Faculty, Administration, Advisory Comittee
Vice President and COO
Vice President and COO
Dr. Salazar holds a Master’s and Doctoral degree in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. Since 1988, he has worked in the substance use disorder, HIV/AIDS, and mental health fields as a counselor, health educator, community organizer, researcher, and administrator. He has been the primary translator (English to Spanish) of various research studies and has co-translated The Wellness Guide published by the UC Berkeley Center for Community Wellness. He is also the co-author of Essential Spanish for Social Services, a Living Language/Random House publication. During his career Dr. Salazar has served as the Project Director/Principle Investigator (PD/PI) on various programs funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), CA Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS), and LA County Department of Public Health, Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC) with an emphasis on delivering the full continuum of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) services ranging from prevention to medical detoxification/maintenance. He is currently the Director of SUD/MH program that serves youth in LA County and also oversees two Narcotic Treatment Programs (NTP’s) and Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) programs designed for both adults and youth. Dr. Salazar regularly conducts trainings and classes on SUD counseling and new and emerging behavioral health trends, evidence based practices (EBP’s), current research in the SUD/MH field, and provision of SUD and MH treatment services to special populations such as youth, women and older adults. Since 2014, Dr. Salazar has held a Lecturer position with the California State University of Northridge (CSUN) and has taught various healthcare leadership and public health courses, including those on SUD, to both undergraduate and graduate master’s level students. Dr. Salazar has served on various non-profit boards, private education boards, and currently serves on CSUN’s MPH Program Community Advisory Board which provides guidance and support on matters related to curriculum development.
Chief Academic Officer
James B. Golden is a Los Angeles based Learning & Development Specialist with over 10 years of organizational development experience in training methodology, design, executive coaching, systems improvement, motivation, cultural competence, and inclusion. Dr. Golden is a natural leader with compassion and emotionally intelligent praxis. He has several years of business consulting experience along with assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of major programs and events for non-profits, corporations, and government departments. Golden regularly presents research and data at national conferences including: The National Council of Black Studies, the American Psychological Association, the National Hip Hop Political Convention; and he has been invited to speak at colleges including: Howard University, Pepperdine University, University of California at Los Angeles, Sierra Nevada College, and Cal State University, Northridge.
Golden earned a Doctor of Psychology degree from Phillips Graduate University, a Master’s of Humanities from Tiffin University, and a Master of Public Administration degree from Cal State Northridge. He has worked as a curriculum advocate, K-12 teacher, and developer of educational programs. He has published several articles for leading magazines/publications such as The Root, LinkedIn, Vibe, and Clutch; as well as four books including an NAACP Image Award winner.
Deputy Provost
Haben is an alumnus at California State University, Long Beach with her Bachelor of Arts in Human Development with a minor in Africana Studies. She is working on her Master of Science Degree, Higher Education Administration at National University.
Haben has been involved with students that are first generations, low income, and unrepresentative to assist them through the college readiness programs, and mental health. She also worked with different youth nonprofits around the greater Long Beach area and So-Cal area to advocate for students safe environment, mental health, voices, education, and physical activity. Haben has also planned multiple curriculums, implemented, and evaluation programs and events for non-profits.
My goal is to help empower students through their educational journey through TTCC, and also help create advocate leaders to empower and educate others on SUD, while reducing the stigma of drugs abuse.
In my free time I love to go on adventures, travel, hang out with family, and read new exciting books.
Chief of Staff
Zenaida Mejia joined our team as an Administrative Assistant/Clerk II for TTC College (TTCC). Zenaida works as the Personal Assistant of Dr. James Golden, the Chief Academic Officer, and all the Staff of the TTCC. She also reaches out to the students to have a one-on-one meeting with Dr. Golden for a follow-up on the progress of their school program. She handles all the office supplies needed by the staff and works on the timesheets to prepare and submit in the main office.
Zenaida earned a degree of Bachelor of Elementary Education in Manila, Philippines, she is also a certified Phlebotomy Technician (May 2021), U.S. Colleges, Van Nuys, CA. She joined TTC College because she likes the advocacy of giving a chance to all the students in having a better future. She likes to travel and see the wonder of the world.
