ABOUT THE RECLAIM MENTAL HEALTH CONFERENCE
The Reclaim Mental Health Conference (RMHC) is UC Irvine’s premier annual event dedicated to mental health advocacy and education. Each year, this conference brings together students, professionals, and community members through keynotes, panel discussions, workshops, and networking. Our mission is to foster awareness, inspire action, and provide resources that promote mental well-being. The 11th annual RMHC will take place on May 3rd, 2025 from 10AM to 4PM. Our theme this year is Nest: Branching Out into Mindfulness, encouraging participants to cultivate a sense of inner peace and belonging and helping them feel at home within our communities. This conference will offer practical tools for nurturing mental well-being, fostering connection, and creating a supportive environment where everyone can thrive.
MEET THE 2025 RECLAIM SPEAKERS
Reclaim Mental Health Conference brings together a diverse lineup of speakers, including industry leaders, mental health professionals, researchers, and advocates. Through powerful keynotes, engaging panels, and thought-provoking discussions, our speakers will share insights, personal experiences, and innovative approaches to mental well-being. Whether exploring mental health in the workplace, the intersection of media and wellness, or the latest advancements in mental health research, these experts will provide valuable perspectives to educate, inspire, and empower our attendees.
MEET OUR KEYNOTE
JOHN ABDOU
Senior Associate Athletic Director, Health, Wellness & Sport Performance
John Abdou is the Sr. Associate Athletic Director – Health, Wellness & Sports Performance. He has been an integral part of USA Water Polo, also holding the position of High Performance Director from 2013-2017. He was a co-chair for the USAWP Task Force on Racial Equity and Reform as well as served on the United States Olympic and Paralympic Council on Racial and Social Justice. Abdou has served as the Executive Director of the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches since 2015, overseeing the growth and development of the organization. He also serves on the FINA Development Sub-Committee, which supports the growth and development of water polo globally. Over the last eight years, he has been the event chairman of international events across the country and globe. He is an experienced coach, leading UC Santa Barbara as the Associate Head Men’s Coach (2011-2013), and at Bucknell (2005-210), coaching both the men’s and women’s programs. Abdou comes home to UCI, earning degrees in sociology, psychology, and education in 2001 while competing in water polo for the Anteaters. He went on to add a master’s degree in higher education from Bucknell University in 2012 as well as a certificate in Olympic Nonprofit Leadership at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management in 2019.
MEET OUR SESSION SPEAKERS
DR. KAREN MOLANO
Distinguished child psychologist and a certified infant, family, and early childhood mental health specialist
Dr. Karen Molano is a distinguished child psychologist and a certified infant, family, and early childhood mental health specialist, endorsed by the state of California. With over two decades of experience, she uniquely combines neuroscience, holistic practices, and functional medicine to enhance critical developmental years from pregnancy through age five. As the visionary founder of LumiTot, Dr. Molano equips parents with groundbreaking strategies that align the brain, body, and heart, fostering a lifestyle that nurtures limitless potential in children. A respected speaker and thought leader, she passionately promotes multidimensional parenting, empowering families with the tools to forge profound, lasting connections and ensuring that both children and parents realize their fullest potential.
DYLAN ONG & KATIE QUACH
Sexual Health Commissioners
Dylan Ong and Katie Quach are co-commissioners for ASUCI’s Sexual Health Commission. They are both undergraduate students who work on related initiatives that align with their commission’s mission to create a safer and more informed campus environment for students. Their main goal is to create an intentional support system for students as well as promote resources related to sexual health.
DR. CAMERON CARTER
Distinguished Professor and Chair
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Dr Carter is a psychiatrist with many years of experience treating and conducting research in young people with serious mental health problems. He is a pioneer in the area of the prevention and early intervention for early psychosis, directs the iEDAPT program at UC Irvine, and serves as chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior in the UCI School of Medicine.
