Pacific Clinics Training Institute

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

has worked at Pacific Clinics Portals since 1998 as a program manager, clinical supervisor, and outpatient coordinator. During that time she earned her Ph.D. in social work at USC, specializing in the psychosocial rehabilitation of individuals with schizophrenia. Her primary focus at Portals now is managing an NIMH research project headed by Dr. John Brekke. Part of this experience includes facilitating a year-long seminar which teaches students how to apply evidence-based interventions, including motivational interviewing, to their daily practice.

has served as the Corporate Director of Pacific Clinics’ 20-member Housing Division since 2005, during which time he has significantly expanded the agency’s ability to provide supportive housing to clients with serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders. He has secured and manages more than 400 Shelter Plus Care/Section 8 certificates for clients at Pacific Clinics, developed 22 master leased homes, and has established and nurtured relationships with local landlords, realtors, property management companies and cities to identify additional housing resources. Mr. Garcia has more than 10 years of experience in housing homeless individuals/families, and worked for many years at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. For his work, Mr. Garcia has received multiple commendations from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles City Council, and the Los Angeles City Attorney. He is also a certified counselor for drug and alcohol addiction.

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.

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.

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.

is the Director of Programs for Pacific Clinics’ El Camino program located in Santa Fe Springs. Dr. Guajardo has worked in community mental health care for 10 years with an emphasis in psychosocial rehabilitation. Dr. Guajardo’s research interests include spirituality in Mexican-American culture, utilization of mental health services by minority populations, and evidence-based practices with adults diagnosed with severe mental disabilities. Dr. Guajardo co-chairs Pacific Clinics’ Career Development Committee and is a member of Pacific Clinics’ Psychology Training Program.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

has been working in the mental health field for the past 12 years. After a brief career in the National Football League, Terry began working for a mental health agency in the city of Detroit. The population that Terry dealt with during this time was people that were in jail and soon to be reintegrated into the community. After two years in Detroit Terry moved to southern California, where he began working for an intensive case management program called The Village. Currently, he works at Por tals as Program Manager.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.