Nupoor Adhikari, B.S., B.A.Nupoor Adhikari, B.S., B.A.

Nupoor Adhikari is a supported education and employment specialist at SacEDAPT, passionately dedicated to assisting clients in achieving their academic and occupational goals. She collaborates closely with clients, ensuring appropriate accommodations in school and work settings. Holding a Bachelor of Science in neurobiology/physiology and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from UC Davis, her academic foundation equips her to address the diverse needs of our clients. Adhikari's prior roles as a mental health worker at UC Davis Health ED and a research intern at the UC Davis MIND Institute have shaped her commitment to mental health advocacy. She is thrilled to be part of SacEDAPT and EDAPT, contributing to transformative work at the intersection of education, employment, and mental health. Beyond the clinic, Nupoor is devoted to personal growth as a graduate student at the University of Vermont and looks forward to fostering positive change in the lives of our clients.


Marina Albuquerque, B.A.Marina Albuquerque, B.A.

Marina Albuquerque is the clinical study coordinator for the Understanding Early Psychosis project directed by Cameron Carter. She works closely with SacEDAPT and EDAPT clients and their treatment providers to gather data on treatment response to the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs. She also conducts clinical interviews and assists with MRI scans for the research study. She aspires to contribute to clients' experiences during treatment by engaging them in meaningful research and fostering a sense of satisfaction through their valuable contributions. Prior to UC Davis, Albuquerque received her B.A. from the University of Virginia in psychology with a minor in statistics. During her time there, she developed a keen interest in mental health and the development and implementation of effective interventions. 


Brenda Avalos, B.A.Brenda Avalos, B.A. 

Brenda Avalos is a bilingual SacEDAPT supported education and employment specialist. Avalos works closely with clients, helping them improve their everyday functioning and achieve their goals of social, academic and occupational recovery. Avalos works to ensure each client is receiving the appropriate accommodations in the school and work setting, acting as a liaison between the client's school and their families. She received her B.A. in sociology from CSU Stanislaus. Avalos is a part of two different projects, Multi County Collaborative (MCC) and is a team lead for the Early Psychosis Intervention Training and Technical Assistance Center (EPI-CAL TTA) team.


Taylor Jacob Baldwin, M.A.Taylor Jacob Baldwin, M.A.

Taylor Baldwin is a mental health therapist with the UC Davis Health Early Psychosis Programs. His involvement with the EDAPT and SacEDAPT clinics dates back to 2018 when he volunteered as an undergraduate research assistant for the Duration of Untreated Psychosis study. He obtained a Master of Arts degree in counseling psychology, specializing in marriage and family therapy and clinical counseling from National University. Baldwin completed his practicum training at a local 501(c)3 focused on assessing and treating neurodevelopmental disorders, where he led a number of groups, including social skills training and music-focused expressive arts groups. Over the past decade, Baldwin has also worked in multiple ALTA regional and EPSDT-funded programs. He is training in multiple evidence-based therapies including trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis, and family focused therapy. He draws principles from diverse theories/approaches including somatic, IFS, and disability studies. Outside of his work, Baldwin enjoys mentoring runners training for marathons and spending time with his poodle, Claude.


Khalima A. Bolden Ph.D.Khalima A. Bolden-Thompson, Ph.D.

Khalima Bolden-Thompson is a clinical psychologist with the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs.


Vanessa Merino Castaneda, B.A.Vanessa Merino Castañeda, B.A. 

Vanessa Merino Castañeda is a bilingual clinic coordinator of the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs. Castañeda graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. in psychology. She serves the goal of the early psychosis clinical and research programs; to intervene as early as possible to prevent the development of disease-related deficits and treatment-related side effects for youth with serious mental illness. She contributes to this goal by being the first point of contact for the EDAPT/SacEDAPT clinic. Castañeda coordinates the intakes by conducting phone screens with referral sources and potential consumers, coordinating intake and follow-up evaluations of clinical symptoms and functioning, ensuring compliance with clinical charting requirements, and supporting outcomes data collection and management. She works closely with English and non-English-speaking clients and family members/support persons (Spanish preferred). Castañeda aspires to continue her career as a mental health nurse for the UC Davis Medical Center emergency department. She devotes to focusing on ongoing care coordination as part of the culturally responsive model of care and serving culturally diverse families. 


