2025-2026 Academic Year
FIAT LX 19.3 The Power of Lived Experiences, Community, Healing and Mental Health (Winter 2026)
COURSE MEETINGS: January 21, February 4, February 18, March 4 (every other Wednesday)
Instructor: Jocelyn Meza Ph.D.
Course Description:
The Power of Lived Experiences, Community, Healing and Mental Health explores how mental health is shaped by trauma, context, and the environments we move through. This seminar examines the ways that structural, interpersonal, and community-level experiences influence wellbeing, with particular attention to how adversity accumulates and impacts mental health across the lifespan. We will discuss the power of sharing one’s story as a trauma-informed tool for healing, connection, and meaning-making. The course will also introduce practical coping and wellness strategies rooted in evidence-based mental health approaches. Finally, we will explore how lived experience community-partnered approaches can be better integrated into the development of mental health treatments, interventions, and systems of care.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE: 10:30am–12:30pm; kindly factor in additional transportation time
Location: Victorville Correctional Complex
Space Limited: PTE# Required
Course Number: FIAT LX 19.3
Application Deadline: November 30, 2025
Course Application Links
Course Evaluations
All PEP professors are required to give a PRE and POST evaluation to students enrolled in their course. The evaluations are customized for each course and cover five categories:
- Public Speaking
- Writing
- Collaborative Learning
- Critical Analysis
- Academic Success
The evaluations are collected and given to Rashi Garg, PEP Data Analyst, for further review and analysis.
