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VARIABILITY
MINORITY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FALL 2020
Advocacy,
Activism, and
Service
From a public health crisis 2020 introduced a new decade. It also introduced COVID-19, the
novel coronavirus that prompted a global public health crisis. From
to racial injustice, MFP
pivoting to telementalhealth to developing innovative workshops
Fellows are at the forefront of and initiatives to help communities navigate the pandemic, MFP
combatting two pandemics. fellows have risen to the enormous challenge of continuing to en-
sure that ethnic minority communities get the care, information,
and support they need during this unprecedented time.
And as businesses, schools, churches, and families have adapt-
ed to a new normal of social distancing, another pandemic has
continued to permeate society – racism. The racism pandemic
has been made evident by health disparities and the dispropor-
tionate number of ethnic/racial minorities impacted by COVID-19,
and also through the reoccurring murders of Black people at the
hands of police.
MFP remains committed to enhancing psychological and behav-
ioral outcomes of ethnic minority communities and advancing un-
derstanding of the life experiences of ethnic minority communities.
And as the effects of COVID-19 and the racism pandemic prog-
ress, MFP fellows continue to lead the charge in addressing these
life-altering issues.
Making an Impact During COVID, continued on page 13VARIABILITY
MINORITY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Variability is published annually by the Minority Fellowship Program
(MFP) of the American Psychological Association in Washington, DC.
Executive Editor Andrew T. Dailey, MDiv, MS
Managing Editor Kenya D. Morris
Senior Editors Kyra D. Kissam, PhD; Janice Haskins, PhD
Editor Zoe Garber
Contact
APA Minority Fellowship Program
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
202.336.6127
Fax: 202.336.6012
Email: mfp@apa.org
Website: apa.org/pi/mfp
Facebook: facebook.com/APAMinorityFellowshipProgram
Twitter: @APAMFP
Minority Fellowship Program Staff
Senior Director Project Director, Psychological Evaluation and Engagement Project Director, Interdisciplinary
Andrew T. Dailey, MDiv, MS Services Coordinator Services
202.312.6478 Janice Haskins, PhD Kenya D. Morris Shiricka Fair, PhD
adailey@apa.org 202.336.5981 202.572.3029 202.336.6127
jhaskins@apa.org kmorris@apa.org sfair@apa.org
Project Director, Behavioral
Sciences Program Coordinator Project Coordinator
Kyra D. Kissam, PhD Zoe Garber Kerritt Saintal
202.218.3593 202.336.6065 202.336.6127
kkissam@apa.org zgarber@apa.org ksaintal@apa.org
Information submitted in this issue from April 2020 - September 2020.Contents Fellows in the News 5 Making an Impact During COVID-19 13 Black Lives Matter: Advocacy and Activism 16 MFP Committees 19 Fellow Updates 27 MFP Fund 38 New Fellows’ Site Visit 39 New Fellows 40 Initial Review Committee 56 MFP’s New Program 57 APA 2020 Information 58
Minority Fellowship Program Information
The ultimate goal of the American Psychological Association (APA) Minority
Fellowship Program (MFP) is to help promising graduate students, postdoc-
toral trainees, and early career professionals achieve lasting success in areas
related to ethnic minority psychology. To this end, the MFP provides financial
support, professional development activities, and opportunities for profession-
al and personal guidance.
Our mission and aim are consistent with Healthy People 2020, the Surgeon Gen-
eral’s Report on Mental Health, the President’s New Freedom Commission on
Mental Health, and other federal initiatives to reduce health disparities.
» MFP Mental Health and Substance » Interdisciplinary MFP (IMFP) tists from underrepresented racial and
Abuse Services (MHSAS) Doctoral Fellowship ethnic populations who show promise
Fellowship Funded by a SAMHSA grant, this new in research related to the National
Funded by a grant from the feder- fellowship supports master’s and Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and
al Substance Abuse and Mental Health doctoral students in the disciplines of Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) mission, but
Services Administration (SAMHSA), this psychology, social work, nursing, mar- who have not yet received R01 funding
fellowship supports the training of prac- riage and family therapy, and counsel- and have not ascended to a leadership
titioners in behavioral health services ing whose training prepares them to position in their respective disciplines or
and prevention. This fellowship program provide behavioral health services in professional associations. The program
is designed for students in clinical, minority communities. also uses state of the art distance learn-
counseling, and school psychology, and Application deadline: ing technologies to prepare fellows to
other psychology doctoral students April 15, 2021 submit a high-quality National Institutes
whose training prepares them for ca- of Health (NIH) grant application, to
» Psychology Summer Institute (PSI)
reers in behavioral health services. develop a network of senior researchers
This week-long intensive training funded
Application deadline: Jan. 15, 2021 who hold leadership positions in various
by SAMHSA and APA provides educa-
academic settings, and to support their
» MHSAS Postdoctoral Fellowship tional, professional development, and
research and leadership development.
Funded by SAMHSA, this fellowship was mentoring experiences to advanced
Application deadline: Feb. 1,2021
created to support the specialized train- doctoral students of psychology and
ing of early career psychologists who psychologists who are in the early stage » Recovery to Practice (RTP)
have primary interests in developing a of their careers. Participants are guided RTP is an initiative to promote recov-
services or policy career. toward developing a grant proposal, ery-based principles and practices for
Application deadline: Jan. 15, 2021 postdoctoral fellowship, dissertation, psychologists and students. Originally
treatment program, publication, or funded by a subcontract from SAMH-
» Services for Transition Age Youth
program evaluation project. All projects SA, the RTP initiative had two primary
(STAY) Fellowship
must focus on issues affecting minority purposes: to develop an online resource
Funded by SAMHSA, this fellowship is
communities. on recovery principles and practices for
designed for students in terminal mas-
Application deadline: May 1, 2021 mental health professionals across the
ter’s programs in psychology whose
major mental health disciplines and to
training prepares them to provide mental » Leadership and Education Advance-
develop a recovery-focused curriculum.
health services to transition age youth ment Program for Diverse Scholars
(ages 16–25) and their families. (LEAP) For more information on any of our pro-
Application deadline: Jan. 15, 2021 LEAP is an evidence-informed is an grams and to apply online, visit our website:
evidence-informed mentoring and apa.org/pi/mfp
leadership development program for
early career social and behavioral scien-
4 VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020FELLOWS IN THE NEWS
Excellence in Leadership and Service
BY ANTHONY L. CHAMBERS, PHD, ABPP, ELECTED BY APA
MEMBERS TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Congratulations to MFP Fellow, Anthony L. Chambers, PhD, for his
election as Member-at-Large on the APA Board of Directors.
