
60+ hours of scheduled training workshops cover topics such as bullying, self-injury, play therapy, and grief and loss.

An important component of our counselors' ongoing training will include skill-building and self-exploration in expressive art psychotherapies. These are the use of the creative arts as a form of therapy, including art therapy, drama therapy, music therapy, poetry therapy, and psychodrama.
Unlike traditional art expression, the process of creation is emphasized rather than the final product.

Expressive therapies are based on the assumption that people can heal through the various forms of creative expression. CPLA shares the belief that through creative expression and the tapping of the imagination, people can examine their body, feelings, emotions, and thought process.
                                                                                                                         -
 CPLA’s well-earned reputation for support and supervision makes us a highly sought provider of practicum placement opportunities by both students and universities. This enables us to place only the truly dedicated and reliable counselors who want to work with children and who will work as partners within the collaborative school environment.
We hope that you will consider joining us.

   "Being able to help children at the moment their struggles begin is truly transformative. I have been able to help children understand their feelings and how to cope with them. It is this that will last them a lifetime." 
                                                                                            -Vanessa Haygood, CPLA counselor 2019-2020
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"CPLA is all about love and support. Just as the children feel loved and supported by the CPLA counselors,
we feel loved and supported by CPLA staff. It is both comforting and empowering to know our field supervisors
are available any time we need guidance, to oversee paperwork, and even just to share our successes." 
                                                                                            -Robin Ward, CPLA counselor 2019-2021
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How CPLA counselors feel about their experience at CPLA

 90% of our counselors surveyed on the 2020-2021 school year strongly agreed or agreed that their Clinical Supervisor:

• prepared them for client/family engagement
• provided timely feedback and suggestions
• supported them in learning caseload management and termination
• was well informed/provided accurate information with legal and ethical issues
• was able to address cultural/diversity issues
• created a safe and consistent supervision environment

 90% of our counselors surveyed on the 2020-2021 school year agreed or strongly agreed  their Field Support Person

• provided guidance in building their caseload at the start of their practicum/academic year.
•  supported their understanding on administrative responsibilities including online case management, documentation, and data/info collection​
• provided relevant and timely feedback for ongoing professional improvement
• provided strength based, positive, and uplifting feedback to inspire them when dealing with a difficult case/situation
• provided reliable and timely support in Crisis Management

How to apply

                                     ***Please Note that a Covid-19 Vaccination is required for work with CPLA***

Please send us an email to apply@counselingpartnersofla.org with ALL the following information:

• In your header, please put "[last name, first name] Application to Train at CPLA"  
• Attach (as a file) your resume (or CV).
• The time commitment you agree to work with us...We require a minimum commitment of the equivalent of one school year. You need to commit to a period of one of the following (this also depends on your university practicum period: August-June, January-December, January-June, May-following June.)
• Attach (as a file) a letter stating your current professional goals and how some of the important experiences in your life have influenced you and make our organization a good fit for your goals (please be specific). These experiences may be people, events, and/or cultural influences that have brought you to this moment/graduate school. This will help us to get to know you and your dreams for your future.
• Provide us the best phone number and email address to reach you, and your complete current address.
• Provide the days (Monday-Friday) between 9:00 and 3:00 you usually would be available to interview.
• Where you plan to be living next August as sometimes the address on your application/resumes is a mailing address and/or you may plan to move.
• ALL days each week you would be available to work for us from 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.  Feel free to also indicate which days would be better for you.
• The month and year you began your graduate studies (ex. 8/21) and the month and year you are scheduled to graduate (if applying as a trainee) (ex. 7/24). 
• Please indicate if you speak additional languages besides English.
• Provide the names of 3 references, ideally professional, with phone and email contact information, how long they have known you, and in what capacity.
• Please include a small photo (so we can remember you!) in your email.
• Indicate the exact date (if graduate student) when you are permitted to begin working with us:  Immediately, or as available, January, or August. 
• Please provide information on hours as required by your university (if applicable) for: Face to face hours, Total hours, Relational hours, and Group hours
• Please provide specific supervision requirements for your degree or status as an MFT including weekly individual and group.    

        We will contact you to set up an interview once all required items have been received. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

When will I hear back about my application? 

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Is there anything I can do to make my application stand out?




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When will I hear back about being  hired or not?





​How long of a commitment do I need to make to CPLA?





​Will I get paid while I am at CPLA?

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Where can I send my application materials?

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Will I be at a high school or elementary school?

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​How many days will I work a week?

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How many clinical hours will I get per day?
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​How many clinical supervisions will I get?
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Will I be in-person? Is supervision in-person?

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Will I be at more than one school?
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We do our best to get back to you ASAP; we hope to get back to you in 1-2 weeks. Please be sure to include your email and cell# in the application email.  

​The most important thing to do is look at all the information we provide on our website. This shows us that you took the time to learn about us. understand if we can meet your university requirements, read through the application instructions and understand the commitment we need from you. 
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 It varies depending on time of year and the amount of opening we have. Early in our hiring for the next class of counselors we can give you a decision within a week. Again, it is beneficial to apply as early as possible for either the August or January positions. 

​Most positions start in August with a commitment through June. A January commitment lasts until December. We require that you work for us for one academic year. After the year is over, you are free to seek other employment or you can stay on with us! 
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No. This is an internship to help graduate students gain training hours and experience for their MFT or MSW, or it is a volunteership for associates to gain hours towards licensure.  
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See the list above for all required materials. Please send these materials to apply@counselingpartnersofla.org prior to interview. 
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Depends. 80% of our school positions are elementary, so most likely elementary but we do take into account your preferred age group and your experience/skills. Most high school positions are filled by candidates who have worked with us before or candidates who have significant experience with adolescents.
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Most counselors work two days a week. The days vary based on school placement and your school schedule. If your university practicum hours requirement is greater than 500 we recommend you work three days per week, or plan to work with us for one and a half academic years. 
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Once the school year has started, you should be able to get five direct clinical hours each day you are on campus. 
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You have a clinical supervision for each day you work with CPLA. These supervisions are scheduled outside of your regularly scheduled site hours and you must attend all assigned supervisions each week.
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We will return to in-person counseling at our partner schools in August for the 2021-2022 academic year. We plan, as permitted, to continue virtual clinical supervision. 
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No. You will be at one school both days and have a co-counselor that works there the other two days. 
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CPLA Practicum Associateship Information Sheet 2021
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“I came to work for CPLA because of Monica’s and Therese’s compassionate hearts for the children they work with. They have inspired several counselors including myself to work in schools and provide in-school counseling for kids that might not receive it elsewhere or who need the extra support during hardships they face day in and day out. They believe the success of every student every day is important as I do.”

Caroline Iscovitz, CPLA Counselor 2012-2013