Pacific Clinics Training Institute
Course Instructors
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Christopher Amenson, Ph.D. has been with Pacific Clinics for more than 25 years in a number of increasingly responsible clinical, management and administrative positions. In his work with the Pacific Clinics Training Institute, he provides training on treatment, supervision, and management of psychiatric rehabilitation programs. Dr. Amenson focuses on real world implementation of evidence-based treatments. He was one of the first to implement programs of psychosocial rehabilitation and family psycho-education in a non-research setting. He is the author of Schizophrenia: A Family Education Curriculum, a series of training manuals that teach mental health professionals how to educate and inform consumers and family members about schizophrenia. This series has been taught in several languages and is published in English, Spanish and Japanese. Dr. Amenson is a well-known speaker on behavioral healthcare topics across California, the U.S. and abroad. He is a recipient – among his other honors – of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI)’s highest professional award – “Psychologist of the Year”. |
Peter Cashorali, M.A. began working in the AIDS community as a volunteer at AIDS Project Los Angeles in 1990, reviewing data on alternative medical treatments and writing digests of findings for agency clients and staff. He facilitated a bereavement group at LA Shanti for three years. He worked as a social work case manager and MFT intern for six years at AIDS Service Center in Pasadena. He facilitated the men’s HIV-positive over forty-five group at that agency for ten years. Currently he is a licensed sub-contractor at APLA, and works with HIV-positive men in his private practice. He is a program director in the Portals division of Pacific Clinics. He is the author of two books of fairy tales that include retelling of traditional tales around themes of sero-conversion, multiple bereavement and healing (Gay Fairy Tales, HarperSanFrancisco, 1995, and Gay Fairy and Folk Tales, Faber and Faber, 1997). |
Matt Harwood, LCSW has been working with HIV/AIDS care in various settings for 20
years. He currently is the training coordinator for mental health services at AIDS Project
Los Angeles (APLA). He has been training licensed clinicians for more than 10 years on
the topics of HIV/AIDS and Human Sexuality. |
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Jaime H. Brown, Psy.D. is a team supervisor for Pacific Clinics East Outpatient program in Monrovia. In his role as community outreach supervisor, he has expanded Monrovia’s Outpatient services to include field based programs at Duarte High School, South El Monte High School, Mountain View High School, El Monte High School, Rosemead High School, San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corp Charter School, Northview Intermediate School, YMCA – Monrovia, Options Head Start, and the Boys and Girls club of the Foothills. Dr. Brown attended the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University where he received his doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in multicultural/community psychology. |
Sunitha Chandy, Psy.D. is a graduate of Fuller School of Psychology. After completing her internship in New York, Dr. Chandy worked as a fellow at Harbor-UCLA’s child-adolescent trauma postdoctoral program. During this fellowship, Dr. Chandy worked in the adolescent Dialectical Behavior Therapy program. Dr. Chandy has also specialized in working with traumatized children and family and addressing issues of culture and diversity. Dr. Chandy has taught courses on Life-span development, dialectical behavior therapy, vicarious traumatization, and diversity. |
Sandra Henriquez, MBA is an independent consultant, currently working with numerous
social service agencies on management, leadership and fund development. She has
20 years experience working in social service, of which 16 years were in non-profit
management. As the former Associate Director for all Intervention Programs at the
Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women, she supervised a staff of 25
professionals. Additionally, in her capacity as a board member for the California Coalition
Against Sexual Assault (CalCASA), Ms. Henriquez was active in the development of
personnel policies and procedures for the organization. She has been published in the
Hasting Women’s Law Journal and has been a contributor to numerous publications on
issues pertaining to violence against women and children. |
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Leticia Gutierrez-Lopez, Psy.D. is a Clinical Psychologist working as the Director of Programs for Pacific Clinics’ Latina/o Youth Program (LYP) and has been working in community mental health since 1996. Dr. Gutierrez-Lopez graduated in 1998 from the California School of Professional Psychology where she studied Multicultural Clinical Community Psychology. Dr. Gutierrez-Lopez actively participated in the development of Pacific Clinics’ Latina Suicide Prevention Program in 2001 which is now a full blown child/adolescent clinic providing mental health services to children, adolescents, transitional age youth and their families. LYP houses several programs: Full-Service partnership for Child/TAY, School-based services, Comprehensive Children Services Program-Intensive In-Home Services, Multidisciplinary Assessment Team services, TAY outpatient services, Child outpatient services and recently mental health services for Medi-Cal clients at Homeboy Industries. Dr. Gutierrez-Lopez is proud to be a part of the implementation of evidence-based practices at Pacific Clinics’ Centro Familiar in Santa Fe Springs. Dr. Gutierrez-Lopez interests includes, incorporating evidenced-based practices in clinical treatment with diverse communities. |
Charles N. Chege, Psy.D. is a California Licensed Clinical Psychologist. He has great commitment,
interest, and experience in teaching, clinical supervision, and providing psychological/mental
health services in settings in the Los Angeles area and surrounding counties. He has
significant experience in administration and clinical work with over ten years supervising
clinical psychology practicum and internship students in doctoral programs, social work
and marriage and family therapy interns. He was supervisor of post-doctoral registered
psychologists and been involved in International and cross-cultural delivery of psychological
services. Dr. Chege has research interests in HIV-AIDS and has designed and implementated
psycho-social rehabilitation models for treating severe and persistent mental illness in Kenya.
