» Frances Smith Center for Individual & Family Therapy

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Established in 1968 by faculty and students concerned about helping families and individuals affected by the Vietnam War, the Frances Smith Center for Individual and Family Therapy (also known as the Chapman University Community Clinic) has grown into a well-respected training facility offering psychological treatment services to the local community.

Under the auspices of Chapman University’s Marriage and Family Therapy Program (a nationally-accredited program by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education-COAMFTE), the Center operates as a non-profit clinic for individuals, couples, families, and children. The dual mission of the Center is to provide high quality and affordable mental health services to the local community and to provide an excellent training and research environment to the graduate students in the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program at Chapman University.

MFT trainees are under the direct supervision of licensed clinical faculty. The Center is composed of eight therapy rooms, including a play therapy room for child therapy, and larger rooms for family therapy. In addition, these rooms are equipped for direct observation and/or recording of sessions by clinical supervisors, as part of the extensive training and supervision of our graduate students.

In addition, the Frances Smith Center is also open to

Chapman graduate students who have not elected to pay the university health and counseling fee
Chapman undergraduates who have been referred to the Frances Smith Center by Chapman Student Psychological Services
Chapman employees

To support the mental health needs of our community, the Frances Smith Center is currently offering low-cost counseling services (in person and telehealth) to new and current clients.

To be eligible for services, you must be physically located in the state of California at the time of your session appointment.

To schedule an appointment, call (714) 997-6746 and press “1” for the intake line. Leave your name, telephone number, and a good time to reach you. Calls are returned by an intake counselor within 3 to 5 days to complete a telephone intake.

The Frances Smith Center for Individual and Family Therapy offers free counseling to all Chapman graduate students. These services include those suffering from anxiety, depression, relationship issues, family problems, and other mental health issues. To be eligible for services, you must be physically located in the state of California at the time of your session appointment.

To access care, call the Center's mainline (714-997-6746), press "1" for intake line, and follow the instructions

Services
Appointments
Hours & Fees
Location
Center Staff

Services

At the Center, therapists treat a wide range of issues which include, but are not limited to, the following:

Services Offered
Adult survivor issues Divorce recovery Pre-marital counseling Stress management Relationship loss Stepfamily issues Behavioral problems Infertility issues Parent-child issues	Couple conflict Family stress Anxiety Depression Bereavement Trauma Chronic illness Parenting skills Self-esteem

Please read the following questions below. If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you would benefit from a higher level care than our training clinic can provide. Please contact 211 for a list of other counseling centers in the area, or go to www.211OC.org.

Are you having suicidal thoughts at this time?
Have you been hospitalized for psychiatric reasons within the past 3 years?
Are you hearing voices and seeing things that are not there, having disorganized or rapid thoughts and not under the care of a psychiatrist?

NOTE: The Center does not offer services to individuals or families requiring documentation for child custody, court-related matters and cannot complete documentation for disability or any other type of evaluative services. The Center also does not serve clients who are using any kind of substances (alcohol or illegal drugs).

Making a First Appointment

In order to schedule a first appointment, please call (714) 997-6746 and press “1” to leave a voicemail message requesting to complete a telephone interview. A voicemail system will take your message and a graduate student clinician will return your call as soon as possible. When leaving a message, please leave your name, telephone number, and a good time to reach you as part of your message.

A graduate student clinician will then contact you to complete a brief telephone interview (approximately 20-30 minutes). Fees are established on a sliding scale based on monthly gross income. You will know what your fee will be at the time of this interview.

After completion of the telephone interview, your intake will be reviewed by the Clinic Director who will assign a therapist to call you for your first appointment. Assignments are based on availability, as well as the type and nature of the presenting concerns. You can expect to hear back from us within 3-5 days.
Hours of Operation

Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fees

Fees are established according to a sliding scale, based on the individual or family’s monthly gross income (employment, unemployment, disability, SSI/SSA, worker’s compensation, alimony/child support, etc.).

Fees may range from $15.00 to $60.00 per session. These fees cover only a small portion of the cost of providing services. Payment is due at the time of the session. The Center has a 24-hour cancellation policy or the full fee will be charged for the late cancellation.
NOTE: Because our counselors are graduate students, insurance plans including Medicare, Medi-Cal, CalOptima, Healthy Families, etc., do not cover these services.
Location

501 W. Palm Avenue
Orange, CA 92868
Telephone: (714) 997-6746
Fax: (714) 744-7879

The Crean Building is located on Palm Avenue next to the railroad tracks just west of Cypress Street. The entrance to the Center is through the large black doors at the front of Crean Building facing Palm Avenue. The Center lobby is located in Room 122.

Parking is available in the lot directly across the street from Crean Hall. The Center is close to public transportation (two blocks north of the Orange Metrolink station).
All clinical staff are graduate students in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Chapman University. The students are Marriage and Family Therapist Trainees (or MFT Trainees) and are under the direct supervision of licensed clinical supervisors, ensuring high-quality clinical services in a training environment.

Clinic Director

Susan Jester, M.A., LMFT

Clinic Director

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Administrative Assistant

Sue Swerdfeger
Administrative Assistant

MFT Program/ Frances Smith Center

» Frances Smith Center for Individual & Family Therapy

History

Training

In Person & Telehealth Counseling

Chapman Graduate Students

Services

Making a First Appointment

Hours of Operation

Fees

Location

Clinic Director

Administrative Assistant

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