Dean of Workforce Development
Jessica Galura, MPH joined the Office of Workforce Development to provide leadership to the intern, practicum, and mentoring components of Tarzana Treatment Centers College (TTCC). As the Dean of Workforce Development, Jessica is responsible for centralizing agency interns and creating systems to support community members, community partner organizations, and schools interested in a wide variety of healthcare careers.
Jessica first joined TTC has a health educator to address barriers affecting SUD treatment in Latinx communities. She previously provided administrative support and leadership for reentry programs at TTC. Jessica earned two degrees from California State University, Northridge. She received a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Community Health Education.
Executive Assistant
Devonte Mayden is San Fernando valley native and service Veteran. He and his family have been supporting his community with lived experience in the valley for over 15 years by doing community outreach, education on homelessness, and leading those who need support to a better direction in life where professionals can lend a hand. In the process of receiving a bachelor’s in social work from CSUN, he has completed multiple programs for public health and has joined the TTC team after completion of the Mentored Internship Program under the guidance of Haben Berhe. Devonte is now working under Dr.Golden and his team as his Executive Assistant to apply his learned skills and better support his community with care, patience, and trust. He is passionate about serving his community and learning more ways to do so. Devonte enjoys hiking with his dogs, roller blading, and doing holistic therapy.
Dean of Data Analytics
Catherine Duehren was the first Student Services Representative for Tarzana Treatment Centers College (TTCC) when the institution opened in 2020. Catherine’s passion in the field of data analytics led to her departure from TTCC in 2021 where she decided to polish those skills at Tarzana Treatment Center’s Data and Evaluation team. Catherine returned to TTCC in 2022 as the institution’s first Dean of Data Analytics where she is implementing a new data philosophy for the college. Catherine’s undergraduate degree in Sociology and her graduate degree in Public Health equips her with keen knowledge of analyzing social disparities and proposing data driven solutions for the community. In her day to day, Catherine reviews student data for all TTCC programs and ensures all information is up to date and accurate. She regularly produces data visualizations that depict our student population and prepares reports for graduation and retention rates. Additionally, Catherine is the Evaluator for the MAT-PDOA grant where she ensures federal funding for substance use disorder and cooccurring disorders are being accurately distributed to vulnerable members of our community such as those leaving inpatient treatment and those in the reentry population.
Development Coordinator
Sebrin Yousef joined our team as the Development Coordinator for TTC College (TTCC). Sebrin will be primarily working to oversee the Student Affairs Department and the programs that are running at TTCC. As the Development Coordinator, Sebrin helps with student success by planning events for students with the Outreach Recruiter, providing support to the IT Specialist and Student Services Representative. She will also be leading the 2023 Advisory Committee Board for the new school year.
Sebrin graduated with her Master of Public Health with an emphasis on Community Health Education at the California State University, Northridge. She also has her Bachelor’s in Public Health from California State University, Los Angeles. Previously, Sebrin interned with non-profit organizations in the areas of domestic violence and mental health as well as with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) in their Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Division. At CDPH, she focused her work on Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) by reaching out to stakeholders, researched more on Title V funds, and collecting data on home visiting and CYSHCN.
With her background, Sebrin is interested in Maternal Mental Health among minorities and being an advocate to provide more resources for mothers. In her spare time, she loves to read and try new foods.
Chair of Recovery Support Services / Program Coordinator
Monica Castro has joined Tarzana Treatment Centers College (TTCC) as Chair of Recovery Support Services / Program Coordinator. As the Program Coordinator for the SAMHSA MAT Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction program at Tarzana Treatment Centers, Monica provides leadership to the MAT-PDOA team by supporting initiatives around providing case management, education, and counseling support to Los Angeles County patients with a history of substance use. Monica is working on identifying and training community-based providers on Opioid Use Disorder, hoping to support the growing needs of special populations, including re-entry, people experiencing homelessness, and LGBTQ+.
Monica earned her B.A. in Psychology at Lewis & Clark College as a first-generation graduate. She is working toward a Master of Science in Public Health from Tulane University.
