The Loma Linda University International Behavioral Health Trauma Team recently deployed two groups to provide mental health support to two Caribbean countries (Grenada; St. Vincent and the Grenadines) after the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl.

The teams provided psychological support to over 200 children, adults, and elderly individuals, and also distributed practical supplies (such as school materials), planted trees, and helped secure homes. These efforts not only helped to meet immediate needs but also contributed to restoring a sense of normalcy for the families and children in these communities.

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When Dr. Zephon Lister and Dr. Kimberly Freeman were awarded the Loma Linda University GRASP International grant, it marked the beginning of an inspiring journey of partnership and collaboration between two continents, three countries, and four institutions. In partnership with the Adventist University of Africa, this project seeks to enhance mental health, family functioning, and resilience in Kenya and Sierra Leone through an innovative task-shifting strategy.

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This February, the Loma Linda University International Behavioral Health Trauma Team (LLUIBHTT) was invited to Cairo, Egypt to provide resiliency training to Sudanese refugees and community leaders, which included healthcare workers and Seventh-day Adventist church members.

As Sudan is facing its third civil war, with the most recent wars ending in 2005 and starting again in 2023, many Sudanese fled to Egypt to take refuge. The trauma in Sudan was devastating; many people relocated not by choice but to survive.

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The FAHS Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) is a program funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and aimed at expanding the delivery of culturally competent mental health and substance use disorder services to underserved minority populations. It also seeks to increase the number of culturally competent marriage and family therapists (MFTs) by providing training and stipends for MFT students at the master's and doctoral levels.

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Reflecting on the 2023-24 academic year, the Phi Alpha Honor Society Iota Pi chapter embarked on a remarkable journey characterized by service, unity, and impactful events that have significantly improved the welfare of communities, especially those marginalized and vulnerable.

Unique to the chapter, they hosted Wholeness Hours featuring the Community Resiliency Model and Yoga for Wellness, providing students with a space to refresh and rejuvenate.

Learn more about the chapter's 2023-24 work

Celebrating our ten recent high school graduates who are dipping their toes into the world of behavioral health with their first college course, PSYC 204! This free summer intensive might just be the start of their journey towards being future social workers, counselors, or clinical psychologists!

Learn more about this annual program

In December 2022, PhD student Samuel Habimana and his team secured funding for a project entitled "Restoration of Peace and Compassion among Rwandan Genocide Survivors and Ex-Prisoners." This initiative introduced the practice of the CRM skills training and laughter yoga in 15 villages in Rwanda's southern, western, and eastern provinces. They were able to reach over 350 genocide survivors and perpetrators who participated in groups of 25, for three 3 days of CRM training plus laughter yoga. The outcomes of this intervention were remarkable, notably reducing post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, promoting social cohesion, and enhancing resiliency capacities for both the survivor and perpetrator groups.

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"Despite medical advancements," writes Dr. Alex Dubov, "the fight against HIV in the United States continues to face challenges. In 2021, a total of 36,126 people were diagnosed with HIV, the latest data available. Shockingly, more than one in five of these cases were late diagnoses, with 21.1% of patients already facing AIDS within three months of learning they had HIV.

"Of particular concern is the Latinx community, where late HIV diagnoses are highest among newly diagnosed patients. Despite an overall 19% drop in HIV cases from 2010 to 2021, Latinx individuals are the only ethnic group that hasn't seen a decrease in new cases."

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Dr. Maya Boustani and Dr. Tori Van Dyk recently collaborated with SAC Health and the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) to secure service grants from The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI). These grants will fund evidence-based training, supervision, and implementation support in MATCH (Modular Approach to Therapy for Children) for all child mental health providers at SACH and SBCUSD.

In addition, students from the Department of Psychology enrolled in practicum placement with Drs. Boustani and Van Dyk will also benefit from this training. Furthermore, Drs. Boustani and Van Dyk will be trained to become MATCH supervisors and trainers, in order to ensure continuity of MATCH training in the Department of Psychology. MATCH is a modular approach to children's therapy, providing therapists with modules to treat childhood anxiety, depression, trauma and conduct problems.

"In low-resource environments like Sierra Leone," writes Dr. Zephon Lister, "it is crucial to develop and evaluate efficient interventions that leverage every point of contact to support vaccine uptake. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sierra Leone was already facing a decline in immunization rates and the use of child health care services, with rates dropping by nearly 19%."

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Experience this beautifully penned poem by our talented DMFT graduate, Dr. Sahara Omar.

Read the full poem on our blog

I April, students and professors from the Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health traveled to Toyama, Japan to represent our school at the International Family Therapy Association Congress.

We were able to catch up with Cassie Haro, a student in the PhD in Systems, Families, & Couples program to ask her about her experience going to Japan and presenting her research to family scientists and marital & family therapists from across the globe.

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Fourth-year Clinical Psychology PsyD student Nehchal Kaur and her work at the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology was recently highlighted in an article published by UCLA Health. "'I knew psychosocial support, emotional support deserves a seat at the medical table,' she says, 'and I wanted that chair.'"