Sabrina Ereshefsky, Ph.D.Sabrina Ereshefsky, Ph.D.

Sabrina Ereshefsky is a licensed clinical psychologist and the assessment training director of the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs. She received her doctorate from University of Maryland, Baltimore County in human services psychology, with a concentration in child clinical psychology, in addition to researching functioning and developmental factors associated with the clinical high-risk for psychosis state. Ereshefsky completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship at University of Arizona's Early Psychosis Intervention Center (EPICenter), and she has been with UC Davis Health Early Psychosis Programs since 2019 when she started her post-doctoral training.

Ereshefsky provides training, supervision, and assessment services, as well as coordinates quality management between SacEDAPT and Sacramento County. Along with Dan Shapiro, she co-leads the SAMHSA and Sacramento County funded Sacramento Clinical high-risk Intervention for Psychosis Stepped-Care (SCIP Step) project, overseeing universal screening and assessment across six Sacramento community mental health clinics. Ereshefsky also has research roles supporting EPI-CAL: a statewide learning healthcare network with outcomes implementation and training and technical assistance for early psychosis programs across California. Her research interests within EPI-CAL include assessing provider and staff stigma and recovery-beliefs, burnout, and other factors that impact care provided to service users and their families.


Katelyn Jane Fernandes, B.A.Katelyn Jane Fernandes, B.A.

Katelyn Fernandes has a bachelor’s in quantitative psychology from UC Davis and has a strong interest in child clinical psychology. She is a junior specialist working on the UC Davis Health Trauma Adolescent Mental Illness (TAMI) project. She helps screen youth in the Sacramento area and those located at the Sacramento Youth detention facility to determine eligibility for the trauma adolescent and mental illness program. She oversees managing and tracking client data and scheduling. She hopes to obtain her Ph.D. in clinical psychology.


Victoria Galvez, Psy.D.Victoria Galvez, Psy.D. 

Victoria Galvez is a clinical provider with the Sac EDAPT clinic. Galvez wears many different hats within the clinic, some of which include assistant training director, practicum director, providing individual therapy, assessment, group therapy, as well as supervising clinical trainees in therapy and assessment. Galvez's background is in providing mental health services to children, families and young adults with trauma, severe mental illness, and neurodevelopmental disorders. One of Galvez's current research endeavors is serving as the primary investigator (PI) on the Trauma and Adolescent Mental Illness (TAMI) project, which aims to increase capacity of child-serving systems (child welfare, juvenile justice, community mental health) to identify and appropriately link youth experiencing comorbid trauma and psychosis symptoms by implementing a universal screening and referral protocol in Sacramento County juvenile justice and child welfare settings.  


Matt Gerolamo, LCSWMatt Gerolamo, LCSW

Matt Gerolamo is the EDAPT clinical case manager within the UC Davis Behavioral Health Clinic. He earned his MA in social work from San Jose State University, with an emphasis in health and mental health services. As the EDAPT clinical case manager, he meets with individuals and their families to support with care coordination, and to increase access to community resources, such as educational and employment supports, community and cultural organizations, and other treatment related resources. His treatment interests include understanding the neurobiology of trauma, and the use of mindfulness techniques to improve emotional regulation and distress tolerance. Gerolamo also enjoys baking, yoga, and spending time with his pets.


Alvaro Gonzalez, M.A.Alvaro Gonzalez, M.A.

Alvaro Gonzalez is a bilingual associative marriage and family therapist. Gonzalez received his master's degree in counseling psychology from California State University Sacramento, with an emphasis in research. Prior to joining Sac EDAPT, has served under several titles and programs while at UC Davis. As a researcher, Gonzalez has conducted research in the areas of asynchronous telepsychiatry and screening and treatment for substance use disorders in primary care. He has also served as a mental health therapist and substance use navigator within UC Davis's Primary Care Network Collaborative Care Program.