Chair of Peer Support Specialization
Ashley McGowan (she/they) has joined our team as the Chair of the office of Peer Support and currently oversees the administration of the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Training Program. They work closely with the Lead Instructor and Academic Specialist to ensure the application process, enrollment, scheduling, scholarships, and instruction run smoothly for our students. She also supports data collection and curriculum development for the program.
Ashley received her B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Feminist Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She previously worked for TTC’s We Exist program which was dedicated to getting LGBTQIA2-S+ youth connected with essential resources in LA county. In addition to her role at the college, she also participates in Tarzana’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity Committee to support efforts in creating an affirming environment for both patients, and employees at TTC.”
Chair of Project Open Doors
Alisia Thompson is an educator with over 10 years of experience teaching in K-12 schools, community colleges, and 4-year universities. Her areas of expertise include curriculum development, teacher training, program development, and assessment. Thompson earned her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Neuroscience from the University of Southern California and then began her career as a high school biology teacher. As a classroom teacher, she developed a passion for curriculum development which led her to pursue a Master of Arts in Education (MA.Ed) in Curriculum and Instruction from California State University, Long Beach. Thompson has since continued her education and is currently completing her Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D) in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Leading Instructional Change.
Thompson began working with Tarzana Treatment Centers College in 2021 as a member of the school’s Advisory Committee. In 2022 she was hired to serve as the chair of Project Open Doors, the college’s GED preparation program. Within her role, she is passionate about providing meaningful learning experiences and holistic support for all students.
Chair of Field Services
Katherine (Kate) D. Emerson, earned her Doctorate in Public Administration from the University of La Verne (2012), a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University in the City of New York (1997), and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from California State University, Los Angeles (1994). As a social work practitioner in the field for over 25 years, she has successfully worked with diverse populations. In addition to her work as a social worker, Kate has over 20 years in higher education teaching social work courses at three California State Universities and most recently at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Work. Passionate about women’s issues, Kate is on the Board of Directors of East Los Angeles Women’s Center, where she serves as Vice Chair.
SUD Counselor/ Case Manager
Rachel Sandoval earned her AA degree in Addiction Studies and Social & Behavioral Sciences at Los Angeles Pierce College (2019), a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree at California State University, Northridge, (2020), and is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work at California State University, Northridge. Rachel has worked as an SUD counselor and case manager in the outpatient level of care for five years with a diverse population here in the San Fernando Valley. Rachel began her practicum with Valley Women’s Center in 2017 and was hired to continue as a SUD counselor. She continued in the field with Tarzana Treatment Centers as a case manager and counselor in 2021 and received her CADC-I certification at the end of that year. She has a passion of working in the field and has been highly dedicated with her patients. She has strived to guide addicts and alcoholics through their time in treatment and currently works with various people in the community to empower them through their recovery.
Chair of Substance Use Disorder
Jessica Dorsey (JD) has a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology. They are dedicated to helping individuals with mental illness and have worked in psychological research and residential treatment for a variety of populations. They are passionate about dismantling stigma around mental illness, including addiction, and believe education is key for changing false beliefs about mental health. This is one of many reasons the SUD Counselor Certification Program is so important to them. They have two cats, Vincent and Keaton.
Senior Recruiter
Stephanie “Steph” Ramos participates in developing student recruitment and retention plans, strategies, and written materials. Ramos cultivates partnerships with community-based organizations and partners. Ramos finds competent individuals through relationships in community-based organizations, colleges, high schools, and outreach activities and promotes enrollment in TTC College. She is adept at working with various community demographics to connect with beneficial programs and resources. She speaks Tagalog and English fluently.
Ramos earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from California State University Northridge (CSUN) as a first-generation graduate. She is working toward a Master of Science in Health Administration from CSUN. Her goal as a healthcare administrator will be dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness of healthcare facilities and the quality of care, especially for the underrepresented population.
