Student Mental Health Policy Workgroup Members

Ahmad Bahrami

Ahmad Bahrami (pronouns: he/him) has worked in county behavioral health systems for over 13 years. He currently serves as the Division Manager for Public Behavioral Health at the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health. Ahmad and his team oversee the department’s administration of the Mental Health Services Act, health equity efforts, media and public relations, prevention (including suicide and substance misuse), outreach and education among other duties. Ahmad’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Criminology, a Master’s in Business Administration, and completion of doctoral work in Organizational Development.

Alicia Garoupa

Alicia Garoupa (pronouns: she/her) is proud to serve as the new Chief of Wellbeing and Support Services for the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE). She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of social work and educational leadership experience. She is committed to serving and supporting our children, youth, families, school communities, and school districts throughout Los Angeles County toward an educational model that is grounded in nurturing and affirming the whole child, embracing families as true, equal partners, realizing the promise of educational equity, and achieving social and racial justice. She earned her Master of Social Welfare degree from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Amanda Lasik

Amanda Lasik (pronouns: she/her) is a social impact professional with a passion for partnering with communities and building relationships. As senior manager of social impact at Blue Shield of California, she leads school-based work for the BlueSky Initiative where she focuses on expanding access, awareness and advocacy to high quality mental health supports for California’s youth. Additionally, she supports the transformation of Blue Shield’s corporate giving to make it more focused on equity. Amanda holds a master’s in international affairs from the University of California, San Diego and a bachelor’s in business administration from Northern Arizona University. She resides in Berkeley where she can often be found hiking up a new trail, paddle boarding or planning her next international adventure.

Angela Brand

Angela Brand (pronouns: she/her) is an experienced professional with a history of work in the public and private sectors of the mental health care industry focused on programming, community engagement, advocacy, training and workforce development to support consumers, family members, youth, and communities. She is currently a Project Manager for the Center for Applied Research Solution. Her areas of special interest include peer support, trauma-informed care, prevention, early intervention, and education. Ms. Brand holds a degree in Sociology from Arizona State University, with emphasis on how the intersection of race, class, sexuality, and gender impact social justice issues.

Beatrice Blake

Beatrice Blake (pronouns: she/her) is a veteran educator with 20 years combined experience as a teacher at the comprehensive, continuation and alternative educational settings, as well as site and county level administrative roles. Currently, she oversees the implementation of the Tobacco-Use Prevention Education Program, mental health, suicide prevention training, and crisis response for the 33 districts in San Bernardino County. She is certified as a Youth Mental Health First Aid and Question. Persuade. Refer., instructor and continues to participate in annual Western Association of Schools and Colleges visits. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in science and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership.

Chris Miller

Chris Miller (pronouns: he/him) is a religious studies teacher at a Catholic High School in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is currently enrolled in a Master of Science program in Clinical Psychology at Notre Dame de Namur University. Chris recently graduated with a Doctoral Degree in Education from the University of San Francisco. He is currently the co-chair of the Council on Mental Illness, sponsored by the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, a founding member of the Diocese of San Jose Mental Health Ministry Network, a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) National FaithNet Steering Committee, and a member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Faith Communities Task Force.

Christopher Williams

Christopher Williams (pronouns: he/him) is the Director of School-Based Mental Health and Wellness at the Sacramento County Office of Education. He leads a team intent on bringing the health and education systems together as partners to create a continuum of care for mental health and wellness throughout Sacramento County. The team’s mission is to intervene as early as possible to: eliminate the school-to-prison pipeline, reduce the number of ‘system-involved’ adults and adolescents, and mitigate the onset and impact of mental health disorders in Sacramento County. He holds a master’s degree in Social Work from New York University and a Doctorate in Education Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Crystal Widado

Crystal Widado (pronouns: she/they) is a high school junior from Glendora, Southern California that uses journalism and public speaking to advocate for mental health justice. In writing and speaking, she hopes to destigmatize mental health for all youth while promoting inclusivity in mental health conversations to include minority voices. Crystal leads her school's local NAMI on Campus Chapter and serves as a student representative of Mind Out Loud and the Director of Each Mind.

