Jennica Paz, Ph.D.

Email

Primary Email: [email protected]

Phone/Fax

Primary Phone: 619-594-3198
Fax: 619-594-7025

Building/Location

North Education - 191
Mail Code: 1179

Bio

Dr. Jennica Paz is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She was born and raised in San Diego, CA, and her educational journey has taken her to UC Santa Barbara (Department of Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology) and USC Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She is passionate about ensuring high quality and culturally affirming service delivery to local capable youth with histories of adverse life circumstances. Dr. Paz has a number of research interests, publications, and presentations at local and national conferences since 2010 related to positive youth development among CLD youth, strengths-based assessment, trauma resiliency among foster youth, school- based mental health, school violence/safety, psychometrics, assessment and intervention among CLD students, and strength-focused psychodiagnostic assessment among neurodiverse students. 

In 2012, Dr. Paz was awarded the CASP Michael Goodman Research Award for her work related to a screening measure for school violence, safety, and victimization. Presently, she is an associate professor at San Diego State University, where she serves as a Co-PI for Project HEAL (OSEP Funded Grant) Highly-qualified Educational Advocacy Leaders, an interdisciplinary collaboration specializing in supporting youth in foster care using healing centered and strengths-focused approaches. She is also a Mellon Research Fellow for Project VISTA (Valuing Incarcerated Students Through Education). She is active in various service commitments across campus and in her community, including serving as co-chair for Promises 2 Kids Guardian Scholars scholarship committee for former foster youth seeking higher education. 

Publications

• Paz, J. L., Lambros, K., & Lewis, S. (2021). Strengths-based approaches for assessing student well-being. In K. A. Allen, A. Reupert, & L. Oades (Eds.), Building Better Schools with Evidence-based Policy: Adaptable Policy for Teachers and School Leaders. New York, NY: Routledge.https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003025955/building-better-schools-evidence-based-policy-kelly-ann-allen-andrea-reupert-lindsay-oades?refId=632274ab-eee7-4293-bb4a-6c1366715472
•  Paz, J.L…& Coats, S. (in press, 2021). Contemporary assessment of youth comprehensive psychosocial assets: School-based approaches and applications. Handbook of Positive Psychology Assessment Psychological Assessment – Science and Practice. European Association of Psychological Assessment (EAPA).
• Paz, J.L., & Kim., E.K. (in press, 2021). Covitality: Cultivating psychosocial strengths and well-being. In K. A. Allen, M. J. Furlong, D. A. Vella-Brodrick, & S. M. Suldo (Eds.). The Handbook of Positive Psychology in Schools (3rd ed.). Taylor and Francis.
•  Escobedo, A., Pruit-Lord, S., Paz, J. L., & Robinson-Zanartu, C. (2021). Building a pipeline of bilingual slps to serve dual language learners: An inclusive model of interprofessional education. Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders, 5(3), 1-12. https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/tlcsd/vol5/iss3/8
• Ingraham, C., Paz, J.L., Lambros, K., & Green, T. D. (2019). Multicultural supervision in school psychology: Innovations in training, approaches and implementation. Trainers’ Forum, 36(1), 60-70.
• Nakutin, S., & Paz, J.L. (2019). William’s syndrome: Brain-behavior relationships and implications for school psychologists. Journal of Contemporary School Psychology. doi:10.1007/s40688-018-00220-1