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"Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible- the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family"
--Virginia Satir
The Patton State Hospital Internship Committee is composed of the Internship Director, Supervisor Mentors, Coordinating Supervisors, Assessment Supervisors, psychologists who facilitate intern seminars, and a representative from the hospital’s Positive Behavioral Support service. Each intern is assigned to a Coordinating Supervisor, who provides weekly supervision and mentorship throughout the year. The Coordinating Supervisors generally supervise a few psychotherapy cases and assessments in addition to helping the intern to structure his or her training year. Additionally, each intern is initially assigned to an Assessment Supervisor, who will supervise several of the intern’s initial assessments in order to develop training goals in this area. As the year progresses, interns will be supervised by other Assessment Supervisors, but will continue to work with their Coordinating Supervisors on a weekly basis. The Internship Committee includes three Supervisor Mentors who provide assistance to newer supervisors as they develop and refine their supervision skills. The Supervisor Mentors are all experienced supervisors and have all served as Coordinating Supervisors in the past. In addition to helping our newer supervisors develop supervisory skills, the Supervisor Mentors provide direct supervision to interns.
This committee meets on a regular basis to discuss issues related to internship training at Patton. Although the internship committee members provide the bulk of the supervision in the internship, several additional supervisors from the Department of Psychology provide adjunct supervision. Each intern is generally exposed to as many as 10 different supervisors during the course of the year. The professional biographies listed below give a brief description of some of the interests of staff members on the Internship Committee. Additionally, each individual from the committee provided a few sentences about her or his approach to supervision.
Internship Director
David Glassmire, Ph.D., ABPP
Supervisor Mentors
Norm Kerbel, Ph.D.
Ming Liu, Ph.D.
Cathy Sink, Ph.D.
Coordinating Supervisors
Robert Brodie, Ph.D.
Allen Kilian, Ph.D.
Mona Mosk, Ph.D.
Allison Pate, Ph.D.
Susan Velasquez, Ph.D.
Jette Warka, Ph.D.
Assessment Supervisors
Andrea Bauchowitz, Ph.D.
Laura Luna, Ph.D.
Luciano Tristan, Ph.D.
Dominique Kinney, Ph.D.
Steve Nitch, Ph.D.
Andrew Tamanaha, Ph.D.
Albert Yee, Psy.D.
Seminar Leaders
Sheri Curtis, Ph.D. (Psychotherapy Seminar)
Sean Evans, Ph.D. (Psychotherapy Seminar)
Jette Warka, Ph.D. (Psychotherapy Seminar)
Mona Mosk, Ph.D. (Professional Development Seminar)
David Glassmire, Ph.D., ABPP (Assessment & Prof. Development Seminars)
Helga Thordarson, Ph.D. (Professional Development Seminar)
Positive Behavioral Support Representative
Mark Williams, Ph.D.
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Andrea Bauchowitz, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Bauchowitz received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology in 2002. She completed an internship at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia with an emphasis on Health Psychology and Neuropsychological Assessment. Dr. Bauchowitz completed a two year post-doctoral fellowship in Behavioral Medicine at the University of Virginia. Prior to joining Patton State Hospital in 2008, Dr. Bauchowitz served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia where teaching and supervision were an integral part of her work. She is interested in understanding the cognitive and behavioral processes of health behavior change, and has several publications in peer reviewed journals in the areas of obesity as well as behavioral management of type 1 diabetes. At Patton State Hospital Dr. Bauchowitz works with an acute female population, which requires assessment and treatment of both axis I and II symptomatology. Dr. Bauchowitz enjoys applying the cognitive-behavioral concepts of behavior change in the assessment and treatment of these individuals. Dr. Bauchowitz was born and raised in Heidelberg, Germany.
Approach to Supervision
“Teaching and supervision of new clinicians has been an integral component of my professional career. Aside from the joy of being exposed to the open minds of new psychologists, I feel honored to take a part in teaching the next generations of clinicians. My theoretical approach to patient care is cognitive-behavioral. As an assessment supervisor I strongly believe in interpreting results in a manner that takes into account behavioral, cognitive as well as medical variables of performance and overall pathology. Providing the treatment team with concrete recommendations that can be translated into patient care is an important aspect of my goals for supervising psychological assessments. Overall, supervision of trainees is a priority in my daily routine. I strongly believe in a collaborative approach to patient care which includes co-therapy, observation and of course weekly one to one supervision meetings.”
