NEW MEXICO VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Southwest Consortium Predoctoral Psychology Internship (SCPPI)

**FACULTY**

October 16, 2007

## [NEW MEXICO VETERANS AFFAIRS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM (NMVAHCS)]{.underline} 

## Lisa Arciniega, Ph.D. 

Dr. Lisa Arciniega (University of New Mexico -- 2001) is Coordinator of
the Substance Abuse Division at the NMVAHCS. Before joining the NMVAHCS
she worked at the University of New Mexico Center on Alcoholism
Substance Abuse and Addictions as a program coordinator and Research
Faculty. Her research experience includes work on several federally
funded (NIDA & NIAAA) multi-site research grants (Community
Reinforcement Approach to Alcoholism (CRA), CRAFT, Project MATCH,
COMBINE and CTN). Her research interests are in the areas of substance
abuse assessment and substance abuse in the Hispanic population. Dr.
Arciniega works with the SUD team in offering a variety of
multidisciplinary substance abuse services to the veteran population as
well as supervising psychology interns, and offering consultation to
other VA departments.

## Jordan Bell, Ph.D. 

Dr. Bell (University of New Mexico, 2007) works in Inpatient Psychiatry
at NMVAHCS, where he provides group and individual psychotherapy,
assessment, training, and consultation. In addition to working with
psychology interns on the unit, he participates in the training of
psychiatry residents and medical, nursing, psychology, and social work
students.  His clinical approach is integrative and broadly defined by
psychodynamic, humanistic, and acceptance-based approaches. Dr. Bell
also maintains a specific clinical and training interest in existential
psychotherapy. He has specialized experience in teaching motivational
interviewing and is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of
Trainers. His recent research focuses on the role of alcohol-related
cognitive impairment in benefiting from motivational interviewing for
alcohol problems, as well as on the prediction and understanding of
suicidality in combat-related PTSD.

### Annette Brooks, Ph.D. 

J. Annette Brooks, Ph.D. (Oklahoma State University, 1997) is the
Director of Behavioral Medicine within the Behavioral Health Care Line
at NMVAHCS. She interned at SCPPI and has worked in the PTSD and
Behavioral Medicine programs. She holds a faculty appointment in the
Department of Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico and is actively
involved in the training of medical students and faculty. Dr. Brooks
provides supervision through the Behavioral Medicine rotation and
provides integrated assessment and treatment to both inpatient and
outpatient veterans with pain issues. Her work reflects a
cognitive-behavioral orientation. Research interests include health
psychology issues, developmental psychology, and she was recently
awarded a grant to address adherence to CPAP therapy.

### Diane T. Castillo, Ph.D. 

Dr. Castillo (University of Iowa, 1985) is the coordinator of the
Women\'s Stress Disorder Treatment Team (WSDTT) within the Behavioral
Health Care Line at NMVAHCS and she holds a faculty appointment in the
Psychiatry and Psychology Departments at the University of New Mexico.
She has been director of the PTSD program and developed the Women's
Trauma Clinic in 1995, with an expansion of staff in 2005. She is active
in conducting research in PTSD and has administered two national
cooperative studies research projects on assessment and treatment of
PTSD. Other research and publications have been in the area of
cross-cultural treatment of Hispanic veterans with PTSD and treatment of
anger in a VA population.

### James Gillies, Ph.D.

James Gillies, Ph.D. (The University of Memphis, 2005) is Coordinator of
the PTSD-Day Treatment, or BASE Program. BASE is an innovative program
designed to "Build Awareness, Support, and Empowerment." The program
integrates motivational interviewing, behavioral activation, mindfulness
and acceptance-based therapies, and humanistic group process therapy in
a holistic therapeutic community. Through this community interaction,
trauma survivors learn to step out of patterns of experiential avoidance
and hyper arousal. Dr. Gillies' interests include assessment and
treatment of grief, loss, and trauma, about which he has authored and
co-authored several articles as well as an assessment measure called the
"Grief and Meaning Reconstruction Inventory." He is a 2005 graduate of
SCPPI.