He has involvement in missions and mental health, as evidenced by his annual ministry,
consultation and training trips to Kenya. |
Rose Lopez, Ph.D.
has more than 15 years experience working with adults with
psychiatric disorders in outpatient and day rehabilitation programs. She received
her doctorate in multicultural community psychology from the California School of
Professional Psychology, Los Angeles, and has received extensive training from the
California Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) on the person-centered, recovery-oriented
model of treatment. Dr. Lopez previously held the position of Assistant Director of Pacific
Clinics’ Quality Improvement & Compliance Department (QIC), training staff on Medi-Cal
documentation and preparing for state/county audits. She is currently the Director of
Wellness & Recovery for the Pacific Clinics Institute. She also serves as the staff liaison
to the Pacific Clinics Anti-Stigma group, training consumers in public speaking skills
and coordinating community presentations with consumers to educate the public about
recovery from mental illness. |
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B. Joseph Ho, Ph.D. is the Divisional Director of the Child and Family Specialty Services Division at Pacific Clinics. Over the last three decades, Dr. Ho has launched several careers in diverse disciplines of engineering, parish ministry, business consulting, and behavioral healthcare. He received his Ph.D. (clinical psychology) from Biola University, an MBA from University of Southern California, and M.Div. from Denver Seminary. He is a licensed psychologist, and a licensed electrical engineer in California. |
Rocco Cheng, Ph.D. received his doctoral degree from the California School of Professional
Psychology, specializing in Multicultural Community Clinical Psychology. Currently, he is the
Corporate Director of Pacific Clinics Prevention & Early Intervention Services. He is also
a consultant for the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency Grant
Review Committee. |
Jeanne E. Manese, Ph.D. is Director of the Counseling Center at the University of California, Irvine. She received her doctoral degree from the University of Maryland, College Park with a specialization in Counseling Psychology. She attended Harvard University where she received her Masters of Education. Dr. Manese additionally is a UC Irvine alumnae, graduating cum laude in Psychology. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 17 and 45) and member of the Asian American Psychological Association. In addition to working at various settings including the University of Maryland, College Park, Long Beach VAMC, CSULB, UCSD, UCI and private practice, Dr. Manese has practiced around the world with a Semester at Sea and is interested in the global application of Counseling Psychology. Dr. Manese has published numerous articles and chapters related to training, supervision and practice with a focus on multicultural competency and social justice. She is currently conducting research and implementing programs focused on strength based interventions for academically “at risk” populations. |
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Shannon Mayeda, Ph.D., LCSW, CRADC has been on the clinical teaching faculty at the University of Southern California for 7 years and currently holds the position of Associate Professor. Dr. Mayeda has 10 years of experience teaching foundation and advanced clinical courses in the mental health concentration in Master of Social Work Programs in Los Angeles and Chicago. She has over 30 years of clinical experience working with people who have been diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illnesses, such as, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders and severe addictions. She has worked in urban and multicultural environments in Los Angeles, Chicago and rural areas of Indiana and Wisconsin. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Evansville and received both a MSW in 1993 and a Ph.D. in 2002 in Clinical Social Work from Loyola University of Chicago. She is co-chair of the Mental Health Concentration, Coordinator of the Systems of Recovery from Mental Illness sub-concentration, and is the Lead Instructor for diagnosis, mental health practice and addiction courses. |
Martha Chono-Helsley is the Executive Director for REACH LA, a youth-driven communitybased
organization whose mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of urban youth
and help them transition to successful adulthood. She’s developed the Sexual Health
Education By Youth (SHEY) Program that specializes in educating, counseling and training
young men and women of color about sexual and reproductive health. The SHEY program
serves 350 young men and women annually through workshops, one-on-one counseling,
leadership development, peer advocate/educator training and community organizing. She
is a founding member of the HIV YOUTH Coalition of Los Angeles County and has been
an active volunteer on the HIV YOUTH Conference Planning committee since 2002. |
Gregory Manning, Ph.D. holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from the California
School of Professional Psychology and is a licensed clinical psychologist in the State of
California. He consults and trains professionals of multiple specialties and lay persons
regarding their work with children and families, both in the community and within the
foster care system. Dr. Manning has extensive clinical experience working in both
government-run and private non-profit mental health as well as in residential placement
agencies. He also serves as the mental health liaison on a number of local and regional
committees and taskforces. Dr. Manning has experience in the area of developing
and implementing innovative community mental health programs. He is a member of
the Board of Directors for Youth In Mind — a California based non-profit agency that
supports and inspires youth leadership and advocacy within the mental health system.
