RAMS STAFF

RAMS Leadership & Management

RAMS Clinical Supervisors

Clinical Consultants

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

President & Chief Executive Officer - Kavoos Ghane Bassiri, LMFT, CGP
Kavoos G. Bassiri is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Certified Group Psychotherapist with over two decades of clinical and administrative experience in the field of mental health. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSF School of Medicine and maintains a private psychotherapy & consultation practice. He is President for the Board of Directors of NICOS Chinese Health Coalition and President for the Association of San Francisco Mental Health Contractors. In addition, he is a current member of the Board of Trustees at San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis, Community Advisory Committee for the SF Anthem Blue Cross State Sponsored Business, Leadership Council for Mental Health Association of San Francisco, and an Honorary Advisor for the Community Healing Centers of San Francisco and Marin.

Prior to the current position at RAMS, he served on the management team of the Department of Psychiatry at San Francisco General Hospital for eight years and was also the Co-Chair of the Cultural Consultation Service and Co-Director of the Psychopharmacology Seminar & Clinical Case Conference Series. Additionally, he served as an Adjunct Faculty with the Graduate Psychology Program at New College of California and has taught at UC Berkeley Extension. He has traveled to Southeast Asia and other countries as an invited volunteer healthcare professional with Doctor to Doctor organization participating in educational conferences and providing assistance to other healthcare professionals in underserved places around the world.

He is a clinician, administrator, and teacher, who is known locally, nationally, and internationally for his expertise in clinical cultural competence, group psychotherapy and facilitation, psychosocial rehabilitation, organizational development, and outcome-oriented practice in psychotherapy. Furthermore, his areas of interest include working with the culturally diverse and seriously mentally ill population, psychoanalytic theory and practice, applied psychoanalysis, and training on case formulation, treatment planning & clinical documentation.

Chief Financial Officer - Ken Choi, MBA, CPA, CMA
Ken Choi has over 17 years of hands-on and management experience and expertise in accounting, finance, and system administration in not-for-profit healthcare organizations. Most recently, Mr. Choi was the Fiscal Officer at On Lok SeniorHealth, a community-based program of all-inclusive care for the elderly. He has also served as a Senior Technical Financial Consultant at Kaiser Permanente, a Decision Support Analyst at Catholic Healthcare West, and the Accounting Manager at Davies Medical Center.   

Mr. Choi holds an MBA in Accounting, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), an IRS Enrolled Agent (EA), and is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. He is recognized for consistently demonstrating diligence, effective leadership style, management competence, and cooperative efforts with internal personnel and external partners. Additionally, Mr. Choi is a long-standing resident of San Francisco and is bilingual in Cantonese.  He is highly committed to community-based healthcare programs and services and is extremely familiar with healthcare and community issues that impact the client population which RAMS serves. 

Deputy Chief/Director of Clinical Services - Christina Shea, LMFT
Christina Shea is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has been working in the mental health field for over 20 years.  She currently serves on the San Francisco Mental Health Services Act Advisory Committee. Prior to her appointment as Deputy Chief/Director of Clinical Services at RAMS, Ms. Shea served in the role of Director of Child, Youth & Family Services for three years providing leadership and effective clinical, administrative, and fiscal management for the department.  During her tenure, the RAMS Child, Youth & Family Services Department enhanced its service capacity to meet the ever-changing needs of the community, while strengthening funding sources.  Ms. Shea has further developed and sustained strong partnerships with community organizations and public agencies leading to the expansion of our school-based services and outreach efforts.  Prior to that, for six years she had also been instrumental in the successful planning, implementation, and management of the RAMS Fu Yau Project (collaborative project with Chinatown Child Development Center, Child, Youth and Family System of Care, CBHS-SFDPH); a prevention & early intervention mental health services program for the childcare community, which has grown dramatically since its inception.  Ms. Shea has had experience in providing services in a variety of settings and roles, including social worker, child development specialist, and head teacher. As a clinical social worker, she provided long-term treatment and case management services to chronically mentally ill adults, which led to higher levels of functioning.  She also successfully developed, planned, and facilitated adult rehabilitative groups in their native languages. 

As a first-generation immigrant from Hong Kong and mother of two children, Ms. Shea is personally and professionally aware of the assimilation, acculturation, and developmental issues that are prevalent in the population in which RAMS serves.  She is a strong advocate for the underserved communities, continuously raises awareness about mental health issues, diligently works on efforts to address barriers of access to services, and is passionate in mentoring and promoting the next generation of bilingual and bicultural clinicians.  She brings a wealth of experience and expertise in providing culturally competent and consumer-driven mental health services, with a unique specialty in working with the Asian & Pacific Islander American population.  Ms. Shea is also regularly sought-after by the community, including various media, to provide expert commentary on mental health issues and related current events.   