Cynthia Soares

Cynthia Soares (pronouns: she/her) has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Masters Degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling from California State University, Sacramento. She is a trained school counselor and has worked in kindergarten through grade eight settings as a Pupil Personnel Services school counselor for 17 years in the Gridley Unified School District. During her years as a school counselor she became skilled at supporting students around their social emotional and behavioral health needs and spent a significant amount of time working on education around suicide, tobacco/substance abuse, and bullying prevention. In 2014 she moved into school administration, starting as a vice-principal and has now been a principal of a kindergarten through grade twelve charter school for three years where she advocates and supports “at-promise” students.

Danielle Gabri

Danielle Gabri (pronouns: she/her) has been with the Alliance since 2011 and is the senior policy advocate staffing education and prevention services committees along with a workgroup on commercial sexual exploitation. Danielle coordinates and supports Alliance members as they re-focus their advocacy and marketing efforts on county boards of supervisors and county departmental leadership in child welfare, mental health and juvenile probation. Additionally, she helps members build local linkages with state legislators and coordinates members’ district level advocacy on state legislative and budget issues. She received her bachelor's degree with distinction in political science from San Diego State University, and her master's degree in political science from California State University, Chico.

Diana Rivera-Beltran

Diana Rivera-Beltran (pronouns: she/her) is the manager of the Kaiser Permanente Educational Outreach Program (EOP), a social service program integrating multi-dimensional intervention strategies and services; educating, strengthening and empowering children and their families in the East San Gabriel Valley. EOP has received several awards for their distinguished service in the community including the KP Lawrence award for improving the health of communities. She leads the team of mental health clinicians, educational therapist and outreach workers to provide program activities designed to help students improve their school performance, cultivate healthy lifestyle practices, develop leadership skills and plan for educational and career opportunities. She has a Masters’ degree in Social Welfare from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Ilin Magran

Dr. Ilin Magran (pronouns: she/her) received her Undergraduate Degree in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles and her Masters of School Counseling and Masters of School Psychology Degree from University of La Verne. Her love for higher education and following her dreams led her to complete her Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California in May of 2015. She currently serves as the Director of Student Wellness Services Department at Glendale Unified School District. Dr. Magran also oversees attendance, mental health, parent engagement and the Mental Health Intern Academy. She has served as the Chair of the Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) for the past 9 years and has been instrumental in increasing student and parent engagement.

Dr. Mario Venegas

Dr. Mario Venegas (pronouns: he/him) has earned undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Psychology from the University of California, Riverside and a Master of Social Work and Doctor of Education from the University of Southern California. He is a board Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California and possesses a Pupil Personnel Services Credential with authorizations in School Social Work and Child Welfare and Attendance. Dr. Venegas has provided trauma specific clinical services, developed trauma informed care, and developed district level school mental health, school social work, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, Positive Behavior Intervention and Support and Social and Emotional Learning programs. Dr. Venegas currently serves as the Director of Support Services for the Arvin Union School District.

Dr. Michael J. Carter

Dr. Michael J. Carter (pronouns: he/him) has been a professor at Cal State Los Angeles since 1990, serving as Coordinator of the School-Based Family Counseling Program and as Director of the School-Based Family Counseling Clinic. He is primarily responsible for teaching the Family Counseling Clinical Courses that focus on Multicultural Conjoint Family Therapy. He has been a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 1984 and is a Credentialed School Psychologist and School Counselor. He has a master’s degree in Education with emphases in Counseling and Early Childhood Education and earned a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Carter is primarily interested in preparing counselors to work with families and children in public agency settings such as schools and clinics. 

Dr. Monica Caffey

Dr. Monica Caffey (pronouns: she/her) is a nationally recognized leader, mental health advocate, educator and consultant. She is the Regional Director and Assistant Professor of the Psychology Department at National University where she runs both the graduate and undergraduate program. She is the Chair of the Behavioral Health Commission for San Bernardino County 4th District and Governor Appointee for the California Behavioral Health Planning Council where she is the current Chair of the Housing and Homeless Committee. She sits on the Diversity Network Committee for the Society of Preventive Research and the Mental Health Taskforce for Chaffey Unified School District. Dr. Caffey’s research has examined the impact of social stigma in communities of color to seeking mental health treatment.

