SANTA BARBARA, CA (June 14, 2010) – Dr. Allan Hoffman, a recognized scholar and veteran human services administrator, has been appointed as president of Santa Barbara Graduate Institute (“SBGI”), known for its cutting edge graduate degree programs in somatic psychology, prenatal and perinatal psychology that focus on integration of the whole human being—mind, body and spirit. Dr. Hoffman assumes leadership of the institution today. Co-founder and campus dean Dr. Marti Glenn will continue to serve the graduate school as an academic leader and professor.

“Allan‘s energy and depth of experience as both an educator and an administrator will be invaluable as SBGI continues to evolve, grow and develop its programs in integrative health and human services,” said Dr. Michael Horowitz, president and CEO of TCS Education System, the nonprofit entity of which SBGI is an affiliate.

Dr. Hoffman has spent almost forty years working in higher education leadership and health care. He has served as CEO, vice-president, executive officer, dean and professor at post-secondary institutions including Ottawa University, University of Southern California, State University of New York at Buffalo, Cal State at Dominguez Hills, Des Moines University, Compton Community College, and Hartnell College. He has published extensively, has served on the editorial board and as a manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Allied Health and Journal of Public Health, and has authored several books focusing on leadership, managing colleges and universities and total quality in higher education.

As dean and professor of Health Care Management and Public Health at Des Moines University – Osteopathic Medical Center (Iowa), Dr. Hoffman founded the Center for the Prevention of Community Violence and continues to volunteer and write extensively on violence prevention. He is a Certified Health Education Specialist and holds two master‘s degrees and a doctorate in education from Columbia University Teachers College, where he was named a Kellogg Fellow.

“I am honored to have been selected as the next president of SBGI and to continue the visionary work of co-founders Dr. Marti Glenn and Ken Bruer,” said Dr. Hoffman. “I am intrigued and inspired by the SBGI methodology, which encourages students to work from the inside out in developing their skills as practitioners. I look forward to the transformative work we will do within the institution to develop and enhance our academic programs and student services, and to further our mission to broaden cultural recognition and support for the development of the integrated human being.”

About Santa Barbara Graduate Institute
Founded in 2000, Santa Barbara Graduate Institute offers the world‘s first graduate degrees in prenatal and perinatal psychology and the only doctoral degrees in somatic psychology. The institution offers flexible programming, including low residence and distance learning formats, allowing adult learners to study an integrative approach to lasting change and healing. SBGI‘s unique pedagogy addresses the individual student‘s personal and professional transformation within a curriculum that incorporates the best of traditional treatment methodologies and established clinical practice with the best integrative approaches to health and healing. www.sbgi.edu

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Contact:
Lynne Baker
312.379.1635
lbaker@tcsedsystem.org

In April of last year, SBGI moved to a new campus with added classroom and office space as well as beautiful grounds and ocean views that welcome our students from all over the world. In July, SBGI officially became an affiliate of The Chicago School Education System and in September welcomed it’s largest cohort in SBGI’s 10 year history.

In November, the campus build out for new faculty offices and the SBGI Library was completed. It is now an active academic center where students can access both a wide and specialized collection of texts supported by a full-time librarian, surf the wireless internet and consult with their academic advisors and professors. Additionally, November brought new faces to the SBGI administrative staff including Library Assistant Holly Green, Student Services Advisor Misuk Kwon and Administrative Assistant Tamala Wattree.

Finally, in December, SBGI launched a new website complete with updated information and including student interviews. We will continue to add interviews with faculty and SBGI alumni. As always, we want to hear from you, the community we are honored to serve, regarding your thoughts about our new website so that we may continue to make changes that serve your needs. To do so, please email us at sbgi@sbgi.edu.

Also in December, SBGI attended the Zero to Three Conference in Dallas, where current SBGI doctoral student Angelique Millette presented her research on a multidisciplinary approach to working with infants and toddlers with sleep problems. At the Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference in Anaheim, experts in the field of psychotherapy including Daniel Siegel, MD, Bessel van der Kolk, MD, Francine Shapiro, PhD and Jack Kornfield, PhD, in addition to many others, talked about the importance of the body in psychotherapy.

The SBGI community continues to grow in 2010 as we welcome two more additions including Somatic Psychology Core Faculty member Dr. Edmund Knighton and Financial Aid Advisor Debjani Bhattacharya who both bring extensive experience in their respective fields.

On the horizon in 2010 is SBGI’s first spring cohort beginning on campus March 20th with new student orientation. It’s not too late apply for spring! Please contact Alice Richardson at arichardson@sbgi.edu or call for more information on how to apply.