Counseling
After Warren’s recent retirement from being a National Insurance Broker specializing in Risk Retention for small and medium-sized industrial companies in 2019, he was looking for some interesting work that had some philanthropic qualities. His friend informed him of a position at Tarzana Treatment Centers that work with independent housing for HIV and AIDS clients in a night ward capacity. Warren took the job and found and felt a great sense of fulfillment talking and counseling those in the residential housing. He was in control of the attendance and reporting of the nightly housing activities.
At the peak of his interest, Warren decided to enroll in Tarzana Treatment Centers College to learn about the addiction counseling field and to apply his current skills without reinventing himself. Warren found the curriculum at TTCC to be both challenging and enlightening.
Upon Warren’s graduation from TTCC, he was offered an advancement to Counseling 1 position within TTC to the SAMHSA MAT- PDOA program working under Dr James Golden and his remarkable team. The position he has now continues to supply him with the pleasure of working in a purposeful environment and with a great group of people.
Information Technology Specialist
Jaela Holmes joined our team as the Information Technology Specialist for TTC College (TTCC). Jaela will be primarily working to managing all our social media platform plans, provide general technical support, ensure that TTCC runs smoothly online (TTCC website, Moodle student portal, & ProQuest), oversee the virtual reality program, and provide expertise in graphic designs. She will also be the administrator for all of our TTC College podcasts.
Jaela Holmes currently finishing up her BA at California State University, Long beach, majoring in American Sign Language Linguistics & Deaf Culture (ASLD). Jaela has worked as a Personal Tax assistant for VjP tax services for 2 years, providing marketing expertise and Social Media Content to increase engagement and followers. Jaela worked coaching youth in athletics, discipline, developmental skills, responsibilities, accountability and helping them foster relationships. Whether working on academics, extracurricular activities, or professional projects, Jaela has amazing teamwork, communication, and creative thinking skills.
Student Services Representative
Isaac Leon joined our team as the Student Services Representative for TTC College (TTCC). Isaac will help manage the college as a team member by answering student questions regarding the programs we provide. The main responsibilities he holds are following up with prospective students by emailing/calling them to provide them with information about our Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Counseling Certificate Program, scheduling interviews, assisting with enrollment documents and ensuring that they are using the resources we have while they are in the program.
Isaac will be graduating with his Master’s in Public Health with a focus in Health Marketing in May 2023 from Benedictine University. He has a B.S. in Public Health from CSUN. His previous work includes being a laboratory administrative assistant for a COVID-19 testing company for Sony Pictures and NBC Universal. There he focused on COVID-19 kit sales, establishing relationships with new clients and creating standard operation procedure manuals for the company.
With his new degree, he hopes to be a voice for his community by creating health education workshops that lead to healthy habits for healthier lives.”
Dean of Operations
Bruce Loisel started his career teaching religion at Maranatha High School, a small, evangelical Christian high school in Sierra Madre, California. After three years of full-time teaching, he moved on to work with foster children and families for the next ten years. He then transferred to The Salvation Army, serving as executive director of several programs, including HIV/AIDS family housing, homeless services, and veterans’ programs. During this time, Bruce served as an adjunct faculty member at Azusa Pacific University, Citrus College, and East Los Angeles College. Bruce has numerous publications and professional presentations in foster care, Substance Use Disorders (SUD), religion, homelessness, and social justice.
After leaving the salvation army, Bruce went on to Salinas, California, where he served as the director of Off Main Clinic, which provides Methadone and Medications for Addiction Treatment. After returning to Southern California, Bruce began working at Tarzana Treatment Centers, serving as the Dean of Operations. Bruce holds a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, and two master’s level degrees, one in educational administration, and another in marriage and family therapy. Bruce also holds a bachelor’s degree in religious studies. He has been married for 39 years and they have three adult children.
Academic Specialists- Project Open Doors
Dani has joined the TTCC team as the Academic Specialist for Project Open Doors. In her new role, Dani will be supporting the logistical needs for the program. She will be working closely with the POD Chair, Alisia Thompson to enroll students and support their matriculation through the program.
Dani Feldman received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration and Innovation at the American Jewish University. She is a community builder and adult education specialist. During her undergraduate experience, Dani’s passion for helping others developed into an ambassador role as a liaison bridging the gap between students and faculty. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and is passionate about sports.