### Kathleen Y. Haaland, Ph.D., ABPP-ABCN 

Dr. Haaland (University of Rochester, 1973; postdoctoral fellow,
University of Wisconsin, 1975) is a VA Research Career Scientist,
Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at UNM School of Medicine,
Vice-Chair for Research in the Psychiatry Department at UNMSOM, and
directs research in the Behavioral Health Care Line at the NMVAHCS.  She
is a board-certified neuropsychologist, past President of Division 40 of
the APA and the ABPP-affiliated American Board of Clinical
Neuropsychology, and an APA Fellow.  Dr. Haaland is currently the
Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the International Neuropsychological
Society (JINS). She also serves on the editorial boards of the Journal
of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology and Neuropsychology.  Her
research has been continuously funded by the Department of Veterans
Affairs since 1981. Her research in stroke has the goal of better
understanding the ipsilesional motor deficits seen after unilateral
stroke with particular attention to the different types of deficits seen
after damage to the left or right hemisphere. The long term goal of this
work is to enhance rehabilitation of stroke patients.   She is also
interested in cognitive changes with normal aging. Although she is in a
primarily research position, Dr. Haaland has a strong interest in
supervising interns, residents, and medical students in the
Neuropsychology Program, and she frequently supervises intern research.
She also runs a monthly research seminar for interns.

### Brian Kersh, Ph.D. 

Dr. Kersh (University of Alabama, 2002) is a staff psychologist on the
Behavioral Medicine Service and directs the smoking cessation programs
within the Behavioral Health Care Line at NMVAHCS. He also holds a
faculty appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of
New Mexico. Dr. Kersh completed his internship at SCPPI and now engages
in both research and clinical work at NMVAHCS. His current clinical
duties involve inpatient and outpatient assessment and treatment of a
wide range of behavioral medicine issues, including smoking cessation,
pain management, and coping with medical problems. He emphasizes a
biopsychosocial approach in his clinical work. His current research
interests are central processing alterations in pain sensitivity in
patients with chronic pain and psychosocial mediators (e.g., gender
role, catastrophizing) of sex differences in response to experimental
pain.

### Milton Lasoski, Ph.D. 

Dr. Lasoski (University of Missouri - Columbia, 1982) is a clinical
psychologist currently assigned to the Behavioral Health Care Line at
NMVAHCS Trauma/ PTSD Clinic. He has worked for the VA since 1983 in
several capacities including as a Geriatric Evaluation Coordinator,
Employee Assistance Program Coordinator, and has worked with acute and
chronically mentally ill in both inpatient and outpatient settings. His
longest position involved providing group and individual
cognitive/existential therapy for affective disorders. Current interests
include the use of bibliotherapy to supplement psychotherapy and the
effects of PTSD on family dysfunction.

### Eric Levensky, Ph.D.

Dr. Levensky (University of Nevada, Reno, 2006) is a staff psychologist
in the Behavioral Medicine Service at the NMVAHCS, and is an Assistant
Professor at the University of New Mexico Department of Psychiatry. Dr.
Levensky's primary clinical activities include providing consultation
and liaison, psychological assessment, individual and group
psychotherapy, and educational services for a variety of medical patient
populations, including those with a range of Axis I and II disorders,
sleep problems, chronic pain, and problems with treatment compliance,
health behavior change, and coping with chronic illness. Dr. Levensky's
primary research interests and activities center on the development,
evaluation, and dissemination of health behavior change interventions,
particularly interventions facilitating treatment adherence in chronic
illness populations. Currently, Dr. Levensky is conducting program
evaluations of the Mental Health/Primary Care Integration Team and the
Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program (which integrates behavioral health)
at the NMVAHCS. Dr. Levensky also recently submitted a VA New
Investigators grant to conduct a randomized clinical trial evaluating
the efficacy of motivational interviewing in improving self-management
behaviors in patients with type II diabetes.

