Dr. jon's message

Throughout my training and professional career, I have demonstrated a long-standing

commitment to addressing the mental health needs of underserved communities. My research interests were inspired from my own upbringing and background, where I observed the stigma and mental health literacy issues my extended family faced with seeking out help for mental health concerns. Unfortunately, these are typical

challenges that Latino, immigrant, and Spanish-speaking families encounter when

mental health needs arise in family members. This was foundational and inspired my passion for my research, which is often described as “me-search”

– personal experiences that motivate one’s research.

I completed my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at UCLA, where my research was informed from my clinical experiences at Providence St. John’s Health Center in LosAngeles, CA. I primarily served Latinx, Spanish-speaking families and received extensive training in the delivery of evidence-based interventions. I completed aPostdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Child & Adolescent Services Research Center in San Diego, where I worked on projects focused on the implementation of evidenced-based practices in community mental health settings. My research, clinical, and personal experiences have allowed him to gain both breadth and depth on issues pertaining to culture and diversity. My own background as a Latino, first generation college student are unique assets I have brought to California State University, Northridge (CSUN).

At CSUN, I am currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, where I am the Co-Director of our ClinicalPsychology M.A. Program. I am the Principal Investigator of myP.U.E.N.T.E. (Promoting the Use of Evidence-based practices:Narrowing the Treatment Engagement gap) Research Lab. The goal of our lab is to achieve health equity by implementing evidence-based, culturally responsive practices in the delivery of mental healthcare to underserved families. We accomplish this by fostering collaborative partnerships with community- based mental health organizations to ensure the voice of underserved communities is being amplified and included in research.