Following a vote by members of the American Psychological Asso-
ciation (APA), Anthony L. Chambers, Ph.D., ABPP, was elected as a
Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors to a three-year term. The
Chambers, Anthony L. Board of Directors is responsible for exercising general supervision
over the policies and affairs of APA and supervises the work of the
Chief Executive Officer. During the fall 2019 vote, APA members additionally elected Jennifer
F. Kelly, Ph.D., ABPP, as President-elect and Susan D. Clayton, Ph.D., as a Member-at-Large of
the professional organization. All three will begin serving their board terms on January 1, 2020.
APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the
United States, with more than 118,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and stu-
dents as its members. Its mission is to promote the advancement, communication and applica-
tion of psychological science and knowledge to benefit society and improve lives. In February
2019, the Council of Representatives adopted a new strategic plan that sets APA’s organiza-
tional priorities for the next three to five years. Following this plan, APA is engaged in a process
of transformation, positioning psychology to play a leading role in addressing the grand chal-
lenges of today and the future that will maximize the impact APA and its members can have on
complex issues facing the field of psychology and broader society.
Dr. Chambers is the Chief Academic Officer at The Family Institute at Northwestern University
and Director of the Center for Applied Psychological and Family Studies at Northwestern Uni-
versity. He is a Board Certified Couple and Family Psychologist and a Clinical Professor in the
Department of Psychology at Northwestern University. Currently, Dr. Chambers also serves
the field of behavioral health through his role as Academy President and Member-at-Large of
the American Academy of Couple and Family Psychology and previously served as president
of the Society for Couple and Family Psychology (APA Division 43).
Reprinted with permission from The Family Institute at Northwestern University. Retrieved from: https://www.
family-institute.org/about-us/newsroom/anthony-chambers-apa-board
Fellows in the News VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020 5FELLOWS IN THE NEWS
Taming the inner storm
BY SCOTT THOMAS ANDERSON
A Vietnam refugee turned psychologist offers her own painful journey
in new memoir
Several years ago, a psy- Tran spoke from both professional and personal
chologist at UC Davis be- experience. Her father was a major in the South
gan sharing her childhood Vietnamese army during the war. When U.S. forc-
refugee story, offering in- es withdrew, allies on the ground—men like Tran’s
Tran, Carolee sights on how past traumas father—faced imprisonment or death as North Viet-
haunt the present—and namese troops stormed the country.
putting a face on a generation who became Califor-
The Tran family barely escaped.
nians in the wake of the Vietnam War.
Later, by discovering her own path into the Ameri-
Now, Carolee Tran is venturing further down that
can dream, Tran become a therapist who specializes
path with a raw and revealing memoir called “The
in treating veterans and war refugees. After taking
Gifts of Adversity.”
part in the KVIE premiere, Tran further opened up
She says making the leap from academic writing to about her story in interviews with SN&R and CapRa-
the naked pages of self-discovery was liberating. dio. She has started accepting speaking invitations
It was also the biggest professional risk the Har- at colleges around Sacramento.
vard-trained psychologist has ever taken. There’s
While Tran has a knack for captivating her audi-
a conventional wisdom that therapists should not
ences, she’s never shared as much of of herself as
tell their own stories. Tran is not intimidated by the
she has with “The Gifts of Adversity,” released last
push-back, nor is she hiding from her conviction
month by Bodhichitta Press and available at online
that the story might help other people.
retailers.
“It’s like a movie that’s forever playing in my mind,”
Tran says of racing terrified through the falling city Reprinted with permission from Sacramento News &
of Saigon when she was eight. “I feel like this book Review. Retrieved from: https://sacramento.newsreview.
has been living inside me for 45 years.” com/2020/05/18/taming-the-inner-storm/?utm_
source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=taming-the-
Long-buried memories of the bloody destruction inner-storm
in Southeast Asia between 1963 and 1975 were
re-awakened for many in Sacramento in 2017 with
the release of Ken Burns’ ten-part PBS documen-
tary The Vietnam War. It wasn’t just local veterans
who found themselves revisiting the battle in their
thoughts and on their television screens. The region
is home to thousands of families who immigrated
from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to escape geno-
cidal retribution.
“It’s like a movie that’s forever playing in
my mind... I feel like this book has been
living inside me for 45 years.”
KVIE held a large premiere for The Vietnam War, fol-
lowed by a panel discussion that included Tran. In
her first foray into the public eye, she told the audi-
ence about the resonating effects of trauma, as well
as the ways people can begin to overcome it.
6 VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020Who’s the Ideal Client? How Implicit Bias
Affects Care of Ethnic Minorities
BY ANA FLORENCE, PHD
Despite claims of person-centered care, the mental
health system continues to prioritize the “ideal client,”
leading to worse treatment for ethnic minorities.
A new study out of about the ways in which such a model would
the Yale Program be responsive to cultures whose center is
for Recovery and not the person, but perhaps the family, spiri-
Desai, Miraj Community Health tuality or collectiveness.
investigates wheth-
Mental health systems of care have increas-
er innovations in the mental health field,
ingly become more culturally competent and
such as person-centered care planning, im-
aware of the need to respect diverse cultural
pact how ethnic minorities receive care. The
backgrounds. Additionally, a growing body
study, published in the American Psycholo-
of research and literature contributed to a
gist, finds that despite such innovations, the
better understanding of socioeconomic and
mental health system continues to prioritize
structural determinants to access effective
clients seen as “ideal —an effect known as
mental health care. Despite this, health dis-
Implicit Organization Bias.
parities still exist and affect ethnic minorities
Clients are often seen as ideal when they in ways we don’t fully understand. For exam-
help the system operate more efficiently and ple, research on Latinx and Asian groups is
providers’ preferences, norms, and expecta- scarce even though these communities are
tions create an implicit bias that can act as a growing in the United States.
barrier for culturally diverse clients.