Dr. Manning also is a faculty member at the University of Phoenix in the College of Social
and Behavioral Sciences. |
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Daniel O. Taube, Ph.D. received his J.D. from Villanova University in 1985 and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Hahnemann University in 1987, as a member of the Hahnemann/Villanova Joint Psychology and Law Graduate Program. He is a Professor at the California School of Professional Psychology, San Francisco at Alliant International University, past Psy.D., Program Director, founder and coordinator of the Forensic Family Child Track and member of the Child/Family Track faculty. His areas of professional focus include ethical and legal issues in professional practice, child protection, addictions, and disability and parenting. Professor Taube began training graduate students in ethical standards and concerns in 1989, and has taught graduate courses in ethics almost continually since then. He has chaired the CSPP-San Francisco IRB (and now, the campus-based University IRB) for 14 years. In addition, Dr. Taube has been a successful ethics presenter. During the past 14 years, he has conducted over 300 four to six hour continuing education workshops for psychologists, MFTs, LCSWs, and other mental health professionals. During his tenure, he has trained over 7,500 clinicians and regularly provides consultation regarding ethical issues and standards of care. |
Tyson Chung, Ph.D is a neuropsychologist and clinical supervisor for Psychology Interns at Pacific Clinics El Camino, adult program. Dr. Chung’s including: neuropsychological evaluations across the lifespan in both psychiatric and medical settings. Dr. Chung has served as a post-doctoral Fellow at Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation, where he worked from a cognitive rehab approach towards patients recovering from traumatic brain injuries such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, and cerebral anoxia. Evaluations also included referrals to screen for dementia and formulate treatment specific interventions in collaboration with Physical, Occupational, and Speech therapists. As an adjunct professor for La Sierra University, Dr. Chung has also taught coursework in the neurosciences. |
Maria R. Martin, LMFT, M.A. is an experienced Child Abuse Forensic Interviewer
at Harbor UCLA, Child Crisis Center; for about 18 years. She has also worked at the
Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and the Department
of Public Social Services, conducting child abuse evaluations and dependency
investigations for the Children’s Court and the Department of Children and Family
Services. Currently, Dr. Martin is a program director at Pacific Clinics Sierra Family
Center and oversees the day-to-day operations of the outpatient clinic.
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Rhiannon De Carlo, MFT has been a licensed clinician since 2004 and currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Quality Improvement and Compliance Department for Pacific Clinics. She graduated from Occidental College with her degree in Psychology and her Masters in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling from the University of Southern California. She has experience treating children and adolescents in an outpatient and residential setting, many with trauma histories. Ms. De Carlo also has several years experience working in the area of quality assurance and compliance. |
Deborah Ann Cook, M.A., MFCC Deborah Ann Cook, M.A., MFCC, is a licensed marriage and Family Therapist. She offers over twenty-five years of personal and professional experience in Human Services, which embraces three disciplines: Mental Health, Social Work, and Education. She has worked in public and private sectors in the United States and Internationally. Deborah’s area of specialty include: Substance Abuse, Community Mental Health, Child Abuse and Family Violence Prevention, Teacher Training for Children with Special Needs, Life Skills for Young Adults, Career Assessment and Labor Transition, and Coping with Cultural Trauma, Diversity and Change. She has engaged with ethically and demographically diverse audiences. Her mission is to provide practical learning experiences that empower self-awareness and foster self-sufficiency. |
Glenn Masuda, Ph.D. received his undergraduate degree in psychology at the University
of Southern California. His master’s and doctorate degrees were earned at the University
of Washington in Seattle, Washington. He is currently the Associate Divisional Director
at the Asian Pacific Family Center in Rosemead, California, a division of Pacific Clinics
where he has been working since its opening in 1986. He was formerly the Program
Director of the Child, Youth and Family Services. His specialty areas are in adolescent
psychology, family therapy, community interventions, as well as diversity competency
training. Dr. Masuda is also a founding faculty member of the Pacific Clinics Institute.
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Scott Folb, M.A., SPHR has served in executive and consulting capacities for more than twenty years. Mr. Folb planned, developed and marketed management and human resources continuing education seminars for the largest human resources professional association in the United States. Mr. Folb has presented training in supervision, employment law, performance management, employee and labor relations, harassment prevention, and related management curriculum in various industries including the non-profit sector. Mr. Folb was seated on the Board of Directors for the Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA) for six years and presently serves on the Employment and Labor Relations Committee of the California Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Folb received graduate and undergraduate degrees at a private university in Southern California and is currently completing advance curriculum in benefits and compensation from the Wharton School of Management. |
Michael Corcoran, Ph.D. was in law enforcement for more than 34 years beginning in 1968
and entered the threat assessment field when he joined the United States Secret Service
in 1970. He completed post-doctoral work in Stress Management through UCLA’s School of
Medicine in 1979 and, also utilizing his law enforcement experience, specializes in identifying
and handling potentially violent persons as well as the stressors involved. He does threat
assessments and determination of violence risk, identifying behavioral clues to determine
stressors in environments that may contribute to these problems for governmental agencies,
law enforcement, Fortune 500 companies, school districts and healthcare providers around
the world. He has spoken internationally on all these topics, co-authored the text: “Violence
Assessment & Intervention, The Practitioners Guide,” and been called to court as an expert
witness on identifying violent individuals. Dr. Corcoran was appointed as President of Henley-
Putnam University in 2004, the only accredited school of its kind in the world granting degrees
in Protection Management, Intelligence Management and Terrorism/Counterterrorism Studies.
