Bruce B. Hersch, Ph.D.
e-mail: pyrrr8@yahoo.com
Experience
2008-09 Psychologist Intern Aurora Vista Del Mar Psychiatric Hospital
Provided group instruction, individual, group, family, and multifamily therapy to adults and adolescents, including treatment for severe mental illness during acute crisis. Ancillary duties: taking psychosocial history, problem list identification and assessment, treatment planning, psychological testing and daily charting of patients' progress. Developed individualized plans for adjustment to daily life.
2004 Mental Health Clinician Devereux, California
Evaluation of individual needs and development of therapeutic mental health programs in an institutional setting. Provided counseling to maximize the functioning potential of clients with special needs due to behavioral, psychological, intellectual, or neurological impairment. Responsibilities included behavior assessment of individual clients, teaching interactions, and therapeutic communication. Worked with treatment team to develop psychosocial and recreational programming. Facilitated community meetings. Data collection, record keeping, report writing. Communication with family members.
1996 – 1998 Mental Health Case Worker County of Santa Barbara
Care Coordinator for children, adolescents, and families in the Santa Barbara Multiagency Integrated System of Care (MISC). Assisted in client enrollment, aided assessment team in evaluating families specific strengths and needs. Developed treatment plans, brokered necessary services, linked community resources, monitored client’s progress, documented service activities, provided a variety of direct services as well as arranged for psychiatric and clinical interventions needed to maintain stable community functioning. Facilitated Wraparound meetings. Utilization review.
1991 -1994 Residential Counselor/Senior Counselor Phoenix of Santa Barbara
Residential Treatment for mentally ill adults making the transition from institution to life in the community. Participated in interviewing, hiring and training new staff. Responsible for checking the work of the residential counseling staff and giving them feedback regarding completeness. Responsible for weekly inventory and ordering patient medications, attended Residential Treatment Services (RTS) meetings. Facilitated staff meetings. Created the Phoenix Dollars Program that provided jobs and a reward delivery system for the clients. Treatment planning. Individual, group, and family counseling.
Additional Experience:
Counselor/Residential Counselor Turning Point Foundation, Ventura (2 sites)
The Drop-in Socialization Center: Counselor for the homeless mentally ill and mentally ill adults. Conducted individual and group counseling sessions. Referred the clients to various community services (i.e. medical care, legal/financial aid, and food/housing agencies). Created the “pre-vocational” program that assisted clients in developing the necessary skills to work in the community. Supervised daily activities of the Center which included daily meal preparation and serving; excursions and outings (supervised up to fifteen people); organized and facilitated special interest groups that included art classes, substance abuse support groups, science projects, pool tournaments, community recycling teams, a computer club, newsletter committee and other social/recreational events. Created the Coupon Economy Incentive Reward Program, client store and food pantry that provided food and necessities for the clients.
Estancia House: Crisis Residential Program. Crisis Intervention counseling in a residential setting for mentally ill adults. Duties include intake interview emphasizing psychosocial history, assessment of patient problems, and development of personal treatment plans. Was part of a treatment team that provided psychosocial rehabilitation as an alternative to inpatient hospitalization. Provided individual and group counseling, social skills training and charted patient’s daily progress. Liaison between the patients and their discharge plans.
Mental Health Worker Vista Del Mar Psychiatric Hospital
Individual and group counseling of adolescents and adults in an inpatient hospital. Charted patient’s progress. Supervised therapeutic and recreational activities
Counselor/Tutor Self Employed
Provided personal counseling, consulting and goal-directed programs for individual clients. Academic tutoring in psychology, biology and nutrition at Ventura College.
Staff Research Associate UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute
Graduate Student Assistant/Social Work Associate Camarillo State Hospital
Education
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Depth Psychology – Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara
M.A in Community/Clinical Psychology – Pepperdine University, Malibu
B.A. in Psychology – University of California, Los Angeles
Community Activities
1980 Channel Islands Recreation, President
Director: Harbor Square Beach Fair I,II, III
Co-ordinator: Oliviera Plaza Arts & Craft Show
Channel Islands Chamber of Commerce and Homeowner's Association, Bd. of Directors
Chairman: Channel Islands Parade of Lights Committee
1991 Journey Toward Being: Mental Health Community Art Show, Camarillo State Hospital, CA, co-ordinator
1992 Phoenix Dollar Program, Santa Barbara CA
1998 Pirates of the Channel Islands, President
Pirate's Ball, Channel Islands Harbor
1998-2008 Ojai Renaissance Fair, performance art & archetypal pirate research
2000 Millennium Celebration Redondo Beach
2009 Doctoral Dissertation: Pirate Therapy: Quest for the Mystic Bootye
2009 Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association (PCA/ACA) Pirate Tarot for a Pirate Culture
2010 Mystic Bootye Foundation, President
PCA/ACA The Pirate Tarot Mandala: Descent to the Crossroad
2011 PCA/ACA The Pirate Tarot of the Mystic Bootye: Piracy or Fair Use?
Pierpont Relief, Inc., Founding Director
2013 Author of Pirate: Quest for the Mystic Bootye, An Introduction to the Pirate Psychology and the Pirate Archetype
Author of "Creating the Pirate Tarot of the Mystic Bootye" in Tarot and Cullture, Emily E. Auger (ed.), Association for Tarot
Studies: Victoria, Australia
e-mail: pyrrr8@yahoo.com
Experience
2008-09 Psychologist Intern Aurora Vista Del Mar Psychiatric Hospital
Provided group instruction, individual, group, family, and multifamily therapy to adults and adolescents, including treatment for severe mental illness during acute crisis. Ancillary duties: taking psychosocial history, problem list identification and assessment, treatment planning, psychological testing and daily charting of patients' progress. Developed individualized plans for adjustment to daily life.
