“The illness narrative is not merely a story tacked on to the disease, but rather it is the disease itself.
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Bridging Worlds: Anthropology, Public Health, and the Power of Story
As a Certified Public Health (CPH) professional with a background in Anthropology, I bring a unique perspective to the field of public health. My work is deeply informed by the understanding that health is not just a biological phenomenon, but a complex interplay of individual experiences, social structures, and cultural beliefs.
My Approach:
I integrate the principles of narrative medicine and anthropological insights into my public health practice, focusing on:
Deep Listening: Paying close attention to the stories people tell about their health, their experiences with healthcare systems, and the social and cultural factors that influence their well-being.
Cultural Humility: Approaching each individual and community with respect for their unique beliefs, values, and practices related to health and healing.
Explanatory Models: Exploring how people make sense of their illness, including their beliefs about causes, symptoms, and treatments.
Social Determinants of Health: Recognizing the powerful influence of social, economic, and environmental factors on health outcomes.
My Services:
Community Health Outreach & Engagement: Designing and implementing culturally sensitive programs that utilize storytelling to foster dialogue, build trust, and address health disparities.
Health Promotion & Education: Developing culturally relevant health education campaigns and materials that resonate with diverse communities.
Public Health Advocacy: Using narrative to raise awareness about critical public health issues, influence policy, and mobilize communities to take action.
Training & Capacity Building: Equipping public health professionals, healthcare providers, and community organizations with the skills and knowledge to integrate narrative medicine and anthropological perspectives into their work.
My Current Role:
Currently, I serve as the Senior Outreach and Engagement Manager for the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) on SAMHSA's Opioid Response Network (ORN). In this role, I leverage my expertise to:
Promote recovery: by creating spaces for individuals to share their stories of hope and resilience.
Reduce stigma: by challenging negative narratives surrounding addiction.
Empower communities: by providing them with the tools and resources they need to address the opioid crisis.
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As a public health consultant, I have experience with examining and building up the stories at organizations which typically include improving the execution and operationalization of missions and visions; as well as enhancing the experiences and narratives of the workforce who are responsible for carrying out the services. This involves the provision of tailored technical assistance around program implementation, strategic communication, organizational development/branding, human-centered design and change management.
As an anthropologist and social worker, I am rooted in formal training and education in humanity, human behavior, and human services management. Additionally, I have provided technology transfer and implementation science support to over 100 community-based public mental health projects while working part of SAMHSA’s Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network. Technology transfer defined as the nexus between development, dissemination, and implementation; specifically focused on translation and adoption to help accelerate the diffusion of innovation. Previously, I worked at the VA Greater Los Angeles Health System to help implement the Whole Health Personal Health Planning Initiative with older Veterans in the Gerofit Clinical Program for Health Promotion and Falls Prevention, of which I also formalized a theory of change and logic model for ongoing evaluation research and program planning purposes. Overall, my skills in human-centered design are grounded in a decade of experiences and training around implementation science, design thinking, human services, and human behavior.
I apply my skills as an anthropologist, specifically Linguistic Anthropology to be sensitive to language, social organization, and communication of major public health and social problems. My initial work in communications was as a founding Social Media and Marketing Intern with the UCLA Volunteer Center where I designed an interactive marketing campaign to incentivize volunteerism among students while also promoting the UCLA Brand. This work also involved leading different committees to strategize content for social media to promote civic engagement among undergraduates at UCLA. After this yearlong internship, I translated my skills, developing and overseeing various online communications and social media for the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and MusicMendsMinds, Inc. I’ve also supported strategy for external affairs and program design for Westside Pacific Villages.
I am also certified in Public Health with the National Board of Public Health Examiners, and pay special attention to broader community health issues such as the opioid epidemic, loneliness epidemic, and rapid population aging which increases the need and value for chronic disease epidemiology in the United States. The bulk of my technical assistance experience has been accumulated through SAMHSA’s Opioid Response Network where I provided technical assistance to various organizations and agencies within the Pacific Southwest (Hawaii, California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and select Pacific Jurisdictions and Territories).
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On top of examining and building upon the stories at organizations, I am also available to deliver powerful stories and lessons learned (evidence-based practices) to organizations and professionals through education and training. This includes pedagogy, lecturing, presentations, public speaking, and online learning.
I am an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Social Work for Western New Mexico University, where I teach a variety of courses in social work. I believe in the power of communicating theories of social work and social sciences effectively to engage students while also translating concepts into meaningful learning and professional development outcomes. I am also available for mentoring through the UCLA ONE Network and Alumni Mentoring Program, where I provide individual coaching and mentoring sessions focused on self-branding and long-term professional planning.