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Marcia Mindell, LCSW
completed her undergraduate work at Iowa’s Grinnell College and
received a master’s in social work from University of Michigan. She has been working in
the mental health field since 1970. In 1990, while working for the LA County Department
of Mental Health (LACDMH), she developed and implemented the Older Adult F.A.C.T.S.
program, which was established in the Long Beach area to train MSW interns to provide
mobile mental health services to older adults. She continued to manage that program
until her retirement from full-time employment in 2005, after more than 35 years of
service with LA County. Ms. Mindell has taught social work courses at CSULB and USC,
where she remains on faculty; she also provides training and consultation for LACDMH
and maintains a small private practice focused on training, supervision, consultation
and coaching. She has conducted extensive training, both locally and nationally, in the
field of mental health and aging. |
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Dianne Golden, LCSW is the Director of Social Work at Pacific Clinics. She holds a B.A. in Child Development as well as an MSW, with a concentration in Mental Health, from the University of Southern California, School of Social Work. Ms. Golden has over 20 years of experience in the field. Her experience includes serving as a Director of two different foster family agencies where she worked with abused and neglected youth and families. Ms. Golden began working for Pacific Clinics in 2000 as the Director of a Children’s Outpatient Clinic in Orange County and then transitioned to the Director of the Social Work Internship program at Pacific Clinics, where she tripled the number of social work interns in the agency. In 2007, Ms. Golden accepted a faculty position at the USC School of Social Work where she was a Clinical Associate Professor and Field Faculty for two years. Ms. Golden returned to Pacific Clinics in 2009 to resume her role as Director of Social Work for the agency. Ms. Golden has also done consulting and supervision for agencies addressing issues related to domestic violence and elder abuse. She has been licensed for 17 years as a social worker. |
Brian Cwik has been working as a group facilitator and educator in the Chemical
Dependency Field for the past 17 years. Prior to his career change he taught high school
in the Chicago area for 21 years. He holds a master’s degree in education and music
with postgraduate hours in education and administration. He obtained his Counseling
and Chemical Dependency training and certification in 1991, and worked as a group
facilitator and educator in a chemical dependency residential treatment facility in
Bournmouth, England, for 3 years. Brian returned to Chicago to work on his Master of
Social Work degree at Loyola University. He completed his internships and moved to
Southern California in 1999 to work in Chemical Dependency. In 2000, he co-founded
an intensive residential treatment program in Newport Beach called New Options. He
wrote the treatment program through certification and licensing with the California Dept.
of Alcohol and Drugs and Orange County Probation. As a program director, facilitator
and educator, Brian has worked in a variety of Chemical Dependency treatment settings
including residential, intensive outpatient, and alternative sentencing. He is currently
semi-retired and continues to teach and facilitate Chemical Dependency groups. He has
been affiliated continuously with 12-step self-help groups for over 32 years. |
Victoria Onwualu, MBA, LCSW serves as Pacific Clinics Director of Portals’ Wilshire
Recovery and Wellness Center, which includes Intensive Community Services, Field
Capable Clinical Services and Full Service Partnership programs for both adults and
Transitional Age Youth. Victoria attended University of Southern California, where she
earned her master’s degree in social work. She also holds a Master of Business
Administration (MBA) degree from University of Nigeria Enugu campus. |
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Lisa Goodwin, LCSW has been the Program Director for the Children’s Intensive Community Services program in Covina for Pacific Clinics for six years. Other roles she has fulfilled at Pacific Clinics are Program Director for Therapeutic Behavioral Services in Covina for four years and a management consultant in the Leadership Education and Development project for four years. She received her MSW from the University of Washington in 1990, and her BA in Social Work from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1987. She has worked with low income children and families for over 26 years, including family preservation services and maternity support services in the Seattle area. |
Elaine Hsia Der, Pharm.D.
