ICSI

About Us

Name

Integral Community Solutions Institute

vision

We are leaders in providing culturally competent integral mental health services for the greater San Joaquin Valley servicing and promoting emotional health and well being.

Somos líderes en la prestación de servicios de salud mental integral culturalmente competentes para el gran servicio del Valle de San Joaquín y la promoción de la salud emocional y el bienestar.

approaching to programming

Integral Theory
Atencion Plena – Mindfulness
Pláticas – Wellness and Bienestar
Working with Transitional Aged Youth and Adolescents

Who are you?

Integral Community Solutions Institute (ICSI), a 501 (c)3 non-profit mental health agency, was founded in 2011 by a group of community mental health experts, providers, and advocates.

Over the years, ICSI has contracted with local agencies and schools to provide mental health services to individuals and families in need. ICSI believes in promoting community health through advocacy and wellness of the body, mind, and spirit.

Our mental health consumer base includes children, youths, and their families exposed to trauma; women and families of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.

El Instituto Integral de Soluciones Comunitarias (ICSI), una agencia de salud mental 501 (c) 3
sin fines de lucro, fue fundada en 2011 por un grupo de expertos, proveedores y defensores
comunitarios de salud mental.

Con los años, ICSI ha contratado varias agencias y escuelas locales para proporcionar servicios
de salud mental a personas y familias necesitadas. ICSI cree en promover la salud comunitaria a
través de la defensa y el bienestar del cuerpo, la mente y el espíritu. Nuestra base de consumidores de salud mental incluye niños, jóvenes y sus familias expuestas a traumas; Mujeres y familias de víctimas de violencia doméstica, agresión sexual y trata de
personas.

Sunnyside Mindfulness Club

Our Mindfulness Club Vision is: We are leaders in raising awareness of the benefits of mindfulness practice, personal development and higher education.

We create a culture of peace and stress reduction through daily mindfulness practice.

We offer mindfulness teachings in schools and wider community outreach through our mindfulness retreat.

Who We Are

our team

Dr. Juan C. Garcia, Founder & Director

Dr. García, a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT), is the executive director at ICSI. He has dedicated close to 40 years of experience engaging and working with Latinx and other vulnerable communities. Dr. García holds a master’s degree in community-clinical psychology from San Jose State University (1982), and a PhD in anthropology from Stanford University (1985). He has served in a number of leadership positions and guiding policies promoting mental wellness for underserved and unpopulations. For example, he served on the NAMI California Board of Directors for six years and is now an active member of NAMI in Fresno. Dr. García has also created a community engagement therapy model through his work at California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) and in the nonprofit sector that has led to thousands of new and retrained culturally competent and language proficient mental health professionals. He has founded and led Spanish-speaking and community- focused service provider groups that to-date continue advocating and promoting mental health care for Latinx communities. As a professor at Fresno State, Dr. García established a counseling and rehabilitation program that is aligned to the recovery model with an emphasis on empowering, giving hope with a sense of purpose, changing behaviors through self-responsibility and self-efficacy, and conveying that recovery is possible when mental health consumers are given a meaningful role in life. He has taught multicultural aspects of counseling at CSU Fresno for more than 30 years, and as a result is an expert in implementing culturally responsive approaches in counseling, social services, and in administrative structures in the helping professions. Dr. García is now a Professor Emeritus of the same counseling center in Fresno State that he helped design and lead. Recognizing that the only way to adequately address the health and mental health treatment gap among Latinx and other un/underserved communities is to go inside the neighborhoods where the people live to deliver services. Therefore, in 2011 he co-founded Integral Community Solutions Institute (ICSI) to provide counseling services to un/underserved populations in Fresno and throughout the San Joaquin Valley.