Robert Brodie, Ph.D.
Biography
Growing up, I have always had two particular educational passions, psychology and criminal law. So while completing my B.A. degree at the University of California, Irvine, I majored in psychology and had a minor in criminal law. While at Irvine I took a course entitled the Psychology of Blacks and began to learn the foundation for what grew into the field of cross-cultural psychology. As I selected a graduate program, I chose the University of California, Santa Barbara because its doctoral program specialized in issues of multiculturalism and cultural competence. In deciding where to complete my internship, I looked for a facility where I could incorporate my interest in law and completed my clinical internship in the Forensic Track at Patton State Hospital. The following year, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Forensic Psychology also at Patton. Currently I am a staff psychologist at Patton State Hospital where my clinical work allows me to complete forensic assessments, conduct individual and group therapy, and participate in the supervision and training of our clinical trainees. In addition to my work at Patton I am an adjunct instructor at the University of LaVerne and hold a private clinical practice providing assessment, treatment, and consultation and specialize in providing culturally responsive services and interventions.
Approach to Supervision
“Clinical supervision is a process that is adjusted depending on the needs of the supervisee and the type of treatment that is being provided. I thoroughly enjoy the process of supervision and hope that the supervisee will also. I look to challenge the supervisee to push the limit and try different techniques in their work. My theoretical orientation is cognitive-behavioral but I am eclectic in technique. Internship is a year to develop a professional identity and I hope to assist in that process. Remember two things, recognize when you are working harder than your client and enjoy the work that you do.”
Sheri Curtis, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Curtis received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Loma Linda University in 2004. She completed her internship and postdoctoral fellowship in clinical psychology at Patton State Hospital. Dr. Curtis has received advanced training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Gestalt Therapy and she is currently taking a one-year course offered through The Psychoanalytic Center of California. She has published in the areas of codependency and victim blame and her current research interest is in attachment theory, measurement, and clinical applications. Dr. Curtis is also a board member of Garden Path Ministry—a ministry reaching out to women in the prison system—and she maintains a part-time private practice.
Approach to Supervision
“Being a supervisor is a rewarding experience. On a professional level, it is stimulating because there is an element of seriousness to the process as well as an element of creativity. With supervisees, I encourage discussing the important topics of ethics, research findings, evidenced based practice, professional growth and adjustment, and case conceptualization but there is also space to “play” with hypotheses, interventions, and the realities of clinical practice. On a personal level, I consider the opportunity to work with interns as they transition to their professional roles a profound privilege.”
Sean Evans, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Evans received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2005 from Loma Linda University, with a concentration in the area of neuropsychology and pediatric psychology (master’s thesis and dissertation were on the experience of pain in chronically ill children). He completed his internship in the Clinical Neuropsychology Track at Patton State Hospital (PSH). The following year he was hired as a unit psychologist at PSH and placed on an all-female acute admissions unit. Dr. Evans is one of the co-facilitators in the Internship Psychotherapy Seminar. In addition to his service at PSH, Dr. Evans provides treatment and forensic assessments for outpatient forensic populations, including high risk sex offenders. He has received advanced training in the areas of Gestalt Psychotherapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Dr. Evans is also an avid fan of U2, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, as well as the jazz masters.
Approach to Supervision
“One of those guiding principles in my professional and personal life is embodied in the Socratic statement, ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’ I think supervision reflects one of those rare opportunities in our development as clinicians to deepen our understanding of the human experience, through dialogue and collaboration, in which we examine ourselves and the individuals we serve. I prefer using a hypothesis testing model, in which initial ideas are discussed, hypothesized, and then tested against the empirical data derived from testing and observation. I think being mindful of how we examine human experience engenders more meaning and a life that is worthy of human existence.”