As a community that continues to grow in order to meet the needs of an inspiring student body and a global community of prospective students and practitioners, we look to our core values to carry us through the changes to come. Those core values that we uphold here at SBGI – Relationship, Scholarship and Leadership – help us as educators to embody a leading-edge culture of higher learning and service as we guide the integrative and holistic practitioners of tomorrow. In that light, we encourage advanced students to consider contributions to professional associations such as the USABP, United States Association of Body Psychotherapy, or APPPAH, the Association of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health, by submitting posters or papers for upcoming conferences. Also, we encourage prospective students, including practitioners, to take that next step towards an advanced degree in the leading-edge fields of Somatic Psychology or Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology to make a difference and further develop or diversify your existing practice.

With Gratitude, Marti Glenn, PhD Campus Dean

Click here to apply for an upcoming course.

The article, Informed Decision Making in Maternity Care, is available online through The Journal of Perinatal Education’s online article database.

Abstract:
In the United States, federal acts and regulations, as well as professional guidelines, clearly dictate that every pregnant woman has the right to base her maternity care decisions on accurate, up-to-date, comprehensible information. Despite these efforts, evidence suggests that informed consent within current health-care practice is restricted and inconsistently implemented. Patient access to evidence-based research is imperative under the scope of informed consent and is particularly important during a time when perinatal mortality and morbidity rates, interventions, and disparities are on the rise in the United States. This article describes the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services’ investigation of the breakdown of informed consent in maternity care.

Visit The Journal of Perinatal Education online article database to view the full article.

In addition to her studies at SBGI and her recent publication, Holly has also served on a strategic planning panel benefitting the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS).

SBGI would also like to congratulate Jennifer on her recent position as Research Faculty at Pratt Institute as thesis advisor to Creative Arts Therapy Master’s students. Congratulations, Jennifer!

Jennifer Frank Tantia, MS, ADTR, LCAT is a psychotherapist in private practice and licensed in New York State. As a nationally registered dance/movement Therapist and body psychotherapist, Jennifer has worked with patients in many settings such as: psychiatric units, geriatric residencies, day treatment programs and corporate environments. Her experience spans populations such aseating disorders, HIV/AIDS and mild to severe mental illness, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Jennifer’s eclectic background of psychology, physiology, creativity and neuroscienceprovides a fully embodied approach to psychotherapy. Jennifer works with a wide range of clients including those with symptoms from emotional or physical trauma including PTSD to anxiety, depression, and relationship issues.

Jennifer is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Santa Barbara Graduate Institute.

To learn more about Jennifer Tantia, MS, ADTR, LCAT and her movement psychotherapy practice in New York, please visit her website.

Questions about Licensure:

Q: What is the difference between WASC regional accreditation and California Board of Behavior Sciences (BBS) approval?

A: Whereas WASC is regional accreditation of an entire school or campus, the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) recognizes individual programs. In the case of SBGI, our Clinical Psychology programs meet all of the BBS requirements for MFT licensure in the state of California. We encourage you to visit the California BBS website for more information www.bbs.ca.gov.

Q: Will my SBGI degree allow me to qualify for California Board of Behavior Sciences (BBS) MFT licensure?

A: Yes. BBS approval of a degree program is mandated by the state of California before they can sit for licensure as a marriage and family therapist. All SBGI clinical psychology programs meet the requirements for BBS approval for the MFT licensure.

Q: What options do SBGI graduates have for MFT licensure outside of California?

A: As mentioned, BBS oversight of MFT licensure only covers the state of California. For guidance on licensure outside of California, we encourage you to contact the licensing board of the state of your choice.

Q: What is the difference between BBS approval and APA approval?

A: Both are programmatic approval. Whereas the BBS oversees MFT licensure in California, the American Psychological Association (APA) accredits doctoral psychology programs. SBGI’s doctoral programs currently do not have APA accreditation.

Q: What is the difference between BBS (MFT) approval and BOP (Psychologist) approval?

A: Whereas the BBS provides oversight of the MFT credential, the Board of Psychology (BOP) provides oversight of licensure to become a clinical psychologist in the state of California. At present, SBGI graduates only qualify for the MFT credential. For more information about the BOP, visit www.psychboard.ca.gov.

Questions about Regional Accreditation:

Q: Now that SBGI is an affiliate of TCS ES does that mean SBGI is regionally accredited?

A: No. SBGI is in the process of pursuing regional accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Q: What are the benefits of pursuing WASC accreditation for SBGI?