Ms. Shea has worked with diverse populations - African Americans, Asian Americans, Chinese immigrants and refugees from South East Asia, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, severely emotionally disabled adults, adolescents, children, and families.  She is especially passionate in serving the low income and underserved young children and families.  Ms. Shea integrates psychodynamic, systems, and behavioral theories in her clinical approach and is especially interested in group dynamics and play therapy.

Operations Manager - Angela Tang, MSW  
Angela Tang received her Master's of Science in Social Work from Columbia University and earned her Bachelor's of Social Work at San Francisco State University. Currently, she is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Smith College School for Social Work, and was formerly a Field Instructor at Yeshiva University. Prior to joining RAMS in 2004, she provided direct services and conducted various administration projects at community-based organizations and public agencies, including Hamilton-Madison House (NYC), an employee assistance program for a union of sheet metal workers (NYC, NYC Human Resources Administration/Dept. of Social Services - Office of Program Reporting, Analysis & Accountability, Asian Women's Shelter (SF), and Balboa Teen Health Clinic (SF).

Director of Adult Outpatient Services Clinic - Sachi Inoue, PhD
Dr. Sachi Inoue is a bilingual & bicultural licensed clinical psychologist, who has been serving culturally & linguistically diverse clients in community settings in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1990.  She is committed to and advocates for providing culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate services to the underserved communities.  Dr. Inoue is also a candidate in analytic training at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. She is committed to creating a bridge between the psychoanalytic community and public mental health arena so that analytic treatment can be more accessible for broader populations and analytically trained clinicians can provide high quality services to community mental health clients.  Prior to joining RAMS as the Director of Adult Outpatient Services Clinic, Dr. Inoue worked at Asian Community Mental Health Services for five years as a Clinical Supervisor providing direct services, facilitating clinical training, program management, and quality care assurance.  She was also a Project Coordinator at California School of Professional Psychology in Alameda (CSPP-Alameda) and had conducted a needs assessment focusing on relationship abuse among teenagers as well as program evaluations for domestic violence shelters and prevention agencies.  Additionally Dr. Inoue has taught as an adjunct faculty at CSPP-Alameda and served on the dissertation committee for graduate students.  She maintains a private practice in Berkeley and San Francisco where she provides psychotherapy and consultation for adults and families.

Dr. Inoue received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from CSPP-Alameda, and was a former pre-doctoral intern of the National Asian American Psychology Training Center at RAMS.  Dr. Inoue obtained a M.S. degree in Counseling, with an emphasis on Marriage, Family, & Child Counseling from San Francisco State University.  She also received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Textiles from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland.  Originally from Japan, Dr. Inoue received her bachelor's degree in product design from Musashino Art University in Tokyo.

Director of Asian Family Institute - Eddie Chiu, PhD - Supervisor for Staff
Dr. Eddie Yu-Wai Chiu received his Ph.D. from California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles.  He is a licensed Chinese American psychologist with many years of clinical experience working with culturally diverse mental health consumers.  Dr. Chiu has been the Director of Asian Family Institute (AFI) since 1998, and previously the Director of the Adult Outpatient Clinic as well. Under his leadership, AFI has flourished to become a highly respected clinic providing culturally competent psychological services for Chinese and other Asian ethnic minority populations in the Bay Area, while expanding its services to include the Problem Gambling Prevention and Treatment Project, CalWORKs Project, and Fee-for-Services Program.  He has completed research on Asian adolescent gambling behaviors.  At AFI, Dr. Chiu supervises interns/trainees and staff and provides training on multicultural mental health issues.  He is a well-known teacher/speaker on and an active advocate for Asian-American mental health, and is sought out by media (including radio, TV, newspapers) to provide commentary on various mental health topics.  In addition, Dr. Chiu provides psycho-educational workshops to the Asian communities, as well as conducts seminars and colloquiums at national conferences on Asian mental health.  

Dr. Chiu also teaches at Alliant International University and John F. Kennedy University in the San Francisco Bay Area.  He teaches courses such as family therapy, Asian American psychology, psychological testing, intelligence assessment, brief therapy, law and ethics, and clinical supervision. 

Dr. Chiu�s research interests include Asian mental health issues, personality in multicultural setting, problem gambling, cultural formulation of assessment and treatment, and child and family issues.  Recently he has published two book chapters on Asian mental health (Negy, C., 2008).  The titles of the book chapters are �Cultural Bereavement and Sense of Coherence: Its Implications for Psychotherapy with Southeast Asian Refugees� and �Assessment and Psychotherapy with Asian Americans�.  He is particularly interested in the integration of family systems, Ericksonian, psychodynamic methods, and other useful approaches in psychotherapy with individuals, couples, and families.  Also, Dr. Chiu maintains a private practice in the Bay Area. 