is a clinical and consultant pharmacist applying pharmacy
practice research into community practice through its various medications management
projects. She continues to work in other arenas of pharmacy, including clinics, hospitals,
managed care, and retail. Dr. Der trained in geriatric pharmacotherapy and currently
serves as a consultant pharmacist for the Partners In Care Foundation, Senior Care
Network, and Pacific Clinics. She is actively involved with community education programs
concerning older adults and pharmaceuticals. |
Emma P. Oshagan, Ph.D. has more than 20 years of clinical practice working with
children, adults, the elderly, and the chronically ill in different settings such as hospitals,
private practice, and mental health agencies. Dr. Oshagan founded Pacific Clinics’ first
school-based mental health programs, serving Armenian students in Glendale and North
Hollywood schools. Presently, Dr. Oshagan is a stakeholder alternate delegate to the
Workforce Education and Training Ad Hoc Committee, co-chair of the Underrepresented
Ethnic Populations Committee for the Mental Health Services Act planning process for
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health representing Armenians and other
ethnic populations in Los Angeles County. |
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Slettie M. Jones, LCSW, CSW-G is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in treatment of older adults. He obtained his Master of Social Work from California State University, Long Beach in 1991. He was instrumental in the development and day-to day operations of the Older Adult Field Assessment Case Management and Treatment Services Program based in Long Beach and San Pedro, California. He is the past-chair of the Field Advisory Board of CSULB Department of Social Work and has taught individual and group practice classes at the University of Southern California, School of Social Work. He is a partner in “3-C’s”, a company that develops and promotes continuing education unit classes for professional social workers and Marriage and Family Therapists. He was a commissioner with the city of Long Beach and was instrumental in developing the City’s strategic plan for older adults. He now serves as the Corporate Director of Older Adult Services for Pacific Clinics. |
Theresa Destito, LCSW is the Program Director of the Older Adult Program at Pacific Clinics in Pasadena. She graduated in 1974 with her Master’s Degree in Social Work from UCLA and received her License in Clinical Social Work in 1987. She has extensive experience in the management and delivery of social work services, with a specialty in geriatric care, in health, mental health and social service organizations. She served as a lecturer at the California State University of Los Angeles School of Social Work. She has also served as a consultant to the National Institute of Mental Health. Ms. Destito is bilingual in English and Spanish languages and has substantial experience serving Latino communities. |
Laura Pancake, LCSW
has more than 17 years of experience in psychosocial
rehabilitation, working with adults with psychiatric disorders primarily in the areas of
employment and community integration. She earned her Master of Social Work degree
at California State University Long Beach. Laura has served progressively in various
supervisory and management roles at Pacific Clinics; she is now Corporate Director
of Employment Services at Pacific Clinics. |
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Amber Roth, M.S. has over 9 years of experience in working with homeless Transitional Age Youth, families, adults and older adults with psychiatric disorders primarily in the areas of housing, community integration and forensic psychiatric hospitals. She earned her Masters of Criminal Justice at California State University Long Beach and Master in Social Work at California State University Northridge. She has served progressively as a forensic counselor and social service designee at Foothill Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center. For the last eight years, Amber has been employed with Pacific Clinics, where she began her career as a mental health worker, promoting to housing coordinator and is now a Program Director for the LAHSA TAY Housing Stabilization Project. |
Michael DiPaolo, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles.
He has consulted with several organizations including Step-Up on Second, Didi Hirsch,
Pacific Clinics, UCLA, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and St. Monica’s
Church. Dr. DiPaolo received his education from the University of Notre Dame, Columbia
University, and the California School of Professional Psychology. His publications include
The Impact of Multiple Traumas on Homeless & Runaway Adolescents. For the past 10
years Dr. DiPaolo, who served a psychology internship at Pacific Clinics, has facilitated the
annual lecture series originated by Dr. Chris Amenson, “How to Survive & Thrive with a
Mentally Ill Relative,” which is available on video through NAMI San Gabriel Valley. |
Irene Pines, M.A. received her Master of Arts Degree in Educational Psychology from California State University, Northridge in 1984. She completed a post-master’s degree training proram in Substance Abuse Studies at the University of Calfornia, Los Angeles Extension Division in 1986. She is the Coordinator of Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at Pacific Clinics. Since February, 1999, Ms. Pines has worked for Pacific Clinics as a program director and helped start school based programs. She helped start the Soledad Enrichment Action Charter High Schools Program for High Risk Youth. This program is 15 specialized schools for students who have behavioral problems in routine high schools. In 2005, Irene introduced Pacific Clinics to Ventura County by starting a Dual Diagnosed program in the juvenile courts.
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Gencia Williams, MFT received her Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University in 2002. She joined Pacific Clinics in 2005 as a family clinician working with children and families within the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) affiliated Family Preservation Program at Sierra Family Center. In 2010, she was promoted to a Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) team leader at the Family Outreach Program, Covina site. Ms. Williams’ commitment to providing quality services to children, youth, teens and families continue to resonate strongly as her passion has grown extensively from early experiences of working in residential facilities, the non-public school sector and as a foster family agency social worker. Her unwavering dedication to revitalize families through fostering hope, assisting to create opportunities and strengthening families is further exemplified through her volunteer work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). |
Scott Fairhurst, Ph.D. who received his doctorate from University of Houston in 1993,
has directed the Pacific Clinics Monrovia Day Treatment and Intensive Outpatient
program for the past 10 years. He specializes in the care of children, adolescents and
families, particularly involving youngsters with overly intense, explosive behavior.
