Role with PSI:

Currently serving as the Vice-President, Deborah’s main role is chairing the 2008 Annual Conference.

Current Projects:

Deborah is focused on creating an educational conference program for the 2008 PSI Conference to be held in Houston, Texas. This entails developing a relevant program and seeking out speakers who can provide the most current and useful research to both a clinical and non-professional audience.

Bio:

Deborah has worked as the Director of Education and Training at the Mental Health Association of Greater Houston since 2003. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and obtained a Master’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology which included the completion of anthropological fieldwork in India and the publication of a master’s thesis on the neglect of female children in India. She is currently completing her dissertation for her doctorate degree in public health with a focus on cross-cultural mental health.

Deborah has worked in a variety of social service, education, research, and mental health positions. Her mental health experience includes serving as the Director of Education and Training at Asian American Family Services in Houston, Texas and as a Research Coordinator in Behavioral Science at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. She has held positions at both the University of Houston and Houston Community College as a cultural anthropology instructor.

Currently, as Director of Education and Training at the Mental Health Association of Greater Houston, Deborah coordinates the work of the Yates Children Memorial Fund, a group of volunteers who came together to educate the Houston-area community about postpartum mental illnesses following the tragic deaths of the Yates children at their hands of their mother, Andrea Yates, who suffered from postpartum mental illness. In this capacity, Deborah has planned and coordinated conferences and trainings for both public and professional audiences in the Houston area. She frequently speaks at educational events about mental health and perinatal mental illness. She has been featured on local radio and television promoting mental health and raising awareness about mental illness.