Administrator / Director of Operations, Broderick Street Adult Residential Facility - Michael Badolato, LMFT
Michael Badolato is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and has worked with dual and triple diagnosed individuals in residential settings for over 10 years. Prior to coming to RAMS, he was Coordinator of the Residential Treatment Program at Westside Lodge. There he utilized the Social Rehabilitation Model to foster recovery from addictions as well as assisting individuals to gain an increased sense of self-awareness and promote enhanced independent living skills. In New York, Mr. Badolato worked for the Partnership for the Homeless for four years as a Vocational Specialist.  Additionally, he also developed and facilitated a life transition workshop as part of the federally funded Senior Aides Project.  His workshop assisted senior citizens living at the poverty level who desired to re-enter the work force with making the transition to subsidized and un-subsidized employment. He also developed and co-authored "Seniors on the Move" a monthly newsletter designed to provide information and recognition to the programs participants as well as function as a vehicle for a sense of connectedness and belonging. 

Mr. Badolato received his B.A. from Fordham University in New York and an M.A. in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He is also trained in Psychodynamic, Gestalt, and Transpersonal therapies & approaches, healing with a holistic viewpoint that seeks to integrate Mind, Body, and Spirit. He is deeply committed to creating environments that uphold humanistic principles as the foundation for true growth and healing.

Director of Child, Youth & Family Outpatient Services Clinic - Nira Singh, PsyD
Nira Singh is a licensed psychologist, with many years of experience providing dedicated & culturally competent services to underserved communities, especially the South Asians and victims of abuse, conducting advocacy and treatment, as well as facilitating psycho-educational presentations for the community at large. 

Most recently at Narika, an agency that addresses domestic violence in the South Asian community, Dr. Singh was instrumental in creating & implementing outreach plans to increase awareness, providing training and supervision to volunteers, and facilitating community forums.  She is also a former Pre-Doctoral Intern of the National Asian American Psychological Training Center and clinical staff member at RAMS CYF Outpatient Services. As such, she is familiar with RAMS operations and has had hands-on experience with the populations RAMS serves. While at California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, Dr. Singh served as Coordinator for the Teen Relationship Abuse Project, adjunct faculty member for the Intercultural Awareness Development, and continues to serve as a Consultant/Lecturer for the Multicultural Psychology and Family Violence.  Also, as a dancer, she values incorporating artistic approaches and activities in her clinical/therapeutic work.

Director, Fu Yau Project - Rose Sneed, PsyD  
Dr. Rose Sneed is the Director of the Fu Yau Project and facilitates the delivery of services to the center-based and home based child-care sites in San Francisco. She also provides administrative, individual, and group supervision to the consultants who work for the Project.  Prior to her current position, Dr. Sneed served as a Mental Health Consultant for several years with Fu Yau before she assumed the coordinator's position.

While Dr. Sneed has worked primarily with young children and families, she is also trained and has professional work experiences with college students, chronically mentally ill adults, and geriatric clients.  She has worked as an individual and group psychotherapist, provided case management services, and has conducted psychological testing.  Dr. Sneed also provided group and individual clinical supervision to doctoral and master level psychology trainees. Her academic interest has been focused on the connection between multiple minority identities and socio-economic status.

Dr. Sneed received a B.A. in Psychology at DePaul University in Chicago. She received a M.A. and Psy.D. from Alliant University, California School of Professional Psychology.

Director of Hire-Ability Vocational Services - Daniel Michael
Daniel Michael is the Director of Vocational Services for the RAMS Hire-Ability program and has over 20 years of experience in the mental health field. During these years, he has specialized in developing and administrating vocational rehabilitation programs for individuals with mental health disabilities. He began his career with Phoenix Enterprises, a vocational rehabilitation program in Contra Costa County and established NISH federal contracts employing hundreds of individuals at Travis, Oakland, and Concord military bases. He has developed job placement programs through the State Department of Rehabilitation, Private Industry Counsel, county mental health, state personnel board, and others. He has established CARF accredited programs in Supported Employment, Work Adjustment, Job Development and Placement. In addition, Mr. Michael is a strong advocate of the development of partnerships with business and has established agreements with regional and local business to provide many job training and job placement opportunities throughout the Bay Area.