David Glassmire, Ph.D., ABPP
Biography
Dr. Glassmire received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology and completed his internship in the Clinical Neuropsychology Track at Patton State Hospital. The following year, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology with an additional emphasis in clinical neuropsychology at Patton. Dr. Glassmire was formerly the psychologist in Patton’s Substance Abuse and Mental Illness program and was later a psychological assessment consultant on a program for patients adjudicated as incompetent to stand trial. In addition to serving as Patton’s Internship Director, Dr. Glassmire maintains a part-time forensic private practice and is a part-time faculty member in the Department of Gerontology at the University of Southern California. Dr. Glassmire is actively involved in research on the MMPI-2 and the assessment of malingering and serves as a Consulting Editor in these areas for the Journal of Personality Assessment. Dr. Glassmire is a Diplomate in Forensic Psychology with the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) and co-facilitates a seminar (with Dr. Robert Welsh) at Patton that helps to prepare psychologists for the ABPP board certification examination process in forensic psychology. In his spare time, Dr. Glassmire enjoys playing guitar and watching movies, particularly those that display the breadth of the “human experience” and have a quirky nature. Some of his favorite movies include Harold and Maude, Garden State, and Little Miss Sunshine.
Approach to Supervision
“I find that providing supervision to interns is the most rewarding part of my job because it keeps me in touch with the professional development process of future psychologists. I think of supervision as a collaborative process in which we work together to understand the individuals we serve at the hospital. Although I provide my initial hypotheses about cases during supervision sessions, I also try to challenge supervisees to articulate the rationale underlying their own hypotheses about the case in question.”
Norm Kerbel, Ph.D.
Biography
After growing up in Southern California and receiving my B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine, I did what every kid in Southern California does; go to graduate school at the University of North Dakota. I received a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1989, decided it was way too cold up there, and I have been working at Patton State Hospital since 1990. Most of my research at the University of North Dakota involved looking at the effects of alcohol on memory processes. My theoretical approach can be best described as “if it works and it is ethical, I use it.” I generally use cognitive-behavioral approaches, and I strongly believe that therapy is an art that needs to be informed by the science that our profession has to offer.
Approach to Supervision
“I have been supervising interns continuously since 1990. My approach is hard to describe, since it is never the same twice. Everyone has different needs for their professional development, and I try to customize my approach in supervision to meet the needs of each intern. Interns are at a transition point in their careers, moving from students to Psychologists. My role is to provide training, guidance, and a whole lot of support as they make this often challenging transition. I try to help each intern enhance their own skills from their own world views and theories. (But they do have to hear my theories and opinions, and they are required to put up with my sense of humor.)”
Allen Kilian, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Kilian received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2003 from Fuller Theological Seminary Graduate School of Psychology and completed his internship in the Forensic Track at Patton State Hospital. He was subsequently hired as a Staff Psychologist at Patton State Hospital. Dr. Kilian’s tenure at Patton has included serving patients on an acute admissions unit who have been deemed by the court to be incompetent to stand trial. His work has emphasized assessment with a particular emphasis on the forensic questions of trial competence, malingering, and the intersection between the law and mental health. Dr. Kilian also maintains a private practice that consists of serving on a court panel and conducting Competence to Stand Trial and Insanity evaluations for the courts. In addition to working at Patton, Dr. Kilian serves as an adjunct professor at Loma Linda University, where he teaches classes in the area of objective personality assessment. Dr. Kilian’s research interests have included assessment, neuropsychological sequelae of psychotic spectrum illnesses, and community based treatment for those with severe and chronic mental illness.
Approach to Supervision
“I find supervising interns to border on professional mentorship and I have a firm belief in the formative power of that relationship. I have experienced the supervisory relationship to be one of the most valuable professional relationships in my career and aspire to make it similarly valuable to every trainee I supervise. I encourage my trainees to become assertive and to take responsibility what they know and who they have become as professionals. This process involves leaving behind what most trainees have come to find comfortable, namely, a stable sense of what they do not know and all the many things they need to achieve. Consequently, my interns have been freed to experience relationships with patients, the science of assessment and treatment, and learning as a process as opposed to any singular event.”
Dominique Kinney, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Kinney received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology. She went on to complete her internship in the Clinical Neuropsychology Track at Patton State Hospital. The following year, she completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychology at Patton. Previously, Dr. Kinney served as a unit psychologist for individuals deemed too “fragile” to be housed in the general Patton population. Currently, she is a member of Patton’s Neuropsychology Consultation Service and is a primary supervisor for Post Doctoral Fellows in Neuropsychology. She is particularly interested in the neurocognitive correlates of psychiatric illness and the complexities that arise from providing neuropsychological services to dually-diagnosed individuals. Her areas of clinical and research interest are in psychiatric neuropsychology, cross-cultural psychology, and positive psychology. In her free time she enjoys the sense of fulfillment she receives from the “vital engagement” of family life.
