NYSPI Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence
NYSPI Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence
Since 2007, our center has served as a leader in removing cultural and linguistic barriers in mental health care in New York State. The Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence is one of two research centers designated by the New York State Office of Mental Health to investigate and disseminate best practices in the delivery of culturally competent mental health services to underserved populations who are affected by cultural and linguistic barriers.
The Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence is one of two research centers designated by the New York State Office of Mental Health to investigate and disseminate best practices in the delivery of culturally competent mental health services to underserved populations who are affected by cultural and linguistic...
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Roberto Lewis-Fernández, MD has authored a body of research focusing on developing clinical interventions and novel service-delivery approaches to help overcome disparities in the care of underserved cultural groups....
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Oscar Jiménez-Solomon is a mental health recovery researcher and consumer advocate. Oscar was born and raised in Peru, and immigrated to the U.S. as a young adult. He obtained a Master of Public Health at Columbia University (2003) and a License in Sociology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (1997). Oscar has dedicated his career to improving the availability of and access to recovery-oriented and culturally competent mental health services, as well as the social conditions of people with psychiatric diagnoses, through research, program development, and policy...
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Neil Krishan Aggarwal is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and a Research Psychiatrist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. As a cultural psychiatrist, his interests are in the clinical and forensic constructions of culture within mental health services. At the Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence, he conducts clinical research on the Cultural Formulation Interview whose development he contributed to as an advisor to the DSM-5 Cross-Cultural Issues Subgroup. Neil Krishan Aggarwal’s research focus is cross-cultural diagnostic assessment and treatment planning with racial and ethnic minorities in mental health...
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Peter Lam earned a BA from Binghamton University in 2007 and an MPH from Columbia University in 2013.
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Ana Stefancic has over 15 years of experience researching the effectiveness of housing and support services for individuals who have experienced homelessness, psychiatric disabilities, substance abuse, and chronic medical conditions. Current projects include a randomized clinical trial examining the implementation and effectiveness of a healthy lifestyle intervention for supportive housing participants, as well as identifying the underlying mechanisms of peer-delivered...
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Amanda G. Cruz, a McNair Research Scholar raised in Bronx, New York joined the CECC in July of 2017 as a Research Assistant. As of May 2019, she became an accomplished Masters graduate in Psychology with distinction. Upon graduating with a BS in Psychology and a minor in English, she received the Francis T. M. Mahoney Baccalaureate Scholarship Award in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Many training experiences have aided Ms. Cruz in exploring her research interests throughout her studies, such...
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Daniela Tuda received her Masters in Advanced Clinical Social Work at Columbia University and is currently a research assistant on the Peer-Led Healthy Lifestyle Project. Previously, Daniela worked with Mental Health Service Corps, an initiative by New York City that aims to reduce mental health disparities in underserved communities. She continues to work with individuals utilizing various evidence-based therapeutic practices and interventions at an outpatient mental health clinic in Manhattan. Daniela aspires to obtain a PhD in Social Work in order to pursue research interests related to community mental health and the adaptation of evidenced-based practices for marginalized...
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