Director of Training & National Asian American Psychology Training Center - Alla Volovich, PhD
Dr. Alla Volovich received her Ph.D. in psychology from Moscow State University and completed her postdoctoral clinical training at the UCSF/Mt. Zion Medical Center in San Francisco. In her 20 years as a psychologist, both in the USA and in Russia, Dr. Volovich has published a number of professional papers; conducted several large-scale research projects on cross-cultural psychology; and taught classes to university students and supervised their research and clinical work. Before her relocation to the USA, Dr. Volovich worked as a psychotherapist, lecturer, and researcher in Moscow. She was one of the founding members of the Division of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy of the Russian Association of Practicing Psychologists, and served as the Division's Secretary. Two research projects she co-authored were awarded USSR Academy of Sciences sponsorship, and she served as the Chief Investigator on these projects. Having started her work in the USA as a Visiting Professor at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, and having worked as a psychotherapist in primary medical and community mental health settings in San Francisco, Dr. Volovich continues to combine clinical work with teaching and supervision. 

In addition to her work as the Training Center Director, Dr. Volovich serves as a member of Doctoral Dissertation Committees for several local schools and maintains a private practice in San Francisco that emphasizes psychotherapy with adults, children, and families, as well as clinical and cultural consultations. Her clinical orientation combines psychoanalysis, predominantly, object relations, with theoretical ideas from the cultural-historical approach (Lev Vygotsky, Alexander Luria). Her areas of interest and expertise include therapy with severely troubled and fragile clients, particularly those with childhood traumas; cultural issues in child development; and issues related to cross-cultural communication in psychotherapy and clinical training.  Her own contributions to the field of cross-cultural mental health include studies of perceived gender roles and sex-role socialization of children vis-a-vie Russian cultural orientation; study of socio-cultural norms reflected in children's books; research on specifics of psychotherapy with Russian clients; as well as her current work as a member of the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association Executive Committee for the Workforce Training Project-the first effort to develop a core curriculum for training clinicians on providing culturally competent services to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (nation-wide research supported by a grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration).

Director of PAES Counseling & Pre-Vocational Services - Debra Salan, MSW, PhD
Dr. Debra Salan has over 20 years of administrative, clinical, and academic teaching experience working in a diverse range of social service settings and program areas, with particular focus on substance abuse treatment, women, and poverty.  Currently, she is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Smith College School for Social Work.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Dr. Salan spent 25 years living and working in Israel, where she was a faculty member for 14 years at the Paul Bearwald School of Social Work at Hebrew University.  Also, she worked for many years as a clinical social worker in a public neighborhood multi-service agency and primary health care clinic serving individuals, couples, families, the disabled, and elderly.  While at Hebrew University, Dr. Salan taught courses in the areas of treatment intervention & policy, supervised students in field placements, and directed two large-scale continuing education training/licensing programs.  Dr. Salan�s dissertation and research interests focus on the treatment experiences of substance abusing Israeli women, and she has presented her work at international conferences.  She also maintained a thriving independent management consultant practice, providing group training and executive coaching to clients of the corporate and non-profit sectors, on topics ranging from management practice to sales & customer service. 

Since her return to the U.S.A. in 2003, Dr. Salan has continued her work with clients with substance abuse, homeless, and mental illness issues.  She was formerly the Clinical Coordinator at the San Francisco Pretrial Services, and most recently the Director of the SafeHouse for Women, a transitional housing program for homeless prostituted women. 

Dr. Salan received her PhD in Social Work from the Hebrew University (Jerusalem) and earned her MSW with an emphasis in Organization, Planning and Administration from the University of California, Berkeley (UCB).  She completed her undergraduate studies with honors in Social Sciences also at (UCB) and was elected into Phi Beta Kappa. 

Director of Behavioral Health Services, Wellness Centers Program - Kristin Chun, LMFT
Kristin Chun is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, born and raised in San Francisco. As the Director of Behavioral Health Services of the Wellness Centers Program at RAMS, she manages the behavioral health services that are provided on-site at the 15 high school-based Wellness Centers located throughout San Francisco. Her interest in coordinating care for adolescents stems from working as a clinician for the past six years through RAMS school-based services at George Washington High School and the Wellness Center at John O�Connell High School.  Since joining RAMS in 2000, she has provided services to severely mentally ill adults as a trainee, provided consultation to the pre-school community through the Fu-Yau Project, and currently serves as a Change Agent responsible for facilitating the integration of mental health and substance abuse services within the agency. As a former student of the public school system in San Francisco, she remains committed to serving at-risk youth in the community. She completed her graduate degree in Clinical Psychology at New College of California.

Medical Director of RAMS Adult Outpatient Clinic - Ravi Chandra, MD
Dr. Ravi Chandra is the Medical Director for the Adult Outpatient Clinic, and manages the psychiatric evaluation & medication support services that are being provided to clients of the clinic. Dr. Chandra received his Sc.B. in Biology from Brown University and an M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in General Adult Psychiatry at UCSF.  Along the way, he has pursued work in health policy, bioethics, and family medicine. During an internship in Family Medicine, his interest in psychiatry was kindled by working with survivors of war trauma.