Approach to Supervision
“Supervision at the intern level is an opportunity to assist the supervisee in shedding the student persona and helping the intern to develop into the type of professional he or she hopes to become. Whether working with patients or supervisees, it is my perspective that bolstering the weaknesses in others does not equal promoting the best in others. Therefore, I hope to provide a training environment that identifies, fosters, and supports an intern’s professional gifts and talents.”
Ming Liu, Ph.D. 
Biography
Dr. Liu received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. He has been employed at Patton as a Staff Psychologist since 1989. Initially, Dr. Liu worked on a unit that specialized in the assessment and treatment of individuals who were adjudicated as incompetent to stand trial. Following his work on a trial competency unit, Dr. Liu was the psychologist on Patton’s unit for individuals who were determined to be “psychologically fragile.” In many cases, patients were sent to this unit after being victimized by other patients in the hospital. Currently, Dr. Liu works as the psychologist on Patton’s geriatric unit, providing both treatment and assessment to older adults with a wide variety of legal commitments. In addition to working at Patton for a number of years, Dr. Liu has worked in an outpatient community mental health setting.
Approach to Supervision
“I am psychodynamically inclined and enjoy understanding a person from various theoretical angles. I attempt to create an egalitarian working relationship with both supervisees and patients. I see working with interns as a learning experience for both parties.”
Laura Luna, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Luna received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2005 from Fuller theological Seminary, Graduate School of Psychology. She focused her graduate studies in the area of clinical neuropsychology through both her coursework and dissertation. Dr. Luna completed her internship in the Clinical Neuropsychology Track at Patton State Hospital (PSH) and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at PSH. Since completing her training programs, Dr. Luna has gained experiences working on an acute co-ed admissions unit and a long term unit at Patton. She is heavily involved in supervising trainees at various levels at Patton and is also an adjunct professor in the Graduate Psychology Program at Azusa Pacific University, where she teaches courses on psychopharmacology and other topics. Dr. Luna is fluent in Spanish and conducts/supervises many of the Spanish-language neuropsychological assessments at Patton.
Approach to Supervision
One of the most rewarding experiences of my job is working with students. Taking on the role of a supervisor brings about an enriching experience as it inevitably leads to self-exploration and a deeper understanding of myself and the overall human experience of others. In supervision, I feel it is crucial to elicit the supervisee’s thoughts and concerns to help them grow in their journey of self-understanding, and impart valuable skills that they can use as they complete their studies and move into the role of clinician. Although being a supervisor ensures that I keep abreast of the research, I feel it is just as important to allow students the opportunity to teach me what they have learned in their work with various clients. In this way, supervision is a learning and enriching experiencing for both supervisor and supervisee.
Mona Mosk, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Mona Mosk received a double Master’s in Clinical and Community Psychology at California State University, Northridge with a minor in Multicultural Psychology and received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1996 from the University of South Dakota. She completed her internship at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veteran’s Hospital in San Antonio Texas. Following completion of her undergraduate degree, Dr. Mosk initially specialized in general trauma, working consistently with sexually and physically abused children between the ages of 2 and 14 and their families. Since coming to Patton, Dr. Mosk has specialized in Deaf Psychology, working on the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Unit. This unit is the only forensic, deaf-focused unit in the State of California, providing services in American Sign Language (ASL). Dr. Mosk, who is fluent in ASL, is certified as bilingual by the State of California and can provide supervision to interns who work with Patton’s deaf and hard-of-hearing patients. In addition, she facilitates the Professional Development for the interns.
Approach to Supervision
“I believe that the purpose of supervision is to help interns develop their own therapeutic and conceptualization style. I find the intern’s development from “student” to “professional” over the course of a year to be both challenging and rewarding. My goal at the end of the year is to have interns be able to understand what they are doing and not doing in psychotherapy and assessment arenas and why.”