PSS Academic Specialist
Kimberly Corpeno was raised in the San Fernando Valley. She graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. While finishing her undergraduate studies she was able to complete the Mentored Internship Program at Tarzana Treatment Centers College! This is how Kimberly started her journey with TTCC. Kimberly is now working alongside Ashley McGowan and Benita Anvieh in the Peer Support Specialist Certification Program. Her ultimate goal is to create programs to help educate underserved communities. Health education and care should be accessible to all with the highest quality regardless of socioeconomic status. Kimberly enjoys eating sushi, roller skating, and going to the beach.
Faculty
Cathy Rusch has worked in behavioral health, almost exclusively with Tarzana Treatment Centers, for the best part of 25 years. This has provided her with a unique experience and understanding of the Substance Use Disorder field, more specifically allowing her to appreciate growth in its capacity to serve diverse community needs and integrate with other healthcare fields. Currently, Cathy is the Senior Trainer for staff and community training, acting as the liaison for iStart, a grant addressing the service gaps for STD and HIV testing in partnership with California State University, Northridge (CSUN), and developing curriculum for TTCC.
Ms. Rusch’s academic background is in both Sociology and Healthcare Administration. For the past 8 years, Cathy has been a Professor of Health Sciences at California State University, Northridge. teaching for the Department of Health Sciences Program for both Health Administration and Public Health. She brings a wealth of experience and passion to the SUD Certification Program of TTCC.
MIP Program Coordinator
Berelyan Anvieh, an Assyrian Iranian born and raised in Urmia, has displayed her devotion for helping those in need early on in her country; and began exploring her passion to serve her community through volunteer activities and provision of healthcare services as a Home Care Provider through church and welfare organizations as well as serving the needs of community members with mental and physical disabilities as a Case Manager through the State Rehabilitation Center in Urmia, passionate to act as a bridge between treatment facilities and the community members of all ages and with various needs.
After immigrating to the United States, Berelyan started her educational ladder in Rinaldi Adult School with English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, which soon after led her to proceed toward her Associate of Arts degrees in Mathematics, and Liberal arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences as well as her Associate of Science in Biology at Los Angeles Mission College. While coaching as the Safety Lead in the 99 Cents Only Stores, her commitment to excellence, set her apart as an exemplary team player with high performance and a strong work ethic emphasizing the safety and provision of great customer service across stores. Overpowering the linguistic difficulties through learning simultaneously at school and work, her enthusiasm for exploring human nature through a neurological lens was revealed. Berelyan pursued her field of interest and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from the University of California, Riverside, while devoting her professional career to this field by taking part in research in Dr. Currás-Collazo’s research lab, working on understanding the adverse health effects of environmental toxicants and natural chemicals on the mammalian nervous system (e.g., Altering Ca signaling, impacting learning and memory, the regulation of hormones, etc.) with an intension to proceed into medical school toward Neuroscience.
Maybe it was faith that pushed her away from medical school and toward a Master of Public Health from West Coast University at a time when the world seemed to collapse due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a high rate of death and hospitalization across the globe. And maybe it was faith that she was introduced to Dr. James B. Golden and his phenomenal team, which has opened the doors for her to continue to coach, encourage, inspire, motivate, and help interns of even more diverse communities through the Mentored Internship Program (MIP) at Tarzana Treatment Centers which she joined in April 2022. As the MIP Program Coordinator, Berelyan is passionate about creating a rich and lively Mentored Internship experience for all interns and ensuring that all interns are utilizing this incredibly valuable opportunity for networking, gaining experience under mentor supervision, and collectively ultimately inspiring Behavioral Health Interns to join the Behavioral Health Field if of interest, as this internship enables interns to distinguish their interests before the internship and explore possible pathways to land their dream job in this field.
Tuition Services Representative
Vanessa Garcia was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She is the first in her family to ever pursue a higher education. She graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. Vanessa also participated in the Mentored Internship Program at Tarzana Treatment Centers College as an undergrad and then shortly started her journey at TTCC.
