Culture Conference
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Our biennial, virtual Culture Conference will be held on October 24th on Zoom.
Early Bird registration opens on August 1st, 2025. This not-to-be-missed online event is a collaboration between GSAPP, Rutgers School of Health Professions (SHP), and RU-Schools of Social Work (SSW) and Graduate School of Education (GSE)!
Dr. Thema Bryant is this year's featured keynote speaker!
Sign up today before regular pricing begins on 9/15!
Up to 3.5 continuing education (CE) credits will be available. More information coming soon.
To become a community sponsor, please email: diversity@gsapp.rutgers.edu
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Registration Fees
- EARLY BIRD Professionals: $99 (price increases on September 1st)
- Rutgers Students: Free (for first 50 students)
- Students at other Universities: $20
-Students: please email a scan of your student ID to ce@gsapp.rutgers.edu to receive the discount code.
-Special rates for Rutgers GSAPP/SSW/SHP/GSE alumni and supervisors!
-Special Group Rates: Email ce@gsapp.rutgers.edu for information.
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Breakout Sessions:
-Engaged Mindfulness for Resilient and Effective Supervision – Vivien Roman-Hampton & Dr. Caitlin Elsaesser
Vivien Roman-Hampton is a licensed clinical social worker, doctoral student at the University of Connecticut's School of Social Work, and founder of a group mental health practice dedicated to expanding access for historically marginalized communities. She also serves as Director of Outreach and Teacher Development for the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults. Vivien holds an MSW from Salem State University and specializes in mindfulness-based interventions, supervision, social justice, and community-engaged research. Her work integrates contemplative practices into clinical development with a strong focus on resilience, trauma recovery, and systems change.
Dr. Caitlin Elsaesser is an Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. She is an independent licensed clinical social worker. Dr. Elsaesser’s research focuses on partnering with youth and communities to create health promotion efforts that are empowering and accessible. Dr. Elsaesser’s work is guided by critical race and feminist theories. With an understanding that those with lived experience hold key expertise in health, her work draws on community-based participatory methodology. Her career as a researcher is built on a decade of direct experience working with adolescents and families in Chicago, first as a high school teacher and later as a social worker. A mindfulness practitioner since 2014, one of Caitlin’s core interests is melding contemplative practice and social justice. Caitlin received her mindfulness teacher-in-training through at iBme. Caitlin is the mother of two young children. Her perspective as a mother and mindfulness practitioner inform all parts of her work.
-Bridging Worlds: Navigating Bicultural Identity & Mental Health in South Asian Clients – Surbhi Alaigh Vyas
Surbhi Alaigh Vyas is a licensed professional counselor and founder of Healing Lotus Mental Health, a telehealth practice serving adolescents and adults across New Jersey. Surbhi earned her Bachelor of Science at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. With over a decade of experience in public education as a school counselor, she holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Centenary University. Surbhi is an Approved Clinical Supervisor and a passionate advocate for South Asian mental health through her work with the nonprofit Healthy Body Healthy Mind and the South Asian Americans for Change (SAAFC). Her mission is to reduce mental health stigma and bridge cultural gaps in therapeutic care.
-Pen(itentary) or Pencil: Racial Trauma & the School to Prison Pipeline – Dr. Jennifer Jones-Damis
Dr. Jennifer Jones-Damis is a licensed psychologist and nationally recognized trauma expert who currently serves as the Director of Counseling, ADAP, and Psychiatric Services at Rutgers University. A leader in juvenile justice mental health reform, she previously directed mental health services at Riker’s Island and Essex County Jail. Dr. Jones-Damis earned her doctorate in School Psychology from Rutgers University and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Traumatic Stress at Mount Sinai. A published author and speaker, she is deeply involved with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and The Association of Black Psychologists, focusing on racial trauma, systems change, and culturally responsive clinical care.
-Cultural Considerations in Supervision of Mental Health Treatment – Dr. Kristine Hodshon & Dr. Yahaira Marquez
Dr. Kristine Hodshon is the Director of Mental Health Forensic Services and a Faculty Psychologist at the CARES Institute at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine. A certified TF-CBT clinician, she leads statewide forensic evaluation programs and supervises postdoctoral fellows in trauma and child abuse treatment. She previously served as a consultant for The New Jersey Coordination Center (NJCC) for Child Abuse & Neglect Forensic Evaluation and Treatment at Rutgers University. Her work advances quality improvement in clinical care and she currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Children’s Alliance.
Dr. Yahaira Márquez is a licensed psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, where she is also affiliated with the CARES Institute. Dr. Márquez also contributes to the field through peer reviewing for APA Publishing and serves as a mentor and advocate for diversity in clinical education.
-Crack Babies: The Intergenerational Effects of the Crack Epidemic on the Black Family in the American South – Dr. Tameika Minor & Dr. Ronica Marable
Dr. Tameika Minor is a rehabilitation counseling scholar and advocate whose work centers on disability justice, substance use, and reentry populations. She has several publications and awards in these areas including the Rutgers Health Interprofessional Clinical Educator of the Year award, and the 2024 Cheryl Wall Fellowship for Diversity Equity and Inclusion. She serves as a principal investigator on multimillion-dollar federal grants and is co-founder of Achim Sheli, a national organization supporting Jews of Color. With a PhD from Southern Illinois University, Dr. Minor’s research blends cultural competence, intersectionality, and health equity.
Dr. Ronica Marable is a strategic leader with a PhD in Counseling and over 15 years of experience in behavioral health, workforce development, and grant-funded programming. Her expertise spans multicultural training, technical assistance, and systemic advocacy for underserved communities, particularly those navigating poverty, disability, and marginalization. She currently works as a Program Officer at the U.S. Department of Education.
-Play Power: Community Solutions for Youth Empowerment – Delaney Campo
Delaney Campo is a licensed professional counselor and Health and Wellness Director at the Louisiana Children’s Museum. Her work focuses on youth empowerment through creative, play-based interventions and community engagement. With experience in academic counseling, mental health therapy, and educational programming, Delaney leverages evidence-based techniques to support emotional and social development. She holds an M.A. in Counseling and has served in both school-based and nonprofit mental health roles across Louisiana.
-Liberation from Anti-Fatness and its Roots in Anti-Blackness – Crystal Socha & Dr. Katie Christensen
Crystal Socha is a Senior Training and Consultation Specialist at Rutgers University’s School of Health Professions. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and gender-affirming care. A doctoral student and certified clinical supervisor, Crystal’s work advances social justice through mental health education and systems reform.
Dr. Katie Christensen is a counselor educator and licensed clinician in North Carolina. Her clinical and research focus includes weight bias, grief, and counselor supervision. She has taught and mentored counselors since 2018 and is passionate about addressing the intersections of body liberation and racial justice in therapeutic settings.
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More details on the interactive afternoon panel session coming soon!