Priscilla Mendez, PsyD

Priscilla Mendez is a bilingual licensed clinical psychologist with experience working with under-resourced and ethnically diverse youth and families in multidisciplinary medical settings. Prior to joining the Trauma and Grief Center at The Hackett Center, she worked at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) as a postdoctoral fellow in the trauma psychology program. There, Priscilla provided trauma-focused therapeutic services to youth of color from under-resourced communities living in the Los Angeles area. She is certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and received specialized training in implementing trauma informed interventions (i.e., TF-CBT) through individual, family, and group modalities. She also has experience in adapting evidence-based treatments for youth and families of diverse cultural backgrounds and languages. Priscilla’s research interests include the impact of immigration and deportation-related traumas among youth and using implementation science to better equip mental health professionals working with unaccompanied minors in temporary placements.

Priscilla’s passion and strong commitment to serving marginalized communities, particularly the Latinx community, stems from her own personal experiences as a daughter of Mexican immigrants. In addition to her clinical work, Priscilla has worked with the Latinx community in a variety of settings including community outreach, program development, and advocacy. She has worked on a volunteer basis to serve Latinx refugees at the US- Mexico/Tijuana border and has presented on topics related to psychological care in crisis settings, mental health needs among Latinx refugee families, and advocacy for the immigrant community.

In her role as Assistant Director of Cross-Cultural Programs at the Trauma and Grief Center at The Hackett Center, Priscilla provides consultation and training to support the implementation of trauma- and grief-informed mental health services for at-risk youth and families. She also assists with cultural adaptations of learning collaboratives and trauma- and grief-related trainings, focusing on expanding the Center’s outreach to Spanish-speaking communities through workshops and educational initiatives.

Priscilla obtained her B.A. in Psychology from Baylor University and her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College. She completed her internship at USC’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at CHLA with an emphasis on adolescents and young adults and then completed specialized postdoctoral training in trauma psychology at CHLA.