Dr. Monica Loyce

Dr. Monica Loyce (pronouns: she/her) is a native of San Diego, California. She is a servant school leader that leads with her heart to inspire students, staff, and families to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Currently, she serves as an Elementary School Principal in the largest elementary school district in the State of California. In addition, she is a faculty member at San Diego State University in the Educational Leadership Department. Before becoming an administrator, Dr. Loyce served as a School Counselor at all academic levels and a Senior Human Resources Representative at SeaWorld San Diego.

Dr. Nicholas Betty

Dr. Nicholas Betty (pronouns: he/him) serves as the director of a therapeutic counseling department which he designed and built serving 59 school campuses across all five school districts within the Santa Clarita Valley. The department won the Golden Bell award and was selected as the California State Organization of the Year from the National Association of Social Workers. Dr. Betty remains connected through his private practice, specializing in child and family psychotherapy. He holds a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, as well as a Pupil Personnel Services Credential from Phillips Graduate University.

Dr. Tim Fulenwider

Dr. Tim Fulenwider (pronouns: he/him) is the Executive Director of Instructional Support Services in the Bakersfield City School District (BCSD). In addition to leading several departments, Dr. Fulenwider oversees BCSD’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports, including social-emotional and mental health services, for over 30,000 Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade students. These supports include access to physical and mental health care through four School Wellness Centers that provide case management and basic medical, vision, dental, and mental health services to students within the district free of charge. In addition, Dr. Fulenwider coordinates policy revision and development for the district and is committed to serving students and families by addressing systems and barriers to ensure access to quality educational services.

Dr. Vince Carbino

Dr. Vince Carbino (pronouns: he/him) is a principal for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). He has served as principal for LAUSD for 17 years and is currently the principal of City of Angles Independent Study School. Dr Carbino has a doctorate in Urban School District Leadership for University of California Irvine, and Master of Counseling from Cal State Los Angeles. He has integrated mental health to support students and enhance the school environment to foster academic success for all students.

Dylan McClure

Dylan McClure (pronouns: he/him), is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Behavioral Health Director at Two Feathers Native American Family Services in McKinleyville, California. He received his Masters of Social Work from Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata, California. Dylan has over 10 years nonprofit experience working with youth experiencing behavioral health and substance use challenges. Dylan has helped to develop and implement youth programming in diverse environments including community outpatient clinics, schools, juvenile hall, drop-in centers, and on the streets. In addition to his nonprofit work, Dylan owns a private practice that supports the behavioral health needs of rural transgender and non-binary youth. Dylan offers expert training to allied service providers in Humboldt County in the provision of gender affirming care.

Eleanor Mitchell

Eleanor (Ella) Mitchell (pronouns: she/her) is a junior at Tesoro High School in the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD). She co-founded Project Dear Students, a youth-led nonprofit that strives to inspire connection, communication, and collaboration in school communities. She currently serves as a Task Force Lead and the Social Media Lead for CUSD Against Racism—a student-led organization devoted to combating racism and amplifying black, indigenous, and people of color voices in CUSD. Ella is a captain of the nationally recognized Tesoro Song/Dance Team, a National Honors Society Cabinet Member, and a representative of Tesoro High School’s Diversity Coalition. Promoting inclusivity, diversity, equality, and eradicating injustice within any environment is at the core of her work.

Erika Hoffman

Erika Hoffman (pronouns: he/him) joined California School Boards Association (CSBA) in 2005. As an advocate, she covers a broad spectrum of educational issues both here in California and in Washington DC, including special education, school climate, education technology and access, physical and mental health, along with education finance and the state budget. Before joining CSBA, Hoffman advocated for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Prior to serving LAUSD, Hoffman spent nearly 10 years as a legislative representative for the California Department of Education. Her extensive background in education policy, including time with two Governor’s, serves her well. Hoffman is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento.

