Meet the experts

Dr. Segovia received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Psychology and was principally affiliated with community based mental health and social service organizations. For over 40 years, Dr. Segovia primarily worked with marginalized African American and Latino children and their families in clinic, school, and home settings. She has functioned as a counselor, family and child advocate, parent educator, and foster care training specialist. As the Clinical Manager at Hope Street Family Center for over 25 years, Dr. Segovia worked within a multi-disciplinary team to access, coordinate, and provide families with appropriate services. She provided clinical and administrative support and reflective supervision to Early Head Start professional case managers, as well as assessment, crisis intervention, and ongoing therapy for families and children. Dr. Segovia was a frequent presenter at national, state and regional conferences, she also co-wrote an article on infant mental health for Zero To Three and other publications. Dr. Segovia has also been an expert speaker on Channel 22 Telemundo and Channel 34 Univision as well as radio stations. In December of 2003, she completed her Doctorate in Psychology and a dissertation with a focus on domestic violence and the impact on early language development. Since 2004, Dr. Segovia served as a lead faculty for undergraduate and graduate courses in human services, psychology, and counseling in the college of social and behavioral sciences at the University of Phoenix. Additionally, Dr. Segovia facilitated a course on Parenting in High-Risk Families in the Child and Family Studies Department at California State University at Los Angeles.  She was also affiliated with the Latino Technical Assistance & Training Division of the California Hispanic Commission as an educational consultant. She served as a member of the board of directors for the California Head Start Association. Recently, Dr. Segovia has been facilitating online courses on Continued for early childhood education professionals. Her specific areas of expertise include parental depression and anxiety, substance abuse, cultural competence, communication skills, parenting, and partnerships. Bilingual and bicultural herself, Dr. Segovia has a particular interest in culturally responsive service delivery.  

Dr. Julia Torquati is a professor in the Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies (CYAF) in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. As the inaugural recipient of the Community Chair in Infant and Child Mental Health, she contributes expertise in the areas of infant and child mental health and socio-emotional development. Dr. Torquati educates families and early care providers about infant mental health, including social and emotional development for infants and young children.

Dr. Shanika L. Wilson received her Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Connecticut-Storrs, Masters of Science in Social Work (MSSW) with a concentration in Mental Health and Substance Abuse from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) with a concentration in Clinical Practice and Leadership from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

Dr. Wilson is a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS) and a LCSW in the state of Florida, where she currently resides. Her direct practice experience includes providing mental health and substance abuse therapy to individuals, groups, and families. In addition, Dr. Wilson has experience working at a university student health center, university counseling center, private practice, and in community mental health agencies.