This study used a phenomenological ap-
“Mental health organizations hold norms and proach to better understand how providers
expectations regarding what an ideal client interact with clients of Latinx and Asian back-
should act like and typically prefer clients grounds. Qualitative in-depth interviews
who help them operate efficiently,” the lead were conducted with twelve providers who
researcher, Miraj U. Desai explains. “This work at Community Mental Health Centers
presents serious barriers for cultural minori- and were receiving training or technical as-
ty clients, whose own norms and preferenc- sistance in person-centered care planning.
es often conflict with the preferential biases
Findings show that organizational culture
of mental health treatment culture.”
played a key role in determining care for
A growing awareness of the need for cultur- ethnic minorities. The mental health culture
al competence in the mental health field has determined the provider’s views about how
informed innovations that would facilitate a client should behave in the clinical setting,
better serving a culturally diverse clientele. creating a set of expectations regarding how
It is unclear, however, whether these inno- one should speak, open up, comply, and ac-
vations facilitate recovery and respect per- cept a problem. In the researchers’ words:
sonal preferences for clients from ethnic mi-
“Even for providers who express more explic-
nority groups.
it engagement with cultural difference and
Person-centered care planning is one such ethnicity, there were still imprints of an or-
innovation that shifts the model of care from ganizational culture within their descriptions
a deficit centered paradigm focused on elim- of their work”
inating symptoms and diagnosis, to one that
Findings also show that providers are often
includes the person’s preferences, values
presented with challenges when a client
and goals. Not much is known, however,
does not behave in accordance with the
Fellows in the News VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020 7FELLOWS IN THE NEWS
expected norms. According to the study, pro- Additionally, the study points out the need for a
viders reacted to clients who did not speak structural level of analysis to better contextual-
in-depth about their feelings, who questioned ize the demands of a system that is increasing-
treatment, did not accept that they have a ly corporatized, faces major funding difficulties,
problem, and did not comply with treatment and imposes several bureaucratic demands.
recommendations. The researchers emphasize that this level of
analysis should be incorporated into clinical
Additionally, the system is set up in a way that
training and taught alongside clinical theory
privileges individualism rather than the inclu-
and technique.
sion of families or the client’s social network.
Findings suggest that providers are often un- This article is an important addition to the lim-
aware of the larger organizational culture and ited research on how structural elements play
the norms and expectations that determine a key role in determining how care is provided
how they perceive and interact with clients. to ethnic minorities. Latinx and Asian commu-
nities face an additional barrier in the mental
Providers who are themselves from an ethnic
health system when met with expectations that
minority may be more aware of such implicit
don’t always conform to their cultural values.
biases having experienced first-hand the in-
Despite providers’ efforts to be culturally re-
congruences of the system. According to the
sponsive, the system constraints their ability to
researchers:
respond effectively to different needs and the
“Even in these cases, however, providers still overall organizational culture determines how
found themselves within a system founded on the therapeutic encounter will unfold, separat-
standard or ideal practices. To bring in these ing ideal clients from non-ideal clients.
alternative perspectives, creativity or resis-
tance may be required.”
“Our main finding of this study of providers’ work with
Researchers were cautious not to engage in
provider blaming. Their intent was to uncover Asian and Latinx or Hispanic populations was that there
how structural issues—such as norms and ex- was this invisible culture of the clinic and that, within
pectations established outside of the clinical
setting—played into the therapeutic encounter, it, there were ideal ways and styles that helped the system
often in an implicit way outside of the provid-
er’s awareness.
function normally and efficiently.”
Researchers conclude that these norms, based
Despite innovations in the mental health field,
on the western clinical tradition, shape the or-
structural barriers remain in place and are of-
ganizational culture, and become an implicit
ten not addressed in training. Training aimed
organizational bias. This means that without
at increasing awareness of the structural ele-
noticing, providers interact with their clients
ments and conceptual limitations that directly
expecting that they behave in a certain way,
interfere with clinical practice is one-step to-
and when they don’t, challenges in the thera-
wards transforming the system to be more in-
peutic encounter emerge for which clinicians
clusive and welcoming of diversity.
may not have the tools to successfully address.
“Our main finding of this study of providers’ Reprinted with permission from Mad in America.
work with Asian and Latinx or Hispanic popu- Retrieved from: https://www.madinamerica.
lations was that there was this invisible culture com/2020/05/whos-ideal-client-implicit-bias-affects-
mental-health-care-ethnic-minorities/
of the clinic and that, within it, there were ideal
ways and styles that helped the system func-
tion normally and efficiently.” Desai, M. U., Paranamana, N., Restrepo-Toro, M.,
O’Connell, M., Davidson, L. & Stanhope, V. (2020).
Authors suggest that developing organiza- Implicit Organizational Bias: Mental Health Treatment
tional bias assessment tools and increasing Culture and Norms as Barriers to Engaging With
community participation in health service de- Diversity. American Psychologist, Publish Ahead of Print,
DOI: 10.1037/amp0000621
cision-making processes may be necessary to
address the issue.
8 VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020Neighborhood affected association between
inflammation, breast cancer risk among Chinese
immigrants
Researchers have found mation were associated with lower levels of breast
that studies assessing density.
factors for a specific eth-
“We thought living in traditional enclaves would
nic group’s risk for cancer
attenuate the association between inflammation
might need to account for
and greater breast density because these neigh-
where people live.
borhoods may help maintain traditional lifestyle
Carolyn Y. Fang, PhD, and behaviors and provide a buffer against some of the
colleagues at Fox Chase changes that immigrants might experience, such as
Fang, Carolyn
Cancer Center recently changes in diet and social environment,” Fang said.
discovered that among “What we did not expect to find was a negative asso-
Chinese immigrant women living in and around ciation between inflammation and breast density in
Philadelphia, the relationship between markers of areas that are non-enclaves or emerging enclaves.”
inflammation and risk for breast cancer varied ac-
cording to the neighborhoods they lived in.
