AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

UCLArts and Healing facilitates the use of the arts as a tool for mind-body
healing in the community as a vehicle for empowerment and transformation
via: 1) offering affordable experiential learning opportunities to health
professionals, educators, community workers, caregivers, artists, and the
general public, 2) designing and evaluating programs that can be implemented
broadly in health care, educational, and recreational settings, and 3)
creating partnerships with academic institutions, educational and health
care institutions, community-based organizations, schools, professional
organizations, and private industry.

*Organizational Structure*

UCLArts and Healing is a collaboration
between the Arts and Healing
Initiative,
a nonprofit organization, and the UCLA Collaborative Centers for Integrative
Medicine (CCIM), which promotes education
and research in complementary, alternative, and integrative approaches to
health and well-being. The CCIM represents the UCLA academic integrative
medicine community on a national and international level.

*Purpose*

· Arts-based programs offer accessible, nonverbal and universal
tools for improving health by reducing stress and increasing social support
- without the stigma of therapy.

· Arts-based programs are easy to implement in places such as health
care settings and schools, which can create a public health safety net and
enhance the environment of medicine.

· The place of the arts in our culture can be secured by validating
their health benefits and exposing youth to their transformative value
through insights gained from process-oriented activities.

· Visibility and access to quality resources in arts and healing
benefits organizational and individual service providers as well as the
general public. *UCLArts and Healing has been featured as a resource in a
newsletter for the California Coalition for Compassionate Care.*

*Current and Past Partnerships*

Remo, Inc., Los Angeles Unified School District, Western Region American
Music Therapy Association, Southern California Chapter of the American Dance
Therapy Association, UCLA Tiverton House, UCLA Extension, Venice Family
Clinic, Boys and Girls Club of East Los Angeles and Santa Monica, YWCA Santa
Monica/Westside, Southern California Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre,
The Cancer Support Community - West Los Angeles, Performing Arts Center K-12
Outreach at College of the Canyons, City of Santa Monica Senior Center,
Senior Arts Foundation, Wilshire Boulevard Temple.

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*Job Qualifications and Description:*

Exceptionally strong computer skills and excellent writing/editing skills
are paramount. Efficiency, reliability, attention to detail (e.g., one who
habitually double checks written work or data entries), and ability to
organize information are also important. The position requires a
self-directed individual who not only takes direction well but also takes
initiative, who is resourceful in finding answers to problems, who requires
minimal supervision, who routinely sets and meets self-imposed deadlines,
and who is both able and willing to go the extra mile in time and effort as
the need arises. This position also requires enthusiasm, patience, and
warmth in public persona, as s/he will represent the spirit of the program.
Experience in grant writing is a plus.

The tasks of the job will evolve, based on the abilities of the employee and
also on the evolution and growth of the organization, which is growing
rapidly and developing a national presence. The truth is that this work
almost defies a prescribed role - it is everything and whatever the job
requires at any given moment. The employee will have the opportunity for
mentorship by the Director and will also have the chance to learn about the
field both in resource finding/posting and by attending/supervising
workshops. Task-wise, the employee will:

*Manage Website*

· Beta test new website, to be introduced this fall.

· Identify resources for website search function and enter
information for the resources such as mission statement, location,
description of services, population served, website, and contact
information; categorize them by location, type of art forms, age groups for
maximum user friendliness in a web search.

· Enter data - survey results, registration information, for
example.

· Post recommended events sponsored by other organizations.

· Update various sections of website.

· Review and approve submissions for posting.

· Update database.

*Coordinate Public Programs (listed below is a sample of events from
Jan-May 2011)*

· After a program concept has been developed by the Director, obtain
schedule, bios and other necessary information from instructors.

· Make arrangements for space, filming, etc. Investigate and
inspect potentially suitable and affordable spaces in which to hold
programs.

· Supervise programs and volunteers (2-3 times per week during the
academic year, and possibly during the summer, as well, in the future) -
collecting fees, checking people in, setting up sound system, survey
distribution and collection, coping of survey sheets, taking photos, other
assistance as needed.

· Answer public inquiries via email or phone, for example offering
web-based assistance in registering for programs online.

· Craft and send out electronic program ads. Use Web 2.0 methods to
send out electronic notices. Identify potentially interested groups and
contact them for networking.

· Complete documentation for continuing education.

