Maite P. Mena, Psy.D., has a Doctorate in Psychology and is a Research Assistant Professor at the UM SEHD. She was the recipient of a NIDA funded Diversity Research Supplement Grant and a Health Foundation of South Florida grant to help develop services in the Little Havana community.

Her research expertise includes study design, coordination and treatment implementation. As Co-PI she has led the successful execution of three complex treatment protocols with Hispanic adolescents and their families. She has played a central role in making cultural adaptations to family-based treatment, has worked on the integration of Motivational Interviewing into family based treatments, and has led efforts to measure treatment adherence/fidelity in complex interventions. Dr. Mena work on discovering barriers Hispanic parents identify as reasons for not speaking to their adolescent children about sex, protection, and the consequences of engaging in risky sexual behaviors was used to enhance the CIFFTA treatment.

Dr. Mena also has expertise in clinical work, teaching, and training. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the area of Family Systems Theories and Lifespan Human Development, and has taught an on-line course in psychiatric issues. She currently supervises Master’s students at the SOEHD teaching clinic and supports their use of family interventions, Motivational Interviewing, and SBIRT screening and brief interventions. Dr. Mena regularly conducts large training events on CIFFTA, SBIRT, and Motivational Interviewing and she has successfully worked with several community sites to implement SBIRT. Dr. Mena won a Community Partnership Award in 2014 for her work in Little Havana.