**June S. Malone, Ph.D.**

### Dr. Malone (University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, 1991) is a staff psychologist and the Clinical Director for the Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Program at the NMVAHCS. She also coordinates the three BHCL residential treatment programs and the Veterans Outreach Program. Before coming to the NMVAHCS in September, 2005, she was the program coordinator for residential substance use disorder treatment at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. In addition to having expertise in substance abuse treatment, she has specialized in treating adult survivors of childhood abuse. Dr. Malone has had a long standing interest in supervising psychology practicum students, pre-doctoral interns, post-doctoral fellows, and psychiatric residents in biopsychosocial rehabilitation techniques for homeless veterans with psychiatric (substance use disorders and other Axis 1 diagnoses), medical, and cognitive co-morbidities. Her theoretical style draws primarily from interpersonal and cognitive behavioral theory and integrates principles of life span and human growth and development. Dr. Malone is also the treasurer for the Association of VA Psychologist Leaders and is the chair of the planning committee for the VA Psychology Leadership Conference held annually.

### Ella Nye, Ph.D. 

Dr. Nye (University of New Mexico, 2000) works in the PTSD Clinic within
the Behavioral Health Care Line at NMVAHCS where she provides assessment
and both group and individual treatment for veterans with PTSD secondary
to military trauma.  She is actively involved in training interns and
regularly provides supervision in the PTSD/Trauma Clinic.  Dr. Nye
maintains an integrative cognitive-behavioral approach to treatment. 
Dr. Nye\'s primary research interests are in developmental issues
relative to psychopathology, and in particular the impact of early
attachment experiences on the later response to trauma.  Dr. Nye is
currently conducting VA-funded research in this area.

### Kathleen Padilla, Ph.D. 

Dr. Kathleen A. Padilla (University of New Mexico, 1990) is director of
psychology services on the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) unit within the
Behavioral Health Care Line at NMVAHCS. She did her internship in
consultation-liaison psychology at the Neuropsychiatric Institute at
UCLA. Before joining the NMVAHCS she was director of psychology services
at the Rehabilitation Hospital of New Mexico (aka St. Joseph
Rehabilitation Hospital). She has a seventeen-year history of providing
psychological services to rehabilitation patients as part of an
interdisciplinary team with a specialty in work with traumatic brain
injury. Currently, her clinical work focuses on treatment of individuals
with SCI and their families within a cognitive-behavioral orientation.
Dr. Padilla also provides supervision to psychology interns on the SCI
rotation. She is fluently bilingual and provides treatment and
assessment in English and Spanish.

### Brian Pilgrim, Ph.D. 

Dr. Pilgrim (University of South Dakota, 2000) directs NMVAHCS
Behavioral Health Care Line's Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program, which
includes a day treatment program for veterans with severe and persistent
mental illness and a vocational rehabilitation program. His theoretical
approach is integrative and draws equally on elements of Cognitive
Behavioral and Existential orientations. He provides a broad array of
psychological and cognitive assessment within the Psychosocial
Rehabilitation program. Two specialized areas of service provision are
educational, vocational, cognitive and psychological assessment in
partnership with the VA Department of Vocational Rehabilitation and Law
Enforcement Pre-employment evaluations for the VA and the Navajo Nation
Police Department. Areas of professional and research interest include
psychosocial rehabilitation, mental illness recovery based program
development and assessment. His work reflects a commitment to the ideals
of Community and Rehabilitation Psychology, which emphasizes client
empowerment and community integration.

