I’m so pleased to get to know you and tell you a little bit about my journey. I began my helping career working with survivors of sexual and interpersonal trauma in Yolo County, California. After undergraduate I pursued my passion for understanding health/mental health disparities at a public health and social welfare public policy research center at the University of California, Los Angeles. This work inspired me to return to school to gain the tools to understand and impact disparities and stigma in accessing health and mental health services. I entered the Masters in Social Welfare-Masters in Public Health joint program at the University and trained at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LAC DMH).
After my training I went on to work at LAC DMH – the provider of mental health services for the County’s most vulnerable individuals – at an outpatient mental health clinic. In my role at LAC DMH I have focused on individual and group therapy, rehabilitative services, case management, co-occurring disorders, health care navigation, multi-disciplinary case consultation, program planning and development, and developing community partnerships. Moreover, my work with individuals and groups has been focused on providing culturally competent and evidence-based interventions to assist mental health consumers to lead meaningful, healthy, happy, and fulfilling lives.
Some of my personal and professional values include acceptance, curiosity, inclusivity, openness, professionalism, being a supportive friend/partner, self-reflection, mindfulness, self-care, service, reducing stigma, and pursuing social justice. I value ongoing professional development and education and have received training in the following evidence-based practices: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, and Seeking Safety.
Education
M.S.W., University of California, Los Angeles, Luskin School of Public Affairs
M.P.H., University of California, Los Angeles, Fielding School of Public Health
B.A. in Sociology and Spanish, University of California, Davis