Speaker Information

Dr. Brittany Bryant is an Assistant Professor and Watson Scholar in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. She is a licensed clinical social worker with a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina.

Dr. Bryant’s NIH K23 award focuses on understanding the impact of discrimination on substance use among Black youth involved in the legal system. Her work includes the cultural adaptation of integrated substance use and mental health interventions for minoritized youth. In addition, she leads a Low Barrier Technology grant aimed at modernizing the evidence-based HIV prevention intervention SIHLE. This project involves co-developing a mobile app version of SIHLE in collaboration with Black girls, Black maternal figures, and sexual health providers.

Dr. Bryant is also a wife to Marcus Bryant and the proud mother of four children: Zion, Zielle, Ziriah, and John-Marc.

Dr. Brittany Bryant is an Assistant Professor and Watson Scholar in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. She is a licensed clinical social worker with a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina.

Dr. Bryant’s NIH K23 award focuses on understanding the impact of discrimination on substance use among Black youth involved in the legal system. Her work includes the cultural adaptation of integrated substance use and mental health interventions for minoritized youth. In addition, she leads a Low Barrier Technology grant aimed at modernizing the evidence-based HIV prevention intervention SIHLE. This project involves co-developing a mobile app version of SIHLE in collaboration with Black girls, Black maternal figures, and sexual health providers.

Dr. Bryant is also a wife to Marcus Bryant and the proud mother of four children: Zion, Zielle, Ziriah, and John-Marc.

Speaker Information

David D. Robertson is a grief-informed social work scholar, clinician, and social work technologist whose work centers on decolonizing mental health through narrative, collective care, and culturally grounded healing practices. He is a PhD student in Social Work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a CSWE Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) Doctoral Fellow (2025–2026). His research focuses on intergenerational trauma, racialized grief, and the role of storytelling in restoring dignity and agency within marginalized communities.

Robertson brings interdisciplinary experience across clinical practice, community-based research, and global engagement. His work integrates Black social work scholarship, decolonial frameworks, and trauma-informed approaches to challenge Western-dominant mental health paradigms that individualize and pathologize collective loss. He is the founder of Hope Is Foundation, a nonprofit advancing technology-enabled, grief-informed mental health tools and community storytelling initiatives, and the creator of the In That Order app, a culturally responsive wellness and advocacy platform.

His global work includes collaborations in the United States, Norway, and Japan, as well as community-based initiatives addressing grief, chronic illness, and social inequity. Through research, teaching, and practice, Robertson is committed to advancing equitable mental health systems that honor lived experience, cultural knowledge, and collective pathways to healing.

Speaker Information

Ana Ponciano, LMSW, is a doctoral student in Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington and a Licensed Master Social Worker in Texas. She has over six years of experience working with first-generation, Hispanic/Latino, and immigrant communities in educational and clinical settings. Her work is informed by social justice, decolonial frameworks, and culturally responsive mental health care, with a focus on addressing systemic inequities affecting historically marginalized populations.

Her research examines decolonizing therapy, Indigenous and ancestral healing practices, and mental health disparities among Hispanic/Latino and Indigenous communities. Ana investigates how structural factors, including education, socioeconomic status, and systemic oppression, intersect with trauma and access to care to influence mental health outcomes and service utilization. She is particularly focused on identifying culturally specific approaches to healing and support in communities historically underserved by mainstream mental health systems.

Clinically, Ana integrates trauma-informed and culturally grounded approaches, emphasizing relational care, community-based interventions, and holistic healing strategies. She strives to create therapeutic spaces that honor cultural identity, ancestral knowledge, and the lived experiences of her clients. Ana is committed to advancing mental health awareness and promoting culturally affirming interventions within Indigenous communities connected to her family’s heritage.

Through her combined clinical and research work, Ana contributes to the development of more equitable and culturally responsive mental health services, underscoring the importance of integrating scholarship and practice to improve outcomes for marginalized populations.

Speaker Information

Dr. Sharon Cuba Rodriguez is a school social worker for the Child Study Team at East Orange Campus High School, NJ and Faculty at Kean University, Department of Graduate Social Work at Union, NJ. Dr. Rodriguez has a double master’s degree: Masters of Social Work from Rutgers University (NJ) and Masters of Science in Criminal Justice from Ashworth University (GA). She obtained her PhD on November 2017 from Walden University.