Dr. Chandra is highly dedicated to serving the community through RAMS; he has also served as the Attending Psychiatrist at the Adult Outpatient Clinic and PAES Counseling & Pre-Vocational Services programs of RAMS. He continues to further explore a diverse range of interests, including cross cultural issues, film, psychology, spirituality, and politics. He writes occasional articles for such publications as Nha Magazine and Hyphen Magazine. Dr. Chandra has conducted presentations for the public (on themes such as relationships and mental illness), and local & national audiences of psychiatrists (e.g. spiritual and psychological aspects of film). He also maintains a private practice in San Francisco, which is primarily devoted to psychotherapy.

Medical Director of RAMS Child, Youth & Family Services  - Wesley Dunn, MD
Dr. Wesley Dunn graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Southern California and then completed his general psychiatry residency at San Mateo County.  He pursued additional training at Stanford University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development.  At Stanford University, Dr. Dunn served as the Chief Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow.

Dr. Dunn has been awarded several honors, including an American Medical Association Scholarship to provide medical care in Brazil and a National Institute of Mental Health travel scholarship to New York for bipolar research.  He was also featured in the San Francisco Chronicle for his practice of hypnotherapy with pediatric oncology patients.

Dr. Dunn has always had an interest in cultural psychiatry and presented on pediatric cultural psychiatry at the 10th Annual Stanford University Symposium on Developmental Approaches to Psychopathology.  In addition to his work at RAMS, he maintains a private practice in Burlingame.

CLINICAL SUPERVISORS

Gene Chen, LCSW - Clinical Supervisor for Staff
Gene Chen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and was formerly the Program Director of Chinatown Child Development Center (CCDC), San Francisco Department Mental Health - Community Behavioral Health Services.  Mr. Chen has a profound and influential career lasting over 35 years as a compassionate social worker, inspiring administrator, and empowering advocate.  For 32 years, he had been involved with CCDC, in various capacities - first, as a psychiatric social worker in 1973, then as a Clinical Director in 1983, and lastly as a Program Director in 1992.  CCDC is the first mental health clinic in San Francisco providing services specifically to Chinese children and their families.  CCDC also houses the Fu Yau Project, a successful collaboration between RAMS and CCDC that provides effective early prevention, intervention, and mental health consultation services. 

Born in China, Mr. Chen grew up in San Francisco's Chinatown and is a graduate of Fresno State University and Rutgers University (New Jersey).  Throughout his career, as a bilingual licensed clinical social worker, he has practiced locally, nationally, and internationally.  He is very active in the Asian community, tirelessly advocating for mental health services that are accessible, culturally competent, and linguistically appropriate.  He has also served on the Board of Directors of the NICOS Chinese Health Coalition and on the Executive Committee of the Caring for Asian Children Collaborative. 

German Cheung, PsyD - Clinical Supervisor for Practicum Trainees
Dr. German Cheung is a bilingual and bicultural licensed psychologist who earned his Doctor of Psychology degree from Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University, in La Mirada, CA.  Currently a psychologist at the RAMS Outpatient Clinic, Dr. Cheung has also worked as a Behavioral Health Counselor within the RAMS Wellness Centers Program, providing on-site direct services and consultation at Abraham Lincoln High School.  Before completing his Predoctoral Internship at the National Asian American Psychology Training Center at RAMS, he also served as a Staff Therapist at the Biola Counseling Center in Southern California for nearly three years.

Dr. Cheung�s clinical approach is heavily influenced by Object-Relations, Intersubjectivity, and Relational Psychoanalytic theories.  His clinical interests include multiculturalism, integration of spirituality and psychology, and working with the severely mentally ill.  Dr. Cheung recently conducted a presentation about his experience in working with the severely mentally ill community at the International Society for the Psychological Treatments of the Schizophrenias and Other Psychoses (ISPS-US) Ninth Annual Meeting.

Eddie Chiu, PhD - Supervisor for Staff and Practicum Trainees

Judy Curtis, PsyD, LMFT - Clinical Supervisor for Staff
Dr. Judy Curtis is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in San Francisco, and received her Doctorate in Psychology from the Wright Institute. Aside from teaching an intake conference, supervising practicum students, and serving as Acting Director of Training at McAuley Institute, she also conducts group supervision, as well as individual consultation. Previously, Dr. Curtis served as the Program Director at the Bridge To Wellness Psychiatric Outpatient Services and she currently provides individual clinical supervision to staff at RAMS. Until recently, she served on the San Francisco/East Bay Education Committee of the Northern California Society of Psychoanalytic Psychology. Dr. Curtis has a strong interest in psychoanalytic theory and practice and currently serves on the Board of Directors at Access Institute for Psychological Services.

