School Mental Health Project

We invite you to participate and collaborate as we develop an agenda
and specific strategies for assisting policy makers and practitioners.


Current Staff

Co-Directors
  • Howard Adelman
  • Linda Taylor

Coordinator
  • Perry Nelson

Center Staff
  • Jeanna Marie Ashman
  • Pan Chen
  • Stephanie Moore
  • Monica Luu
  • Megan Villamin

Associate

Learning Supports State &
District Development

  • Rhonda Neal Waltman


Advisory Group

  • Olga Acosta, Director
    Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, GWU
    Washington, DC

  • Rosemarie Allen
    School of General Studies
    University of Texas at Dallas
    Richardson, TX

  • Marc Atkins, Professor of Psychology
    Dept. of Psychiatry Univ. of Illinois
    Chicago Institute for Juvenile Research
    Chicago, IL

  • Mark Barth
    NYSED--Office of School Improvement--Student Support Services
    Albany, NY

  • Marty Blank, President
    Institute for Educational Leadership
    Washington, DC

  • Claire Brindis, Director
    Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy
    Univ. of Calif.
    Institute for Health Policy Studies/
    Professor, Department of Pediatrics,
    Division of Adolescent Med
    San Francisco, CA

  • Sam Chan, District Chief
    Child, Youth, and Family Services
    LA County Dept. of Mental Health
    Los Angeles, CA

  • Jonathan Cohen, President
    National School Climate Center
    New York, NY

  • Paul Dauphinais
    Turtle Mountain Reservation Schools
    Bottineau, ND

  • Al Duchnowski, Deputy Director
    Research & Training Center for Children's Mental Health
    Florida Mental Health Institute,
    Univ. of S. Florida
    Tampa, FL

  • Cyndy Erickson, Consultant, Safe and Drug Free Schools/Learning Supports
    Bureau of Student and Family Support Services
    Iowa Department of Education
    Des Moines, IA

  • N. Kathleen Finnigan
    Legislative Director for California State Assemblymember
    Sacramento, CA

  • Janice Gratton, Former Director
    Board of Directors
    Multnomah Education Service District
    Portland, OR

  • Kevin Hogan, Assistant Director
    Office of Student Services
    St. Paul Public Schools
    St. Paul, MN

  • Annette M. Johnson
    Bureau of Women's Health
    New York State Department of Health
    Albany, NY

  • Barbara Jones
    Former Assoc. Super. Of Student Support Services
    Memphis City Schools
    Memphis, TN

  • Krista Kutash, Deputy Director
    Research & Training Center for Children's Mental Health
    Florida Mental Health Institute,
    Univ. of S. Florida
    Tampa, FL

  • Hal Lawson, Professor
    Ed. Admin. & Policy Studies
    SUNY - Albany
    School of Social Welfare
    Albany, NY

  • Philip Leaf, Professor and Director
    Johns Hopkins University
    Center for Prevention of Youth Violence
    Baltimore, MD

  • Jane Mc Grath, New Mexico School Health Officer
    New Mexico Department of Health
    Albuquerque, NM

  • Linda Frasher Meigs
    Child and Mental Health Advocate
    Georgetown, TX

  • Matthew Mock, Professor
    John F. Kennedy University
    Graduate School of Professional Psychology
    Pleasant Hill, CA

  • Hector Myers, Professor
    UCLA/Dept. of Psychology
    Los Angeles, CA

  • David Osher, VP Education/Human Development
    American Institutes for Research
    Washington, DC

  • Jane Owen, Assistant Professor
    Educ. Leadership
    Midwestern State University
    West College of Education
    Wichita Falls, TX

  • Lynn Pedraza, Director
    Health/Mental Health
    Albuquerque Public Schools
    Albuquerque, NM

  • Robert Pynoos, Professor and Co-Director
    Dept. of Psychiatry
    Nat'l Center for Child Traumatic Stress
    UCLA
    Los Angeles, CA