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Alejandra Quintero, MSW with a concentration on Aging & Families, is a Mental Health Therapist at Pacific Clinics, Older Adult Program (OAP). As a therapist, she provides outpatient mental health services for older adults (ages 60 and older) in the office and in clients homes, which includes individual and family counseling, advocacy and case management. She has been working with this population for the past three years. Being bicultural and fluent in Spanish, she serves a predominantly Spanish speaking caseload and provides services to clients of other cultures. She has translated many recovery-focused therapy and educational materials for use by monolingual Spanish-speaking clients and has identified other sources of Spanish language materials for use with clients. Her second year MSW internship was at OAP; this field placement was part of the Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium (GSWEC). She has been part of the GSWEC Steering Committee as a GSWEC Alumni Representative and is also a Preceptor to three MSW second year interns. |
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Peter Lopez, PT is the Division Director for Pacific Clinics Northeast Valley Division and manages staff hiring, training, quality assurance, and unit of service delivery/monitoring across all Northeast Division programs which include: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside County. He is licensed as a Psychiatric Technician and has more than 20 years of experience in the mental health field including direct service delivery, Crisis Response, program administration and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. |
Carol Falender, Ph.D. is co-author of Clinical Supervision: A Competency-based
Approach with Edward Shafranske, Ph.D., published by the American Psychological
Association in 2004, and co-editor of Casebook for Supervision: A Competencybased
Approach (APA, 2008), as well as numerous articles on supervision. She has
conducted workshops across the United States and Canada on the topic of supervision
and directed APA-approved internship programs at child and family guidance clinics
for over 20 years. She was a delegate to the 2002 Competencies Conference and to
Benchmarks. She has presented plenary sessions to Association of State and
Provincial Psychology Boards, Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship
Centers, and the College of Psychologists of Ontario. Dr. Falender is a Fellow of
American Psychological Association (APA) and was President of Division 37, Society for
Child and Family Policy and Practice (APA). She is an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine
University, Clinical Professor in the UCLA Department of Psychology, former Chair of
California Psychological Association (CPA) Division II, Education and Training, Chair
of the CPA Continuing Education Committee, and Treasurer of the Supervision and
Training Section of Division 17 of APA.
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Ann-Marie Stephenson, Ph.D. is the Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Pacific
Clinics. Over the last 30 years she has served a diverse population of individuals who
suffer from a variety of mental illnesses. She has taught at the California School of
Professional Psychology and other institutions in Southern California, and has delivered
presentations at Professional Conferences throughout the country. Dr. Stephenson has
served on the board of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association and is a past
President of the Southern California Association of Black Psychologists. |
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Tuan V. Huynh is the Revenue Systems Analyst at Pacific Clinics. He graduated from California State University of Los Angeles where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in computer information technology. He has spent his entire professional career in the information technology field, working for both privately and publicly held companies with various range of services from transportation to low income and homeless population. Through the course of his career, Tuan has become an expert user of Microsoft Excel, his knowledge of Excel’s capabilities has helped organizations streamline processes and save countless hours of labor. Tuan has taught Excel along with Microsoft Office applications and various in-house applications since 2003. |
Lisa Firestone, Ph.D. is the Director of Research and Education at the Glendon Association.
