UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School announces the formal, virtual opening of the Mind and Behavior Assessment Clinic (MBAC). The MBAC primarily exists to provide members of Santa Barbara county and surrounding areas a low-cost option to quality, comprehensive neuropsychological assessments. It is the belief of the MBAC that one’s finances should not be a barrier in accessing neuropsychological assessments.
In 2004, the Mind and Behavior Assessment Clinic was founded under its former name, the Psychology Assessment Center (PAC), by Dr. Steve Smith. “We changed the name from the Psychology Assessment Center to the Mind and Behavior Assessment Clinic to reflect the inextricable connection between the human mind and human behavior,” Dr. Miriam Thompson, current director, explains. “The human mind is complex and so many mysteries remain regarding its functional operation. As a result, we are left to draw many of our conclusions based upon what we can observe—human behavior.”
In addition to providing comprehensive neuropsychological assessments, MBAC is a training clinic. Doctoral students in the Department of Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology (CCSP) will conduct all aspects of the assessment under Dr. Thompson’s close supervision. These students will have opportunities to learn, practice, and master commonly (and less commonly) administered neuropsychological tests. By doing so, we prepare CCSP doctoral students to obtain competitive doctoral level internships, postdoctoral fellowships, academic positions, and other enriching professional experiences.
The MBAC responds to a wide range of referral reasons for children, adolescents, young adults and senior age adults. MBAC doctoral student clinicians will respond to referral reasons for specific learning disorder, ADHD, depression, anxiety, and more.