PANELISTS:
Yamilet Rodríguez Rohena, MSW
Yamilet Rodriguez is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience specializing in cases involving substance abuse, trauma, mental health, and criminal justice. With a broad understanding of trauma's impact, she implements swift and effective procedures, ensuring the well-being and rehabilitation of justice-involved individuals. Dedicated to reducing recidivism, she constantly seeks new tools to support individuals in avoiding criminal behavior, particularly advocating for justice-involved women and men with mental illness.
Maria Restrepo-Tori, BNS, MS
Maria E. Restrepo-Toro, BNS, MS is a nationally recognized leader, educator and trainer in the fields of Latino behavioral health recovery, psychiatric rehabilitation and cultural competence. She was one of the developers of LET(s)LEAD Academy at Yale. She is currently the project Director of the New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (NEMHTTC) and brings her expertise in 1) workforce development in recovery-oriented practices such us person-centered, trauma-informed care and psychiatric rehabilitation interventions; 2) development of peer-run initiatives, training and technical assistance on peer integration practices; and 3) development of culturally appropriate curriculum and web-based training tools. She has trained hundreds of multidisciplinary stakeholders, both nationally and internationally and provided technical assistance in the implementation and dissemination of innovative recovery-based interventions. Lastly, she founded the Latino Initiatives at Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation and established and coordinated the Yale Latino Recovery Colectivo a group committed to the dissemination of recovery oriented, trauma informed and evidenced based initiatives on Latinos(x).
Kristine Irizarry, MBA
Kristine Irizarry is the Education Manager at Yale University's New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, where she applies her extensive experience in program management and development to enhance mental health education and support. Guided by her own lived experience, Kristine's work in non-clinical mental health recovery is deeply informed by her understanding of the personal and systemic challenges individuals face. She is passionate about integrating recovery-oriented approaches with cultural values, particularly within Latine communities. Her commitment to aligning mental health practices with community values is reflected in her role, where she leverages her skills in project coordination and partnership development to promote inclusive and effective recovery strategies, all rooted in her personal journey and non-clinical perspective.