A: By working with WASC, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, SBGI is engaged in a step-by-step process to ensure that its degree programs, services, and governance meet the highest standards of a regionally accredited institution.

Q: What is the timeline for WASC accreditation?

A: We have a committed and seasoned team of experts in place, including regulatory affairs and compliance professionals, consultants, and educators experienced in the accreditation process, who will work with WASC to advance SBGI through the process. Of course, WASC will determine when SBGI is qualified to become regionally accredited.

Q: Will current and new SBGI students have access to Title IV financial aid opportunities?

A: Eligibility for Title IV, including Federal Stafford Student Loans and Federal Work Study, is dependent on achieving accreditation from WASC. SBGI will seek regional accreditation under WASC with the assistance and full commitment of TCS Education System leadership. We will move forward in the process as expeditiously as possible; however decisions affecting the pace of the process and ultimate approval lie with the accreditation agency. Thus, while we cannot provide you with any estimated timeframe for approval, we will of course update all of our students on a regular basis as that process continues.

Questions about TCS Education System:

Q: What is TCS Education System and what is its relationship with The Chicago School of Professional Psychology?

A: SBGI joins The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) as an affiliate of TCS Education System (TCS ES). TCS ES was founded in 2009 as a not-for-profit organization with a mission of preparing innovative, engaged, purposeful agents of change who serve our global community.

With a mission rooted in advancing the greater good, TCS ES features a network of specialized institutions that offer a fundamentally new approach to higher education, one that prepares socially responsible, culturally competent professionals in applied fields such as psychology and behavioral sciences , health and human services, and education and human development. The System also includes an early childhood and K-8 school devoted to delivering a progressive, evidence-based curriculum; an online education delivery and services division; and TCS Foundation, which cultivates charitable contributions to support social change endeavors throughout the system. Our ongoing business success coupled with a social change mission that unifies all of our entities distinguishes TCS Education System from any other educational system today.

Q: How and why did the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute (SBGI) and TCS ES come together?

A: The “why” is simple, the affiliation offers benefits to all parties: TCS ES and SBGI students, faculty, alumni, and staff. SBGI brings TCS ES a stake in the Santa Barbara community and unique programs and delivery model that were not previously offered by TCS ES through another of its divisions: The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. TCS ES, in turn, provides SBGI with more capacity and resources to better serve its campus community, including its academic and research infrastructure. After months of conversations in early 2009, the next step in the process was an exhaustive due diligence, which led to a definitive agreement signed on July 2, 2009, and finalized on July 15, 2009.

Q: At one time the website referenced SBGI as an affiliate of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Why the update?

A: The update was the result of recent changes that have occurred on the higher education landscape as it relates to accreditation. As mentioned above, TCSPP is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the same agency that was approached to explore possible accreditation for SBGI. In February 2010, however, the Department of Education issued a policy letter changing some of the practices long in place for recognizing campuses that operate across regional accreditation lines. This document resulted in a reevaluation of how SBGI approaches accreditation since HLC oversees a different region of the country. In an effort to proactively stay ahead of this change, a decision was made to transition our accreditation efforts for SBGI from HLC to the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), which is the regional accreditation agency that oversees California, Hawaii, Guam and the Pacific Basin.

Other Questions:

Q: Who is the new leadership of SBGI?

A: Dr. Marti Glenn remains involved and committed to the school’s mission as the Campus Dean. After a national search, Dr. Allan Hoffman joined SBGI in June as its new president. Read the release.

Q: Is SBGI on a quarter or semester system for credit hours?

A: SBGI transitioned from a quarter system to semesters at the beginning of the 2010–2011 academic year. Under the new structure, 1 semester credit is equal to 1.5 quarter credits.

Q: What about tuition for current and incoming SBGI students?

The tuition and fees schedule for SBGI can be found by visiting: http://sbgi.edu/admission/tuition-and-fees/

Q: Will SBGI change its name?

A: We are proud and encouraged by the reputation that comes with the SBGI name. As a affiliate of TCS Education System, SBGI has experienced a greater focus on marketing and advertising to further build awareness of its programs and service to the community. A new website also was launched in late 2009.

Q: What if I still have questions after reading this FAQ?

A: We recognize that each individual may have unique concerns, thoughts, and questions—and we are eager to address them. We will be making a great effort to keep the SBGI and TCS ES communities apprised of the latest developments throughout this year of learning and integration. In addition, we have established a central email address, SBGI@tcsedsystem.org, through which you may submit questions and comments at any time, and receive a prompt response.