Gonzalez has experience conducting short- and long-term behavioral health care in both English and Spanish for youth and adults with conditions including depression, anxiety, grief, bereavement, substance use, and difficulties adjusting to life changes. In addition, he has worked with members of the LGBTQ+ community providing supportive therapy and mental health assessments for gender-affirming surgeries. Prior to coming to UC Davis, Gonzalez worked for several non-profit organizations that provided services to youth experiencing homelessness and foster youth. He has experience in solution focused therapy, problem focused therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and the therapeutic effects of exercise on one's mental health. Gonzalez contributed to several presentations, journal publications, and a book publication on a variety of topics including asynchronous telepsychiatry, telepsychiatry and health technologies, and integrating screening and treatment of substance use disorders in primacy care.


Regina Graham, M.D.Regina Graham, M.D.

Regina Graham is medical director of the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs and clinical professor at UC Davis Health Medical Center.  She is board-certified in both child and adolescent psychiatry and adult/ general psychiatry.  Graham completed her medical school, residency, and fellowship trainings at UCLA, UCSF, and NYU, respectively.  She has experience providing mental health care to young people in a wide variety of settings including inpatient hospital, residential treatment, emergency/ crisis center, consultation-liaison, and outpatient (primary care, general psychiatry, psychosis specialty, and school-based) clinic services. Graham believes it is paramount to consider biological, social, and cultural factors when developing mental health treatment plans while exploring optimal ways to interface with our increasingly complex systems of care.


Bonnie Hotz, MBABonnie Hotz, MBA

Bonnie Hotz oversees the delivery of family support services and acts as a mentor to the clinic’s family partner staff. Hotz previously served as a SacEDAPT family partner after her family received services through the EDAPT clinic. This dual perspective of having lived experience as well as being a coordinated specialty care provider not only informs Hotz’s work in her current role at the clinic but also led to a commitment to mental health advocacy in support of families and their loved ones.


Mallory Kidwell, Ph.D.Mallory Kidwell, Ph.D. 

Mallory Kidwell is a clinical psychologist who provides services through both through the UC Davis Trauma and Adolescent Mental Illness (TAMI) project as well as the UC Davis SacEDAPT clinic. Kidwell received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Utah after completing her predoctoral internship at the UC Davis CAARE Diagnostic and Treatment Center. She then completed her postdoctoral fellowship through the TAMI project, where she provided evidence-based assessment and treatment services to system-involved youth and young adults experiencing co-occurring trauma and psychosis symptoms. Now, Kidwell continues to take interest in providing trauma-integrated early psychosis services through the TAMI Project while also offering additional evidence-based assessments and interventions to individuals with psychosis spectrum disorders at SacEDAPT. Dr. Kidwell is also foundational trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and co-leads a DBT group within SacEDAPT. 


Josephine Lumaquin

Josephine Lumaquin is a peer case manager with UC Davis Health, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.


Kathleen Marshall, M.D.Kathleen Marshall, M.D.

Kathleen Marshall is an associate physician at UC Davis Health and the resident site director of the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs. She is the medical director of the county operated-Adult Psychiatric Support Services Clinic and works with transitional aged youth at CAPS, the child county clinic. Through these county connections, she has set up various linkage programs that have allowed for better continuity of care across county mental health providers. Marshall completed her medical training at Penn State University and her residency in general psychiatry at UC Davis. She has extensive expertise in the fields of serious mental illness, community mental health and psychosis.


Kristen N. Meyers, Psy.D.Kristen N. Meyers, Psy.D.

