Professor, Social Work and Social Ecology
Contact Information
Email [email protected]
Phone 909-379-7585
Department of Social Work and Social Ecology, Office 201G
Loma Linda University
1898 Business Center Dr., San Bernardino, CA 92408
Degrees and Certifications
- PhD, Sociology - State University of New York, Buffalo, 1987
- MSW, Social Work (emphasis in Clinical Social Work) - Western Michigan University, 1977
Areas of Specialization
- Race and ethnic studies
- Critical theory
- Latino/a issues
- Community practice
- Program evaluation
- Social justice practice
Professional Memberships and Licenses
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
- Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE Social Work)
- Society for Social Work Research (SSWR)
Recent Publications
- Nakaoka, S. Alt, S., Ortiz, L. and Vasquez, N. (2026) Race, Power, and Practice: A Critical Race Framework for Social Work. Cambridge University Press.
- Garcia, J., Raine, L., Ortiz, L. & Atkins, M. (2026). Humanistically universalizing grief (HUG): advisory guidelines for national hospice bereavement programs standards within the United States. OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying. 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228261461313
- Cruz, M., Raine, L., Ortiz, L. and Alemi, Q. (2026) Barriers and Assets in Diabetes Prevention: A Community-Based Assessment in a Latino Population. Social Work in Health Care. https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2026.2648201
- Fisher, C. C., Ortiz, L., Alemi, Q., & Nakaoka, S. L. (2025). Faith-Based Development in Affordable Housing and Reuse of Religious Property: Promising Practices and Social Alignment with Urban Planning. Urban Affairs Review, 61(4), 1030-1070. https://doi.org/10.1177/10780874241293386
- Baek, K., Bell, C., Montgomery, S. B., Ortiz, L., Kumar, A., & Alemi, Q. (2024). Community-based mental health challenges and implications: Examining factors influencing distress and help-seeking behaviors among Korean American church leaders and members in Greater Los Angeles. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(8), 1094. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21081094
- Fletcher D., Fish, B., Opoku N., Tesfaye, L., Chan, J., Ortiz, L., Montgomery, S., Walker, E., & Wilson, S. (2023) Middle School Cycling Program is associated with improved Mental Health and Wellbeing in Adolescents during COVID-19. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living.
- Kim, E.E., Alemi, Q., Ortiz, L., & Nichols, M.A. (2023). Endorsement of intimate partner violence among Afghan women: A cross-sectional analysis of 2015 DHS Data. International Journal on Social and Education Sciences (IJonSES), 5(3), 700-721. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijonses.582
- Ortiz, L., & Nakaoka, S. (2023) Critical Race Studies. Encyclopedia of Social Work. Retrieved https://oxfordre.com/socialwork/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.001.0001/acrefore-9780199975839-e-1601
- Malika N, Van Dyk TR, Alemi Q, Belliard, J.C, Fisher, C., Ortiz, L. and Montgomery, S. (2023) What’s keeping kids up at night? How psychosocial stressors exacerbate the relationship between sleep and mental health. Public Health Challenges. 2:e95. https://doi.org/10.1002/puh2.95
- Aldana, A., Nakaoka, S., Vasquez, N., & Ortiz, L. (2023). Fifteen Years of Critical Race Theory: What We’ve Learned. Abrams, L., Crewe, S., Detlaff, A., Williams, J.H. Social Work, White Supremacy, and Racial Justice: Reckoning with Our History, Interrogating our Present, Re-Imagining our Future. Oxford University Press.
- Nakaoka,, S., Aldana, A., & Ortiz, L. (2023) LatCrit and Social Work Epistemology - Dismantling Whiteness in Ways of Knowing. Abrams, L., Crewe, S., Detlaff, A., Williams, J.H. Social Work, White Supremacy, and Racial Justice: Reckoning with Our History, Interrogating our Present, Re-Imagining our Future. Oxford University Press.
- Baek, K., Ortiz, L., Alemi, Q., Mann, S., Kumar, A., & Montgomery, S. Factors influencing formal and informal resource utilization for mental distress among Korean Americans in southern California. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.
- Fisher, C. C., Ortiz, L., Alemi, Q., Malika, N. M. (2021). Congregations Serving Homeless Populations: Examining Predictive Factors and Policy Implications. Social Work Research. https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svaa016
Community Engagement
- Commission of Educational Policy, CSWE (2016-2019)
- Program evaluation for The Open Door of San Bernardino (2016-present)
- Samaritans of Tucson (2008-present)
- Program evaluation for SHIELDS for Families (2006-2016)
- LLU International Behavioral Health Trauma Team: consultation trip to Bolivia (2015)