Meet the Team

Team

DRA. ALEJANDRA FERRIS, PSYD

Contracted Facilitator

  • alejandra@raicesdebienestar.org

    Alejandra Ferris (she/her/ella) has a PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University with an emphasis on health settings as well as Latine psychology. While in graduate school, she was a member of Sabiduria: Latine Psychology Emphasis and began working with Dr. Zúñiga to help create an emotional health and wellness workshop series aimed at promotores de salud to remove mental health stigma in the Latine community. She completed her internship at the Southwest Consortium/New Mexico VA Healthcare System in Albuquerque and a postdoctoral fellowship at Baylor Scott and White Health in Temple, TX. As a bilingual and bicultural licensed psychologist, Dr. Ferris is passionate about bringing mental health to the people and ensuring that services are appropriate and accessible to our community’s underserved groups.

    Dr. Ferris was born in Venezuela and raised in Miami, FL. Growing up in a predominantly Latine immigrant community made Dr. Ferris feel empowered by her Latina identity her entire life and provided her with the lived experience and understanding of nuances and idiosyncrasies of culture that are so often overlooked in psychological services and health settings in general. Dr. Ferris loves to garden, go to concerts, cook, and try new restaurants!

BIANEY JIMENEZ, MA

Contracted Facilitator

  • bianey@raicesdebienestar.org

    Bianey Jiménez (she/her/ella) serves as the contracted facilitator for Community Liberation at Raíces de Bienestar. For the past 15 years she has worked with the Latine community from Southern Oregon and has experience in advocacy in many social work sectors, including domestic violence, immigration, and education. She enjoys serving the community and is aware of the importance of using culturally appropriate approaches, as well as person centered therapy, attachment theory and liberation psychology.

    Bianey was born and practically raised in Southern Oregon. Though there were a few years, she and her family spent time living in Northern California and Nayarit, Mexico. Bianey loves spending time with her partner, dogs and family.

BONNIE LERNER, MPH

Operations Director & Co-Founder

  • bonnie@raicesdebienestar.org

    Bonnie Lerner (she/her) began her career in mental health case management, serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. This experience fueled her passion to move upstream and promote emotional wellbeing using a public health approach. Prior to co-founding Raíces de Bienestar in 2021, she worked in state government and health systems to support policy and program implementation, advance the role of traditional health workers and cultural brokers, and managed community-health care partnerships & investments. Bonnie grew up in the rural southern California desert, which instilled a deep commitment to equity, sense of community, and a personal and professional passion to improve mental health outcomes. She moved to the Portland area in 2004 and was the first woman in her family to go to college. She has a master’s in public health management and policy from Portland State University and a certificate in nonprofit executive leadership from Arizona State University. She deeply believes and embodies that what’s personal is public health and dedicates herself to working alongside the community to address systemic barriers and build upon assets to catalyze healing and transformation. She has relied on traditional health workers herself and has over a decade in recovery from drugs and alcohol. Bonnie loves her two young children, husband, and mom more than anything in the world. She also enjoys long roadtrips with the windows rolled down and music turned up.

DRA. DAISY BUENO, PHD

Clinical Services & Training Director

  • daisy@raicesdebienestar.org

    Daisy Bueno (she/her/ella) has a PhD in School Psychology from Illinois State University. She is originally from the Chicago area and moved to the Portland area in order to pursue mentorship and supervision in culturally informed liberatory practices from Dr. Zuniga. With the support and guidance of mentors in the field, Dr. Bueno has developed a strong connection to community-centered and accessible approaches to mental health. She has been working with the Latine community and communities of color for over 5 years. Dr. Bueno has experience providing individual, family and group therapy for children and adults as well as developing community spaces dedicated to learning, processing and overall empowerment. In congruence with her community centered approach to healing, Dr. Bueno also has a strong passion for engaging in consultation, teaching, and collaboration with colleagues engaging in systems level work. She has great experience and passion supervising students and clinicians entering the field of psychology. Dr. Bueno is a licensed psychologist. Her hobbies include hiking, camping and being outdoors.

Eduardo Figueroa, BS

Clinic Manager

  • eduardo@raicesdebienestar.org

    Eduardo Figueroa Varela is a health management professional with over seven years of

    experience optimizing operations and leading effective teams. Eduardo's leadership style is marked by a strong emphasis on mentorship and collaboration, fostering a culture of success wherever he goes. Trained as a physical therapist in Chile, he furthered his professional development with a business certification from Harvard Business School and is currently pursuing an MBA.