Felipe J. Flores III

Felipe J. Flores III (pronouns: he/him) started his career working with at-risk-youth as a gang diversion program coordinator in Colton, California. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s of social work degree from Cal State East Bay. In 2013 he completed his Masters in Administrative Leadership with an administrative credential. After six years working in Bay Area schools, he returned to Southern California to continue this work. Working for Lake Elsinore Unified School District, he started as a behavioral specialist then spent four and a half years as Dean of Students. Currently, he serves as the Mental Health Program Specialist supporting students, staff, and families with mental health needs.

Graham Wiseman

Graham Wiseman (pronouns: he/him) is the son of a United Nations Diplomat who grew up in seven countries on five different continents and traveled to over a dozen more. These experiences allow him to speak with a unique global social perspective on mental health issues that affect our youth and families. Mr. Wiseman spent 25 years in the corporate world. After a tragic loss in his family, Graham left corporate world and founded a nonprofit to provide students, parents and education professionals with strategies and solutions to address the increasing mental health issues in our communities. He now leads the initiative for a California Mental Health Awareness License Plate that can raise millions of dollars to fund school wellness centers throughout California.

Hellan Roth Dowden

Hellan Roth Dowden (pronouns: she/her) has a Masters of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley and has been working in health and education since 1975. She founded Teachers for Healthy Kids in 2000. She recently served as chair on the California Department of Consumer Affairs Assembly Bill 2105 Mental Health Workgroup that addressed barriers to licensure. She is a member of the Community Colleges Health Occupations Committee and serves on the Mental Health Subcommittee. She was recently appointed as a delegate to the Council of State Governments Workforce Innovation Taskforce. Ms. Dowden also serves on the Sacramento Mental Health Collaborative that advises the County Office of Education, Board of Supervisors and Department of Health on mental health issues related to schools.

James Wogan

James Wogan (pronouns: he/him) is a school administrator, social worker and author known for innovation and collaboration in support of youth mental health, equity and shared vision. James supervises school social workers and serves as the foster youth and homeless education liaison in Mt. Diablo Unified School District in Contra Costa County. As part of the Student Services Team, he manages school wellness centers at large public schools, partnership programs with child-serving agencies, and fieldwork placement for social work (Bachelor of Social Work/Master of Social Work) interns. He developed positions and programs to support recent immigrant students, youth at risk of sexual exploitation, and prevention of sexual harassment/Title IX. James graduated from the University of California, Berkeley (Master of Social Work, Pupil Personnel Services Credential), is a credentialed school administrator, and a licensed clinical social worker in California.  

Jennifer Baker

Jennifer Baker (pronouns: she/her) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and trainer with over 30 years of experience working with youth and families in various settings, including public mental health, private practice, and education. In her current role as Multi-Tiered System of Supports Coordinator for the Stanislaus County Office of Education coordinating the Project Cal-Well AWARE grant, she focuses on mental health, well-being, and trauma-informed approaches to education. Jennifer is an enthusiastic advocate and ally for suicide prevention, inspiring her passion to move people towards mental well-being through education and the transformative power of a reflective lens.

Jennifer Newell

Dr. Jennifer Newell (pronouns: she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Administrator of Behavioral Health Services with the Tulare County Office of Education. Through strong collaborative partnerships, Dr. Newell oversees multiple programs that promote mental wellness and provide service and support to meet the mental health needs of students and families across Tulare County.

Jessica Cruz

Jessica Cruz (pronouns: she/her) is the current CEO for the NAMI, California and has served in this role for over 11 years. Working with legislators, community members and government officials; she uses her passion to advocate for change in mental health legislation and systems across the state. Her desire to further NAMI California’s mission stems from lived experience of being a family member of someone with a mental illness. Focused on studying health care policies, Jessica received her Masters of Public Administration with an emphasis in Health Services from the University of San Francisco. Her undergraduate studies from California State University, Sacramento gave her the institutional knowledge to enhance her career in the public sector.