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*Other Possible Administrative Responsibilities*

· Take notes and prepare minutes from meetings.

· Assist with grant writing.

· Package and mail curriculum materials.

· Process payments and donation/grant-related correspondence.

*Pay range*

$35,000-$40,000 per year - based on experience - plus medical benefits.

Interested applicants should first look at the current website:
http://uclartsandhealing.net

(summertime is programmatically quieter, so to get a better idea of the
types of events that we offer, see the list below.), then send a resume and
cover letter to: info@uclartsandhealing.net

Applicants will receive an email acknowledgement of receipt of their
resume/cover letter. We apologize that due to current time demands, we may
need to refrain from answering questions unless an applicant is a strong
candidate for the position. We would be grateful for no phone calls. Only
finalists for the position will receive follow up notification.

*UCLArts and Healing Events ~ Jan - May 2011 ~
www.uclartsandhealing.net ~ (310)
452-1439*

*Food as a Verb: Write, Move, Meditate, and Music-Make Your Way to
Self-Nourishment* - Sat. Jan. 29 9 am - 4 pm This retreat is aimed at
facilitating an internal shift, based in self-understanding, that will lead
to a new relationship with food that nourishes us in mind, body, and spirit.
We may stuff, deprive, sweeten, sour, devour or nourish ourselves at any
given time. Our relationship to food is often a metaphor for how we live. This
is a program for enlightenment, inspiration, and empowerment. *Instructors:
*Rachel Ballon, PhD, MFT; Eva Nemeth, MPT; Christiane Wolf, MD, PhD; Carolyn
Braddock, MA; and Ping Ho, MA, MPH.

*Introduction to the Alexander Technique* - Th. Feb 24 7 - 9 pm* *and* The
Alexander Technique: A 7-Session Follow-Up Workshop* - 7 Thursdays from Mar.
3 - Apr. 14 ~ This introductory program and its seven-part follow up
(optional) are aimed at simple movement re-education through postural
awareness. By unlearning common bad postural habits and ways of using the
body, people can alleviate tension, fatigue, back pain, neck stiffness,
asthma, headaches, and many other ailments. An Aug. 2008 randomized,
controlled study published in the *British Medical Journal* showed that the
Alexander Technique was effective in reducing lower back pain over time. *
Instructor:* Prof. Jean-Louis Rodrigue of UCLA School of Theater, Film and
Television.

*Writing through What's Eating You* - Sat. Mar. 12 - 10 am - 4 pm*
*In this one day workshop, writing will be used as a vehicle for digging
beneath the mask, discarding self-sabotaging behaviors and self-defeating
coping methods rooted in the past. Dr. Rachel Ballon brings her unique
expertise and experience as a psychotherapist and international writing
consultant to this workshop. Through the use of guided visualization and
Fast Flow Writing(tm) we'll delve and gain insights into our struggles with
food, body image or other issues that prevent us from living life as fully
or joyfully as possible. No writing experience necessary.
*Instructor:* Rachel
Ballon, PhD, MFT

*Writing from the Senses: Quieting the Inner Critic - *3 Mondays: Mar. 14,
21, 28
In this workshop, we will visit a variety of techniques -- from guided
somatic awareness and subtle movement to sensory exploration of a memory --
to gently bring our experience out onto the page in our own unique voice. Each
participant will have the opportunity to share about her or his writing
process and to receive assistance in addressing any "blocks" or concerns
related to writing. This program is open to writers of all levels. It is
well-suited for relative beginners in the writing process or those whose
inner critic often drowns out their true inner voice. *Instructor:* Nomi
Isak

*Beat the Odds: Social & Emotional Skill Building Delivered in a Framework
of Drumming* - Sunday Apr. 3 - noon to 6 pm
*Beat the Odds* integrates activities from contemporary drum circles and
group counseling to teach skills such as focusing and listening, empathy,
and managing anger and stress. *UCLA research has shown that Beat the
Oddscan significantly reduce problem behaviors in children, such as
withdrawn/depression, posttraumatic stress, anxiety, attention
deficit/hyperactivity, oppositional defiance, and sluggish cognitive tempo.
This program can be easily adapted to any population, including older
children, families, and older adults. *It can serve a whole classroom at a
time and is designed for delivery by individuals without musical
experience. *Instructors:* Ping Ho, MA, MPH, Giselle Friedman, LCSW, Mike
DeMenno.