    He has initiated medical practices and optimized clinics for sustainability, demonstrating his prowess in system optimization and data-driven solutions. As a Public Affairs Specialist for the Air Force, he has received multiple personal and group recognitions, highlighting his skill as the photographer of the year.

    Outside of work, Eduardo enjoys various pursuits, including his passion for baking Chilean bread and his active involvement in his local church through leading worship. He also cherishes quality time outdoors with his family.

EsMERALDA Zapata

Promotora de Salud

  • esmeralda@raicesdebienestar.org

    Esmeralda Zapata is a certified bilingual health promoter from Jalisco, Mexico, who has been advocating for her community since 2016. She has dedicated herself to supporting a domestic violence non-profit agency, driven by her passion for making a difference. Now, as a part of Raíces de Bienestar, she continues to assist the Latine community by sharing her knowledge and providing the best possible service and support. Outside of her professional life, she cherishes spending quality time with her children and husband.

JOCELIN Garcia, CHW

Community Liberation Program Manager

  • jocelin@raicesdebienestar.org

    Jocelin Garcia is a dedicated community health worker and peer support specialist hailing from California. She holds a bachelor's degree in sociology with a minor in Mexican American studies. For over five years, Jocelin has served as a promotora de salud, contributing her expertise at nonprofit organizations and local hospitals. As a proud first-generation college graduate with roots in Michoacán, Mexico, she is deeply passionate about mental health and committed to empowering her community. Currently, Jocelin is the Community Liberation Program Manager at Raíces de Bienestar. In her free time, she enjoys immersing herself in nature, practicing Danza Azteca, hiking, gardening, and cherishing moments with family and friends.

karla horgan arÉvalo, ma

Bilingual Mental Health Provider

  • karla@raicesdebienestar.org

    Karla Horgan Arévalo (she, her, ella) is a Bilingual Mental Health Provider at Raíces. Originally from Guatemala, she identifies as bicultural and bilingual (English and Spanish). Karla holds a Master of Arts in Counseling with a specialization in Clinical Mental Health from the University of Colorado Denver. With 15 years of experience, she has dedicated her career to supporting the Latine and Spanish-speaking immigrant communities. Karla has also developed faculty and staff training on mentorship best practices and led scholarship programs serving historically minoritized communities. Rooted in a person-centered, anti-oppressive, and systemic lens, Karla believes healing happens through connection and being heard. She strives to create a welcoming, empathetic space that honors each person’s unique lived experience. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, working on puzzles, and spending time with her family, friends, and two mischievous dogs.

Dra. MARISOL BEAULAC

Licensed Psychologist

  • marisol@raicesdebienestar.org

    Marisol Beaulac (she/her/ella) completed her residency with Raíces de Bienestar and became a licensed psychologist in 2024. She is originally from San Francisco, California and moved to the Portland area for graduate school. While attending graduate school, Dr. Beaulac was a member of Sabiduria where she met Dr. Zúñiga and Dr. Bueno. Throughout her time in graduate school, Dr. Beaulac participated in community outreach events that centered around decreasing mental health stigma in the latine community. She has experience providing individual, group therapy for adults, and engaging in community empowerment work. Additionally, she has engaged in research focusing on the emotional health and wellness and resiliency of latine migrant farmworkers. A lot of her work includes working with human trafficking victims. Dr. Beaulac is completing her psychology residency and hopes to become a licensed psychologist by the fall of 2024. She is passionate about providing clinical services that are culturally congruent and have been adapted to meet the needs of the community. Dr. Beulac enjoys unwinding with her cat, attending concerts, and wine tasting in her downtime.

Dra. NATALIA Figueroa

  • Natalia Figueroa (she/her/ella) earned her Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) in 2023. As a proud Latina, she is deeply passionate about connecting with, sharing, learning from, and empowering the Latinx community. In her free time, Natalia enjoys working on arts and crafts, with a particular love for crocheting.