Jessica Dyer

Jessica Dyer (pronouns: she/her) is the Behavioral Health Project Director for California School-Based Health Alliance and clinical supervisor for school-based health clinics at the Native American Health Center. She received her Master's in Social Work from the University of Washington and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She comes to the agency with years of experience in school-based and community mental health settings specializing in serving under resourced communities. She is certified in treating trauma through the holistic mind-body modality,Somatic Experiencing. She is deeply passionate about school-based health and ensuring equitable access to care for all students.

Kearsten Sheridan

Kearsten Sheridan (pronouns: she/her) is a ninth grader at San Leandro High School. She is a student athlete and an honors student. In her spare time she enjoys drawing and painting. She is passionate about mental health advocacy, specifically in the area of LGBTQ+ teens. She plans to major in psychology and become a therapist.

Laura Avila

Laura Avila (pronouns: she/her) is a junior enrolled in the Career Technical Education: Health Science and Medical Technology Pathway at Southwest High School. She serves as the Vice President of Community Engagement for her local chapter of the Career Technical Student Organization. Laura helped to establish the Coalition for Student Wellness at Southwest High School, whose mission is to provide opportunities for student engagement and awareness with a focus on mental health and wellness. Leading the coalition as chair, she works with a team of students to enhance the outreach, activities, and services offered to her community.

Le Ondra Clark

Dr. Clark Harvey (pronouns: she/her) is a psychologist and the Chief Executive Officer of the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies (CBHA). CBHA is a statewide advocacy organization representing mental health and substance use disorder nonprofit agencies that collectively serve over 775,000 Californians. She is also the Executive Director of the California Access Coalition—a group of advocacy organizations and pharmaceutical industry companies that advocates for patient access to behavioral health treatment. Prior to her work within the California Legislature, she completed her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.She completed her pre-doctoral fellowship at the University of Southern California Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles Mattel Children’s Hospital.

Leia Eckstein

Leia Eckstein (pronouns: she/her) is an active member of the California Association of School Counselors and a fierce advocate for student mental health. She brings with her over two decades of varied experience at the intersection of education and mental health in cities across the country at both public and charter schools. She has held various positions within San Francisco Unified School District, and currently is the Head Counselor for four County Community Schools. Leia’s background as a compassionate School Counselor and Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist informs her mission: to increase school-based mental health services and educational equity until we collectively know every student’s name, face, and story.

Lisa Eisenberg

Lisa Eisenberg (pronouns: she/her) is the Policy Director at the California School-Based Health Alliance, the statewide organization leading the movement to put healthcare in schools. She is responsible for planning and leading California School-Based Health Alliance’s policy agenda and advocating for legislative change to support school-based health services at the local, state, and federal levels. Lisa has garnered almost 15 years of experience in child and family services, research, and policy advocacy with specific expertise in children’s health, mental health, and K–12 education policy. She received her Master’s in Public Policy and Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley and her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Manahuu Inaniana-ii Carrie Brown

Manahuu Inaniana-ii Carrie Brown (pronouns: she/her) is the Bishop Indian Education Center (BIEC) Youth Activities Specialist. She was born and raised in Bishop, California and is a Bishop Paiute Tribal Member. She is the mother of five children: Leticia, Carlos, Kaytlynn, Ashley, and George. As the BIEC Youth Activities Specialist, she works with the Bishop Tribal Youth Council as well as the youth at the Bishop Indian Education Center. She travels to schools throughout the district area to provide information on their activities and collaborate with various agencies to offer additional opportunities and services.

Mara Madrigal-Weiss

Mara Madrigal-Weiss (pronouns: she/her) is the Executive Director of Student Wellness and School Culture for the San Diego County Office of Education, where she leads various efforts including foster and homeless education programs and supports to military families. Mara has promoted student mental health and wellness for over 20 years. For the past five years Mara has led the efforts of her team to enhance mental health literacy and suicide prevention and intervention practices across the county—working closely with the state to streamline resources and promote best practices. Mara serves as the designee of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction as a Commissioner on the Mental Health Services Oversight Accountability Commission, and was recently appointed Chair of the Commission.