Kristen Meyers is a clinical psychologist and the director of operations for UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs (SacEDAPT and EDAPT) where she supervises clinic activities and staff. Meyers completed her doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary, internship at Metropolitan State Hospital, and fellowship at Department of State Hospitals-Vacaville Psychiatric Program focusing on psychological and personality assessments. Meyers is the co-creator of a cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis group treatment manual for adults within state hospital and correctional settings. She comes to UC Davis with leadership experience gained through management of psychiatric programs within the California state system. Meyers has dedicated her career to delivering high quality, evidenced based care to individuals experiencing psychosis. She is passionate about developing healthy work environments where meaningful services are provided efficiently to clientele. She has experience in cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis, dialectical behavioral therapy skills training, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness, and relapse prevention strategies.


Madison Miles, B.A.Madison Miles, B.A.

Madison Miles received her B.A. in psychology, anthropology, and art from Case Western Reserve University. At UC Davis, she works as a research coordinator with both the TAMI services project and EPI-CAL project. Miles's primary role is as the beehive point person for the clinic, supporting implementation and data collection in our application to promote data driven care for clients and their families. Her areas of interest in the data we collect from these projects include ACES, trauma symptoms for those experiencing psychosis, and family functioning.


Miguel Molina, B.S.Miguel Molina B.S.

Miguel Molina is a bilingual clinic coordinator for the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs. He helps coordinate all aspects of clinic activities in this research oriented clinical program, including conducting phone screens with potential clients, coordinating intake and follow-up evaluations of clinical symptoms, and assisting in the ongoing care coordination as part of the culturally responsive model of care. He graduated from UC Davis with a B.S in psychology. He hopes to continue working in the mental health field with a focus on helping reduce the stigma of mental illness within the Latinx community, as well as other racial minority groups. Outside of work, Molina enjoys experiencing different cultures through food and taking long walks through his neighborhood in midtown.


Karina Muro, Ph.D.Karina Muro, Ph.D.

Karina Muro is a bilingual and bicultural clinical psychologist who has been part of the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs (SacEDAPT and EDAPT) clinics since 2016. In 2021, she was appointed faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at UC Davis Medical Center and is the director of clinical training for the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs. She oversees the APA-accredited Trauma Adolescent Mental Illness (TAMI) training track for pre-doctoral psychology interns and serves as the primary clinical supervisor. Muro has several years of experience providing linguistically and culturally appropriate clinical care and psychosocial assessment for Spanish speaking Latinx clients and families. She is passionate about enhancing clinical services for marginalized and underserved communities as well as teaching in areas of cultural and linguistic considerations. She leads the Spanish Consultation group at the EDAPT clinics to support providers in providing culturally affirming care. She is a co-investigator for the NIMH EPI-NET project, EPI-CAL. She is the Spanish language consultant/educator and the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility co-leader for the Early Psychosis Training and Technical Assistance Center (EP-TTA).


Tara Niendam, Ph.D.Tara Niendam, Ph.D.

Tara Niendam is a professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of California, Davis. She completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

She is the executive director of the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs (EDAPT and SacEDAPT Clinics) and has developed five early psychosis programs in Northern California based on the coordinated specialty care model of early psychosis.

Her research focuses on improving clinical and functional outcomes for youth with serious mental illness, with a focus on health technology. Her work examines multiple predictors of outcome, including cognition, neuroimaging, trauma and social determinants, as well as prevention of negative outcomes like suicide and homelessness.

She is the principal investigator for the Early Psychosis Intervention Network of California, or EPI-CAL, which is part of the new NIMH-funding EPINET program. EPI-CAL links multiple county- and university-based EP programs to bring client-level data to the clinician’s fingertips and enable large scale data-driven approaches to improve outcomes for EP care. She also directs the EPI-CAL affiliated Training and Technical Assistance Center, which seeks to bring evidence based early psychosis care to all Californians.


Angela Pechacek, M.A.Angela Pechacek, M.A.

Angela Pechacek is the family peer support specialist with the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs (SacEDAPT and EDAPT). She completed her master's in special education with Arizona State University with a focus on applied behavior analysis. As the family peer support specialist, Pechacek works with the clinical team and the clients family/support team by offering her lived experience insight that can be instrumental in helping families and their loved ones engage more fully in treatment and lead to a successful recovery. Pechacek’s favorite place to be is at the ocean and in her kitchen making food for family and friends to gather around.