DRA. RUTH ZÚÑIGA, PHD

Executive Director & Co-Founder

  • ruth@raicesdebienestar.org

    Dr. Ruth Zúñiga has a PhD in clinical and community psychology with a rural and indigenous emphasis from the University of Alaska. She has been working in collaboration with community-based organizations and community leaders to address the mental and emotional health needs of the Latine community across Oregon. She has developed and managed multiple community-driven programs focused on “bringing mental health” to the Latine community, removing stigma and supporting mental health access and utilization of services by underserved communities. Dr. Zúñiga serves on several boards of directors and advisory boards of Latine community-based organizations in Oregon. She has been teaching, researching, consulting, and presenting on the subject of Latine mental health and wellness and program evaluation for 10 years. She has been providing culturally affirming mental health services for over 15 years in the areas of resiliency, immigration, healing and trauma informed care, chronic disease management, and overall mental health concerns. She is a former associate professor, and founder of Sabiduría: Latinx Psychology Emphasis at Pacific University, an academic and clinical program focused on training culturally informed masters and doctoral level clinicians to work with the Latine community. She is a licensed psychologist. Dr. Zúñiga is originally from Costa Rica and she loves the outdoors, cooking and above all spending time with her husband, daughter and furry friends.

Contracted Facilitator

Ruby CAbrera, BA

Project Assistant

  • ruby@raicesdebienestar.org

    Ruby Cabrera (she/her/ella) received her Bachelors of science in Sociology from Sacramento State University in 2019. She is a first generation Mexican- American and was the first in her family to attend college. After graduating, she worked as a legal assistant at an immigration law firm where she realized her passion in life was helping her community. In 2021, she transitioned into nonprofit work. Ruby is passionate about mental health advocacy and believes that everyone should have access to mental health services. She is passionate about empowering the Latine community across Oregon. In her downtime, Ruby is all about gaming, strolling with her pup, and checking out the hottest new food spots in town.

our Training Clinical Team

The Raíces de Bienestar Clinical Training Team is composed of bilingual and bicultural qualified mental health providers (QMHPs) who are either graduate students of psychology, social work students, psychology residents or clinical social work associates. They all work under the supervision of Dr. Daisy Bueno, licensed psychologist. The clinical team provides a range of culturally specific therapeutic interventions for Latine community. They receive ongoing, individual and group, bilingual and culturally responsive supervision, mentorship and training on evidence-based interventions and culturally adapted treatment for the Latine community. Reach out if you are interested in training with us for the next academic year. 

KELSEY ORNELAS, MA, QMHP

Graduate Student Therapist

  • Kelsey Ornelas (she/her/ella) is a 3rd year PsyD student at Pacific University, where she is part of the Adult emphasis and Sabiduría experience. Her primary areas of interest are Latine populations and working with individuals who have experienced trauma. Kelsey is passionate about utilizing strength-based and value-aligned approaches that place identity and lived experience as the foundation of the healing and liberation process. She enjoys spending time with friends and family in her free time, listening to music, and photography.

YADIRA VEGA, mA, QMHp

Graduate Student Therapist

  • Yadira Vega (she/her/ella) is a third-year student in the Doctor of Clinical Psychology program at George Fox University where she is on the child and adolescent track. She is interested in working with Latine individuals and helping bridge the gap between mental health services and this population. She feels passionate about better understanding issues Latines face and she wants to create solutions that are culturally relevant. Yadira also looks forward to providing services in Spanish as there is a shortage of bilingual providers. She is devoted to community outreach and providing education to as many individuals possible. Yadira is a native Oregonian and loves exploring different nature sites in her free time. She also enjoys spending time with family, watching TV, and reading.

Vanessa Vazquez Ochoa

Graduate Student Therapist

  • Vanessa Vazquez Ochoa (she/her/ella) is a 3rd year PsyD student at Pacific University, where she is part of the adult emphasis and Sabiduria experience. She is interested in helping the Latin and immigrant populations, especially those in rural areas, receive culturally relevant treatment in an accessible manner. She is passionate about being involved in the community through engagement events. Vanessa was born in Michoacán, Mexico and raised in the Central Valley of California. She enjoys going on hikes and spending time with her friends and family.

    Vanessa Vazquez Ochoa (ella) está en su tercer año del programa de PsyD en la Universidad de Pacific, donde es parte del programa de adultos y experiencia de Sabiduría. Está interesada en ayudar a las poblaciones Latine e inmigrantes, específicamente en áreas rurales, recibir tratamiento en una manera accesible. Ella está apasionada de estar involucrada en la comunidad a través de eventos comunitarios. Vanessa nació en Michoacán, México y creció en el Valle Central de California. Le gusta caminar y pasar tiempo con sus amigos y familia.

