TRI's Organizational Ambassador of the Year: Loma Linda University's School of Behavioral Health
It is a great honor to give to Loma Linda University's School of Behavioral Health, the Trauma Resource Institute's first recognition as "Organizational Ambassador.” This recognition is for the dedication and passionate commitment demonstrated by the entire trauma team to the Trauma Resource Institute.
In 2010, Elaine Miller-Karas, our co-founder, had the good fortune to meet Dr. Beverly Buckles, the Dean of the School of Behavioral Health at Loma Linda University. TRI was embarking upon a large-scale research project funded by the California Mental Health Services Act. There was an instantaneous synergy between Ms. Miller-Karas and Dr. Buckles. They shared a vision of bringing healing to marginalized communities worldwide. Since 2010, TRI and Loma Linda's School of Behavioral Health have been partners and collaborators. The support given by Loma Linda has been one of the reasons why the Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® has expanded to many places around the globe.
In addition, during TRI’s inception, the excellent researchers at Loma Linda, helped to begin development of the research about the Community Resiliency Model. Dr. Susanne Montgomery, Dr. Kimberly Freeman, Dr. David Vermeersch and Dr. Adam Arechiga made themselves available to address issues with regard to the best methods available to research our models of intervention to Elaine Miller-Karas. Dr. David Vermeersch was the first to share with TRI that enough evidence had been developed that we could call our Community Resiliency Model "research-informed." Each member of the Trauma Team contributed to bringing the Community Resiliency Model to our international community including Talolo Lepale, MSW, MBA, Dr. Zephon Lister and Dr. Winetta Oloo. The Loma Linda team gave hundreds of volunteer hours to TRI in helping this effort.
This will give you a brief overview of the School of Behavioral Health's worldwide efforts:
The Loma Linda University International Behavior Health Trauma Team (IBHTT) operated by the Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health (based in Loma Linda, California, USA) has been providing international trauma training and psychological first aid disaster response (natural and man-made) and related disaster preparation training since 1995.
Since 1995, the LLUH Behavioral Health Trauma Team has responded to natural disasters and conflict zones in over 60 countries around the world; including but not limited to the 2005 Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, earthquakes in China, Haiti, and Nepal, incidences of industrial violence, the aftermath of the civil war in the Côte D’Ivoire, Africa, the military conflict in the Ukraine, Sierra Leone Ebola crisis, support for survivors and employees directly impacted by the San Bernardino shooting, and many more. The IBHTT is comprised of advanced behavioral health faculty professionals, including faculty and alumni in the Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health, and clinicians employed through Loma Linda University Health.
In 2011, Dr. Bev Buckles, Dean of the School of Behavioral Health, founder and lead for the IBHTT, required team members supporting services in Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, to complete initial training in the Community Resiliency Model. Data results of interventions provided in Côte d'Ivoire gave evidence to the overwhelming effectiveness of CRM. Subsequently, all members of the IBHTT were required to complete training in both CRM and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)®. The IBHTT now uses these models to support both international services and the clinical interventions provided in the USA.
Since 2010, the IBHTT has used CRM in over 40 international services and trainings around the world, including serving as members of the global services of TRI as needed. Beginning in 2012, the IBHTT began collaborative research with TRI to continue to evaluate the effectiveness of CRM. Under the leadership of Dr. Susanne Montgomery, Associate Dean for Research in the School of Behavioral Health, a robust research agenda continues to expand to support both global outreach and healthcare applications.
We want to recognize each member of their team. We encourage you to read the short bio of each team member. Thank you each and everyone and to the School of Behavioral Health at Loma Linda University.
Adam L. Aréchiga, MA, PsyD, DrPH is the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs for the School of Behavioral Health. He is an Associate Professor in the School of Behavioral Health, and the School of Public Health at LLU. He is a member of the Behavioral Health Trauma Team and has traveled all over the world teaching community leaders’ techniques that help build resilience in communities that have been impacted by natural or manmade disasters. Dr. Aréchiga is specialized in Clinical Health Psychology, and Preventive Care. He has multiple certifications and maintains a small private practice at LLUH’s BHI, where he focuses on anxiety disorders and trauma. Dr. Aréchiga has multiple papers and presentations and continues to do research on trauma interventions.
Beverly J. Buckles, MSW, DSW, is Dean of the School of Behavioral Health at Loma Linda University, and Vice President for Behavioral Health Education at Loma Linda University Health. She is the founder and leads the Loma Linda University International Behavioral Health Trauma Team, for which she received the Loma Linda University Centennial Vanguard Award in 2006. Dr. Buckles is the recipient of the 2010 Social Worker of the Year, California Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers for: 1) the promotion of partnerships between academia and mental health systems and services in California; 2) leadership in the transformation of mental health curricula throughout California infusing recovery and anti-stigma content used by the National Council on Social Work Education to establish criteria for mental health curricula for MSW programs in the US, and 3) dedication to international disaster preparation and response. Dr. Buckles’ continues to be actively involved in the implementation of resiliency methodologies around the world and at home to support individuals, families, communities, organizations and governments to improve treatment interventions and consumer outcomes.