Mariah Lafleur

Mariah Lafleur (pronouns: she/her) is the National Program Lead at Kaiser Permanente for Thriving Schools. She leads the creation of school health initiatives that include and integrate mental, physical, and social health for students, staff, and teachers. She has worked for over 15 years in the public and community health field leading efforts around healthy eating, physical activity and most recently mental health and well-being. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, she lived in Haiti and the Dominican Republic for four years working on rural community health issues. Mariah holds a Master of Public Health degree from University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Human Nutrition from University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Marlon Morgan

Marlon Morgan (pronouns: he/him) began his career as a school counselor and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, creating and implementing student support programs to identify and serve target subgroups in an effort to close the achievement gap. He has received special recognition from the U.S. Congress, California State Senate, and the California State Assembly for his innovative work promoting mental health and wellness in education. Marlon is a credentialed school counselor, a licensed therapist with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, and an honorary faculty member at the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.

Maya Shankar

Maya Shankar (pronouns: she/her) is a junior at Valencia High School. She is part of her school's Medical Science Academy in the Emergency Medicine Pathway. Maya is a leader in her school’s Bring Change to Mind chapter, a national organization that encourages students to advocate for mental health and end the stigma surrounding it. She is also a leader in the Women Medical Empowerment club. She advocates passionately for mental health and hopes to bring more mental health awareness to the South Asian community. Outside of these clubs, she is part of her school’s jazz choir and has been learning classical Indian dance since the age of four.

Mayra E. Alvarez

Mayra E. Alvarez (pronouns: she/her), is president of The Children's Partnership, a nonprofit advocacy organization working to advance child health equity through policy, research, and community engagement. She serves as a Commissioner on the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission and First 5 California Commission. Previously, she served at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Office of Minority Health, and the Office of Health Reform. She also served as a Legislative Assistant in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. A native of California, she graduated from the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of California, Berkeley.

Mayu Iwatani

Mayu Iwatani (pronouns: she/her) is the Manager of Mental Health and Wellness Care Coordination at the Orange County Department of Education. During her past 20 years in the educational field, Mayu has served as a School Social Worker, School Counselor, Student Services Administrator, Foster Care Social Worker, Coordinator and Manager of Student Services. In her current position, she is the program lead for the Orange County Mental Health Student Services Act Grant program in partnership with the 29 Orange County school districts and Behavioral Health Services, Crisis Response Network, and a Student Wellness Center pilot program named the “WellSpace” project.

Michael Lombardo

Michael Lombardo (pronouns: he/him) is the Executive Director of Prevention Supports and Services for the Placer County Office of Education. In this position, he works locally and throughout the state in areas of early prevention, student wellness, social-emotional support for students, breaking down barriers to education, collaborative strategy development and family/youth involvement. Michael currently coordinates the California Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coalition. A large part of his current role is to coordinate and collaborate with local and state agency partners to facilitate the integration of Multi-tier System of Supports for social and emotional wellness. Michael is currently guiding the development of PBIS in over 250 schools, several alternative education settings and two Juvenile Institutions.

Natasha King

Natasha King (pronouns: she/her) is the Manager for the San Mateo County Special Education Local Planning Area. She currently holds her Master’s in Clinical Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy. She received her Bachelor’s in Psychology with an emphasis on Child Development. Natasha currently supports a broad range of 33 local educational agency’s to develop, leverage, and/or fine tune their mental health program development. She was an administrator in the public-school system for eight years where she built and directed an inclusive behavior and mental health program in a regional school district. She has experience in providing mental health/behavioral services in residential, public and nonpublic school-based settings, and in the adolescent judicial system.

Paul Brazzel

Paul Brazzel (pronouns: he/him) has worked with children, youth and families in the areas of early education, foster care, and child and family therapy for over 17 years. Working in a residential treatment center in Oregon sparked his interest in social work and led him to pursue his Master of Social Work at San Diego State University (SDSU). Paul has been a field instructor for SDSU’s School of Social Work since 2003 and clinically supervises social workers toward their licensure. He enjoys his role as a Lecturer and Pupil Personnel Services Credential Coordinator. Paul is also the current president for the California Association of School Social Workers where he advocates for the school social work role and supports professional development efforts.