Dr. Cuba Rodriguez has more than 15 years of experience working with HIV/AIDS prevention and education, hospital discharge planning, and working with students with disabilities. She assisted in the disaster and trauma response in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. As a faculty member at Kean University, she teaches various courses including Generalist, Policy, Research, Social Work in School Setting, and International Social Work. She has also redeveloped the Research 1 and 2 courses to align it with the CSWE competencies. Dr. Cuba Rodriguez’s interest include advocacy, national and international women’s rights, HIV/AIDS, intimate partner violence, individuals with disabilities, mental health and wellness, cultural competence and cultural humility, trauma including ACEs and self-care.

Speaker Information

Jocelyn Burnett, LMSW, SIFI, is a Licensed Master Social Worker with over a decade of professional experience serving children, families, and adults across clinical, child welfare, and community-based settings. Her work is grounded in trauma-informed care, psychotherapy, crisis intervention, and client advocacy, with a strong commitment to culturally responsive and equity-driven practice. She is fluent in Spanish and has extensive experience working with diverse and historically marginalized populations.

Jocelyn currently serves as a Program Coordinator with Hope in Her, Inc., where she oversees staff and intern onboarding, develops training systems, and provides ongoing supervision and mentorship. In addition, she works as a psychotherapist, delivering trauma-informed therapeutic services to children, adolescents, and adults. Previously, she worked with Lawyers for Children, collaborating on interdisciplinary legal teams to advocate for youth involved in Family Court proceedings, including providing court testimony and comprehensive psychosocial assessments.

An experienced internship supervisor since 2021, Jocelyn is passionate about training and supporting emerging social workers through reflective supervision and skill development. She holds a Master of Social Work from Hunter College–Silberman School of Social Work and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Social Work (DSW), with research interests focused on trauma-informed interventions and culturally specific practices within foster care systems.

Speaker Information

Dr. Danladi Chiroma Husaini is an Assistant Professor of Allied Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Belize, with over 30 years of combined experience in higher education, research, and public health. Holding a PhD in Public Health and advanced degrees in Pharmacology & Toxicology, his research program critically examines the intersections of environmental stressors, mental health, and systemic inequities, with a focus on vulnerable populations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

A prolific scholar, Dr. Husaini has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and systematic reviews on topics including climate change impacts, substance use, indigenous pharmacopeia, and environmental justice. His work is characterized by a commitment to decolonizing methodologies, community-engaged research, and translating evidence into culturally responsive policy and practice. As a principal investigator on multiple funded projects, including recent awards from the University of Belize Internal Research Fund, he mentors students in conducting impactful research that addresses pressing regional health challenges.

His presentation is grounded in this extensive expertise, offering an evidence-based, equity-focused analysis of climate-induced mental health distress within post-colonial educational systems.

Speaker Information

Dr. Erica McIntosh is a licensed clinical social work supervisor, US Air Force veteran, private practice owner and assistant professor from California Baptist University with a focus on research, practice, and the promotion of mental and physical health equity. Dr. McIntosh has extensive experience speaking at conferences and with organizations (hospital, community-based care, county social services events, and VA healthcare system settings) about substance use disorders, dual diagnosis, veteran health, and maternal health. Dr. McIntosh’s practice, Unapologetic Therapy and Consulting, specializes in individual therapy focusing on mood and trauma related disorders with an intersectional lens, substance use disorders, and consultation. Dr. McIntosh recently published two chapters in textbook, Infusing Social Justice into Social Science Practice, focusing on Intersectionality and Intersecting Identities. Dr. McIntosh’s current research areas include the NAEBOR Clinic with Mommy and Me that focuses on Black Maternal Health in Rialto, CA , and veteran mental health.

