Jennica Paz

Dr. Jennica Paz serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology at San Diego State University, where she maintains dual credentials as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Her work centers on culturally affirming service delivery for youth facing adverse circumstances, particularly those in foster care and from marginalized communities.

Her educational foundation includes doctoral training at UC Santa Barbara's Department of Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology and clinical experience at USC Children's Hospital Los Angeles, establishing her dual expertise in clinical and educational psychology contexts.

Research interests span positive youth development among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) populations, trauma resiliency for foster youth, school-based mental health systems, and neurodiverse student assessment. Her strength-focused framework consistently rejects deficit models in favor of asset-based approaches that honor cultural identities and lived experiences.

Recent publications (2019-2021) reveal concentrated expertise in covitality concepts, psychosocial asset assessment, and culturally responsive interventions across school and clinical settings. Key patterns include interdisciplinary collaboration, practical application of positive psychology principles, and methodological innovations addressing gaps in CLD and neurodiverse assessment.

Scientific recognition includes:

• CASP Michael Goodman Research Award (2012) for pioneering school violence and safety screening measures

Dr. Paz actively secures external funding through significant roles as Co-PI for OSEP-funded Project HEAL and Mellon Research Fellow for Project VISTA. These initiatives provide structured research pathways for graduate students while addressing critical service gaps for foster and incarcerated youth through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Though not leading a named laboratory, she directs impactful research collectives through Project HEAL and Project VISTA, fostering teams that bridge school psychology, social work, and educational advocacy to implement healing-centered, strengths-focused approaches in real-world settings.