Vanessa works in the Business Development Department alongside her mentor Catherine Duehren and with other amazing individuals. Vanessa oversees processing and creating invoices for funding of the college. On her spare time, she likes to spend time with her two dogs with friends and family.
MIP Coordinator
Tiffany Rabbani is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been a part of Tarzana Treatment Centers (TTC) since 2017, where she first began as an MSW intern. Tiffany currently serves as the Lead Clinician for the mental health department at the Northridge location, where she oversees MSW clinical interns, conducts bio-psycho-social assessments, provides individual therapy, and provides clinical support to the mental health team. Tiffany also currently serves as a Site Supervisor for the Mentored Internship Program (MIP) at the TTC College, where she places interns with mentors throughout the college and works collaboratively with the post-HS, bachelor level, and graduate level interns alongside their mentors to help in growing the intern’s professional development. Additionally, Tiffany assists interns in finding employment throughout the organization in an effort to help fill the ever-growing need in behavioral health care.
Tiffany received her Master of Social Work from California State University, Northridge in 2018 and received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Queens College, City University of New York. Tiffany is passionate about mental health, reducing stigma around mental health, and reducing barriers by providing resources and support to underserved communities.
Health Educator
Erica Amaya graduated from California State University, Chico with her Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Public Affairs. Erica continued her educational journey at the California State University of Sacramento where she received her Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice. Through her professional career she has maintained providing an array of public services to communities who need them most as her core driver. Erica began her professional as a first-generation mentor at Chico State then moved onto a program coordinator position for a nonprofit agency in Sacramento called Alliance for Education Solutions. Erica then moved onto working for New Beginnings Counseling where she hosted group sessions for court mandated individuals concerning domestic violence, child endangerment, anger management and substance use/addiction. Erica’s current position at Tarzana Treatment Centers College is a health educator and community outreach organizer. Through her new position Erica has completed overdose prevention training, fentanyl test strips training, MAT training, and has gained knowledge regarding the Los Angeles area along with how substance use affects Los Angeles communities at a high rate. With this knowledge she has been able to further her understanding to be able to better serve the greater Los Angeles area regarding substance use. Due to her experience of having worked with an array of populations in different areas of California she has been able to witness the connection between the need and the actual support communities are attaining. Erica is passionate about allocating resources to communities that need them most.
Academic RecordKeeper
Mahbubur Rahman is one the few senior supervisors at Tarzana Treatment Centers. He joined the organization as a graduate intern. Since then, Mahbubur has been actively engaged in event management, online learning systems, curriculum development, contract compliance, data management, audit reporting and evaluation. He has been a mentor for the students of Public Health and Health Administration programs from various public and private universities. Mahbubur earned his MBBS & MS in Nutrition from the University of Dhaka and MPH from CSU Northridge.
Mahbubur is a registered medical practitioner with the Bangladesh Medical & Dental Council and regularly attends overseas health camps serving people with minimal or no access to care. He is a life member of the Dietetic Association of Bangladesh and a former Rotarian. In 2022, the Royal Society for Public Health, UK awarded him with their fellowship.
Adjunct Faculty
Carroll J. Brown III graduated from Phillips Graduate University (2018) where he obtained his Doctorate degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Organizational Management and Consulting. He is a a proud Matador Alumni, with a B.A. in Pan African Studies. Dr. Brown currently sits on the board of the USU at CSUN as the Alumni Representative, and President of the Black Alumni Association.
Working in mental health for over a decade, he is a program coordinator with a strong commitment to serving the community in Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley area.
Dr. Brown has a passion for helping individuals develop as leaders to improve organizations efficiency. In his free time, he spends time with friends, family and my new wife Dr. Kristyl JL. Brown and being an advocate for speaking about Black Men’s Mental Health.
