Youth System of Care

About Us

The System of Care Training for Youth is a series of trainings aimed at equipping mental health professionals, substance use counselors, and service providers in Los Angeles County with tools and knowledge on issues surrounding youth substance use and treatment. The trainings are funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) - Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC) and the California Institute of Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS) to address the changes enacted by the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) waiver. Participants are able to select and complete training modules at their own pace. For each training, participants will also receive a Certificate of Completion and Continuing Education (CE) credits, if applicable, which can be obtained after completing each training.

Contact information:
The System of Care Training for Youth
918 E. Alosta Ave.
Azusa, CA 91702
626-815-6000 ext. 2417
Email: healthpsychlab@apu.edu

The Training Team

Click on the Training Team link below to see a list of project staff and collaborators.

Training Team

		Rachel Gonzales-Castaneda, PhD, MPH Dr. Gonzales-Castaneda is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Azusa Pacific University and an Associate Research Psychologist at UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP). She has extensive experience in designing and evaluating prevention and treatment programs that address substance use disorders. Her expertise and research focus on prevention and disease management approaches, adolescent and young adult health, and cultural and social impacts on health status. She has also served as a co-investigator for a large, multi-program evaluation of the youth system of care in Los Angeles County funded by the Department of Public Health.
		Sherry Larkins PhD Dr. Sherry Larkins is a Research Sociologist in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and is a Co-Director of Training for UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP) and member of the Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center. She has extensive experience as the training director at the Los Angeles County, Department of Mental Health (LAC-DMH) and UCLA. She has been involved in substance abuse research for over 20 years and has led multiple epidemiological and clinical research studies. Her research includes stimulant abuse, substance abuse treatment for marginalized populations, and sexual risk behaviors associated with substance use.
		Irene Valdovinos, MSW, MPH Irene Valdovinos is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Azusa Pacific University. She serves as evaluation coordinator for the Youth System of Care Trainings and oversees the development, implementation, and management of the clinical trainings and learning modules. She coordinates communication between all stakeholders and oversees regulatory and administrative aspects of the project.
		Ashley Horiuchi, BA Ashley Horiuchi is the research associate who assists the team with the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Youth System of Care Trainings.
		Janna Schirmer, BA Janna Schirmer is the project research associate who assists the team with the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Youth System of Care Trainings.
		Roxy Terteryan, MPH Roxy Terteryan is a research specialist in the Department of Psychology at Azusa Pacific University. She oversees the coordination of clinical trainings, ensuring project responsibilities are carried out. In addition, she is actively engaged in developing project materials for the youth system of care at-risk curriculum and facilitator guides.

Organizations

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) - Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC)
DPH SAPC provides a full spectrum of prevention, treatment, and recovery support services to reduce and treat substance use disorder in Los Angeles County. SAPC provides services through contracts with community-based organizations and health care providers to serve Los Angeles County residents.

California Institute of Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS)
CIBHS is a non-profit agency that helps health professionals, agencies and funders improve the lives of people with mental health and substance use challenges through policy, training, evaluation, technical assistance, and research.

Azusa Pacific University (APU)
APU is a private, faith-based university located in Southern California. Through the research and work of Dr. Rachel Gonzales-Castaneda, APU has been awarded several training contracts/grants to provide training to students and healthcare professionals in Los Angeles County on substance use to help reduce and treat substance use disorders.