They found that the relationship between inflam- “What we did not expect to find was a negative association
mation and breast density differed when compar-
ing neighborhoods with higher concentrations of
between inflammation and breast density in areas that are
Chinese immigrants with those that had lower con- non-enclaves or emerging enclaves.”
centrations, said Fang, co-leader of the cancer pre-
vention and control program at Fox Chase. “Having
high levels of inflammatory markers and high or low
According to Fang, this finding will require further
breast density was not straightforward and varied
exploration and study. In the future, Fang and col-
depending on where participants lived.”
leagues want to gain a more nuanced understand-
Fang and colleagues performed assessments of ing of how these neighborhoods differ. Future
breast density and two markers of inflammation as- studies might explore diet, physical activity, social
sociated with breast cancer risk—serum C-reactive functioning, access to health care, and use of ser-
protein (CRP) and soluble tumor necrosis factor re- vices in order to help understand how neighbor-
ceptor 2 (sTNFR2)—among more than 400 Chinese hood differences in these factors and others impact
immigrants in the Philadelphia region. The majority health.
lived in what the researchers termed “traditional
The paper, “Inflammation and Breast Density Among
urban enclaves” for Chinese immigrants, such as
Female Chinese Immigrants: Exploring Variations
Chinatown and South Philadelphia, or “emerging
Across Neighborhoods,” was published in Cancer
enclaves” like the Northeast area of the city.
Causes & Control.
Among all participants, higher levels of CRP were
The research was supported by National Institutes
associated with lower breast density. However, as-
of Health grants R01 CA106606 and R01 MD012621.
sociations between sTNFR2 and breast density var-
ied by neighborhood.
Reprinted with permission from SAMPAN. Retrieved from:
Chinese immigrants living in traditional enclaves https://sampan.org/neighborhood-affected-association-
had no association between the sTNFR2 inflamma- between-inflammation-breast-cancer-risk-among-chinese-
immigrants/
tory marker and measures of breast density. How-
ever, among Chinese immigrants living in emerging
enclaves and non-enclaves, higher levels of inflam-
Fellows in the News VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020 9FELLOWS IN THE NEWS
Healthy relationships and the psychology of the heart
BY: ASHLEA JONES
Dr. Naomi Hall-Byers, a faculty expert in relationship formation and maintenance, sheds some light
on the importance of healthy relationships and their effects on college students.
February is all “Knowing what a healthy relationship looks blood pressure, smoking, and fluctuations in
about the heart. and feels like is not a given,” she says. “Some food consumption such as overeating, and
It’s the month we people are raised in survival and not in love.” being physically inactive.”
publicly display our
Using quotes and song lyrics has become Recognizing what healthy interactions
Hall-Byers, Naomi love and appreci-
an effective way for Hall-Byers to discuss look like and understanding that you have
ation for our sig-
healthy relationships in her classes. to work on relationships is the antidote for
nificant other and bring awareness to heart
starting and maintaining a healthy relation-
health. “One that I often use to help students under-
ship, says Hall-Byers.
stand that a healthy love of oneself allows
Winston-Salem State University News inter-
them to recognize when it is not being re- “Love is a verb,” she says. “You have to ac-
viewed a faculty expert in relationship for-
ciprocated is from Nina Simone’s song, tively work on maintaining any kind of rela-
mation and maintenance to shed some light
“You’ve Got to Learn,” she says. Simone says, tionship—friend, familial, romantic, etc. If you
on the importance of healthy relationships
“You’ve got to learn to leave the table when don’t work on it, it will start to fade away.”
and their effect on college students’ mental,
love is no longer being served.”
academic and physical health. Hall-Byers is an applied social psychologist
“Just because it is called love doesn’t mean with an advanced degree in public health.
Dr. Naomi Hall-Byers, professor of psycho-
it’s healthy love,” says Hall-Byers. “If you Her research and project interests include
logical sciences, believes that the idea that
love yourself first, you will not tolerate re-
relationships have to be experienced in a
particular way is dangerous.
lationships and situations that don’t honor “However, negative stress
you.”
“Emphasizing certain types of relationships (distress) can influence
Through her research, Hall-Byers discovered
during this time of year is disheartening,”
says Hall-Byers. “College students have so
that students can spend a lot of valuable behaviors that increase
time worrying about relationships – healthy
many other types of relationships to cele-
and unhealthy ones alike - causing them to
your risk for heart disease
brate, so focusing only on romantic ones
as the ‘gold star’ ostracizes people who are
spend less time on academics, resulting in such as elevated blood
poorer academic performance.
happy in other types of relationships.” pressure, smoking, and
“Healthy and unhealthy relationships can
WSSU has a student population of around
preoccupy students and take away from fluctuations in food
5,000 students with the majority of them be-
ing young women. To keep up appearances,
their study time,” says Hall-Byers. “However,
consumption such as
healthy relationships are less likely to con-
Hall-Byers believes that female students put
undue pressure on themselves to be in ro-
tribute to physical, emotional and mental overeating, and being
exhaustion from preoccupation and rumina-
mantic relationships and discount the impor-
tion.”
physically inactive.”
tance of their platonic relationships.
Hall-Byers has also found that your mental
“If you have a healthy, happy romantic relation-
health plays a role in keeping your physical
ship during this time, great,” she says. “How- HIV prevention and testing in Black/African
heart healthy.
ever, spending time with great friends who American communities, health disparities
function much like family is great as well.” “Stress affects the body the same, but it is the and inequities, sexual decision-making and
interpretation of the stress or stressor that behavior, and relationship formation/mainte-
Dictionary.com defines “unhealthy” as some-
determines how you respond. Eustress (pos- nance.
thing that is morally bad, harmful or contam-
itive stress) can be good for you as it is often
inated. Hall-Byers says that some students
linked to motivation and resilience,” says Reprinted with permission from Winston Salem State
don’t have healthy relationship role models,
Hall-Byers. “However, negative stress (dis- University. Retrieved from: https://www.wssu.edu/
so they aren’t sure what one looks like. about/news/articles/2020/02/healthy-relationships-
tress) can influence behaviors that increase
a-matter-of-the-heart.html
your risk for heart disease such as elevated
10 VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020New Filipino mental health initiative launched
BY: RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN
In February 2019, Jeannie Celestial, PhD (MFP 2013) was elected as the inaugural Chair of the Filip-
inx Mental Health Initiative in Solano County (FMH-Solano) in Northern California. FMHI-Solano is a
community-driven coalition, composed of clinicians, educators, community and church leaders, stu-
dents, and other stakeholders. FMHI-Solano aspires to provide mental health access that is culturally
responsive and meets the intergenerational needs of the Filipinx community.
“Rise up!” Iglesias, Ibarra, Abenojar and Vallejo City FMHI-Solano’s mission is to empower the Fil-
Celestial, Jeannie Councilwoman Rozaana Verder-Aliga, also a ipino community by providing early interven-
It’s a call to action –
mental health professional, said the mission tion through education and access to resourc-
in this case, to “give
to get more people, particularly the older gen- es leading to a resilient community, organizers
voice to the mental health needs of the Solano
eration, to overcome the feeling that seeking said.
County Filipino community,” said Ariana Ibarra,
mental health help is like airing your dirty laun-
a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, at Saturday’s The launch was times to coincide with Asian
dry in public.
launch party for Filipinx Mental Health Initiative Pacific American Heritage Month and Men-
(FMHI)-Solano. The group is a community-driv- The word for it – “Hiya” – means “shame.” And tal Health Awareness Month, organizers said.
en coalition aspiring to provide mental health there really is no shame in mental health care, One need not be Filipino to take advantage of
access that is culturally responsive and meets they said. the group, they said.
the needs for the inter-generational Filipinx
Jeannie Celestial of Vallejo, a Licensed Psy- “It’s about making the community aware of
community, organizers said.
chologist at Kaiser Vallejo Mental Health, said what’s available,” Abenojar said. “Some peo-
Like Ibarra, Jimmark Abenojar graduated from the launch event would honor Pati Novalta ple don’t know what the various mental health
Vallejo’s St. Patrick St. Vincent High School, Poblete, founder of the Robby Poblete Foun- specialties even are, or what they do.”
before going on to become a Kaiser Perma- dation and the editor in chief of San Francisco
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/
nente Vacaville psychiatrist. Magazine.
fmhisolano/?ref=py_c
The two were among at least 200 who came “We’re honoring her an as example of someone
and went during Saturday’s festivities. who pushed through grief and trauma to find Reprinted with permission from Times Herald Online.
personal healing and create societal transfor- Retrieved from: https://www.timesheraldonline.
Ricco Iglesias, a FMHI coordinator, said the com/2019/05/11/new-filipino-mental-health-initiative-
mation,” Celestial said.
move to bring the effort to Solano County launched/
began in earnest in September. The Filipino
Cultural Center on Amador Street hosted Sat-
urday’s event, which included a slew of booths,
including one from Kaiser and one from First “It’s about outreach and education and addressing
5 Solano, music, speakers and at least one the barriers, the stigma, language barriers and
set of Zumba dancers. There was also a kid’s
zone with face painting and crafts, and a cultural barriers. It’s a movement that’s even
make-a-succulent-garden table, plus plenty of
reached the Philippines in the last 10 or 15
food offerings.
“I wanted to address the stigma associated with
years.”
mental health in the Solano County Filipino
community,” he said. The group’s volunteers
included educators, mental health clinicians, The group “evolved and morphed out of
clergy and other retired professionals, he said. Fighting Back Partnership, which had been
about drugs and alcohol in the ’90’s, and is
“We want to be the go-to place to help refer
now focused on mental health,” Verder Aliga
people to available services,” Iglesias said.
said. “It’s about outreach and education and
While it has no physical space of its own, FMHI
addressing the barriers, the stigma, language
operates through Fighting Back Partnership,
barriers and cultural barriers. It’s a movement
which is housed in Vallejo’s John F. Kennedy
that’s even reached the Philippines in the last
Library building, he said.
10 or 15 years.”
Fellows in the News VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020 11FELLOWS IN THE NEWS
Expert QA: The Impact and Effects of
Microaggressions
BY: K ATHERINE K AM
Additional MFP Fellows mentioned are highlighted in bold:
Helen Neville, PhD and Jioni Lewis, PhD.
As African Americans the mental health of African Americans. In
have had to navi- her interview, Dr. Neville also mentioned the
gate through anger work of another MFP fellow, Jioni Lewis, PhD,
and trauma from the and her research on gendered racial micro-
Neville, Helen murders of George aggressions. Visit the following url to view
Floyd, Breonna Tay- the full interview https://blogs.webmd.com/
lor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others in recent me- webmd-interviews/20200611/expert-qa-im-
dia, they have also taken to social media to pact-and-effect-of-microagressions
address frequent occurrences of racial prej-
udice and biases that mental health experts Reprinted with permission from WebMD. Retrieved from:
refer to as “microaggressions”. MFP fellow https://blogs.webmd.com/webmd-interviews/20200611/
and professor of educational psychology and expert-qa-impact-and-effect-of-microagressions.
African American studies at the University of *Please note: a free, one-time registration is required to
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Helen Nev- view content on the Medscape/WebMD sites.
ille, PhD, was interviewed by WebMD to dis-
cuss microaggressions and their impact on
12 VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020MAKING AN IMPACT
Making an Impact During COVID-19
During an uncertain time when COVID-19 has affected the entire world, MFP fellows are
making an impact in a variety of ways. From research and clinical services, to social action
and volunteering, many have answered the call to help flatten the curve and meet the
needs of their communities.