Katherine Eng, PhD - Clinical Supervisor for NAAPTC Predoctoral Interns and Practicum Trainees
Dr. Katherine Eng received her PhD from the California School of Professional Psychology - Alameda with an emphasis in Multicultural and Community Psychology. Her commitment to serving ethnically and culturally diverse populations prompted her to gain training and expertise in these areas.  In addition to practica at agencies in the City and County of San Francisco, Dr. Eng completed an APA-accredited internship at the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology (CMTP) at Boston University/Boston Medical Center.  Following this, Dr. Eng was a Post-doctoral Fellow at Family and Community Enrichment Services, Inc. in San Carlos, California with a specialization in family therapy and psychological assessment.  Continuing to work with children and families, she fulfilled the duties of a school psychologist at San Jose Unified School District in the Special Education Department.  Prior to working at RAMS, she worked for two years at South Cove Community Health Center, a comprehensive medical center serving Asian-Americans in Massachusetts and the greater New England area, providing bilingual/bicultural therapy, assessment, training, and supervision.  Dr. Eng is currently a licensed psychologist in the RAMS Adult Outpatient Services Clinic and speaks Toisanese and Cantonese.

Cress Forester, PsyD - Clinical Supervisor for Staff
Dr. Cress Forester has been working with patients in a variety of settings since 1986. She obtained both her M.A. and her Psy.D. from the California Institute of Integral Studies. She specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation, working with somatic complaints and countertransference, and in clinical self-care. She has presented her work and research findings at the annual conferences for the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Her research on vicarious traumatization has been submitted for publication.

Since 1998, Dr. Forester has provided trainings on working with trauma and vicarious traumatization at numerous clinics throughout the Bay Area, including to the San Francisco General Hospital's trauma team, the San Francisco Veterans Administration, and West Cost Children's Center.  She has taught graduate university courses in clinical theory, and clinical practice, and provided a year-long case-conference to graduate psychology trainees at the Institute on Aging.  

For over six years, Dr. Forester provided direct services at the RAMS Outpatient Clinic and continues to serve as a clinical supervisor. She also provided direct services at the Boyer House Foundation and currently maintains a private practice in San Francisco where she conducts psychotherapy and consultation.

Anastasya Glezerman, PhD - NAAPTC Assessment Supervisor and Instructor for NAAPTC Predoctoral Internship Group Supervision/Assessment Seminar
Dr. Anastasya Glezerman received her Ph.D. in psychology from California School of Professional Psychology, Berkeley/Alameda campus. Both her Pre-doctoral and Post-doctoral clinical training focused on psychodiagnostic assessment and emphasized application of psychological testing to minority populations. She interned at the University of California, San Francisco Center on Deafness, which specializes in Neuropsychological Assessment and treatment of deaf and hard of hearing children and adults. As a Post-doctoral Fellow in Clinical Neuropsychology at the Laguna Honda Hospital, San Francisco, she developed expertise in psychodiagnostic assessment, consultation, and treatment planning in inpatient and day treatment settings for adult and elderly patients of diverse backgrounds. Since 1996, Dr. Glezerman has worked within the community mental health system, providing mental health counseling and therapy to immigrant and underserved populations. Currently, in addition to her supervision of the NAAPTC pre-doctoral interns, she continues working with Russian-speaking immigrants and provides psychological assessment through RAMS and private practice.

Dr. Glezerman has lectured on statistics, assessment, and cross-cultural competency since 1996. She is actively involved in research on psychological assessment of diverse populations, and her paper on cross-cultural assessment of dementia in geriatric clients was presented at the 2001 conference of the National Academy of Neuropsychology. Dr. Glezerman's particular areas of professional interest and expertise are cultural issues in psychological assessment and psychotherapy.

Matthew Gould, LMFT - Clinical Supervisor for Staff
Matthew Gould provides clinical supervision at RAMS to Behavioral Health Counselors working at the Wellness Centers Program.  He is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and also maintains a private psychotherapy and consultation practice in San Francisco where he provides treatment to adolescents and adults in individual, couples, and family therapy. His interests include psychoanalytic theory and technique, school-based dynamic therapy, group process, and working with adolescents. He provides supervision and consultation services through Project School Care at St. Mary's.  Also, he is the former Supervisor for the Wellness Centers Program.

Sachi Inoue, PhD - Supervisor for Staff, NAAPTC Predoctoral Interns, and Practicum Trainees

Talia Korenbrot, LMFT - Clinical Supervisor for Staff
Talia Korenbrot is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who is bilingual in Spanish. As a Clinical Supervisor for the Wellness Centers Program at RAMS, she provides supervision for Behavioral Health Counselors at the high school-based Wellness Centers, which are located in 15 high schools in San Francisco.  She also maintains a private psychotherapy practice in San Francisco.  Ms. Korenbrot is the former Behavioral Health Services Coordinator for the Wellness Centers Program at RAMS, and contributed to the success and legacy of the program.  Prior to working at RAMS, she had been working in the area of domestic violence for over seven years.  Her interest in serving the mental health needs of adolescents was fostered through her experience in designing & implementing a dating violence program for adolescent girls.