Since 1987, she has been involved in clinical training and applied research in the areas
of suicide and violence. These studies resulted in the development of the Firestone
Assessment of Self-Destructive Thoughts (FAST), the Firestone Assessment of Violent
Thoughts (FAVT), and the Firestone Assessment of Suicide Intent (FASI), all published
by PAR. She is a presenter at national and international conferences on the topics
of assessment of self-destructive and violent behavior, couple relations, and Voice
Therapy. Dr. Firestone’s most recent publications include: Voice Therapy: A Treatment
for Depression and Suicide (in R. Yufit and D. Lester, Eds., Assessment, Treatment, and
Prevention of Suicidal Behavior); Suicide and the Inner Voice (in T. Ellis, Ed., Cognition
and Suicide: Theory, Research and Practice); and Separation Theory and Voice Therapy
Methodology Applied to the Treatment of Katie: A Diary-based, Retrospective Case
Conceptualization and Treatment Approach (in D. Lester, Ed., The Secret Diary of Katie:
Unlocking the Mystery of a Suicide. She is also co-author of Conquer Your Critical Inner
Voice, Creating a Life of Meaning and Compassion: the Wisdom of Psychotherapy, and
Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships. Dr. Firestone is a clinical psychologist in private
practice in Santa Barbara, CA. |
Greg Swift, M.A., LMFT is the Associate Divisional Director for Portals and manages
staff hiring and training, quality assurance and Unit of Service delivery/monitoring across
all Portals programs. He has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and more than
15 years of experience in the mental health field including direct service delivery, clinical
supervision, program administration and Pro-ACT training. |
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Leah Aldridge is an accomplished facilitator and trainer on the multi-disciplinary issues
of interpersonal violence to diverse populations. Leah has trained domestic/sexual
violence prevention advocates, youth service providers, law enforcement and medical
professionals, and school-based personnel statewide and nationally. |
Michi Fu, Ph.D. is a psychologist licensed to practice in Hawaii and California. She obtained her doctorate degree from the California School of Professional Psychology and completed her post-doctoral internship at the Sex Abuse Treatment Center in Honolulu. She has published in the areas of Asian American mental health including a Handbook of Asian American Psychology, Second Edition. She is on the editorial board of the Asian American Journal of Psychology. She is a supervisor and administrator of an intensive mental health program of the Asian Pacific Family Center and an Associate Professor of the Clinical Ph.D. program at Alliant International University. She also maintains a private practice utilizing her Taiwanese and Mandarin language skills. |
Doug Thomas, LCSW has a private therapy practice in Pasadena and he is also a
Program Director for Pacific Clinics in Covina. With over ten years of experience as a
practicing therapist, he has also supervised and trained clinicians and presented both
beginning and advanced workshops on LGBT issues and dream therapy throughout
California. His experience with the LGBT community includes having served as both
an intern and volunteer counselor at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, and
he helped establish SHOUT/USC, a college-based support program for LGBT youth.
Currently a doctoral student at Pacific Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, Mr. Thomas
is completing a Ph.D. in Depth Psychology with an emphasis in psychotherapy. He
holds a master’s degree from the USC School of Social Work. |
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Marta A. Alquijay, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialization in Community Psychology. She received her Ph.D. in 1993 from CSPP in Los Angeles, CA. Her doctoral researched focused on the relationship among self-esteem, acculturation and Lesbian identity development in Latina Lesbians. She has published in this area. Dr. Alquijay is a full-time consultant, helping non-profit agencies develop, implement and evaluate mental health programs focusing on improving the lives of children and their families in under served communities. She helped implement a Family Preservation program in the Pico Union area of Los Angeles, as well as a mental health program which provided free services to recent immigrants and trained graduate students. In her private practice, she specializes in working with women, graduate students and the Gay and Lesbian community. |
Luis M. Garcia, Psy.D. is Vice President of Latino Program Development for Pacific
Clinics. Dr. Garcia develops culturally competent programs that focus on Latino client
and family needs. He has helped create a Clinics school-based program addressing
suicide prevention for Latino children and adolescents, including individual, family
and group services. He also coordinates the development of trainings, conferences,
and educational material for mental health professionals, clients, and families. Dr.
Garcia received a Psy.D. degree from Newport University, and previously earned a B.A.
in Psychology from the University of Southern California. He was awarded a Ph.D. in
Psychology from the University of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and a master’s and Ph.D.
in Gestalt Therapy from the Institute of Gestalt Therapy, Tijuana, B.C., Mexico. His areas
of interest and expertise include socio-cultural and psycho-social factors influencing
psychopathology, assessment, and interventions for Latinos. He is currently a member
of the California Mental Health Planning Council, as well as an active member of the
Latino Behavioral Health Institute, Second Vice President of LATCO Latino Mental Health
Council, H.O.T. (Hispanic Outreach Taskforce), and N.A.L.E.O. (National Association
of Latino Elected/Appointed Officials Educational Foundation). Dr. Garcia is a strong
proponent of networking with community leaders to promote mental health awareness
among Latinos and throughout the nation. He has conducted presentations on mental
health and co-occurring disorders throughout the state of California, nationally
and internationally.
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Michael Van Essen tested positive for HIV in 1985. After eight years of disability, he
returned to the workforce as a Benefits Planning and Assistance Outreach counselor
for AIDS Project Los Angeles then as a Benefits Specialist at AIDS Service Center in
Pasadena, California. He was employed by Pacific Clinics in 2006 and currently serves
as a Benefits Establishment Specialist. |
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Roy Ambrose has worked in mental health for more than 16 years, advocating for
and empowering members to achieve their dreams and goals. He has worked at both
inpatient and outpatient mental health facilities, and currently is an Office Manager for
Pacific Clinics’ Portals. He has experience and training in the areas of health and safety,
HIPAA, security, counseling, member rights, documentation, front office operations and
project management. |
David Garcia is the Corporate Director of Pacific Clinics’ 30-member Housing Division. He has been with Pacific Clinics since 2005 and has significantly expanded the agency’s ability to provide supportive housing to clients with serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders. He led the effort to plan and open Hestia House, a permanent supportive housing residence for chronically homeless transition-age youth in Pasadena, in collaboration with the City of Pasadena. David secured and manages more than 500 Section 8 and Shelter Plus Care certificates for clients at Pacific Clinics, has developed 22 master leased facilities and has established and nurtured relationships with realtors, property managers, investors, local landlords and cities to identify additional housing resources. Mr. Garcia has more than 15 years of experience in housing homeless individuals, including youth, and worked for many years at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority where he served as a Program Supervisor for their homeless Emergency Response Team and a Community Liaison.
