The UCF College of Medicine has signed an affiliation agreement with Pasadena Villa, an Orlando facility that offers residential treatment, day treatment, transitional living and life skills services for adults with mental health disorders.
As part of the agreement, Pasadena Villa will provide clerkship experiences where medical students will observe and help treat patients with conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder and autism.
“I am delighted that UCF College of Medicine third-year students will do part of their Psychiatry clerkship at Pasadena Villa, where they will have the opportunity to follow patients throughout the clerkship and gain clinical experience with the continuum of care from residential treatment to the outpatient setting,” said Dr. Martin Klapheke, professor of Psychiatry at the College of Medicine.
Students will work under the supervision of Pasadena Villa psychiatrist Myrtho Mompoint-Branch, M.D., and other staff members.
Pasadena Villa has developed its own Social Integration Model, where patients participate in social, cultural and recreational activities within the community, which provide real life experiences and coaching in real time. The unique program prepares patients for life outside of treatment and for reaching the highest level of individual functioning possible.
The agreement with the College of Medicine is “an exciting opportunity for Pasadena Villa to expand the knowledge these medical students have of mental health care and treatment,” said Managing Director David Nissen. “Whatever specialty the students ultimately select, as they gain the insight necessary to advise patients to seek necessary and adequate mental health care, their experiences here will enhance the care they provide to their future patients.”