Dr. Kimberly Freeman, MA, MSW, PhD is the Executive Associate Chair of the Department of Social Work and Social Ecology at Loma Linda University. Areas of research and academic focus include pediatric psychology, trauma, and child behavioral health. Specific areas of current research include examining the effectiveness of using the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) with various populations within healthcare settings and assessing the usefulness of CRM in creating a sustainable intervention program within underserved international communities. She has also served on the Loma Linda University International Behavioral Health Trauma Team for 14 years where she has conducted numerous presentations/trainings on how to intervene and promote optimal development in high-risk children from a global perspective.
Talolo Lepale, MSW, MBA, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of California with over 20 years of professional experience as a clinical social worker. He has worked in the areas of forensic psychiatric social work, child welfare, medical social work, oncology social work, palliative care, and academics. Mr. Lepale is currently an Assistant Professor for Loma Linda University’s School of Behavioral Health and serves as the Director of Field Education for the Social Work and Social Ecology Department’s Master of Social Work Program. Since joining the faculty at Loma Linda University in 2016, Mr. Lepale has become a member of the School of Behavioral Health’s International Trauma Team serving around the world to address man-made and natural disasters by providing trauma resilience skills to affected communities. Internationally, he has helped to develop partnerships and train community leaders throughout Samoa in trauma resiliency that have resulted in mutual benefits for the participating agencies in Samoa and Loma Linda University. Mr. Lepale has also led and coordinated an international team of healthcare professionals and students to assist in rebuilding a networked healthcare system in the country of Angola and provided them with trauma resiliency skills addressing the impact of a multigenerational civil war. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Lepale is working on developing a behavioral health clinic that will train social work interns to provide trauma resiliency skills to youth, K-12, and their families through the school they attend.
Zephon Lister, PhD, LMFT is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and Family Science at Loma Linda University and is the Director of the PhD Program in Systems, Families and Couples. Dr. Lister is a trained pastor, licensed marriage and family therapist and family science researcher. His research interests include global mental health, the influence of religion on family health and functioning as well as the integration of behavioral health into health care settings, in particular the behavioral management of chronic illness and provision of brief interventions for anxiety, depression and trauma.
Susanne Montgomery, MS, MPH, PhD, joined Loma Linda University (LLU) in 1995 and is currently the Associate Dean for Research in the LLU School of Behavioral Health. She is a Professor of Social Work and Social Ecology, Public Health, and Preventive Medicine and the Head of the SBH Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. She leads the behavioral health research planning efforts for LLU and has been working as a researcher on the International Trauma Team since 2015. Trained as a social/behavioral epidemiologist her research focus is on hard-to-access, underserved populations and health disparities from a behavioral health and prevention perspective. She has been a Principal and Co-Investigator on several NIH, CDC, Foundation, and State-funded projects, and mentors faculty in their efforts to seek extramural funding. She has published over 140 peer-reviewed articles and often serves as a peer reviewer for NIH, CDC, and several professional journals.
Winetta Oloo, MS, PhD, LMFT, is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Counseling and Family Sciences within the School of Behavioral Health at Loma Linda University. Dr. Oloo has been a member of the International Behavioral Health Trauma Team since 2011 and in that capacity has utilized Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® and Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM) skills to build resilience in communities locally and around the world. Dr. Oloo’s research and clinical work have primarily focused on adolescent development and the use of mental health recovery principles in the treatment of severe mental illness. Dr. Oloo has multiple peer-reviewed publications and has presented on these topics as well as trauma-informed care for national and international audiences. She looks forward to supporting the significant work of the Trauma Resource Institute through teaching and research.
David Vermeersch, MA. PhD, is Chair and Professor in the Loma Linda University Department of Psychology. He has published widely in the area of psychotherapy outcome, focusing primarily on the development of a psychotherapy quality management system aimed at early identification and intervention with patients who are not responding or deteriorating in psychotherapy. He is responsible for providing oversight to all programs in the Department of Psychology. He formally served for 12 years in the role of Director of Clinical Training for the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program, providing oversight of practicum and predoctoral internship placements. He serves as chair of the LLU School of Behavioral Health Rank, Tenure, & Promotion Committee, is a member of the Executive and Administrative Councils in the School of Behavioral Health, and has been a member of the Loma Linda University International Behavioral Health Trauma Team since 2013. He is also a member of the American Psychological Association and the Society for Psychotherapy Research. He is a licensed psychologist and maintains a small practice, providing assessment and treatment to a broad range of patients with diverse presenting problems.
