معرفی
Maria Elena Oliva
Maria Elena Oliva is an Clinical Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Psychiatry and Director of Social Work at the Connecticut Mental Health Center. She has been with the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) since 2006, initially at Greater Bridgeport Mental Health Center. She maintains adjunct faculty roles at Smith College, Southern Connecticut State University, UConn, Quinnipiac University, and the University of St. Joseph Schools of Social Work.
Education:
- PhD in Social Work, Smith College (2012)
- MSW, Fordham University (1984)
- BA in Sociology and Psychology, Lehman College (1980)
Research Focus: Dr. Oliva’s work explores the experiences of bilingual social workers in supervision, challenges faced by bilingual practitioners, and the impact of language duality in psychotherapy. She also investigates how race and privilege intersect with clinical practice. She has presented her research at state conferences for the National Association of Social Workers (New Mexico and Connecticut), the Women’s Consortium, and the Connecticut Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology.
Community Engagement: In addition to her academic roles, Dr. Oliva runs a private practice focusing on Spanish-speaking individuals who face barriers to accessing therapy. She advocates for mental health equity and has led community outreach initiatives, such as a COVID prevention campaign highlighted by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.