Speaker Information

Dr. Kendra Flores-Carter is a Published Author, California Baptist University, Professor of Social Work, and a Researcher in the social and behavioral sciences field specifically women’s and child health. Dr. Flores-Carter is currently the Co-Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Social Innovation (CESI) where she directs the research initiatives for the center within Division of Social Work. An advocate for social justice and change, she has dedicated her career to bring educational awareness to disparities/equity concerns in healthcare experiences and various other psychosocial factors impacting marginalized women and children. A former Medical Social Worker for over 10 years Dr. Flores-Carter worked to provide services to children suffering from Trauma related to Child Abuse/Neglect and women experiencing significant life crisis such as Intimate Partner Violence, Substance Abuse Complications, Incarceration, Homelessness & Mental Illness. Dr. Flores-Carter holds a BA in Psychology from California State University, Dominguez Hills, an MSW from California State University, Long Beach as well as a Doctor of Social Work degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Dr. Flores-Carter served as the past and founding President of Postpartum Support International-California Chapter. Additionally, she served six years as the Co-Chair of the Inland Empire Maternal Mental Health Collaborative. Currently, Dr. Kendra serves on the San Bernardino County Maternal Health Network leadership team and led the county wide data collection efforts for the 2021 consumer survey and will be leading the efforts again in 2024. She is currently a member of the City of Fontana Police Chief Roundtable Advisory Board where she chairs the mental health committee. Dr. Kendra played an essential role in the development of the City of Fontana Police Department Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) and the implementation of a fulltime social worker and social work internship program. Dr. Flores-Carter is the founder of the Janet Don’t Cry Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing education, support, and resources on mental health globally.

Dr. Flores-Carter currently is a member of the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Institutional Review Board. Her current research interests include examining health equity, social determinants of health factors, adverse trauma, and reproductive health disparities that impacts health outcomes for women, children, and their families. Additional interests include exploring Minority women’s attitudes towards seeking mental health services and the use of Christian mindfulness meditation for the reduction of anxiety & depression symptoms. Dr. Flores-Carter research has been published in journals and books. Her current research includes being one of the pioneering members of the NAEBOR clinic in Rialto California. A pilot clinic created to help improve maternal health outcomes for Black women.

Dr. Flores-Carter is recognized both locally, nationally, and internationally as an expert educator in women’s and child health. Dr. Flores-Carter has presented her research at various scientific conferences, served on health expert panels, and facilitated workshops on mental health & wellness, child abuse prevention, enhancing maternal mental health care in hospitals, cultural humility, justice, equity, diversity & inclusion. Dr. Flores-Carter is also an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Omega Delta Omega Chapter in San Bernardino County where she formerly Chaired the Women’s Health and Wellness Committee. She’s currently an active member of the San Bernardino NAACP chapter. Dr. Flores-Carter was newly appointed as co-chair of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) African Americans and the African Diaspora Track, effective January 2024 to December 2026.

Speaker Information

Dr. Kristcha DeGuerre, Ph.D., LCSW, is the MSW Program Coordinator and an Assistant Professor at Galen University, where she provides academic leadership, teaches graduate-level social work courses, and mentors emerging mental health professionals. She also serves as Faculty Advisor to the Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA), the first student organization of its kind in Belize, dedicated to fostering a safe, inclusive campus environment and advancing education related to gender and sexual diversity.

Dr. DeGuerre’s research centers on mental health equity among marginalized populations in Belize. Her most recent mixed-methods study, Assessing Mental Health Service Needs and Barriers to Access for MSM, Transgender Individuals, Sex Workers, and Persons Living with HIV in Belize, examines systemic, sociocultural, and policy-level barriers to care and informs the development of trauma-informed, culturally affirming mental health practices and professional training.

In addition to her academic and research roles, Dr. DeGuerre is a licensed clinical social worker and trauma-informed mental health professional serving as the mental health counselor at Galen University. In this role, she provides individual counseling, crisis intervention, group support, and psychoeducation to students, faculty, and staff. Her clinical expertise includes trauma, gender-based violence, identity development, and resilience-building, and she integrates traditional therapeutic approaches with person-centered, creative, and arts-based modalities.

Previously, Dr. DeGuerre served as a mental health counselor with Belize’s Ministry of Human Development. She earned her Ph.D. from the University at Albany’s School of Social Welfare, where her trauma-informed, arts-based dissertation on gang-involved girls in Belize received the Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award.

Speaker Information