Read the full article here

In February the Child Life Specialist MS program partnered with LLUH Community-Academic Partners in Service (CAPS) to provide a Teddy Bear Clinic for local children and families. The event was hosted for the first time at the Garden of Health in San Bernardino through the San Bernardino Healthy in Nature - Equity (SHiNE) program. SHiNE promotes the importance of access to nature for underserved and underrepresented populations who face barriers to outdoor experiences in the community. Evidence shows that spending time in nature has many positive mental health benefits.

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This year's New Student Orientation was a hybrid event that introduced students to our School's history, policies, and resources, and featured Financial Aid and Library presentations. Plus, students had the chance to win prizes! SBH also joined the fun at the University's Western-themed Welcome Back Bash with the "I'm OK, You're OK Corral!" Attendees spun the wheel for prizes and learned more about the School and the SBH Resiliency Clinic from our Dean and faculty. We're excited for the year ahead!

—Dr. Winetta Oloo

Several Psychology students presented earlier this year at the International Neuropsychology Society Conference. Spencer Loong presented data from the Memory Training Program, Jessa Romano and Daniel Franz presented research from their practicum at Hoag, and Sanya Mital shared insights from Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Aarti Nair and Dr. Richelin Dye were excited to support our amazing students at this important conference in New York City.

SBH held our annual Self-Care Fair in May! We relaxed with massages, stretched out the stress in stretch lab sessions, indulged in burritos and boba, and discovered wellness initiatives and activities through numerous booths.

A massive shout-out to our wonderful community for joining and making it a hit. Here's to wholeness and self-care!

In early spring this year, we had another successful gathering at Camp Good Grief Special Victims Program (SVP), a supportive program designed specifically for children and teenagers between the ages of 10 and 16 who have experienced the loss of a sibling or parent. The camp delivers a safe and nurturing environment where campers can express their emotions freely and get a sense of acceptance without judgment. Camp is a space for sharing and healing while offering comfort and support.

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Cheers to all our champions who joined us for the Stand Up to Stigma 5K challenge this May, with a special shoutout to our SBH squad! A lovely cool day greeted us, followed by a fun post-race bash with plenty of swag to take home. We can't wait to do it all again next year!

Congratulations to our presenters from the Psychology department! They attended the Western Psychological Association conference in San Francisco this spring and showcased their research. Among those featured were Psychology students and professors Jasmine Logan, Travis Perales, Ellie Robledo, Drew Dobalian, Aantuu Mengistu, Jennifer Navarro, Ryan Pollard, Katherine Lee, Erica Sauro, Dr. Bridgette Peteet, Dr. Hector Betancourt, and Dr. Kelly Morton.

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The team has expanded and is now serving both continuation high schools in the San Bernardino City Unified School District: Sierra High School and San Andreas High School. They're looking forward to meeting all of the students and supporting their mental health!

Learn more about the CARE Lab

This spring, students form the Department of Psychology highlighted students, faculty, research coordinators, and clinicians whose work is centered around diversity, equity, and inclusion—such as Jennifer Díaz Navarro (pictured at right).

Just search the hashtag #DiverseMindsLLU on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X to find their posts on our SBH social accounts.

In remembrance of Kayla Williams-Rawlinson, a cherished graduate of the Marriage and Family Therapy MS program in 2015, her classmates came together to support the placement of a memorial bench in the Griggs Hall courtyard.

Through the heartfelt kindness of those who knew Kayla, her memorial bench fund goal has been met! All proceeds that continue to be received through the memorial page will be put into the Marriage and Family Therapy Scholarship Fund in Kayla's honor. This bench and scholarship funding will serve as a tribute to our beloved Kayla.

All School of Behavioral Health alumni, faculty, staff, and students are invited to contribute to the 16th Annual SBH Food Drive! Just drop your donations in your department's collection bin on or before November 11. Our food drive this year benefits the UReach Student Pantry.

The pantry's most needed items include dried goods, canned goods, non-perishable items, and seasonal fresh produce. Checks can be made out to the UReach Student Pantry and given to your department staff. If you drop items or mail donations directly to the UReach Student Pantry, please let your department know so they can include your gift in their donation total.

The department that collects the most donations wins a pizza party!

Rosalva Mejia is a 2nd-year Clinical Psychology PhD student and 2024 recipient of the American Psychological Association Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Program (IMFP), a newly-awarded, grant-funded program from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The purpose of the fellowship is to identify, select, and support the training of ethnic minority graduate students who commit to significantly improving the quality of care provided to ethnic and racial minorities who have a mental or co-occurring mental and substance use disorder. Rosalva's research focuses on investigating psychological cultural and psychosocial protective factors for Latino/Hispanic populations and holistic approaches to wellbeing in ethnic minority and marginalized populations.

Congratulations to Nuria Morales Coskran, Clinical Psychology PsyD student, for winning a poster award at the Society of Pediatric Psychology Annual Conference (SPPAC) Sleep SIG this spring!

The award honors her work titled "Sleep Hygiene as a Target for Intervention among Adolescents with Sleep Disturbance to Reduce the Development or Exacerbation of Co-morbid Pain." This is the third poster award Nuria has won at SPPAC during her time in our program.