Steve Nitch, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Nitch received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2002 from Loma Linda University, with a concentration in the area of Neuropsychology. His doctoral dissertation explored the relationship between chronic pain and non-pathological personality traits. Dr. Nitch completed an internship at the Loma Linda VA Hospital and then a Neuropsychology Fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Upon the inception of the Neuropsychology Consultation Services at Patton State Hospital in 2004, he began his tenure in state service. When not serving the governor, Dr. Nitch works in the outpatient Psychiatry clinic at the Loma Linda Medical Center and as a court-appointed evaluator. His research interests include malingering and suspect effort, the differential diagnosis of dementia, adult attention-deficit disorder, and the cognitive correlates of psychosis. In addition, he maintains an active interest in studying the functional effects of psychotropic medications, having recently earned a Master’s Degree in Psychopharmacology (2006). When it is time for diversion, his activities of choice include distance running and watching non-strenuous sports such as baseball.
Approach to Supervision
“Looking back upon my own experience, I believe that a good supervisor encourages the steady development of a skill set while allowing for the exploration of new areas of interest. It is all too soon that one’s training period is over and it is time to fulfill the myriad responsibilities of an independent practitioner. As such, it is my hope that the people I supervise take the time to immerse themselves in the specialty areas that interest them and soak up the rich clinical environment that PSH affords. I encourage supervisees to proactively identify the types of cases and experiences that they want to have at the outset of the training year. In supervision, I strive to provide a balance of didactics and mutually generated case conceptualization, with more independence given as the training year progresses.
Allison Pate, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Pate received her Ph.D. from the University of North Dakota in 1999. She completed her internship at Patton State Hospital after which she was hired as a unit psychologist. She has worked on an all-female long term care unit, an acute coed admissions unit, and a health and wellness focused co-ed long term care unit. In January 2008, she was appointed Senior Supervising Psychologist. She has published in the areas of personality traits, personality assessment, and crisis response, and has worked in the community at a program that treats and assesses sex offenders. She has received advanced training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and in 2006 she completed a one year advanced training course in object relations psychoanalytic psychotherapy. In her spare time, Dr. Pate plays co-ed and women’s soccer on several area teams and roots for Arsenal in the English Premiership Football league.
Approach to Supervision
“I believe that supervision provides the richest source of growth for budding psychologists. My approach is collaborative; I strive to provide a supportive atmosphere in which an intern can discuss theories and ideas, hone therapeutic interventions, incorporate ethical and cultural considerations, explore professional development issues, and learn from experience. I enjoy supervision, as each intern brings a unique perspective and knowledge base that broadens and enhances the services that our psychology department offers.”
Cathy Sink, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Sink received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1979 from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology. She completed her internship at Camarillo State Hospital and received a year of postdoctoral clinical training in adult outpatient psychotherapy at the Pasadena Community Counseling Clinic. She worked at the University of Alaska Fairbanks from 1980-1994 as a Staff Counselor in the Center for Health and Counseling and as an Assistant Professor of Psychology. She has worked at Patton State Hospital since July 1995 and has been consistently involved in the internship program throughout her years here.
Approach to Supervision
"Working with interns has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my job here at Patton. It not only keeps me on my toes professionally, but also allows me the opportunity to contribute to the process by which interns transition from students to new psychologists. I see my role in supervision as providing information, support and guidance to aid in this transition."
Andrew Tamanaha, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Tamanaha obtained his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology and completed the Clinical-Forensic Track internship at Patton State Hospital. Subsequently, he worked at Patton on an acute admissions unit providing assessment and treatment to individuals who were adjudicated incompetent to stand trial. During this time he received additional forensic mentoring, which prepared him to transition to Patton State Hospital’s Sex Offender Treatment Program. Dr. Tamanaha is currently involved with the assessment, treatment, and hospital wide consultation of individuals who benefit from specialized sex offender treatment. He regularly supervises interns in group sex-offender treatment, risk assessments, and clinical assessments. Dr. Tamanaha also regularly attends conferences in the area of sex offender assessment and treatment and continues to obtain advanced training in the most current sex offender assessment measures and treatment protocols. Additionally, he is an adjunct faculty member at Loma Linda University, where he teaches classes on forensic assessment.
Approach to Supervision
“Supervision is an immense responsibility as it is part of the process that prepares interns to fulfill their professional goals. As such, I feel that supervision provides an environment to experiment with personal styles/skills learned in graduate school, while providing a chance to experience a professional career.”
Helga Thordarson, Ph.D.