Board of Directors

DAYSI BEDOLLA SOTELO

Board Member | Oregon Health Equity Alliance 

GENEVIEVE ELLIS

Treasurer | Washington County Public Health

Kristty Zamora-Polanco

Board Member | Oregon Health Authority 

MANDY DAVIS

Secretary | Portland State University; Trauma Informed OR

nancy castillo-mckinnis

Board Member | The Ford Family Foundation

LEDA GARSIDE

Board President | OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center

Community Advisory Committee

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) of Raíces de Bienestar (Raíces) is composed of Latine community leaders, promoters and community health workers. It is intended to inform all Raíces de Bienestar activities, programs, services and projects, ensuring that Raíces’ programs and services are culturally affirming, based on the needs of the Latine community and focused on community strengths and resilience. 

DELFINA ANDRADE

  • Delfina Andrade is a certified community health worker, originally from Mexico. She worked at the Oregon Latino Health Coalition for several years where she learned to become a truly advocate for her community and currently works at Unidos. She is a board member of the Community Alliance of Tenants and is currently engaged in her business in the city of Hillsboro. Her passion is to support and advocate for her community. Her reason to join Raíces’ Community Advisory Committee is to bring her knowledge about the community and its needs, with the purpose that Raices’ programs can truly provide the best service and support to the Latine community across Oregon. In her free time, Delfina enjoys spending time with her family and walking to the beach.

    Delfina Andrade is a certified community health worker, originally from Mexico. She worked at the Oregon Latino Health Coalition for several years where she learned to become a truly advocate for her community and currently works at Unidos. She is a board member of the Community Alliance of Tenants and is currently engaged in her business in the city of Hillsboro. Her passion is to support and advocate for her community. Her reason to join Raíces’ Community Advisory Committee is to bring her knowledge about the community and its needs, with the purpose that Raices’ programs can truly provide the best service and support to the Latine community across Oregon. In her free time, Delfina enjoys spending time with her family and walking to the beach.

EDITH ARRIAGA-FLORES

  • Edith Arriaga-Flores is a health promoter, native Peruvian, mother of two children and wife. She trained as a promotora (health promoter) through her parish. Edith's motivation and passion is her family and community. She volunteers in several organizations and programs across the Metro area. She has trained and provided several educational workshops on various topics, including mental health and suicide prevention. Edith is grateful to be a participant in the Raíces’ Community Advisory Committee, for in this organization she has seen that “barriers and stigma surrounding mental health can be broken when our communities receive accessible language about mental health and when they gain an understanding that they are not alone”. In her free time Edith enjoys walking with her two dogs in the park.

ADRIANA LOPEZ GARCIA

  • Adriana Lopez Garcia was born in Oaxaca, Mexico and moved to the United States more than 20 years ago. She is a certified health worker. Even before her certification, she has worked to support the Latine community accessing education, health and social services Adriana currently works at el Programa Hispano Catolico in the development department supporting bringing services and resources to the community. Adriana decided to join the Community Advisory Committee because she has seen the positive impact that Raices’s programs such as the charlas have on the community. She has witnessed how the charlas remove stigma about mental health in the community while also helping individuals and families to recognize and honor their strengths, culture, traditions and ancestral values. In her free time she enjoys swimming and hiking with her family.

GUADALUPE BELTRAN

  • Guadalupe Beltran was born in Mexico City and emigrated to the United States 23 years ago. She first started working as a bilingual teacher's assistant for a preschool in Seaside Oregon for 15 years. She supported Latino families in navigating services and knowing about the importance of early childhood education. When working at the preschool, Guadalupe was able to see the needs and barriers that existed in her own Latina community, which led her to want to do more and to become a Community Navigator for the Hispanic Council in Astoria, Oregon during the COVID pandemic. Guadalupe volunteers at different levels in her community. Her motivation to be part of the Raices’ Community Advisory Committee includes helping her community by sharing with Raices about the community and its needs. She wants to empower the community through education, strengthening community resilience, breaking cycles and stigma, promoting well-being, equity and inclusion for all.