Dr. Renay Bradley

Dr. Renay Bradley (pronouns: she/her), Ph.D., serves as Chief of the Epidemiology and Surveillance Section within the Injury and Violence Prevention Branch of the California Department of Public Health. Dr. Bradley is a psychologist and epidemiologist who has focused her career on using data, research, and evaluation to promote health and wellness in children, families, and communities. Her work has focused on integration of mental health services and supports into K–12 school settings, as well as home and community settings for families with infants and young children. As Director of Research and Evaluation at the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, she provided leadership over evaluation of the Mental Health Services Act and community-based mental health services across California.

Reyna Rauda-Trout

Reyna Rauda-Trout (pronouns: she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential. She is the Director of Counseling Services for YouthBuild Charter School of California. Ms. Rauda-Trout is also an adjunct faculty at California State University, Long Beach and has a small private clinical practice in the community. Her philosophy comes from a strength based, supportive, and inclusive perspective. She is a proud parent of four. She is an immigrant to this great nation and proudly graduated from Belmont High School where she benefited from their English as a second language program.

Robin Detterman

Robin Detterman (pronouns: she/her) serves as Seneca’s Chief Program Officer of Educational Services where she provides leadership for the agency’s continuum of district and charter partnerships and five non-public schools. She supports Seneca’s education teams in the development and implementation of high quality, individualized services for students who need additional support at school. Ms. Detterman holds a Master of Arts degree in Special Education and is a graduate of Stanford University, where she earned a Master’s degree in Education Policy and Organizational Leadership. She is the co-author of “Unconditional Education: Supporting Schools to Serve All Students” (Oxford University Press, 2019).

Sanjana Taware

Sanjana Taware (pronouns: she/her) is a student from San Jose, California. She is passionate about advocacy, writing, and public speaking especially in the context of public health and student mental health. She has served as co-lead of the Advocacy Committee for the Santa Clara County Office of Education Youth Advisory Group, collaborating with lobbyists and government officials to improve mental health in public schools across Santa Clara County through the implementation of wellness centers and reallocation of funding. She is an avid researcher who uses her efforts in focused areas of mental health in the South Asian community, LGBTQ+ community, and student athletes to support mental health system reform and initiatives.

Shashank Joshi

Dr. Shashank Joshi (pronouns: he/him) is Professor and Director of Training in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and Director of School Mental Health at Stanford University. Dr. Joshi's publications focus on interprofessional collaboration, cultural aspects of pediatric health, well-being promotion in youth and young adults, and suicide prevention in school settings. He is the lead author of the K12 Toolkit for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention used by the California Department of Education, and co-editor of the recent book Partnerships for Mental Health: A Guide to Community and Academic Collaboration. His current book project is an international collaboration entitled, Thinking About Prescribing: The Psychology of Psychopharmacology with Diverse Youth & Families, which examines the relational and psychotherapeutic aspects of medication treatment.

Sheri Coburn

Sheri Coburn (pronouns: she/her) is the Division Director for Comprehensive Health and Medicaid Services for the San Joaquin County Office of Education for the past 25 years. She oversees $10 million of federal, state and local funding. Sheri has been a registered nurse for 39 years and a credentialed school nurse for 30 years. She holds a Master’s Degree in Nursing and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from St. Mary’s College of California.

Stan Collins

Stan Collins (pronouns: he/him) has worked in the suicide prevention field for two decades since losing a friend to suicide in high school, utilizing his passion and experience to support and develop strategies to create system level change around suicide prevention. He currently works as a consultant in the field of suicide prevention, focusing on technical assistance in creation and implementation of suicide prevention curricula and strategies. He is the Co-Founder of the Directing Change Program and Film Contest (www.DirectingChangeCA.org ).