Biography
I received my BA (Experimental Psychology) from the University of California at Santa Barbara and Ph.D. (Clinical) from the Graduate Faculty/New School for Social Research in New York City. Training emphases included psychodiagnostic assessment, narrative analysis and object-relations approaches. During a rotation at Bellevue I discovered that I very much enjoyed working with the most severely mentally ill individuals in challenging, huge public service hospitals. I loved NYC. I completed internship at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center; this included MMPI seminars with Alex Caldwell (UCLA/NPI), a neuropsychology rotation, and inpatient work with treatment-refractory individuals. I like the high energy and pace of hyper-acute admissions-- where camaraderie, intensive teamwork, crisis intervention and rapid, targeted assessment (diagnostic, cognitive, forensic, malingering) are vital. I am a senior supervising psychologist and serve as mentor to several multidisciplinary teams. I also publish our monthly department newsletter, the ‘Bugle,’ which is a labor of love. In 1999 I was proud to receive a Sustained Superior Accomplishment Award (awarded by the Department of Mental Health). I facilitate internship seminars and have supervised interns on acute admissions rotations. I am an avid outdoor enthusiast (I fly a trained hunting hawk as a licensed falconer, ride Icelandic horses, and hike whenever I have a free moment!)
Approach to Supervision
“Our forensic setting is both challenging and sublime; it offer opportunities for enormous growth for us as clinicians, and as human beings. I feel privileged to work with trainees and encourage personal and professional integration in an open, collaborative and supportive atmosphere. I believe that our hospital helps turn ‘ghosts into ancestors’ and encourage exploration of narrative themes (crisis, transformation, recovery, forfeiture of meaning and hope secondary to traumatic loss). Analysis of psychotic and non-psychotic language helps us better understand clients who often feel they have lost everything. Their words reveal these presumptive worlds, while challenging our own assumptions and core beliefs. This dialectic exchange is vital if we are to assist people who have become unmoored, and who seek some restoration (or a first taste) of autonomy, mastery and hope.”
Luciano Tristan, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Tristan received his doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Louisville. He did his predoctoral internship at Patton State Hospital and went on to complete a one-year postdoctoral fellowship in Forensic Psychology, also at Patton. His research has focused on the construct of psychopathy and on sex offender risk-assessment instruments. His theoretical approach to clinical treatment is Interpersonal, and he has specialized training in Interactionist Therapy. Dr. Tristan currently works on a unit that evaluates and treats individuals committed to the hospital as incompetent to stand trial. Dr. Tristan, who was born and raised in Costa Rica, is fluent in Spanish and is able to provide supervision on Spanish-language assessments and treatment cases.
“I have found supervision to be a refreshing and stimulating process in which brainstorming, hypothesizing, and constructive debating can occur, all with the aim on the best interest of the person being treated. Attempting to employ my favorite characteristics of past supervisors of mine, I like to listen to my supervisee and allow him or her to arrive at his or her own conclusions, utilizing guidance as needed. I encourage the supervisees’ to go along with their hunches, gut feelings, and clinical instincts, and look forward to the outcomes of their subsequent experiments in therapy. I will also be the ‘devil’s advocate’ in an attempt not to frustrate or argue, but to challenge for deeper and more comprehensive understanding. Finally, in assessment supervision, I value to-the-point, clear, concise work … no fluff.”
Susan Velasquez, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Velasquez graduated from the California School of Professional Psychology-Los Angeles in the Multicultural Community emphasis program. She completed her internship at Patton State Hospital and has been a psychologist at Patton in various capacities since that time. Her interests are focused in a number of areas including the treatment of monolingual and bilingual Spanish-speaking patients, the advancement of cultural competence in the mental health field, and forensic evaluation. She has served in a number of capacities at Patton including work as a unit psychologist on Patton’s monolingual Spanish-speaking unit, Chair of one of Patton’s Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) teams, and most recently as a Senior Psychologist Supervisor who coordinates and oversees Specialized Psychology Services. She also has worked extensively at Patton in the area of multicultural training and has provided cultural consultation services, presented a number of trainings in this area, and helped to bring outside speakers on cultural competence to the hospital. In addition to working at Patton, Dr. Velasquez has a part-time private practice where she provides forensic evaluations for various court systems and attorneys. Dr. Velasquez is fluent in Spanish and can provide supervision to interns who work with monolingual Spanish-speaking patients at Patton.