**Jennifer Klosterman Rielage, Ph.D.**

Dr. Jennifer Klosterman Rielage (Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale -- 2004) serves as Program Coordinator of the Substance Abuse
Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP) and also does some
outreach work with recently returning combat troops through the the
Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) Outreach
Team. She completed her predoctoral internship with the Puget Sound
VAMC, Seattle Division and also completed postdoctoral work with the
Center for Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment and Education
(CESATE) at the Seattle VA. Her primary clinical interests include
working with dually-diagnosed veterans as well as assessment and
treatment of clients with high risk of suicide and/or self-harm issues.
Her clinical work reflects an integrative style that draws heavily from
CBT and interpersonal approaches, including the adaptation of DBT,
Seeking Safety, and other treatment packages for the use of dually
diagnosed veterans. She is currently collaborating with staff at the
Seattle VA on a project to explore suicide ideation base rates among
female veterans with dual disorder issues. She is also conducting
program evaluation related to the new SARRTP program.

**Joseph Sadek, Ph.D.**

Dr. Sadek (University of Florida - 2000; postdoctoral fellow, Medical
College of Wisconsin 2002) is an Assistant Professor in the UNM
Department of Psychiatry and a staff neuropsychologist at the New Mexico
VA Health Care system. His primary research interests are in the areas
of performance-based functional assessment in dementia and
distinguishing dementia subtypes with functional and structural
neuroimaging. He collaborates on research projects related to
neuropsychological sequelae of West Nile Virus, unilateral stroke,
biological mechanisms of vascular dementia, and schizophrenia. He also
has research experience in the neurobehavioral effects of HIV. He is a
member of the Albuquerque VA Research and Development Committee and the
UNM Psychiatry Research Committee. He is the recipient of UNM
Psychiatry\'s Rosenbaum Award for Clinical Research and has been awarded
a VISN 18 New Investigator grant. He serves on the editorial board of
the *Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society*. He has
co-authored 18 peer-reviewed publications. In his free time he enjoys
spending time with his wife and two children.

### Evelyn Sandeen, Ph.D. 

### Dr. Sandeen (State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1985) has had a career in the VA system since 1989. During that time she has had an ongoing interest in post-trauma psychotherapies and in training issues. She has been a Director of Training at two VA internship programs and is currently the Co-Director of Training for SCPPI. She is the clinical director of the STARR (Substance Abuse, Trauma, and Rehabilitation Residence), whose priority is the treatment of returning veterans of the Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts. The treatment focus in the STARR includes mindfulness (DBT and ACT), interpersonal and exposure modalities. 

### Rex M. Swanda, Ph.D., ABPP 

Dr. Swanda (University of Arizona, 1985) is a board certified Clinical
Neuropsychologist (ABPP; ABCN) who directs the Clinical Neuropsychology
Consultation Service. He holds a faculty appointment at UNM Department
of Psychiatry, and he has been involved in clinical trial studies of
treatments for multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer\'s disease at UNM
Department of Neurology. His clinical interests lie in aging and
dementia, with special focus on issues involving cross-cultural
assessment and decision-making capacity. He is currently Co-Director of
Training for SCPPI and provides supervised training to psychology
interns and medical residents.

**Lorraine M. Torres-Sena, Ph.D.**

Dr. Torres-Sena (University of New Mexico, 2004) is a staff psychologist
of the Affective Disorders Treatment (ADT) Family Program. Her work with
the ADT Family Program is providing a variety of treatment services to
veterans using individual, group, and family formats based on a systems
theoretical perspective, specifically utilizing Functional Family
Therapy. Before joining the NMVAHCS, she worked at the Center for Family
and Adolescent Research (CFAR) as a senior therapist and project
manager. The senior therapist position included the implementation and
teaching of family therapy based on Functional Family Therapy (FFT),
individual therapy based on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and
integrated therapy that combines both family and individual therapy for
substance-abusing adolescents and their families. The project manager
position included the management of several federally funded grants
(ASPEN, CEDAR, VISTA, TRANSITIONS). Dr. Torres-Sena has research
interests in domestic violence, systemic approaches, and cross-cultural
issues in relation to PTSD and substance abuse.