Frances Boulon, PhD, has participated in and Families Workgroup and the Immigrants will lead participants through a journey of
initiatives organized by the Puerto Rico Psy- and Refugees Workgroup. self-reflection and positive change. The
chological Association and the Puerto Rico workshops will offer tools to manage stress
School Psychology Association to help cope Lastly, Carrero is working as a bilingual and isolation caused by COVID-19. Celestial
with the COVID-19 Pandemic. This includes: (Spanish/English) contact tracer for the Journeys will help bolster participants’ emo-
serving as facilitator for a virtual support North Dakota Department of Health, Divi- tional well-being to cope with state-sanc-
group with participants from the community, sion of Disease Control. tioned stay-at-home orders, inviting partici-
at no cost to participants; writing materials pants to self-explore and soul-search while
for guidance to families and educators cop- Jeannie Celestial, PhD, conducted vari- creating tangible artwork. Celestial Jour-
ing with quarantine stress, adjustment to ous webinars and virtual talks on mental neys will draw from trauma-informed sys-
home schooling, and virtual teaching; and health and coping during the pandemic. In tems, Sikolohiyang Pilipino (indigenous Phil-
news media interviews related to education, May 2020, she conducted a webinar called ippine Psychology), and healing-centered
testing, and psychological services during COVID-19 Pandemic: Addressing Nurses’ care. Dr. Celestial will provide education on
the pandemic. Emotional and Mental Well-Being for the indigenous Filipino core values as well as
Philippine Nurses Association of Georgia. social justice concepts to guide participants
Katia Canenguez, PhD, has been providing Her other virtual speaking engagements re- in identifying their own personal values, set-
care to Spanish speaking patients impacted lated to COVID-19 include: ting goals and intentions, and thriving during
by the pandemic. She has been providing the time of COVID-19 and increasing racial
brief interventions for adults. Coughing While Asian: https://www. tensions in the United States. Dr. Celestial
facebook.com/FilAmArtsLA/vid- will help participants elicit strength from
Ayli Carrero Pinedo, MA, is a part of a group eos/644192593103950/ their ancestors, decolonize from internalized
of BIPOC graduate students that created oppression, and claim their authentic selves.
Art in the Time of COVID-19: https://
processing spaces to discuss mind, body,
w w w.faceb ook .com / Fil A m A r t s L A / v id -
and soul healing and what this pandemic Cruz-Bermúdez, PhD, was interviewed by
eos/1165740180434575/
brings up for them and to them. They share El Nuevo Dia, the top newspaper in Puerto
experiences and perspectives and discuss The Last Piece Podcast: Dr. Jeannie Celes- Rico, regarding recommendations during
topics such as coping vs. healing, indig- tial on coping with the COV ID-19 pandemic: the COVID-19 lockdown. He provided sug-
enous perspectives on healing, intuition, https://open.spotify.com/episode/64Uh- gestions about daily routine, workload,
self-compassion, historical resilience, radi- MeUMatd7QBFjpIblTm sleeping, food intake, and physical activity.
cal healing, and more. The article was published in Spanish with
In May 2020, Dr. Celestial received a
the title: Neurocientífico explica cómo la
Additionally, she is involved with the APA $5,000 program grant from Kultivate Labs, a
rutina durante el aislamiento ayuda a pro-
Interdivisional COVID-19 Task Force. APA non-profit economic development and arts
teger la salud mental (in English: Neurosci-
Division 56 (Trauma Psychology) leads the organization in San Francisco, CA. Dr. Celes-
entist explains how routine during isolation
task force, which comprises psychologists tial’s program, Celestial Journeys: Wayfind-
helps to protect mental health). The article
with expertise in trauma and cross-cultural, ing in a Time of Corona, will be a series of
can be found here: https://www.elnuevodia.
international, peace, community, and social creative virtual workshops for Filipinx people
com/estilosdevida/saludyejercicios/nota/
psychology. The group is working to create and Filipinx Americans, including community
neurocientificoexplicacomolarutinaduran-
new resources and amalgamate available workers, educators, artists, essential work-
teelaislamientoayudaaprotegerlasaludmen-
resources not already available elsewhere ers, and students. Each webinar will present
tal-2554403/
that make use of the expertise from joint di- a teaching on Filipino culture; a meditation
visions. Specifically, Carrero is a Quad-Chair and creative prompt; a cultural production/
for the Higher Education Workgroup and a expressive arts activity; and reflection and
member of the Hospital Workers, Patients, sharing time. The expressive arts activities
Making an Impact VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020 13MAKING AN IMPACT
Barbara Date’, PhD, has been providing: skill Ingrid Gonzalez, MS, is currently a frontline Jordan Lewis, PhD, is currently writing a
development support via the Friendly Clin- worker providing mental health services to grant to explore the impact of COVID-19 on
ics for those in leadership near and far; per- patients in correctional facilities. Her work dementia caregiving experiences among
spective participation as the only POC (Jap- has made an impact on patients decompen- Minnesota tribal communities.
anese-American) in the Everyday Ubuntu sating mentally due to the virus. She and her
reading group, Mungi Ngmane; and specific colleagues have continued to care for their Cindy Liu, PhD, and her team launched two
counseling and coaching support to various patients despite the challenges and stress online survey studies to better understand
groups of leaders and community members. endured throughout this time. the impact of COVID-19 on mental health.
One focuses on young adults and the other
Miraj Desai, PhD, participated in advoca- Anjali Gowda Ferguson, PhD, is continuing focuses on pregnant and postpartum wom-
cy efforts by helping inspire a Yale School to support the Central Virginia community en. They will soon start a study on Chinese
of Medicine-wide message to combat an- with psychological assessments and is at- and Korean immigrant parents. Dr. Liu was
ti-Asian discrimination due to COVID-19. tempting to modify current developmental also interviewed on CNBC in May to discuss
assessment protocols to offer developmen- her team’s mental health findings involving
Tierra Ellis, PhD, has been providing tele- tal assessments electronically. young adults: https://www.cnbc.com/vid-
health therapy and psychological evaluation eo/2020/05/19/dealing-with-the-psycho-
sessions to clients. She has allowed extra Martha Hernandez, PhD, created El Sa- logical-effects-of-the-pandemic.html
time for clients to process during these ses- ber Es Poder, a webpage and social media
Links to her current online studies are here:
sions. presence to help disseminate accurate
COVID-19 information with monolingual COVID-19 Adult Resilience Experiences
Carolyn Fang, PhD, and her team are col- Spanish-speaking populations. Additionally, Study: CARES: https://www.cares2020.