Katie Pierce, Ph.D.

Katie Pierce is a staff member at the SacEDAPT clinic, where she completes clinical assessments with clients and their families. Pierce also holds a research role at UC Davis, where her activities include conducting data analyses for the EPI-CAL project, engaging in project outreach to early psychosis clinics throughout California, and completing clinic fidelity assessments. Pierce received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Temple University with specializations in both developmental psychopathology and quantitative methodology. She has worked in a variety of research and clinical settings and has experience working with individuals experiencing psychosis in both outpatient as well as inpatient psychiatric settings. She believes that research and clinical practice should inform one another and is motivated to conduct research that may have direct clinical applications.


John Daniel Ragland, Ph.D.John Daniel Ragland, Ph.D.

John Ragland is a licensed clinical psychologist who completed his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at American University. Ragland is interested in the role that organizational abilities play in learning and remembering new information, how schizophrenia disrupts these organizational processes, and how treatment of these deficits may improve patients' daily function. In the EDAPT clinic, Ragland assists with intake assessments.


Carolina Valdovinos RamirezCarolina Valdovinos Ramirez, B.A.

Carolina Ramirez is the lead clinic coordinator at the UC Davis Early Psychosis programs. She started her journey in behavioral health by receiving her B.A. in psychology at UC Davis. She garnered experience in acute psychosis care at an emergency department and now lends support by guiding families interested in the program at the point of referral. Since joining the clinic, Ramirez has contributed to the program by supporting language inclusivity for Spanish-speaking families throughout their care with EDAPT and SacEDAPT. In her role as lead, Ramirez is a direct support for the clinic coordinator team. Clinic coordinators serve as the first point of contact for referrals and new clients, support with medical records, and among other items, facilitate communication between providers, clients, and our staff. Ramirez's area of focus is billing, but she also oversees intake scheduling and coordinating.


Stephanie Danielle Rivera

Stephanie Rivera is a family peer support advocate with UC Davis Health, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.


Mauricio T. Rodriguez, M.P.H.Mauricio T. Rodriguez, M.P.H

Mauricio Rodriguez joined the UC Davis SacEDAPT clinic in March 2023. He successfully earned a Master of Public Health degree from Drexel University, School of Public Health – Sacramento Program. His public health background allowed him to work on various health educations projects through community engagement and quality improvement. He worked on the Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Cultural Transformation Model (ICCTM) project, that aimed to increase access and utilization of mental health services for underrepresented communities in Solano County. His collaborative work has received recognition from the dean for inclusion excellence in community engagement and inclusion excellence in clinical care. Amongst other contributions, he has outreached and educated underrepresented and marginalized communities on the Affordable Care Act, smoking cessation, and chronic disease management.


Dan Shapiro, Ph.D.Dan Shapiro, Ph.D.

Dan Shapiro is a clinical psychologist and part of the leadership team for UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs (SacEDAPT and EDAPT), where he previously served as director of operations and continues to supervise clinical and administrative activities. He currently leads the Sacramento Clinical high-risk Intervention for Psychosis Stepped-Care (SCIP Step) program, an effort to implement screening and stepped-care for those at-risk for psychosis throughout Sacramento County and serves as faculty in the California Early Psychosis Training and Technical Assistance Center.  He completed his doctoral training at Emory University and a specialized fellowship in the practice and dissemination of cognitive behavioral therapy at the University of Pennsylvania. Shapiro is particularly interested in research on what treatments work best for whom and in understanding how the things that make us each different affect the help we want, seek, avoid, and benefit from. He is also passionate about teaching and training in these areas and is an avid runner and music enthusiast.


Nitasha Sharma, B.S.Nitasha Sharma, B.S.