*Happy Endings: Re-write Your Life - *4 Mondays: Apr. 4, 11, 18, 25 7 -
9 pm
Personal experiences and events that have held us back in our lives can be
changed by re-writing them. As far as the brain is concerned, imagined
behavior is real. Dr. Rachel Ballon brings unique expertise and experience
as a psychotherapist and international writing consultant. Writing will be
used as a vehicle for digging beneath the mask, discarding self-sabotaging
behaviors and self-defeating relationships rooted in the past, and
transforming negative life scripts into positive ones. No writing experience
is necessary. *Instructor:* Rachel Ballon, PhD, MFT.

*Movement for the 21st Century Lifestyle: A Holistic Approach *- Sat. Apr. 9
- 9 am - 1 pm
*The body never lies*. Martha Graham. In this workshop, we will learn to
understand the relationships and roles of the different muscle groups to
maximize function, prevent injury, and alleviate pain when we sit, walk,
stand, lay down, turn, twist, and reach. Moving correctly throughout the
day is exercise for the 21st Century lifestyle. Participants will learn
integrated exercises that move the body in a variety of directions while
sustaining the muscles needed to support the movement. They will receive
personal attention and correction, and the program will be tailored to their
needs. *Instructor:* Eva Nemeth, MPT

*Awakening from Trauma through Breath, Sound, and Movement* - Sat. Apr. 23 -
9 am - 5 pm
Trauma is expressed nonverbally in distinctive patterns of breath, movement,
and sound. Healing can take place by unwinding these manifestations and the
corresponding self-limiting beliefs that may interfere with emotional
expression, physical health, relationships, and experiencing life to the
fullest. Participants will gain awareness of how they hold trauma and
acquire a toolbox of means for freeing themselves through the creative arts
and practices rooted in the ancient art and philosophy of Tai Ji and Qi
Gong. This program is for both professional and personal benefit. *
Instructor: *Carolyn Braddock, MA

*Excavating Your Future: A Writing Workshop in Self-Discovery *- Sat. and
Sun. Apr. 30 and May 1 - 9 am - 5 pm *In collaboration with the YWCA Santa
Monica/Westside*. Utilize your abilities, diversity of interests, and wisdom
to reflect on how these attributes can be honed and shared with others. In
this workshop, you will write on a variety of topics inspired by
thought-provoking memoirs and poems by women authors. You will write about
your life, your observations of the world around you, and learn to
communicate in an authentic way that is yours alone. In short, you will
discover how your life story can influence and positively affect you and
your environment. Whether reflecting on your inner life or outer journey,
you will find that the writing process heightens your sense of observation,
purpose and, ultimately, the power inherent in YOUR written word. *Instructors:
*Barbara Abercrombie / Barbara Clark.

*The Stuff of Dreams* ~ This is a two-part exploration of our dreams - not
with the intent to analyze them, but with the intent to develop curiosity
about them in order for them to be tangibly helpful to us in our waking
lives.

*Workshop 1 - Sat. May 14 from 10 am to 4 pm** *Participants will use the
art of collage to give voice to dream images. Collage invites discovery and
serves as a visual journaling technique that can deepen and animate the
essential nature of a dream. In addition to enabling access to material
that initially seemed inaccessible, making a collage for our dreams also
externalizes the insights derived, making them more consciously accessible
in daily life.* *The workshop will interweave journaling of insights with
the collage-making process. At the end of the day, participants will
complete a writing process to capture the essence of what emerged from the
collage experience. *Instructor: *Nancy Weiss, LCSW, BCD.

*Workshop 2 - Sat. May 21 from 1 - 5 pm** *The workshop will begin with a
guided movement for relaxation, like a moving meditation, to music. As
dream images, symbols, or other memories come forward, they will be explored
through sense memory and spontaneous authentic movement done privately on
the mat, with eyes closed. Throughout the process, participants will be
prompted with questions regarding scenes and images that focuses attention
on feelings within the body and details of the experience from the
standpoint of the five senses. After the guided movement process is
complete, participants will capture their experience in art-making,
journaling, or both. *Instructor: *Kim Gillingham

*SAVE THE DATE:** **UCLArts and Healing Annual Conference - Sun. Sept. 25,
2011 - *Remo Recreational Music Center, North Hollywood.

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