lecting data on how the COVID-19 pandemic she is collaborating with a local school dis- com/
has impacted their community of Chinese trict in the Bay Area of California to create
Perinatal Experiences and COVID-19 Ef-
immigrants and whether they are experienc- informational packets for students, parents,
fects Study: PEACE: https://www.peace-
ing greater discrimination and racism. and teachers on COVID-19.
study2020.com/
Carlita Favero, PhD, has been trying to sup- Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez, PhD,
Kamala Mallik-Kane, MS, MPH, helped
port her local food pantry. along with colleagues, is conducting two
launch teletherapy services at her practi-
COVID-19 studies: 1) How COVID-19 is im-
cum site to ensure continuity of care for
Phylicia Fleming, PhD, successfully transi- pacting school-aged children and parenting;
patients.
tioned to and implemented via telehealth a 2) How COVID-19 is impacting the mental
psychoeducational and parent training inter- health of Latinxs. More information can be
Jeanne Manese, PhD, as a recent resident of
vention for families with children newly diag- found on his lab website: https://reachlab.
Kauai during COVID-19, has been propelled
nosed with ADHD. squarespace.com/projects
to address the longstanding disparities that
face Hawaiian Natives and Pacific Islanders
Bryana French, PhD, is providing one hour Michiko Iwasaki, PhD, has been keeping in
(HNPI). The disparities in economics, health,
per week of volunteer support for frontline touch with some elders via emails, phone
housing, COVID-19 infection rates, and more
workers through COVID Cares, an initiative calls, and texts. He has also been sending
for HNPI are overwhelming and without a
coordinated by the Minnesota Psychiatric handmade masks to those who are at a high
doubt are associated with systemic oppres-
Society, the Minnesota Psychological Asso- risk for COVID-19.
sion and racism. Many steps need to be tak-
ciation, the Minnesota Association of Black
en for equity and equal rights to be a reality,
Psychologists and Mental Health Minnesota. Egypt Leithman, MA, has been fortunate
including the disaggregation in data collec-
She also co-authored three blog posts by enough to still be able to provide mental
tion. The thinking and policies of countries
the Psychology of Radical Healing Collec- health services through her school’s mental
founded on colonialism, capitalism, and oth-
tive during COVID-19 in Psychology Today, health clinic at the Union Rescue Mission.
er isms need to be reconstructed in such a
specifically aimed at communities of color. This opportunity allows her to still be in con-
way that protects the rights of people who
The Psychology of Radical Healing Collec- tact with her clients at a year-long rehabili-
have been historically disenfranchised and
tive also consists of fellow MFP colleagues: tation program on Skid Row in Los Angeles,
ensures that their lives are valued and sup-
Helen A. Neville, PhD, Jioni A. Lewis, PhD, CA. She has been able to provide individu-
ported.
and Della V. Mosley, PhD. https://www.psy- al teletherapy sessions and co-facilitate a
chologytoday.com/us/experts/the-psychol- mindfulness group and behavioral health
William Martinez, PhD, as director of Child
ogy-radical-healing-collective group online.
and Adolescent Services at Zuckerberg San
Francisco General Hospital, leads efforts to
14 VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020quickly mobilize to deliver all services via Yesilernis Pena, PhD, has started the Cen- Zewelanji Serpell, PhD, is working with a
telehealth. Within one month, the hospital ter of Study of the Black Diaspora in Latin team of colleagues from Virginia Common-
had all of their clinicians and most of their cli- America (CEDA) to understand the debate wealth University’s School of Education on a
ents equipped with the technology to deliv- between national and racial identity and the university-funded rapid-response research
er and receive services via videoconferenc- weights of those identities during moments grant for a project titled, Exploring PreK-12
ing. Their clinic attendance rate remains at of crisis at an individual level as well as a na- Public School Systems’ Pandemic Prepared-
approximately 90%, while their attendance tional level. ness During COVID-19 School Closures (PI:
rate pre-shelter-in-place hovered around Dwayne Ray Cormier, PhD).
60%. They serve a predominantly Latinx, im- Zina Peters, PsyD, had the opportunity to
migrant, and African American low-income provide psychological support to Baylor Carolee Tran, PhD, collaborated with The
populations of youth up to age 20. College of Medicine employees through in- Sacramento Bee to help parents talk to their
dividual therapy during the pandemic using children about the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition, Dr. Martinez has been working
the Unified Protocol. Dr. Peters also provid- They created a video that showcased how 10
with the UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence
ed COVID-19 response to Ben Taub Hospital young children visualized their parents’ ad-
and the Latinx Task Force in the Department
through a weekly support group for staff re- vice through their art (https://www.sacbee.
of Psychiatry at Zuckerberg San Francisco
sponding to the pandemic. com/news/coronavirus/article242530961.
General Hospital to disseminate informa-
h t m l ? f b c l i d = I w A R 0 r 9 - u 1 C z Z 7d i d M _
tion to Spanish-speaking communities. They
Chavez Phelps, PhD, is creating a webinar f l P l t U Y H 1 w q 8 t 8 u s Q Q I z 3 s o h C S E T 9X-
have created and translated resources into
series on trauma resilience for the Indiana DGyOA6RKB4Tg).
Spanish and have held live Q&A sessions
Department of Education. He is also provid-
and virtual town halls in Spanish to quickly
ing crisis training to a school district in Indi- Dr. Tran also did an interview on Capital Pub-
disseminate information on coping during
ana. lic Radio discussing COVID-19 and its effects
shelter-in-place. Some of their events have
on Asian American communities www.car-
been viewed by thousands of community
Melany Rivera-Maldonado, PhD, in her role oleetran.com
members.
as a professor, has assisted students in their
externship transition to telehealth or finding Cortney Warren, PhD, as an eating disorder
Jeffery Mio, PhD, has led discussions in his
placements for their next academic year. As researcher, has gotten more questions than
multicultural psychology class regarding
part of her practice, she is partnering with ever before about how stress and quarantin-
COVID-19. He has also donated money to
community organizations to provide work- ing affects peoples eating behavior. As such,
several causes and local businesses.