Adjunct Faculty
Richard Taylor earned a Double Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and African American Studies and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) in 2005 and 2010. Richard has worked in the field of Mental Health for the past 15 years. Richard is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in substance use treatment with the chronically mentally ill. Also, Richard serves as an adjunct professor at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). Richard works closely with the ASWB (Association of Social Work Boards) and the BBS (Board of Behavioral Sciences) as an item writer and subject matter expert. Richard is passionate about cultural competency, diversity, socioeconomic justice and equitable mental health and wellness opportunities for all. Richard is originally from the Bay Area. Richard loves sports and he is a lifelong Golden State Warriors and San Francisco 49ers fan. He enjoys spending free with his wife and two daughters, going to church, listening to music, shopping, exercise and indulging in spicy foods.
Adjunct Faculty
Gloria is a compassionate Program Developer with assessment, development, implementation,
quality assurance, and evaluation. Skilled at developing relationships with stakeholders to
accomplish organizational objectives and improve overall service delivery. A forward-thinking
leader who fosters a positive work environment through strong communication skills that
builds trust among staff members. Utilizes a collaborative approach to meet the needs of
individuals as well as the organization.
Adjunct Facutly
Richard is originally from Rialto, California, but has spent half of his life as a San Diegan. He attended San Diego State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication and a Master’s in Counseling in 2005 and 2011 respectively. He went on to work for SDSU as a Student Life Advisor for 4 years before transitioning to Southwestern College in 2015 where he currently works as the Student Activities Coordinator. He is responsible for all things student development including co-curricular activities like the Student Government, Clubs & Organizations and on/off-campus events, trainings, retreats, and conferences. He has taught courses on identity development and navigating higher education at the high school level and has created/delivered dozens of presentations and workshops on topics ranging from conflict resolution and personality assessment to bias, anti-blackness, equity-minded leadership.
As a talented orator, equity-minded activist for social justice, educator and trained Anti-Bias facilitator (via the Anti-Defamation League), he is passionate about finding engaging, innovative ways to teach, support and advocate for students at all levels of education. Richard is a champion for student success and is always excited to see the light in students’ eyes as they have their “ah-ha” moments. When he is not helping students grow and develop, he enjoys traveling, movies, sports and spending time with friends and family including his best friends; his awesome, beautiful wife, Kendall, his 3-year old daughter Riley Rae and his ferocious, energetic, 10-pound Malte-Poo, Megatron.
Adjunct Faculty
Kendall is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who focuses on supporting children, family, parents, and maternal mental health at all stages of a family’s journey. She finds that it is important that we understand that every family and individual is different and every journey is different. There in not one path and It is an honor to help clients understand the path they are on and how they can embrace, or change, and grow their journey.
Kendall is also a healer by nature and a therapist by trade. Having received her bachelor’s in Psychology from San Diego State University and Masters in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University she has found herself to have expanded on the ability to meet people where they are. In addition to healing mental health she has also found herself on the path of healing through social justice. She is an advocate, an interrupter, an organizer, and person supporting people. She supports people who are learning to heal from social injustice and address Anti-Blackness as it impacts all aspects of the world we live in.
Adjunct Faculty
Janice Boafo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and valley girl whose professional life is informed by her lived experiences as well as over 25 years of work in human services and behavioral health. She believes in engaging the whole person, liberatory practices and the importance of being authentically seen and heard. Janice graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Education from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California (USC).
In all spaces, Ms. Boafo is dedicated to culturally responsive practice, community healing and the transformational power of story sharing. Her interests include educational equity, culture & identity formation, public child welfare reform, pedagogy as activism, and exploring the intersections of art, culture & social justice. When she is not teaching, Janice is a mother, nature lover, volunteer and writer who sees beauty in struggle and finds power in community.
Faculty
Dr. Schwab is a retired police chief and hostage negotiator who found great passion in studying psychology and substance abuse to educate herself during her career. Dr. Schwab started her educational journey at Penn State University, and has since earned a Bachelor’s degree in Developmental Psychology, Master’s degree in Applied Clinical Psychology, and Doctorate Degree in Neuroclinical Psychology specializing in Trauma, PTSD, and Traumatic Brain Injury. She has also conducted significant research on SUD, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Neurological issues. In her free time, she volunteers as a K9 Search and Rescue Member for the CA Governors dog team CARDA and enjoys the great outdoors.