Clara Kwun, LCSW - Group Supervisor for NAAPTC Predoctoral Internship and Supervisor for Staff
Clara Kwun is an advanced candidate at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. She also maintains a private practice in San Francisco serving adults, adolescents, and children. Ms. Kwun has been a supervisor for California Pacific Medical Center; University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry, Langley Porter; New Leaf Services for our Community; Smith College of Social Work; and New College. She is also the past Director of the former Adolescent Day Treatment Center of California Pacific Medical Center.

Pen-Lung Liao, LMFT - Clinical Supervisor for Staff
Pen-Lung Liao, Clinical Coordinator at Broderick Street Adult Residential Facility of RAMS, is an Art Therapist and licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Mr. Liao received his master�s degree from the Notre Dame de Namur University and Bachelor�s degree from California College of the Arts in Oakland. He has worked with dual and triple diagnosed individuals in San Francisco for six years. Prior to joining RAMS, Mr. Liao worked as a Substance Abuse Counselor at Curry Senior Center and as Clinical Case Manager at Family Service Agency of San Francisco. Born and raised in Taiwan, he enjoys the cultural diversities in San Francisco, and in his work, he emphasizes the role of cultural and personal strengths to enhance relational and communication skills. 

Wei Lew, PhD - Clincial Supervisor for Staff

Michael Litter, PsyD - Group Supervisor for NAAPTC Predoctoral Interns and Practicum Trainees
Dr. Michael Litter serves as a clinical supervisor for a child-focused consultation group for trainees. He is a licensed clinical psychologist with an interest in working psychoanalytically with families, children, and adolescents. Dr. Litter earned his doctorate degree from the Wright Institute and completed his pre-doctoral training at RAMS. His research examined the therapeutic relationship's effect on treatment outcome among court-involved youth. Dr. Litter also maintains a private practice in San Francisco where he sees children, adolescents and adults.

Ellen Nichols, LMFT - Clinical Supervisor for Staff
Ellen Nichols received her Master�s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Dominican University of California and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.  She has worked in community mental health settings since she began her career in counseling and is committed to working with underserved and culturally diverse populations.  As a clinician for RAMS, she has held positions as a Mental Health Consultant for the High Quality Early Childhood Mental Health Initiative program, a Mental Health Counselor/school-based therapist for the Emotionally Disabled (ED) Partnership Program, and continues her work as a Mental Health Clinician & Clinical Supervisor at the RAMS Outpatient Services Clinic.

Andrew Pelfini, LMFT - Clinical Supervisor for Staff
Andrew Pelfini is a native of San Francisco Bay Area with over twenty years experience working in community mental health programs.  As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Mr. Pelfini has held positions and responsibilities including Clinical Director for acute mental health services, coordinated research protocols, and directed counseling and intern training programs.  He was the Director for the first counseling program for HIV/AIDS in San Francisco, at the height of the epidemic. Mr. Pelfini currently has a private practice in San Francisco serving the adult population and is a Lecturer in the Graduate Counseling Program at San Francisco State University having taught several courses to MFT trainees.  He has also served as an Examiner for Board of Behavioral Sciences. Mr. Pelfini has specialized in the treatment of dual diagnosis and acute mental health problems for over 10 years and has been noted for teaching students, interns, and licensed professionals compassionate care for people suffering from mental health concerns.

Debra Salan, MSW, PhD - Clinical Supervisor for MSW Interns

Christina Shea, LMFT - Supervisor for Staff and Practicum Trainees

Nira Singh, PsyD - Supervisor for Staff and Practicum Trainees 

Angela Tang, MSW - Clinical Supervisor for MSW Interns

Alla Volovich, PhD - Training Director, Supervisor for NAAPTC Predoctoral Interns, Practicum Trainees, and Staff

Hillary Weiss, PhD - Clinical Supervisor for Staff and Rotation Supervisor for NAAPTC Predoctoral Interns
Dr. Hillary Weiss is a licensed psychologist with a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology (PGSP).  She has provided clinical psychology services in the Bay Area for 10 years, including over 4 years in the San Francisco CBHS system.  Dr. Weiss works primarily with clients of ethnic, racial, cultural, and socioeconomic minorities.  Though experienced in treating a broad spectrum of mental illnesses and other psychosocial issues, her clinical specialty is treatment of trauma/PTSD, grief/loss issues, mood disturbances, and chronic/severe mental health issues.  Dr. Weiss has provided services in a variety of mental health treatment milieus, including outpatient, day treatment, crisis management, and residential treatment.  Her body of research includes a focus on clinical issues associated with comorbid PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder. 