Ivone Martinez Razo

  • Ivone Martinez Razo has been living in Southern Oregon for the last 25 years. She is the fifth generation of Mexican immigrants in this country, within her family. She identifies as mestizo and has lived on both sides of the border. Upholding justice is a cause she strongly advocates for. Much of her professional career has been dedicated to advocating for children and youth with diverse needs, including disabilities and health challenges. She prioritizes mental health and spiritual well-being as integral components of overall health. During her free time Ivonne enjoyings walking through nature and caring for her family.

ERIKA OJEDA

  • Erika Ojeda Mejía was born in Mexico Federal District. Since her childhood in Mexico she volunteered to support others. When she immigrated to the USA, she learned about the promotores program and started training and working with them. She now volunteers in several community programs and has also facilitated workshops. She recently became a certified community health worker, which gives her a sense of pride and joy. Erica loves helping her community, and has coordinated several mobile clinics regarding oral health and vision services. In her free time she likes to knit and dance.

LILIANA ACOSTA

  • Liliana Acosta is originally from Guanajuato, Mexico. She is currently a student in the Bachelors of Social Work program at Portland State University. (BSW). Liliana works at Kaiser Permanente as a Community Health Navigator and she is a certified community health worker. She teaches chronic disease management and prevention classes in different organizations and clinics for the Spanish-speaking community. She believes mental health is as important as any other components of health. Being part of Raíces’ CAC gives her the opportunity to be the voice of her community and echo the needs regarding mental health. Also she hopes through her participation she receives the appropriate education and information to share with her community and break the stigma of mental health illnesses. Liliana’s passion is advocating and helping her community access resources and access to healthcare. In her free time she likes hiking and traveling.

MARIA SAMAYOA

  • Maria Samayoa es Guatemalteca and a promotora de salud de la Iglesia. She is registered with the State of Oregon as a Community Health Worker (CHW) and has volunteered as a promotora de salud de la iglesia(health promoter) since 2008. She also serves the community through her position as a liaison person for a high school in Washington County. Maria’ work centers around supporting youth, families and school staff through communication tools and other resources focused on helping students achieve academic success. Her motto is: “Share with others, and you too will receive the benefits”. Maria knows firsthand the needs of her community and therefore decided to be part of the Raíces de Bienestar’s Community Advisory Committee. She believes that together, with the community and professionals who have the same interests, we can improve the lives of individuals across the state. She believes that together we can create healthy communities. Her hobbies include singing, and playing board games with her family.

Ignolia Duyck

  • Ignolia Duyck was born in Colombia and raised in Venezuela and moved to the United States 26 years ago. She has been a Community Health worker by heart since she was studying Social Work in Venezuela. All her work has been helping people and empowering them. Currently she is a certified Community Health Worker. As Outreach Manager she sees the need of the community through her eyes and the eyes of her team who are CHW and constantly are in contact with the community. One of the main reasons she decided to join Raices de Bienestar Community Advisory Committee is the way that this Organization delivers Mental Health Services respecting the culture, values and idiosyncrasy of the Latino community. One of the practices she uses to take care of herself is to take short and long walks whenever she has the chance, whether during work breaks and lunch, at home or when she is on vacation. She also loves to cook food that brings her back to her roots.

ZORAYA UDER

  • Zoraya Uder was born in Salem, OR and is a Certified Community Health Worker, she works at Familias en Accion, an organization focused on serving the Latine community. Zoraya loves working with the community and providing education about health and lifestyle changes. She volunteers at parish events and many other community activities. Her motivation to be part of the Raíces’ Community Advisory Committee is to learn how to help the community identify mental health challenges and provide resources and information. She also wants to help inform Raíces about what the community needs, what they are facing in their daily lives, and how to find ways to meet those needs. Her motivation is to act as a bridge between Raíces and the community, because “she is from the community and wants to serve her community”. In her free time, Zoraya enjoys nature, reading and cooking.

VERONICA GALLARDO SALMERON

  • Veronica Gallardo Salmeron is a certified community health worker, originally from Guerrero, Mexico. She obtained her degree at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon. She has experience providing training and working with the Latine community at el Programa Hispano Catolico and she is very involved in her community. She has a passion for educating the community about the importance of preventive health care, nutrition, exercise and mental health, as well as informing and connecting them with resources; these were some of the reasons why she joined Raíces’s CAC. Veronica believes that self-care is an important part of overall health and well-being. Her favorite activities are spending time with her family, enjoying nature and discovering new places.