Board of Directors
President
Princess Okieme, (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), spent ten years of her professional career as a Clinical Social Worker and Behavioral Therapist working in clinic with autistic children as well as with cognitively challenged adults. Additionally, her work also involved counseling veterans, immigrants, domestic abuse victims and advising mothers on family dynamics and supportive structures. In addition to direct services to families and individuals, Ms. Okieme also held a variety of roles throughout New York City. Through her business wits along with a clinical approach to understanding, she assisted world leaders, congressional representatives and constituents to address pressing issues.
With a bachelors degree in management and international communications from the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University, and a masters in clinical social work from the Silver School of Social Work at New York University, Ms. Okieme understands what it takes to initiate and create from scratch successful productions that bring awareness, even solutions, to important issues. Coordinating the 8th Annual Youth Assembly at the United Nations to address the Eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) is one such example. Assisting
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney in sponsoring the Campus Save Act is another. The act helps to combat violence against women on college campuses as well as create a referral system, which enables non-profits and Congress to work together to address hunger, mental health, homelessness, veteran affairs, etc.
Ms. Okieme states, "After working with some very powerful people and those most vulnerable in the population, I have learned that mental illness threatens the advancement of humanity as the root cause of every societal problem”.
Vice-President
Jason Betts, (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) is a retired state detective and current licensed clinician dedicated to the empowerment and support of underserved youth and adults. Married father of 6 adult children, coach, and mentor of youth in Pasadena for 32 years. “ I didn’t choose Mental Health, Mental Health chose me”.
Currently, Mr.Betts runs programs throughout both LA and San Bernardino County, which consists of a Re-Entry program for formerly incarcerated clients, an Empowerment for Pre & Post probation clients as well as an After-School Program for youth.
Board-Chair & Treasurer
Cathy Moreno, (Clinical Support & Youth Advocate), graduated from Cal State LA 2019 with a Bachelors in Criminal justice. "I’ve been working in the Mental Health Field as both a Clinical Case Manager and Foster Youth Advocate for almost half a decade. I have learned that there are many individuals that need caring compassionate people to help them and advocate for their needs. Also, working with Foster Youth has demonstrated the importance of identifying mental health barriers at young ages to assist them with transitioning into de-stigmatized adults."
Vice-Chair
Andres Ruiz, (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) , is a community mental health therapist who provides FSP and WRAPAROUND services to children, families and adults in the South Los Angeles area, where he grew up. He has over ten-years of experience working around cultural, political and educational issues before pursuing a degree in Clinical Psychology and graduating in 2018. Andres has counseled children and adults with criminal records and is sensitive to many psycho-social-emotional challenges people experience going through life.
Andres Ruiz, aka Mayazteca born in Los Angeles, California. He has over ten-years of experience working with LGBTQ+, unaccompanied minors and gang affiliated youth. He has counseled foster youth, and mentored youth with criminal records, and is sensitive to the issues of trauma, domestic violence, gang-conflict. He is a founding member of Pride Rock Wellness a non-profit organization. Which offers conflict resolution, anger management and mentorship intervention to incarcerated youth through hip hop, sports, and the game of chess. Andres holds a Masters in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Community/Liberation Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles.