Faculty Research Interests

Qais Alemi, PhD, MPH, MBA

PhD, Social Policy and Social Research - Loma Linda University, 2013

• Psychosocial needs of populations affected by political violence
• Stigma, prejudice, racial, and religious discrimination
• Immigrant and refugee acculturation, adjustment, identity, and resiliency
• Mental health help-seeking behaviors

Kelly Baek, PhD, MSW

PhD, Social Policy and Social Research - Loma Linda University, 2018

• Mental health
• Culturally-sensitive interventions
• Program development and evaluation
• Community-based research

Christi Bell, MSW, LCSW

MSW, Social Work - California State University, San Bernardino, 2014

• Child welfare
• Child abuse and neglect
• LGBTQ+ youth in the foster care system
• Trauma-informed parenting
• Trauma-informed practice with children
• Trauma-informed management in the workplace
• Preventing burnout and compassion fatigue in social work settings

Monte Butler, PhD, MSW

PhD, Social Work - University of Utah, 2003

• Social work administration
• Medicare

Kimberly R. Freeman, PhD, MSW

PhD, Clinical Psychology - Loma Linda University, 1999

• Child mental health
• Assessment
• Childhood trauma
• Adolescent self-harm
• Community based wellness

Talolo Lepale, MSW, MBA, LCSW

Master of Social Work - Loma Linda University, 1999
Master of Business Administration - University of Redlands, 2003

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Individual psychotherapy
• Team building
• Psychosocial oncology
• Medical social work
• Working with adults and older adults
• Trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and end-of-life

Susanne Montgomery, PhD, MPH, MS

PhD, Health Behavior/EPI - University of Michigan, 1987

• Research design and analyses
• Translational research (clinical and applied)
• Community involved and based research
• Health disparities research
• Program evaluation and evaluation research

Larry Ortiz, PhD, MSW

PhD, Sociology - State University of New York, Buffalo, 1987

• Race and ethnic studies
• Critical theory
• Latino/a issues
• Community practice
• Program evaluation
• Social justice practice