  • Meg Small, Research Assoc.
    Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development
    Penn. State University
    University Park, PA

  • Marcel Soriano, Professor
    Division of Administration & Counseling
    California State University, Los Angeles
    Los Angeles, CA

  • Annie Steinberg
    The Bridge
    Narberth, PA

  • Ronda Talley, Health Scientist
    CDC / Disability and Health Team
    Atlanta, GA

  • Howard Taras, Professor
    Community Pediatrics
    University of California, San Diego
    La Jolla, CA

  • Rhonda Neal Waltman
    Neal-Waltman & Associates Inc.
    Former Assistant Superintendent, Mobile Public Schools
    Mobile, AL

  • Roger Weissberg, Professor
    Psychology & Education
    President, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
    Chicago, IL

  • Douglas White, Director
    Student Services
    WI Department of Public Instruction
    Madison, WI

  • Andrea Zetlin, Professor of Education
    Div. Of Special Educ. & Counseling
    California State University, Los Angeles
    Los Angeles, CA

Click here for access to the latest monthly
report to the Advisory group


Youth and Young Adult Advisory Group

  • Chelsea Aiken
  • Chandra Bandril
  • Ashley Barns
  • Amanda Estrada
  • Lanie Goueth
  • Sandra Hanian
  • Carissa Hernandez
  • Samantha Holzer
  • Kevin Kim
  • Ellie Leung
  • Monica Luu
  • Amy Mazariego
  • Michelle Molina
  • Natasha Nemanim
  • Daryl Roldan
  • Neha Tamhane
  • Angeline Vu
  • Stephanie Wong
  • Janine Yoro
  • Click here for access to responses from the
    Youth and Young Adult Advisory Group


    Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA
    Youth and Young Adult Advisory Group

    With our Center�s increasing emphasis on young adults (18 to 24), we are seeking input to help guide our work and set priorities. We are particularly interested in hearing from representatives reflecting the diversity of this segment of the population. One way we will do this is to establish a volunteer advisory group.

    Are you interested? Should you agree to join us as advisors, you will become a subgroup of our current cadre of Advisors and will be added to the online listing. We will ask for ideas, suggestions, and reactions as we expand the information, resources and do policy and practice analyses related to young adults. Members of the Young Adult Advisors group can serve for any period of time.

    Advisors receive monthly Center updates and most interact with the Center by email. A subset of young adult advisors are those working at our Center. These staff advisors also contribute to special projects and help to develop resource materials that expand our online clearinghouse.*

    If you have questions about participating, let us know. Contact: ltaylor@ucla.edu

    Ready to sign up? Then, please complete the information below:

    Name & Contact Info:

    Circle any of the following areas that are of interest:

    • Young adults in College,
    • Young adults in the workforce,
    • Young adults raising families,
    • Young adults in the justice system,
    • Young adults unemployed,
    • Young adults with health/mental health concerns.
    Indicate any other areas of interest:

    *See, for example, the following online clearinghouse Quick Finds:


    Family Advisory Group

    • Diana Benavides, Family and Child Counselor
      Luther Burbank School
      San Jose, CA

    • Cynthia DiCamelli, Family Resource Coordinator
      Oregon School District
      Oregon, WI

    • Iris Fanning, Family Counselor
      Albuquerque Public Schools
      Albuquerque, AZ
    • Linda Meigs, Parent Advocate
      Georgetown, TX

    • Robin Richards-Szabo, Family Advocate
      Center for Children and Families
      Glen Falls, NY

    • Rob Schmidt, Student and Family Liaison
      Talbot County Public Schools
      Easton, MD

    Click here for access to responses from the
    Family Advisory Group


    About SMHP
    Home Page
    Search Our Site
    What's New
    About Our Center
    Commentaries
    Send Us Email

    School Mental Health Project-UCLA
    WebMaster: Perry Nelson (smhp@ucla.edu)