Nitasha Sharma serves as a EDAPT and SacEDAPT clinic coordinator at the UC Davis Early Psychosis (EP) Programs. She also works as a junior specialist on the EPI-CAL project, led by Tara Niendam, which aims to implement a sustainable learning health care network for California’s EP programs, allowing individuals to use data to enhance the quality of services offered across a wide range of clinical programs. Nitasha graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in neurobiology, physiology, and behavior, and has been affiliated with various volunteer organizations that center around community involvement and advocacy. She hopes to attend medical school and become a physician advocate who provides culturally sensitive care to underserved communities. She is proud to be a part of a passionate and diverse team dedicated to providing multidisciplinary care.


Ruth Shim, Ph.D.Ruth Shim, M.D., M.P.H.

Ruth Shim is the Luke and Grace Kim professor in cultural psychiatry and professor of clinical psychiatry at UC Davis. She completed medical school, residency, and fellowship training at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Her research focuses on mental health inequities and addressing the social determinants of mental health.


Sophie Tagliamonte, Psy.D.

Sophie Tagliamonte is a clinical psychologist with UC Davis Health, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.


Leni Tran, Ph.D.Leni Tran, Ph.D.

Leni Tran is a licensed psychologist at UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs. She is a graduate of the California School of Professional Psychology, San Francisco Bay Area Campus. She has training and experience in providing integrative therapy to adolescents, adults, and older adults. She is interested in evidence-based practices for individuals with marginalized identities.


Susie Xiong, Psy.D.Susie Xiong, Psy.D.

Susie Xiong is a clinical psychologist and is the supervisor of psychotherapy groups with the UC Davis Early Psychosis Program. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Alliant International University. She completed her post-doctoral scholar training at the UC Davis SacEDAPT Clinic where she provided assessment and treatment to youth and adults experiencing early symptoms of psychosis. As a psychologist with the clinic, she provides comprehensive psychological assessment, and evidence-based treatment, including CBT, CBTp, FFT, TFCBT, TICBTp, CPT, and group psychotherapy to youth, adult, and family experiencing psychosis. Xiong is a bilingual/bicultural Hmong clinician with an appreciation in providing services to the API community. Her research interest centers on understanding and improving assessment and mental health treatment for underserved individuals experiencing severe mental illness, particularly within the API community.  


Shirley Yau, B.S., B.A.

Shirley Yau (they/them/theirs) serves as a policy analyst for UC Davis EDAPT. They received a B.S. in neurobiology, physiology and behavior and a B.A. in psychology from UC Davis. Prior to joining EDAPT, Yau worked as a research assistant in a rodent neurophysiology lab, and as a case manager for Medi-Cal clients. Yau supports EDAPT by assisting with clinical assessments, recruitment, project development and partnership outreach. They hope to eventually pursue higher education and ultimately contribute their experiences and knowledge to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Taylor S. Bucher, M.A.Taylor S. Bucher, M.A.

Taylor Bucher (she/her) is a fourth-year doctoral extern/practicum clinician in the SacEDAPT program. She is a doctoral candidate at Fielding Graduate University, accruing hours for an internship toward a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Bucher's dissertation focuses on neurodevelopmental disorders and child sexual abuse. She has prior clinical experience as a licensed psychology technician: registered drug and alcohol technician (RADT-I), registered behavioral technician (RBT), and board-certified autism technician (BCAT). Other doctoral clinical training experience has been gained through an externship at River Oak Center for Children, which included assessment, therapy, family therapy, parent training, and other meaningful experiences. She also has experience as a psychology research assistant and teaching assistant. Bucher will be primarily administering assessments under the supervision of Sabrina Ereshefsky, 2023-2024. A personal fun fact she has read over 703 books/manga and is planning to create a library room.


Maeve M. Cardwell, M.A.Maeve M. Cardwell, M.A.

Maeve Cardwell is a clinical psychology doctoral intern. She received her master's of professional psychology from William James College and is in the final year of working toward her doctorate in clinical psychology. Cardwell has worked in inpatient and outpatient settings, beginning her career in the mental health field working on an adolescent inpatient unit. For the last two years she has worked primarily with adults but is very much looking forward to working with children and adolescents again. Once she has received her doctorate, Cardwell plans to work as a forensic psychologist, serving children and adolescents, and possibly working with a juvenile court system.