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Constance M. Varney, MA graduated with honors from Citrus College, Pitzer University,
and Loyola Marymount University. Her master’s degree is in Clinical Art Psychotherapy,
and she is a certified hypnotherapist. Constance has a strong background in chemical
dependency treatment. She has worked at American Hospital in Pomona and was
program director at a facility in Gardena for five years, treating addicted and violent
offenders. She has a private practice treating children, adults, and families who are
in substance abuse recovery. She enjoys teaching, training and presenting to interns,
as well as other mental health professionals. |
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Tracie Andrews-Harper, MSW
is an experienced MAT Assessor and previous MAT Coordinator in Los Angeles County. She is a skilled clinician with expertise in 0-5 MAT assessments and has provided numerous trainings to new MAT Assessors, Case Managers, and other providers in SPAs 2, 3, 4 and 6. Tracie was trained and supervised by Dr. Barbara Stroud and Dr. Sacha Dovick at Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic, and has developed and maintained strong working relationships with DCFS and DMH. She currently works as a Mental Health Therapist/MAT Assessor in the Child & Family Department at Pacific Clinics. Tracie has a Masters of Social Work from Aurora University and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Human Services, specializing in Criminal Justice. |
Edward Godinez, M.A, CADC II earned a Master of Arts in Recovery Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Vanguard University. Edward earned an Associate of Science in Behavioral Science from San Diego City College. He joined Pacific Clinics in 2003 as a mental health case manager and chemical dependency counselor. He has been CAADAC certified since 1998 with a total of 14 years in the field. Edward has conducted numerous trainings on gangs and drugs in local universities. |
Victoria White, LMFT is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary and has worked in
the field of community mental health since 1984. She joined Pacific Clinics in 1989 and
worked in the Children’s Intensive Day Treatment Program. Ms. White is currently the
Program Director at Pacific Clinics’ SELPA/Cortez School program in West Covina.
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Faye Ashby, MSW holds a master’s degree in social work and has 30 years experience
in providing, developing and managing services for older adults. As Corporate Director of
the Pacific Clinics’ Older Adult Program, she manages outpatient and field-based mental
health services for older adults with serious mental health disorders. She is leading the
development of Pacific Clinics’ Older Adult Full Service Partnerships and Field Capable
Clinical Services. |
Peter J. Gomez, L.E.P. Organized student groups to Mexico for eight years to acculturate students in another country. Through the U.S. Information Service from Washington D.C. conducted workshops in Honduras, C.A. and in Caracas, Venezuela, S.A. regarding early prevention strategies for youth with substance abuse. Traveled widely through Mexico from 1980 to present. Serves as a counselor (consejero) with the “Instituto de Mexicanos al Exterior” (IME) based in Mexico City which deals with Mexican-American issues in education, mental health, immigration, labor, and media communication in the U.S. and Mexico. Meets annually with bi-national committee members from all areas of Mexico in areas of education, mental health, organizations, and the media. |
Roberto Zarate, Ph.D. is a Clinical Research Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and the Department of Psychology at UCLA. He is also the Director of the Individual Placement and Support Program at the Wellness Center, San Fernando Mental Health Center. Prior to these positions, Dr. Zarate was a Staff Psychologist at the University of Chicago Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, and Director of Dual Diagnosis at Pacific Clinics in California. He has also been an Adjunct Faculty member at Governor's State University in Chicago and at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles. Dr. Zarate has doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Madrid (Spain) and from the State University of New York at Albany where he was mentored by David Barlow, Ph.D. He then completed a NIMH Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at UCLA Department of Psychology with Keith Neuchterlein, Ph.D. and Robert Liberman, M.D. |
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John S. Brekke, Ph.D. is the Frances G. Larson Professor of Social Work Research and Associate Dean of Research at the University of Southern California, School of Social Work. He teaches research and clinical courses on treatment outcome research and research grant writing. Dr. Brekke has been the principal investigator on five longitudinal studies funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and one funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Dr. Brekke publishes widely in mental health journals, serves on the editorial boards of Social Service Review, Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal and Research on Social Work Practice, and is a consulting editor for Social Work Research. He received the Armin Loeb Achievement in Research Award from the International Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services and the Excellence in Research Award from the Society for Social Work and Research. |
Pamela Harmell, Ph.D. is a national lecturer specializing in legal and ethical issues
in clinical practice. She is a Professor at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of
Education and Psychology and has written extensively in professional publications on
ethical practice. A past President of the Board of Psychology, Dr. Harmell is Vice-Chair
of the California State Ethics Committee, and is currently President of the Los Angeles
County Psychological Association. |