Fausto Novelo, Director of Operations & Clinical Counselor

Fausto G Novelo, a graduate of Alliant University, California School of Professional Psychology, with a Master of Arts in Counseling, Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, is currently both the program manager and a clinician for Integral Community Solutions Institute. Fausto is in charge of public affairs, coordinating professional development for staff, and intake and distribution of clients. Mr. Novelo also provides clinical counseling to individuals in need of therapy due to trauma related issues, human trafficking, interparner violence, victims of violence, or vandalism at home. Mr. Novelo has experience working with individuals suffering from eating disorders, substance abuse disorder, providing them with individual and group therapy; he also provides group therapy on the following topics, grief and loss, substance abuse and mental health, women empowerment, and co-occurring disorders. In addition, he has experience in family therapy. Mr. Novelo also has certifications in: Law and Ethics, Human Trafficking 101, LGBTQ+ and Gender Identity, Trauma Informed, child abuse reporting, systemic Racism & Structural Racialization: Examining the Impact of Behavioral Health Disparities, Account for Quickbooks, Property Manager certificate, and attends frequent webinars with SAMHSA. Mr. Novelo is frequently searching for resources beneficial to clients, such as housing and education resources, that can help those who want to further their education – GED or College.

Everardo Pedraza, Associate Marriage Family Therapist

Everardo Pedraza is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. He is the son of Mexican immigrant farm workers and the first and only person in his family to pursue a higher education. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of California, Berkeley in 1997 and his California Secondary Teacher Credential from Fresno State’s School of Education and a Master of Arts with honors in theology from the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley in 2007. He earned his Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University, Fresno in 2103. During his time at ICSI he completed his certification as a Certified Integral Therapist with Dr. Mark Forman, author of A Guide to Integral Psychotherapy: Complexity, Integration, and Spirituality in Practice (https:// citintegral.com, 2010). During his time at ICSI he has implemented a pioneering and successful Mindfulness Club at Sunnyside High School (Fresno Unified School District) in southeast Fresno. As well, he has provided individual and couples therapy. During his internship at ICSI he has obtained experience counseling adolescents and their families as well as adults with various issues including depression, addiction, anger and anxiety. He has obtained experience with clients from various walks of life with emotional and behavioral issues related to premarital, marriage, divorce, parenting, substance abuse, PTSD and grief work. Everardo has established himself as a mindfulness leader and skilled facilitator, leading individuals and groups in various mindfulness practices, in individual and group sessions and designing a successful Mindfulness Retreat for Teens with the Sunnyside High School Mindfulness Club. He is passionate about working with the underserved Latinx populations. As a bilingual therapist, he wishes to continue raising awareness of mindfulness practice psychotherapeutic and personal development and higher educational attainment to first-generation college-students from underserved communities. He has emerged as a respected leader in integral psychotherapy. With 17 years of teaching English in the inner-city, Mr. Pedraza has achieved success in working with at-promise teens and popularized mindfulness and normalized psychotherapy among the youth. Everardo integrates multiple models including, but not limited to, emotion-focused therapy, structural family therapy in an approach that best fits his clients.

Dr. Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Research Director

Dr. Juan Carlos Gonzalez’ is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at the California State University, Fresno. He holds bachelor’s’ in Spanish and Philosophy from California State University – San Bernardino, a master’s in Higher Education from The Ohio State University, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Arizona State University. He is presently working on a California Department of Public Health funded project to document effective Latinx therapeutic methodologies for at-risk Latinx youth. Dr. Gonzalez’s contribution is to the research design, serve as co-evaluator, write the research for publication, and help YCMM become an evidence- based practice. Since 2000, Dr. Juan Carlos Gonzalez’ has been engaged in higher education research and study. He served as PI as small research grants, primarily university-based. He is currently the Director of Research and Evaluation for Integral Community Solutions Institute (ICSI) focused on improving mental health outcomes for Latinx youth. At this stage of his career, he is focused on assisting local non-profits with grant writing and development, mostly non-profits focused on serving school underserved youth. This is amazingly rewarding work to him as he has the opportunity to engage and include junior colleagues, and also because it is working in a severely underserved Latinx community.