Yen-Ling Chen, Ph.D.Yen-Ling Chen, Ph.D.

Yen-Ling Chen is a clinical psychology post-doctoral fellow. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas after completing an internship at the UC Davis SacEDAPT Clinic and the CAARE Center. As a post-doctoral fellow, she provides direct clinical services to adolescents and young adults that are experiencing symptoms of early psychosis and evaluation of research data as part of the SacEDAPT Clinic and the SAMHSA SCIP project. She also provides training in early psychosis assessment and intervention services as part of the EPI-CAL TTA. In her research, Chen is interested in examining socio-cultural factors that influence public and self-perceptions of mental health problems in youth, as well as using statistical approaches to improve evidence-based assessment, clinical decision-making, and psychometric validations. Born and raised in Taiwan and later received her doctorate in the U.S., Chen is bilingual in Mandarin and English.


Alissa Fernandez, M.A.Alissa Fernandez, M.A.

Alissa Fernandez is a practicum extern student with the TAMI project at UC Davis. She is currently in her third year of the clinical psychology Psy.D. program at Alliant International University, Sacramento. She has experience working in diverse clinical settings such as Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County, community mental health centers, and elementary schools. As the past co-facilitator of the City of Sacramento’s Violence Prevention program, she developed culturally informed violence prevention curriculum for teenage girls from underserved populations who are at risk for violence. She currently serves as the co-facilitator of the violence prevention program at Roberts Family Development Center for teenage girls. Alissa has experience implementing evidence-based interventions including TF-CBT and CBTp with diverse populations. She is passionate about reducing the stigma that surrounds mental illness, especially the stigma that surrounds severe mental illnesses.


Stephania Hayes

Stephania Hayes is a postdoc scholar with UC Davis Health, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. 


Sam Klein, M.A.Sam Klein, M.A.

Sam Klein is one of the pre-doctoral interns in the trauma-adolescent mental illness track. Klein is finishing his Ph.D. studies within the Clinical Science and Psychopathology Research Program at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Klein previously worked at The Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain at UMN, conducting clinical and neuropsychological assessments and intervention with children and adolescents with suspected psychosis spectrum disorders. Klein is eager to gain additional experience working with youth early in the course of psychotic illness using recovery-oriented and trauma-informed care. His research interests include examining how atypical visual perceptual experiences and altered maturational trajectories of neural systems underlying reward processing, relate to the risk of developing psychosis and substance use disorders during adolescence.  


Dana Tzuahzia Lee, Psy.D.Dana Tzuahzia Lee, Psy.D.

Dana Lee is a postdoctoral fellow at the UC Davis SacEDAPT clinic. She holds a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. At SacEDAPT, Lee utilizes evidence-based assessment and therapeutic approaches tailored to meet the unique needs of clients in the program. Lee is passionate about understanding how the interplay of cultural and systemic issues impacts help-seeking attitudes among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander communities. Her goal is to contribute to making psychological services culturally inclusive and equitable.


Ashley Peluso, M.A., SUDCCAshley Peluso, M.A., SUDCC

Ashley Peluso (she/her) is a clinical psychology practicum extern student with the TAMI project. Peluso has several years clinical experience working with high risk/high need adolescents and adults across all levels of care. Peluso has a specialty in substance use treatment and maintains a certification for drug and alcohol counseling. Peluso brings a passion for dual diagnosis and aims to provide well rounded care following the trauma informed cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) model. Peluso is committed to inclusive healthcare with her current research involving the impact of microaggressions and the nonbinary experience.


Heather Zyla, M.A.Heather Zyla, M.A.

Heather Zyla is one of the pre-doctoral interns within the TAMI track at UC Davis. She is currently completing her doctorate training at SUNY Binghamton University where she has been researching correlates of resilience, psychosocial functioning, severe mental illness, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Prior to her doctorate program she worked with individuals who were at clinical high risk for developing psychosis and she is excited to implement evidence-based interventions with similar populations at UC Davis. Zyla anticipates receiving her Ph.D. after completing this internship position in June 2024.