shops and support. she has worked with various media outlets
to provide information and tips about man-
Regina Miranda, PhD, and her lab have
Maria del Carmen Rodriguez, PhD, has been aging eating behavior and exercise during
been conducting research on the impact
providing pro-bono counseling to victims of this time. A couple examples of these arti-
of COVID-19 on college students at the City
COVID-19 in her role as a disaster response cles are below:
University of New York and are preparing to
certified counselor in New Jersey.
launch another study with a clinical sample
h t t p s : // w w w . b b c . c o m / w o r k l i f e / a r t i -
of adolescents and parents looking at the
Julia Roncoroni, PhD, is collaborating with cle/20200331-how-to-eat-a-healthy-diet-
impact of COVID-19. Additionally, Dr. Miran-
the Latino Community Foundation of Colora- when-work-from-home-coronavirus
da has been volunteering to interview job
do to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Some
candidates for New York’s contact tracer
of the work they have shared includes: writ- https://qz.com/1840600/the-best-food-for-
program.
ing a joint op-ed; evaluating the needs of mental-health-during-your-covid-19-quar-
Latino-serving Colorado nonprofits for ca- antine/
Tamicka Monson, MA, has been extremely
pacity building; and preparing a grant pro-
productive during the pandemic. Her activ-
posal to conduct a study that will assess the Nicole Wicha, PhD, has worked hard to keep
ities have included: taking classes; working
impact of COVID-19 on health and access to her students safe and productive while stay-
part time during the semester and full time
health care in Colorado Latinx communities. ing at home. This has included writing four
on her few weeks off; taking trainings on
manuscripts for publication with students
tele-health and professional development;
Farzana Saleem, PhD, has given free work- as first authors and submitting an NIH Blue-
and reading positive psychology materi-
shops to a couple of community-based or- print Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to
al. Due to COVID-19, she had to cancel her
ganizations focused on addressing racial Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience
study abroad trip to mentor students in an
stress and trauma, with a focus on cultur- (D-SPAN) application for a PhD student.
after-school program this summer but plans
ally responsive coping before and during
to go next summer.
COVID-19.
Making an Impact VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020 15MAKING AN IMPACT
Black Lives Matter:
Advocacy and Activism
Protests, organizing, and advocacy efforts have increased globally in light of recurring in-
stances of racism and police brutality against Black Americans. MFP Fellows are playing a
critical role in efforts to influence systemic changes in their communities, while also address-
ing the trauma and psychological effects of these issues.
Janessa Berlanga has attended local pro- helped the community through education working on policy and advocacy work with
tests with a mutual aid organization within and an article on ways to decrease symp- a statewide team to increase school-based
her hometown. As a member of said mutual toms of vicarious trauma, which the Black trauma, grief, and loss services for students
aid organization, she also facilitates orienta- community continues to experience on a once they return to school instruction in the
tions and training for new members. Berlan- daily basis (https://medium.com/@ttellis03/ fall.
ga has signed and circulated petitions online, i-cant-breathe-vicarious-trauma-is-that-
She cares for herself via daily meditation,
as well as sent emails to government officials you-ways-to-decrease-symptoms-of-vicari-
taking daily nature walks in support of com-
in Minnesota, Florida, and Kentucky to urge ous-trauma-3d83c82cd5a0).
munity through GirlTrek, participating in
them to act and hold police officers account-
Black women’s healing circles, and engag-
able. She has been gentler with herself and finds
ing in advocacy efforts (which can be heal-
that helping her community brings her peace.
As a means of self-care, she has been ing for racial trauma).
maintaining good sleep hygiene and taking
Anjali Ferguson, PhD, LCP, is currently work-
time to connect with her friends and loved Kamala Mallik-Kane, MS, MPH, participated
ing with South Asians for Black Lives Matter
ones virtually. She also tries to spend time in a community demonstration. She has also
and the #blindianproject to develop con-
outdoors with her dogs and get “cuddle been increasing awareness of anti-Black
tent about racial socialization strategies for
time” with her cats. Artistic expression has racism in the Asian community through so-
South Asian communities and psychoedu-
also helped Berlanga find calmness, so she cial media.
cation about racial trauma in Black commu-
paints and listens to music on the weekends.
nities. Ms. Mallik-Kane is giving herself permission
to disregard her usual rules about limiting
Meghan Borne, PhD, has been caring for Although it’s difficult to prioritize self-care,
media consumption. She feels a need to be
herself by avoiding videos and news outlets she has been trying to embrace every mo-
more immersed than usual and believes it to
that might trigger negative emotions, while ment of working from home and escapes
be okay temporarily. Additionally, she has
learning the facts by reading articles. into her 6month-old’s giggles.
been discussing race with family.
Jessica Desalu, PhD, has donated to Go- Candice Hargons, PhD, and her organiza-
William Martinez, PhD, has been working
FundMe accounts for George Floyd’s fam- tion, the Center for Healing Racial Trauma,
with people in his university to advocate
ily. She has also participated in protests in has led trainings and healing sessions with
for: 1) Defunding any connections with the
Washington, DC, and Arlington, VA. activists, advocates, non-profits, and educa-
San Francisco Police Department, and 2)
tional institutions.
She has been taking care of herself by trying Training campus police on de-escalation,
to engage with peers and family who “get it,” bias training, and more. He has also been
Kisha Holden, PhD, MSCR, developed a
trying to physically rest, and trying to take involved in local community organizing and
manuscript for publication in an academic
time off of social media. demonstrations in San Francisco and Oak-
journal and has utilized various self-care
land, CA.
strategies.
Tierra Ellis, PhD, sent an email to her divi-
sion at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Veronica Martinez-Acosta, PhD, has re-
Babe Kawaii-Bogue, PhD, LCSW, created
about the anti-Black environment that exists flected on the challenges that she and oth-
a professional guide titled, Combating An-
and started a dialogue on how to make the er colleagues have navigated just over the
ti-Blackness and White Supremacy in Orga-
workplace more inclusive of Black people. past two years, and thinking about what
nizations - Recommendations for Anti-Racist
She has engaged in several uncomfortable she would like to see regarding the change
Actions in Behavioral Healthcare. She is also
conversations to make change. Dr. Ellis also that is needed. What she learned from each
16 VARIABILIT Y Fall 2020You can also read