Damaris Munoz, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

Damaris is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, who was born in Puebla, Mexico. Damaris received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Merced majoring in Psychology with a Minor in Spanish in 2010. She earned her Master’s degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University, Fresno in 2014. Damaris has worked in the educational arena for various years and received her PPS credential in 2018. Damaris has provided therapy for Individuals, families, and children at Integral Community Solutions Institute (ICSI), Spirit of Women, Centro La Familia, and Madera County Behavioral Health Services. She has experience in individual and group counseling as well as family and couples. During her time at ICSI, she served as one of the trailblazers in the SB1569 Human Trafficking project in 2013. Damaris has also worked with Substance abuse disorders and dual diagnosis disorders. Aside from providing time and effort to ICSI’s mission, she was employed as a pre-licensed mental health clinician for Madera County Behavioral Health Services. Where she treated children and adolescents suffering from Depression, Anxiety, and Conduct Disorders. Additionally, she has also worked in the adult Outpatient unit treating chronic mental health disorders such as Schizophrenia, Bi-polar, and other mood disorders. Today, Damaris works at Ezequiel Tafoya Alvarado Academy where she provides counseling services to the students and families. This includes but is not limited to meeting with students one on one, family and parent meetings, group sessions. Here, Damaris advocates for the students’ social-emotional needs and empowers families to become involved in the students' academic journey. Lastly, Damaris implements various groups such as Mindfulness, journaling, and Art therapy groups.

Alejandra Perez, Associate Marriage & Family Therapist

Alejandra Perez is a Marriage and Family Therapy Associate at Integral Community Solutions Institute. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from California State University, Fresno. She is a graduate of California State University, earning her Master of Science in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling and PPS Credential in May of 2019. During her time at ICSI she has worked with the Hip-Hop Therapy Program by co-facilitating hip-hop therapy groups, co-facilitating mindfulness-based substance abuse groups, and providing individual therapy. During her internship with ICSI, she obtained experience counseling adolescents and their families addressing substance abuse, addiction, depression, anger, and anxiety. Alejandra Perez has obtained experience with clients across all walks of life with emotional and behavioral issues related to premarital, marriage, divorce, parenting, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress grief- work. She is passionate about working with the underserved Latino populations. As a bilingual therapist, she wishes to continue raising awareness of the ability of such services to people of low socioeconomic backgrounds. Oftentimes there are language barriers that limit the access of services to certain groups. With ICSI, Alejandra feels she has achieved the knowledge and skills needed to successfully serve those who feel that there are not sufficient resources available in their own language. Alejandra integrates multiple models, including, but not limited to, emotion focused therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, structural family therapy in an approach that best fits each individual.

Jairo Lozano, Associate Marriage Family Therapist

Jairo Lozano is a graduate from California State University, Fresno Counseling program, Jairo Lozano has developed and implemented the Hip Hop Therapy program at Ripperdan Community Day School and Mountain Vista High School. Jairo began interning with ICSI and participated in SB1569 Human Trafficking Project serving clients who were spanish speaking, undocumented, victims of abuse and violent crimes, and victims of human trafficking. He has developed a passion for working with underserved and marginalized populations and is currently working with youth in alternative education settings. Jairo has incorporated his experience and insight as a Hip-Hop artist to develop culturally relevant and identifiable interventions that have been successful in providing mental health access to underserved adolescents. He has drawn from elements of Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness to provide a delivery system of interventions based on the practices of the Hip-Hop culture. Jairo is able to provide therapy to this population through the creation of meaningful music and lyrics. He utilizes layers of culture with adolescents to facilitate establishing rapport and reducing stigma towards mental health. By utilizing a cultural art form that many youth identify with, he is able to lead youth towards psychological flexibility and treatment in depression, anxiety, trauma, family issues, substance abuse, identity issues, grief and loss, and anger issues. Jairo is trauma informed, certified, and has obtained a certificate in mindfulness and cultural competency. Through his work with Madera Unified School District, he has also become certified in Restorative Justice.

Miriam N. Zuniga, Administrative Assistant

Miriam N. Zuniga was born in Jalisco, Mexico and is currently the first person to pursue higher education in her family. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at California State University, Fresno and is expected to complete her Bachelor’s in December 2020. Miriam has been working with ICSI for the last four years as an administrative assistant. Here she has gradually built a strong foundation of knowledge regarding the various tasks and duties of an Administrative Assistant. She is the main point of contact for the office as she is in charge of answering the phone, assisting office visitors, and setting up client appointments. Miriam has increased efficiency in several of her assigned roles, and is very effective at aiding new trainees. She is Trauma-Informed certified. Always a team player, Miriam is keen on helping and ensuring things are getting done.