MA Graduates Receive $18,500 MFTi Stipend

The Wright Institute is honored to announce that Eduardo Hernandez and Patrick Castrenze, 2014 Master's Program graduates, have both been awarded an $18,500 MFT Educational Stipend.

Stipend applicants were asked to submit five 150 word essays detailing their education and practicum training in community mental health, professional commitments to public mental health, experience with underserved communities and diverse populations, as well as their interest in serving a "county of need". After winning the stipend, recipients have six months to find a county-funded or county-contracted job in a designated county or counties. Of approximately 70 people in the Bay Area who applied for the stipend, Eduardo and Patrick were two of the 25 who received the award. Eduardo will be completing his internship as a full-time Mental Health Specialist at Instituto Familiar de la Raza. Patrick will be seeking placement in Contra Costa County. Congratulations to MA Program Graduates, Eduardo Hernadnez and Patrick Castrenze!

Dr. Milena Esherick Presents at Sutter Health's Plant-Based Diet Symposium

Master's Program Director Milena Esherick was a featured speaker at Sutter Health's Plant Based Diet Symposium on November 22, 2014.

The goal of the Burlingame, California conference was to educate the medical community about how the conventional North American diet contributes to many chronic health conditions, and how a plant based diet prevents and reverses many of these conditions. Dr. Esherick's talk addressed psychological strategies for motivating patients to make a successful shift to a plant-strong diet. Other Symposium presenters included Dr. Michael Klaper, former nutrition advisor to NASA; Brenda Davis, RD, lead nutritionist for the Diabetes Wellness Research Project; and John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America.

Professor Terry Kupers, M.D. in the NY Times and Beyond

Dr. Kupers recently appeared in:

The NY Times (Seeing Squalor and Unconcern in a Mississippi Jail)

The Daily Beast (How Solitary Confinement Destroys Women)

SolitaryWatch.com (“Disappearing” the Disadvantaged Into Prison, and Into Solitary Confinement)

The Durango Herald (Criminalizing the sick)

Ulash Dunlap Selected to Serve on San Francisco's Mental Health Board

Ulash Dunlap, Core Faculty in the Master's Program in Counseling Psychology, was selected on November 6 by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to serve on the Mental Health Board (MHB) of San Francisco as the professional member. The MHB consists of San Francisco citizens advising their Board of Supervisors and their Mental Health Director about funding, policy, and services regarding community mental health in San Francisco. For more information, go to www.mhbsf.org

Dr. Padilla Presents at the National Latino Psychological Association's Biennial Conference

Dr. Brenda Padilla recently presented at the 2014 National Latino Psychological Association's Biennial Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On Friday, October 24, she organized a roundtable discussion on "Supporting the Development of Latino/a Psychologists: Reflections from Faculty, Training Programs, Supervisors, and Students," which included current Wright Institute student, Herminia Hernandez, MA. On Saturday, October 25, Dr. Padilla participated in a poster session highlighting the supplemental practicum, the Wright Institute Sanctuary Project. A PDF of Dr. Padilla's poster is attached for further information.

NLPA WISP Poster Presentation

NLPA Roundtable Handout

Dr. Anatasia Kim to Present at Diversity Leadership Conference

Dr. Anatasia Kim and her colleague Dr. Rachel Casas (Assistant Professor, California Lutheran University) will provide a paper presentation at the Diversity IN Leadership Conference on Friday, October 25 in Long Beach, CA. Their talk, entitled "Beyond Double Jeopardy: Leadership Pipeline for Women of Color in Academia," will address the neglected experiences of women in academia, and the need for opportunities that promote mentorship and leadership.

This year's conference is geared to make diversity an integral part of the 'big picture' in leadership and the main function of organizational growth by encouraging people to:

Alumnus David Gerard, Ph.D., a Candidate for Morgan Hill Unified School District

Wright Institute alumnus Dr. David Gerard is a candidate for the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Education (MUSD). Nine candidates are running for the MUSD which will have four open seats to fill in the November 4, 2014 election.

Dr. Gerard is a principal/consultant at Korn/Ferry International, providing executive coaching, as well as leadership and team development. He points out that "We're at a critical turning point in education in California. For the first time in history, because of changes in the state school funding formula, parents and community members can really shape the kinds of schools we have to an extent never before possible through state-mandated Local Control Accountability Plans."

Professor Terry Kupers, M.D. Interviewed for International Anti-Death Penalty Day

Dr. Kupers was recently interviewed at worldcoalition.org for International Anti-Death Penalty Day on October 10, 2014: Solitary confinement on death row is mental torture: psychiatrist

Anatasia Kim to Present on Mental Wellness at Korean Health Conference

Dr. Anatasia Kim will give a presentation on "Mental Wellness for Korean American Families" at the 4th Annual Korean Health Conference in Oakland this Saturday, October 4, 2014. This is the first time they have invited a psychologist and the first time they are addressing a mental health topic.

Two Wright Institute students, Lamson Bui and Christina Louie, will also volunteer at the event, providing health screenings.

The conference will be held from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm. at the Samuel Merritt University Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609. Registration is free, but space is limited. Please call (510) 206-8529 to pre-register.

Eric Samuels Publishes Article on Psychologists' Disabilities

Eric Samuels, PsyD student, has published an article in the APA Public Interest Directorate Newsletter entitled "Question in a Practicum Interview: How Would You Respond when Clients Ask about Your Tics?"

Eric discusses the challenges of deciding whether to disclose a disability with clients, and when applying for internships and praticums. He writes that although the U.S. Census reports that there are 56.7 million people with disabilities - 18.6 percent of the U.S. population, "people with disabilities are underrepresented in psychology. A 2003 study found that only 2 percent of members of the American Psychological Association identified as people with disabilities."

To read the entire article, go to http://www.apa.org/pi/about/newsletter/2014/09/practicum-interview.aspx