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| Abby Okoniewski
| Abby is an acute care social services associate at a hospital system in Central Oregon. Hospital social work allows Abby to engage in the interaction between medicine and complex social situations that affect an individual's health and wellbeing. Abby has interests in behavioral health in primary care and supporting individuals as they navigate health challenges and new diagnoses. Abby is a passionate advocate for chronic kidney disease patients and volunteers to try to improve access to kidney transplant for dialysis patients. Outside of a healthcare setting, Abby holds experience in outdoor behavioral health and spends a lot of personal time in wilderness and backcountry settings. | |
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| Andres Herrejon Chavez | Andres has worked in multiple roles and systems focused in supporting youth and families for over eight years. Primary interests include working with young adults and adolescents experiencing anxiety, and depression. For Andres, giving back to his community is important and hopes that through his career as a MSW he can reduce stigma towards mental health in the Latino/a/x community, and to find ways to provide care to youth who may not have the means to access mental health services. | |
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| Ariana Ramirez
| Ariana began her social work career working at an alternative high school as the schools Bilingual Social Worker supporting students with their mental health. As a first generation Mexican-American Registered Baccalaureate Social Worker, Ariana enjoys working with Latino youth to bridge the gap between mental health and culture. She is passionate about empowering people to know and love themselves. | |
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| Brandi Rose Jenkins | Brandi has worked in many facets of social services, ranging from a residential counselor for folks experiencing severe and persistent mental health issues to an intake specialist for individuals seeking medication management drug treatment. Brandi's past experiences in social services has made her passionate about the intersection of mental and physical well-being. Brandi is currently working in integrated care and pursuing her MSW and ABSN, with a focus on a holistic approach to working with clients in medical settings, especially those from underserved and marginalized communities. | |
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| Cecilia Wolfe (they/them) | Cecilia’s background in social work and public health began with gender equity and anti-violence work focused on queer and trans communities. They spent six years doing crisis response and advocacy with people who experienced sexual violence, domestic violence, and intimate partner violence. Cecilia then returned to their initial passion, improving healthcare, safety, and quality of life for all trans and gender diverse people. They apply a systems lens, recognizing forces of white supremacy and capitalism in daily struggles. Cecilia prioritizes person-centered and community-minded approaches to healing and health. | |
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| Chito Baleke | Chito currently works as a ICM Case Manager at Lutheran Community Service Northwest in the Refugee and immigrant Program. She works mostly with the Congolese community. Chito was born in Congo (DRC) but grew up/ raised in Rwanda. She has been in America for 13 years now. Chito has a bachelor Degree in Social Work. Chito loves working with refugees and immigrants because she likes giving back to the community and making sure they have access to different resources. Chito speaks English and Swahili, but Swahili is her first language.
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| Christy Morton | Christy worked in social services for about 10 years. From providing recreational group activities for SPMI elderly folks, to case managing a transitional home for houseless teens and to currently working with low-income families receiving TANF… Christy loves direct service! Christy lives in a small town/semi-rural area (Hood River, OR), where resources can be scarce for the lowest-income & disadvantaged populations, and this has made her passionate about addressing social determinants of health and systemic barriers. Christy is a married mother, student, outdoor enthusiast, and amateur naturalist.
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| Darien Smith | Darien's first job in social work was as a Family Advocate with preschool families. She then went on to work for Child Protective Services. Darien knew that eventually she wanted to work with the military/veteran population. She was hired at the Oregon Veterans' Home in The Dalles, Oregon, and relocated her family to the Columbia River Gorge. As a wife to a Navy Veteran, and social worker with our nation's aging veteran population, Darien is passionate about increasing mental health care access for veterans. She recently celebrated her 10 year anniversary with her husband, and together they are raising two beautiful girls. | |
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| Dilara Artikaslan | Rooted in the principles of disability justice, Dilara embraces her identity as an autistic social worker, bringing a unique perspective to her work with children and adolescents. Her philosophy blends intersectional postmodern feminism, focusing on disability and critical race intersections. With a background in working alongside disabled children within educational contexts, Dilara looks forward to expanding her knowledge and immersing herself in behavioral health settings. | |
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| Eunhye Lee | Eunhye was passionate about social change and providing spiritual care as an ordained
minister in South Korea. Currently, she is interested in compassionate mental health care for
immigrant and multicultural youth and families to promote intergenerational reconciliation and
restoration. In addition to her Social Work career, Eunhye is training as a medical interpreter to
improve immigrants’ access to health care. She is enthusiastic about neuroplasticity,
mindfulness, and cultivating inclusive cultures in many different settings.