Stephanie Murray

Stephanie Murray (pronouns: she/her) has been a practicing school psychologist for over 25 years with the Whittier Union High School District, and is a Licensed Educational Psychologist. She serves as a Co-Chair of the Mental Wellness Committee for the California Association of School Psychologists, the Los Angeles County Child and Adolescent Suicide Review Team, and the Youth Workgroup for the Los Angeles County Suicide Prevention Network. She consults with the Los Angeles County Office of Education as a content expert and trainer for their Suicide Prevention Ongoing Resiliency Training. Stephanie received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from University of California, Los Angeles, and both Masters’ degrees in School Counseling, and in Educational Psychology from Loyola Marymount University.

Steven Adelsheim

Steven Adelsheim (pronouns: he/him), Doctor of Medicine, is a Clinical Professor and Associate Chair for Community Engagement at Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry, directing the Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing. He previously spent many years leading school mental health efforts for the State of New Mexico and served as the state’s psychiatric medical director. Steve’s work continues to focus on early detection/intervention programs for young people. Dr. Adelsheim also leads Psychosis-Risk and Early Psychosis Program Network, the national clinical network for early psychosis. Steve also works in youth suicide prevention, tribal mental health, policy, integrated care, and telehealth.

Suh Chen Hsiao

Suh Chen Hsiao (pronouns: she/her), Doctor of Policy, Planning, and Development, Master of Social Work, Master of Arts, Pupil Personnel Services Credential, Liscenced Clinical Social Worker is the Clinical Associate Professor and Associate Director for Field Education at the University of Southern California (USC) Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Prior to her joining USC in 2010, she worked as a clinician, supervisor and administrator in several community-based settings for 20 years including inpatient/outpatient health/mental health, and K–12 school settings. Dr. Hsiao is the Principal Investigator for Health Resources and Services Administration Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students: The Primary Care Project that is a National Workforce Expansion Scholarship Program for Social Work Students Committed to Integrated/Behavioral Health practice in the medically underserved communities.

Susan Rezin

Susan Rezin (pronouns: she/her) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist currently working as an Educationally Related Mental Health Clinician in Calaveras County. She has 32 years of experience in the mental health field, and has worked in school systems as a mental health provider for 17 years. Susan serves on various local committees in Calaveras County that seek to leverage funding and improve services for all students.

Tanya Mercado

Tanya Mercado (pronouns: she/her) a is a bilingual and bicultural Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of public education leadership and social work experience. She believes in the critical connection between a student’s social emotional well-being and their educational success, and that by addressing the inequity of access to mental health services for students we can better assure academic achievement and develop the foundation for lifelong success. Ms. Mercado aims to help pave this path within her current role as an Organizational Facilitator with Los Angeles Unified School District Division of School Mental Health. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Master of Social Welfare degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Terri Villa-McDowell

Terri Villa-McDowell (pronouns: she/her) is Human Services Administrator at the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations. A public interest attorney, she now coordinates a Los Angeles County Anti-Hate Campaign, “L.A. vs Hate,” to protect vulnerable communities targeted for hate acts and bullying in schools. She has worked in the area of providing social emotional supports, implementing a continuum of care and system of supports for children for over 15 years at the school district and county level.

Toni Trigueiro

Toni Trigueiro (pronouns: she/her) worked for 17 years in the California State Assembly for Assembly members Richard Alatorre and Sam Farr. Since 1991, she has worked for the California Teachers Association as a Political Consultant for five years and a legislative advocate for 25 years in the areas of School Safety/School Management, Student Support Services, Early Childhood Education, Adult, Alternative and Career Technology Education, Political Involvement and California Community Colleges.

Victor Ojakian

Victor Ojakian (pronouns: he/him) is a mental health and suicide prevention advocate. He has worked on suicide prevention efforts nationally, in the State of California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in the City of Palo Alto. Vic has performed trainings and made extensive presentations, including to a federal Congressional hearing on mental health and the California State Senate Select Committee on Mental Health. He and his wife Mary have helped produce the Santa Clara County Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan and worked to implement this plan. Victor has advocated and helped gain passage of California legislation promoting mental health care and suicide prevention. He currently co-chairs the Santa Clara County Suicide Prevention Committee and NAMI Santa Clara County.