News Brief
June 14, 2012

CUSSW Assistant Professor to Serve as Officer for the American Society of Hispanic Psychiatry


The American Society of Hispanic Psychiatry (ASHP) has elected Dr. Leopoldo Cabassa to its Board of Directors, 2013-2015. ASHP fosters multidisciplinary collaborations in mental health treatment with a particular focus on Latino populations. Its members are practicing psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health workers.

Dr. Cabassa is an assistant professor at the Columbia University School of Social Work and the assistant director of the New York State Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. His research focuses on understanding the causes of racial and ethnic disparities in health and mental health care and in developing and implementing culturally tailored interventions aimed at reducing these disparities. His scholarship and publications have focused on racial and ethnic minorities’ access to mental health services, acculturation theory and measures, integration of depression and diabetes care in the Latino community, depression treatments in primary care, suicidal behavior among Latina teens, the effects of language and ethnicity in the psychiatric diagnostic process, and the quality of care in social and medical services.

"This is a rare honor for a social work scholar," said Dean Jeanette Takamura, "and Leo Cabassa is one of the best: productive, positive, rigorous, thoughtful, humble, intelligent, and dedicated. He will make a stellar addition to the ASHP Board."

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About CUSSW (www.socialwork.columbia.edu)
For 112 years, the Columbia University School of Social Work has been a leader in the education of professionals for careers in practice, policy, and administration. Located in New York City, the School offers a master’s and a doctoral program which are nationally and internationally recognized for their excellence. With a signature curriculum that features multidisciplinary courses taught by leading scholars and practitioners and rich field education, CUSSW continues to be at the forefront of clinical and community practice, social policy, and social enterprise administration education, research and innovation in the 21st Century.