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| Hannah Shawo | Growing up in the Pacific NorthWest as an Ethiopian woman of color, Hannah understands the importance of providing representation for others in the BIPOC community and it has been a driving factor throughout her pursuit of education. At a young age Hannah played an active role in volunteering with her Native tribe the Snoqualmoo of Whidbey island, while they battled for federal recognition. As an adult Hannah got her start in social work at Victim Services in parole and probation. She hopes to continue her social work journey into the mental health field where she can both take part in expanding access and de-stigmatizing receiving mental health services utilizing a strength-based approach. | |
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| Harmonie Nyounai-Herrera | Harmonie Nyounai-Herrera is passionate about the power of behavioral health in supporting resilient communities.He believes access to quality healthcare is a basic human right.
Harmonie dedicates efforts to uplift underserved populations using a trilingual and tricultural background.It is with gratitude and enthusiasm that Harmonie joins the Behavioral Health Integration Plan Cohort! | |
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| Hector Zaragoza Valentin | Hector Zaragoza Valentin (he/him) graduated from Portland State's BSW program in 2017. He also has a lifetime of serving as a Mexican cultural ambassador in Southern Oregon, influencing cultural expression in his hometown of Medford, Oregon for over two decades as both a Mariachi Violinist and a Ballet Folklorico instructor. During the recent 2020 crises, Hector was behind innovative Statewide outreach efforts using his artistic platforms to culturally specific public health initiatives for the Latin@/x community. At the start of his Social Work career, he provided HIV-prevention services and most recently served as an advocate at the State level for mpox vaccine access to LGBTQ communities across Oregon. Hector has also integrated his Social Work practice within the Vogue/Ballroom community he is part of, further enriching Statewide outreach efforts to Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC). Hector is looking forward to building a Latinx-specific mental health clinic from the ground up in Southern Oregon throughout the course of his MSW program. | |
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| Ivon Cabañas | Ivon began her social work career in education at the age of 18. She worked as an ELD bilingual instructional assistant for four years while completing her BSW at Portland State. After graduating in 2021 she was a graduation coach for a year before moving on to her current position as a Migrant Education Recruiter and Out of School Youth Program Coordinator for the Woodburn School District. As a first generation Mexican-American woman she enjoys supporting Latinx youth by providing them with tools and resources they can use to find their voice and empower themselves and those in their communities. She is passionate about increasing mental health service use in the Latinx community and strongly believes this is possible by providing culturally responsive therapeutic care. | |
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| Jac Dufresne | Jac has worked in various fields under the social work umbrella since 2011, including working with adults with developmental disabilities, as a paraeducator for special needs youth, and as a peer support specialist for both youth and adults. They hope to work with folks who are in inpatient psychiatry and/or who are incarcerated. Some of their passions are restorative justice, spiritual practice, and cats. | |
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| Jaimyn Emery | Jaimyn is passionate about mental health with a focus on the mind-body connection. She is particularly interested in reproductive and sexual health services, sexuality education, and reproductive justice advocacy work. | |
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| KD DeLorio | With a background in Youth Work, KD has spent the last decade weaving together work in higher education, practice in trauma-informed care, and a Youth Work ethos to support young people in building the self confidence and skills to move towards their educational goals. KD has a passion for working with queer and trans young folks making their way in the world and they hope to find their professional home on multidisciplinary care teams that create wrap-around support for queer and trans youth. | |
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| Keenya King | Keenya began her social work career working in a homeless resource center. This fall she will begin her career as a clinical social worker providing brief interventions with kids experiencing mental health issues. Keenya’s long-term goals are to work with underrepresented populations and bring awareness about behavioral health services and treatments for wellness. | |
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| Keterinne Camey Raquec | Keterinne began her social work career providing case management to low-income families and their children through a nonprofit Head Start program. She is passionate about working with
marginalized communities and her goal is to help them access and receive resources to better their lives. | |
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Maya Auld (she/her)
| Maya found her passion for social work while working in a primary care office providing integrated behavioral health care to medicaid recipients. As an Asian American clinician with a background in working with BIPOC youth and expecting parents, Maya finds meaning in exploring mental health with a systems focused lens. Maya's orientation includes holistic health, narrative, and cognitive behavioral therapy. She is interested in gaining more experience with birthing parents and infants in a hospital setting. | |
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| Meredith Strunk she/her | Meredith began her social work career providing outreach and case management to unhoused youth after a career in outdoor education. She now works in her rural community of La Pine providing behavioral health services in a community mental health clinic. She is passionate about advocating for increased community resources, reducing stigma, and working to increase healthcare access for rural individuals, and especially for people who use drugs. | |
