Brian Serna, LPCC, LADAC is an international trainer and consultant in Evidence Based Practices (EBPs), ethics and cultural issues in behavioral healthcare. Mr. Serna excels at designing programs that implement EBPs with individuals who are resistant to change and have cultural barriers to accepting treatment. He is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), a Motivational Interviewing Supervisor Trainer (MIST), and has evaluated programs in their use of MI techniques and strategies in working with resistant clients. He has trained and consulted with programs in over twenty different states and five different countries. Brian is also on the faculty at Southwestern College in Santa Fe, NM and at the University of New Mexico’s Substance Abuse Studies Program. He has been working with and for tribes since 2008. His company, Serna Solutions LLC provides consultation services and direct behavioral health services to adults, adolescents and families.
Jennifer Panhorst, LCSW, graduated with a Masters in Social Work from the University of Nevada Reno in 2007 and has done clinical work with adolescents and families in mental health facilities, community drop-in centers, schools, and detention centers. Since 2010, Jen has provided training throughout New Mexico on a variety of topics, including lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer (LGBTQ) issues, assessment and diagnosis, and substance use. Jen currently works at the Division of Community Behavioral Health in the University of New Mexico’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science as a clinical supervisor and trainer.
Lisa Morad-McCoy, LCSW is a Senior Program Therapist at UNM Community Behavioral Health (CBH). Lisa received her Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Michigan in 1996. She has done extensive clinical work with children, adolescents and families at Para Los Ninos and the UNM School Based Health Center. At Para Los Ninos, UNM’s child sexual abuse/sexual assault team, Lisa developed and facilitated a group curriculum (Segura Y Fuerte: Safe and Strong) for adolescent female survivors of sexual assault.
At CBH, Lisa provides free clinical Tele-supervision for social workers in New Mexico who are seeking their LCSW. She is a certified trainer for Mental Health First Aid for youth and adults. Lisa is also a trainer for Comprehensive Community Support Services (CCSS). She provides clinical services for the Addressing Childhood Trauma through Intervention Outreach and Networking (ACTION) team and is trained in the Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC) trauma focused therapy model.
Amanda Browne, LMSW, MPH is a program specialist at the University of New Mexico Division of Community Behavioral Health. She currently manages the youth council for ASPYR (Alliance-building for Suicide Prevention and Youth Resilience) and provides training for the Consortium for Behavioral Health Training and Research (C-BHTR). Prior to joining UNM, she served as a school-based therapist and has provided Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST) for youth and families in Valencia and Bernalillo counties. Amanda received her Master of Social Work (MSW) and her Master of Public Health (MPH) from Columbia University in 2018. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and has more than ten years of diverse experience with violence prevention practice and programming in the U.S. and Latin America.
Brenda I. Quiñonez, LCSW, Born in México and raised in Los Angeles, Brenda values family and community. She received Bachelor’s Degrees in Sociology, Spanish, and Chicano Studies from Loyola Marymount University. She later graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California. Brenda’s twenty years of professional experience extends to field counseling, medical social work, program management, and various realms of non-profit work and clinical mental health settings, school-based therapy, university teaching, and, more recently, training
and consulting. Her community involvement includes social justice advocacy and activism for BIPOC communities, in particular, the immigrant population and other underserved youth and families. As President of El Puente de Encuentros, Brenda is a driving force in implementing and realizing the organization’s efforts in promoting equity in education and behavioral health by supporting and guiding students of color entering the behavioral/mental health field.
Kee Straits, PhD, Born Quechua (Indigenous) in Perú and raised in the United States, Kee is a Clinical/Community Psychologist. She received her BA in psychology from Williams College, her MA in Special Education from the University of New Mexico, and her PhD in psychology from Utah State University. Dr. Straits offers consultation to schools, organizations and communities, trainings, evaluation, and direct clinical services. In her career, she strives to achieve health equity in Native American and Latinx communities, improve the effectiveness of mental health systems that serve
youth, and increase the number of competent Native and Latinx health professionals.