2004 Mental Health Clinician Devereux, California
Evaluation of individual needs and development of therapeutic mental health programs in an institutional setting. Provided counseling to maximize the functioning potential of clients with special needs due to behavioral, psychological, intellectual, or neurological impairment. Responsibilities included behavior assessment of individual clients, teaching interactions, and therapeutic communication. Worked with treatment team to develop psychosocial and recreational programming. Facilitated community meetings. Data collection, record keeping, report writing. Communication with family members.
1996 – 1998 Mental Health Case Worker County of Santa Barbara
Care Coordinator for children, adolescents, and families in the Santa Barbara Multiagency Integrated System of Care (MISC). Assisted in client enrollment, aided assessment team in evaluating families specific strengths and needs. Developed treatment plans, brokered necessary services, linked community resources, monitored client’s progress, documented service activities, provided a variety of direct services as well as arranged for psychiatric and clinical interventions needed to maintain stable community functioning. Facilitated Wraparound meetings. Utilization review.
1991 -1994 Residential Counselor/Senior Counselor Phoenix of Santa Barbara
Residential Treatment for mentally ill adults making the transition from institution to life in the community. Participated in interviewing, hiring and training new staff. Responsible for checking the work of the residential counseling staff and giving them feedback regarding completeness. Responsible for weekly inventory and ordering patient medications, attended Residential Treatment Services (RTS) meetings. Facilitated staff meetings. Created the Phoenix Dollars Program that provided jobs and a reward delivery system for the clients. Treatment planning. Individual, group, and family counseling.
Additional Experience:
Counselor/Residential Counselor Turning Point Foundation, Ventura (2 sites)
The Drop-in Socialization Center: Counselor for the homeless mentally ill and mentally ill adults. Conducted individual and group counseling sessions. Referred the clients to various community services (i.e. medical care, legal/financial aid, and food/housing agencies). Created the “pre-vocational” program that assisted clients in developing the necessary skills to work in the community. Supervised daily activities of the Center which included daily meal preparation and serving; excursions and outings (supervised up to fifteen people); organized and facilitated special interest groups that included art classes, substance abuse support groups, science projects, pool tournaments, community recycling teams, a computer club, newsletter committee and other social/recreational events. Created the Coupon Economy Incentive Reward Program, client store and food pantry that provided food and necessities for the clients.
Estancia House: Crisis Residential Program. Crisis Intervention counseling in a residential setting for mentally ill adults. Duties include intake interview emphasizing psychosocial history, assessment of patient problems, and development of personal treatment plans. Was part of a treatment team that provided psychosocial rehabilitation as an alternative to inpatient hospitalization. Provided individual and group counseling, social skills training and charted patient’s daily progress. Liaison between the patients and their discharge plans.
Mental Health Worker Vista Del Mar Psychiatric Hospital
Individual and group counseling of adolescents and adults in an inpatient hospital. Charted patient’s progress. Supervised therapeutic and recreational activities
Counselor/Tutor Self Employed
Provided personal counseling, consulting and goal-directed programs for individual clients. Academic tutoring in psychology, biology and nutrition at Ventura College.
Staff Research Associate UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute
Graduate Student Assistant/Social Work Associate Camarillo State Hospital
Education
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Depth Psychology – Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara
M.A in Community/Clinical Psychology – Pepperdine University, Malibu
B.A. in Psychology – University of California, Los Angeles
Community Activities
1980 Channel Islands Recreation, President
Director: Harbor Square Beach Fair I,II, III
Co-ordinator: Oliviera Plaza Arts & Craft Show
Channel Islands Chamber of Commerce and Homeowner's Association, Bd. of Directors
Chairman: Channel Islands Parade of Lights Committee
1991 Journey Toward Being: Mental Health Community Art Show, Camarillo State Hospital, CA, co-ordinator
1992 Phoenix Dollar Program, Santa Barbara CA
1998 Pirates of the Channel Islands, President
Pirate's Ball, Channel Islands Harbor
1998-2008 Ojai Renaissance Fair, performance art & archetypal pirate research
2000 Millennium Celebration Redondo Beach
2009 Doctoral Dissertation: Pirate Therapy: Quest for the Mystic Bootye
2009 Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association (PCA/ACA) Pirate Tarot for a Pirate Culture
2010 Mystic Bootye Foundation, President
PCA/ACA The Pirate Tarot Mandala: Descent to the Crossroad
2011 PCA/ACA The Pirate Tarot of the Mystic Bootye: Piracy or Fair Use?
Pierpont Relief, Inc., Founding Director
2013 Author of Pirate: Quest for the Mystic Bootye, An Introduction to the Pirate Psychology and the Pirate Archetype
Author of "Creating the Pirate Tarot of the Mystic Bootye" in Tarot and Cullture, Emily E. Auger (ed.), Association for Tarot
Studies: Victoria, Australia