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| Nolan Lease | Nolan’s focus in social work has been within primary care practice within an integrated behavioral health setting. Nolan has spent the last two years as a community Health Worker with Rosewood Family Health Center, providing resources and support to a wide range of populations. The clinic's values are strongly connected with migrant and refugee communities, aimed at helping those with uninsured, medicaid, or medicare coverages. Nolan’s role has transitioned to the Clinic Social Worker, offering more focused case management and intervention with patients needing greater services. Nolan is excited to continue his journey through education in hopes of better serving immigrant and refugee communities through health care systems. | |
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| Pau Lagarde (he/him) | Pau is a bilingual and trans Mexican social work practitioner serving the transgender community, particularly those with intersecting and marginalized identities. Pau began his social work career in California as an LGBTQ+ and immigrant justice advocate. He also brings over a decade of experience providing strengths-based case management and continuum of care support services to people living with HIV. Today Pau resides in Portland, OR with his wife and four cats, and he is an MSW candidate at Portland State University. Pau believes it's important to have shared identities and values with the populations you work with because it helps create trust and a sense of belonging for our communities. He is passionate about advancing health and mental health equity for immigrant, Latine and transgender communities through mutual aid principles and practice. Pau aims to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and work with medically underserved populations providing culturally responsive, gender-affirming care that is patient centered. | |
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| Rebecca Izzo | Throughout her social work career so far Rebecca has worked with teens and young adults in residential and outpatient settings providing case management services. She enjoys doing dual diagnosis work and incorporates a mix of DBT, CBT and mindfulness skills when working with clients. Rebecca is a certified yoga instructor and has been able to provide yoga for clients over the years as a way to help build the mind-body connection. Being the descendant of farmers and ranchers, and growing up in a rural area herself, Rebecca hopes to pursue working in a rural setting providing clinical mental health care upon graduation. | |
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| Rebecca Simmons (she/her) | Rebecca’s experience working in the field of community-based violence prevention education and advocacy led her to pursue a career in clinical social work. She is completing her School Social Work Licensure and looks forward to providing trauma-informed, strengths-based, and collaborative work with rural youth and their families. | |
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| Rhonda Bolow (she/her) | Rhonda Bolow has spent the last year interning in Integrated Behavioral Health at the Tillamook County Health Centers practicing community outreach and support, and is now practicing Clinical Social Work for the next phase in her education. Rhonda is an active learner and researcher of evidence-based practices and interventions to improve the quality of life for individuals and families living in rural communities. Her primary focus is providing a safe, therapeutic environment for others while using a holistic approach. Rhonda is looking forward to working in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team and with patients over this next year. She is most excited to work closely with other students and professors as she learns more about Integrated Behavioral Health. | |
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| Sarah Mackenzie (She/Her) | Sarah began her social work career providing peer support, case management, and community outreach for families with children that experience disabilities. She is passionate about providing mental health care for children and families in underserved communities. Sarah is pursuing her School Social Work Licensure and hopes to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She looks forward to providing strengths- based and client- centered practices that are trauma informed to rural communities. | |
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| Sharon Martinez | Sharon has experience working with BIPOC Communities and brings a culturally inclusive lens into her work as a Latina practitioner. Sharon's approach to Mental Health is trauma-informed, and guided by empowerment principles. Her modalities include CBT, CPT, and Holistic practices. She is certified as a Infant-Toddler Mental Health Specialist and has facilitated Child-Centered Play Therapy in her work with children. | |
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| Valentina Frankl | Valentina is passionate about helping the Hispanic monolingual community. As a Bilingual and Bicultural, she wants to bring awareness about mental health and how it affects life and relationships. Valentina currently works for a non-profit organization that provides services to families at risk of losing their homes. She hopes that by healing, community members can take care of themselves and their families. Valentina believes that it is possible to have a beautiful, fulfilling, and happy life by doing the work and healing from past trauma. | |
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| Yoselin Aguirre | Yoselin (Yo-sé-leen) is a queer, first-generation, Chicana. They work with a culturally specific organization in Portland that works with survivors of DV/SA within the Latinx community. She is also a part of a research team with Dr. Geyton from the School of Social Work. Yoselin advocates for nonexclusive mutual aid and hopes to work directly with underserved communities after she graduates with her MSW. | |