### V. Ann Waldorf, Ph.D. 

Dr. Waldorf (University of New Mexico, 1997) is currently the Chief of
Psychology and Associate Director of the Behavioral Health Care Line at
NMVAHCS. She has had a long-standing interest in training and has served
on the Training Committee and as the Interim Director of Training in the
past. Particular interests include substance use disorders, especially
in individuals with comorbid psychiatric diagnoses, as well as the role
of spiritual and religious beliefs in psychotherapy.

**[INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE (IHS) ALBUQUERQUE AREA]{.underline}**

### Teresa Y. Makowski, Ph.D. 

Dr. Makowski (University of New Mexico, 1980) is currently serving as a
Clinical Psychologist at the Acoma-Canoncito-Laguna (ACL) Service Unit
and is the Behavioral Health Program Director.  She has extensive
experience in working with children, adolescents, and adults within a
variety of communities and settings.  A specific interest is the
application of psychodynamic models of treatment to multi-cultural
populations.  Additionally, Dr. Makowski has been involved in the
development of consultative and multidisciplinary team approaches to
treatment.

## [UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER (UNMHSC)]{.underline} 

### Janet Robinson, Ph.D. 

Dr. Robinson (University of New Mexico, 1989) has served as the
Attending Psychologist at UNMHSC since 1989. Prior to that, she was the
counselor at University Hospital beginning in 1980.  She provides
internship supervision as part of the Psychiatry Consultation Service
rotation.  She also holds a faculty appointment in the Department of
Psychiatry and is actively involved in training medical students and
residents in addition to psychology interns.  She is also the department
manager, and has increasingly become familiar with the administrative
and financial aspects of running a consultative service in a medical
center.  Her professional interests include the study of parasuicidal
and suicidal behavior, acute stress disorder following accidents, and
decision-making capacity of the medically ill patient.  In her spare
time, she enjoys water gardening, camping, and horseback riding.

**Melody L. La Friniere, Ph.D.**

Dr La Friniere (University of North Dakota, 1998) serves as a clinical
psychologist with the Psychiatry Consultation Service at UNMH. Prior to
that, she served at the Indian Health Center in Minnesota, and was the
Clinical Supervisor and the Director of Community Services at the Indian
Health Center in Taos, New Mexico. Her professional emphasis has
reflected her work with Native American communities in the assessment
and treatment of trauma. She currently serves as one of the Critical
Incident Psychologist and Hostage Negotiator for the Bernalillo County
Sheriffs Department and Albuquerque Police Department. On a personal
level, she enjoys trail riding, gardening, and spending time with family
and friends.

##  

## [FORENSIC HEALTH SERVICES (FHS)]{.underline}

## New Mexico Women's Correctional Facility (NMWCF)   

**Heather Conyngham, Ph.D.** 

Heather Conyngham, Ph.D. - Heather obtained her bachelor\'s degree from
Cornell University in 1994 and her Ph.D. from Northern Illinois
University in 2002. She completed the internship at the Southwest
Consortium and her postdoctoral hours at New Mexico Women\'s
Correctional Facility, where she conducts pre-sentencing evaluations and
clinical work. The major focus of her clinical skills is working with
individuals who have trauma-related issues and personality disorders.
She currently organizes and facilitates the dialectical behavioral
therapy skills group at NMWCF.

### Yvonne Lutter, Psy.D. 

Dr. Lutter (Antioch New England Graduate School, 1999, Internship with
Brockton West Roxbury/Harvard Medical School VAMC; Master's in Social
Work from Ohio State University) is the Clinical Director of Mental
Health Services at the NMWCF.  She oversees clinical services, providing
staff supervision, consultation to the facility and security staff, risk
assessment as needed, and conducting pre-sentencing forensic
evaluations. Her clinical specialties are in women's issues, dual
diagnosis, posttraumatic stress disorders and personality disorders with
a particular interest in cross-cultural concerns and the role of
spirituality and faith in healing.