In addition to contributions to the mental health treatment field, Dr. Weiss consults for the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Program�s prevention initiatives.  This entails teaching seminars and providing technical support on the theory and model of resiliency to community-based prevention providers.  Recently, she conducted a meta-analysis of research on human trafficking and abuse of disabled children for the California Child Abuse Prevention Council of Placer County. As a volunteer for Hospital de la Familia, Dr. Weiss collaborates with a diverse team of practitioners to provide vital medical services in Nuevo Progresso, Guatemala.  She also has a private clinical practice in San Francisco.

Elizabeth Weisz, PhD - Clinical Supervisor for Practicum Trainees
Dr. Elizabeth Weisz is currently a member of the Center for the Advanced Study of Psychosis, which consists of analysts, psychiatrists, and psychologists.  Dr. Weisz also maintains a private practice in San Francisco and Berkeley, for which she also provides consultation for therapists working with severely disturbed individuals, couples, and adolescents. Also, Dr. Weisz is an adjunct faculty member at Wright Institute, and previously taught at California Graduate School of Marriage and Family Therapy and provides supervision at Westside Crisis Clinic.  Dr. Weisz received her graduate degree in psychology from the Wright Institute and is also a graduate of the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California.  Her post-doctoral fellowship was at Boyer House, a residential treatment programs, at which she later became a member of the psychotherapy team.  Dr. Weisz's areas of interests include working psychoanalytically with severely disturbed individuals, and using countertransferential data when more traditional channels of verbal communication are not available.

Alexander Zinchenko, PhD - Clinical Supervisor for NAAPTC Predoctoral Interns, Practicum Trainees, and Staff
Dr. Zinchenko received his Ph.D. in psychology from Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in 2001, and his M.A. in psychology from Moscow State University in 1987. Before his relocation to the USA in 1991, Dr. Zinchenko lived in Moscow where he worked as psychotherapist in private practice, a hypnotherapist at the Alcoholism Treatment Center, and a researcher at the USSR Academy of Sciences Center for the Studies of Consciousness. He co-authored and served as the principle investigator on a research project "Use of Altered States of Consciousness in the Treatment of Addictions" (sponsored by the USSR Academy of Sciences). In addition to an article in the International Journal of Psychosomatics based on this research, Dr. Zinchenko published a book chapter on the psychology of youth movements; another book chapter "Nostalgia: a Dialog between Memory and Knowledge" is currently in print. Since 1992, when Dr. Zinchenko first joined RAMS, he has contributed to the clinic in several capacities as a staff psychotherapist; founder of a Russian-focus mental health program; clinical supervisor; and coordinator for two mental health projects: Senior Refugee Project (grant from the US Office of Refugee Resettlement, 1996-2004) and Dual Diagnosis Project (grant from the U.S. Department Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, 2001-2003). 

Alongside his work at RAMS, Dr. Zinchenko maintains a private practice in San Francisco specializing in individual, family, and group psychotherapy with adults and children. He also works with traumatized refugees and survivors of political torture as a contracting clinician at Survivors International. Dr. Zinchenko's current interests include object relations theory; phenomenological and psychoanalytic aspects of nostalgia and uprootedness; clinical work with immigrants and refugees; and psychotherapy with severely disturbed and traumatized clients. He is also keenly interested and extensively involved in teaching and clinical training: as a Supervising Psychologist at RAMS; as a Psychologist at Napa State Hospital; as a faculty, student advisor and instructor for Working with Immigrant Families class at Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center; as a lecturer (Psychoanalytic Treatment Modalities) and group supervisor at the Access Institute for Psychological Services; and as an adjunct clinical supervisor at the Goldman Institute on Aging.

Thomas Zurfluh, PsyD - Clinical Supervisor for NAAPTC Predoctoral Interns and Practicum Trainees
Dr. Thomas Zurfluh is a licensed clinical psychologist who is serving as a clinical supervisor for practicum trainees of the RAMS Clinical Training Program.  He earned his Psy.D. from the Wright Institute (Berkeley) and M.S. in Clinical Psychology at San Francisco State University.  Dr. Zurfluh is a bicultural & bilingual clinician and had completed clinical training as a Postdoctoral Fellow, Predoctoral Intern, and Practicum Trainee at the National Asian American Psychology Training Center and Clinical Training Program at RAMS. In maintaining his commitment to community-based mental health care, Dr. Zurfluh also completed training by working at New Leaf: Services for Our Community, UCSF AIDS Health Project, and Marina Counseling Center.  His clinical interests include cross-cultural work and relational psychoanalysis.

CLINICAL CONSULTANTS

 

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