Approach to Supervision
Coming Shortly. Please check back soon.
Jette Warka, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Jette Warka received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2001 from Loma Linda University. She completed her internship at Patton State Hospital and started working as a staff psychologist at Patton State Hospital in September 2001after completing her internship. Dr. Warka worked as a staff psychologist on a long-term treatment unit for 5 years. The population served on the unit consists mostly of individuals found not guilty by reason of insanity and of mentally disordered offenders. In September 2006, Dr. Warka joined the hospital’s Positive Behavior Support Consultation Service where she is currently working as the chair of one of Patton State Hospital’s Positive Behavior Support Teams. Additionally, Dr. Warka also works part-time in the community with mentally ill parolees. Dr. Warka is originally from Denmark and she was a pre-school teacher before she came to this country. Her clinical and research interests include development of personality, factors contributing to vulnerability for psychopathology, and factors contributing to resilience. Dr. Warka facilitates a weekly psychotherapy seminar for psychology interns and she completed a one-year certificate program in psychoanalytic psychotherapy from the Psychoanalytic Center of California in 2006.
Approach to Supervision
“My approach to supervision is to meet the intern where he or she is and go from there. Initially, I provide a lot of structure in supervision, but as the intern becomes comfortable with the individuals we serve and with our hospital, I let the intern take the lead. Supervision then becomes a collaborative process of understanding the individual and his or her current situation in terms of clinical theory, legal status, and interactions/process during sessions.”
Mark A. Williams, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Williams received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 2005. His research interests include the neurocognitive sequelae of psychiatric disorders as well as chronic medical conditions. He has published on the neurocognitive effects of hemodialysis and end-stage renal failure. Dr. Williams completed his internship in the Clinical Neuropsychology Track at Patton State Hospital. He went on to complete a one year postdoctoral fellowship in Neuropsychology at Patton. The following year Dr. Williams was hired as a staff psychologist and currently serves as a chair for the Positive Behavior Support (PBS) consultation service. Dr. Williams also works with the Neuropsychological Services in conducting cognitive rehabilitation groups. In addition to his work at Patton, Dr. Williams also serves as an adjunct instructor with California State University at Pomona, where he teaches courses in the areas of Brain and Behavior, Multicultural Psychology, and Abnormal Psychology.
Approach to supervision
“Working with interns is one of the most stimulating and rewarding aspects of my job. I enjoy engaging with trainees in a collaborative manner that allows for a transition from academic to applied application of their clinical knowledge and skill. My goal is to help individuals build upon their unique strengths and skill sets. My approach to supervision is to provide a supportive structure in which the intern is comfortable with developing his or her professional autonomy. I encourage supervisees to approach their clinical work from a hypothesis testing perspective to aid and guide their therapeutic interactions and assessments.”
Albert Yee, Psy.D.
Biography
Dr. Yee received his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from George Fox University in 2004. He completed his internship at the Salt Lake VA Medical Center, followed by a two-year fellowship in Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Prior to these trainings, he completed a neuropsychology rotation and worked on a Parkinson study at the San Francisco VA Medical Center/UCSF. He worked as a staff neuropsychologist at Atascadero State Hospital for almost two years prior to coming on as a senior psychologist with the neuropsychology department at Patton State Hospital in 2008. Dr. Yee is active in national professional organizations, such as APA Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology).
His clinical and research interests include neuropsychological and functional outcomes among neurologically impaired populations. He also worked on a NIH/NCI-funded project evaluating neuropsychological and functional outcomes among women with a history of chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, which he helped to publish in the Journal of Rehabilitation Psychology. Dr. Yee loves to ride his Trek 5200 bicycle (the same bike Lance used in the 2000 Tour de France) and spend time with his family when he is not at work.
Approach to Supervision
“I believe that supervisors have a responsibility to have a positive impact on their trainees. Several factors contribute to positive supervision. The supervisee is given permission to make mistakes and not to experience them as failures but to learn from them. The supervisee’s anxiety does not rise to such a high level that the work of supervision is hindered (This occurs when a supervisor is able to balance support and challenge). Evaluation of the supervisee occurs as a shared process between the supervisor and the supervisee.”