DR. DANA SAIFAN
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, California State University, Los Angeles
Dr. Dana Saifan is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with a minor in Community Health Sciences, from the UCLA in 2022. She earned her B.A. in Psychology, with a minor in Public Health, from UCLA in 2014. Dr. Saifan’s research has primarily focused on how to improve mental health and address barriers to mental health care in marginalized communities. Her past work has examined these topics in community mental health settings across Los Angeles County, and her current work examines these topics in the Muslim American community. Her goal is to develop community-based collective approaches to healing for marginalized communities, integrating historical, social, and political perspectives with psychology.
HANA WALSH
Chief Executive Officer, OOTify
Hana Walsh is a Board Advisor and former CEO of OOTify, a digital mental health company using AI to connect students to mental health resources. With extensive experience in psychological research, coaching, and mental health technology leadership, Hana is dedicated to creating lasting change by leveraging technology to provide effective and accessible mental health care.
RANY TITH
Researcher and AI advisor, OOTIFY
Rany Tith is a researcher and AI advisor to OOTify, a digital mental health company using AI to connect students to mental health resources. With a background in software engineering, materials science, and chemistry, Rany focuses on applying AI/ML to drive innovation that creates a real-world impact.
ANH PHAM
Investigator, Office of Equal Opportunity & Diversity
Anh Pham is an investigator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, the office that responds to concerns of discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence. Taking a trauma-informed approach, Anh helps students navigate through challenges with tailored support, resources, and places an emphasis on their autonomy to engage with resolution options.
MADISON TAYLOR
Ph.D. student, TEAM lab
Madison Taylor (she/her) is a third year Ph.D. student at the TEAM Lab at UCI. Her interests focus on developing, evaluating, and implementing brief, technology-driven interventions for older adolescents and young adults.
JULIA BIRENBAUM
Doctoral Student | Department of Psychological Science
Julia Birenbaum is a third-year Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology at UC Irvine, focusing on psychophysiology, stress, and health outcomes with particular emphasis on cardiovascular health disparities. She conducts research across multiple labs and provides clinical services at UCI’s Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders. Her work incorporates an intersectional approach, examining how factors like race, gender, and socioeconomic status interact to influence physiological stress responses and health outcomes in marginalized communities.
JENNIFER BARAJAS
Social Psychology Ph. D. Student
Jennifer Barajas is a 4th-year graduate student in the Social Area of Psychological Science, working primarily with Drs. Paul Piff and DeWayne Williams. She received her B.A. in Psychology from NSU in 2021 and her M.A. in Psychological Science from UCI in 2024. Jennifer has previously investigated the mechanisms by which environmental injustices (e.g., discrimination, pollutants) contribute to poor physical and mental health. Recently, she has become particularly interested in the various ways we are exposed to racial stressors. As a result, her dissertation focuses on vicarious racial discrimination (or the second hand exposure to someone else experiencing prejudice or racism)—its frequency in both everyday and digital spaces—and its implications for health across a wide range of racial groups.
RUDY MEDINA
PhD Candidate in Psychological Science
Rudy Medina Ceballos, a 5th-year PhD candidate in the Social Psychology area of Psychological Science, investigates the transmission of cultural values within the family structure. His research aims to understand how these values influence the formation of healthy social relationships, family relationship quality, and the future career aspirations of emerging adults. His dissertation focuses on the role of family values in shaping emerging adults’ supportive social networks, academic persistence, and optimism about their socioeconomic futures.
JANEANE BERNSTEIN
Journalist, author, mental health advocate
Dr. Janeane Bernstein is a journalist, educator, and mental health advocate. In 2020, she founded Outside the Box a mental fitness podcast and event series and became a community partner with UCI’s School of Social Ecology Field Study Program. Students are the engine behind every event to promote connection, end the loneliness epidemic and spread kindness. Dr. Bernstein is the author of Better Humans – What the Mental Health Pandemic Teaches Us About Humanity, and a member of NAMI Westside Los Angeles and Women in Film.
AGENDA
WELCOME & REGISTRATION
10:00 AM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Mental Performance and Wellness in Atheletics
John Abdou
Senior Associate Athletic Director, Health, Wellness & Sport Performance
10:30 AM
Pacific Ballroom
BREAKOUT SESSION 1
11:45 AM
Shaping Young Minds: The Role of Multidimensional Parenting in Early Childhood Mental Health
Dr. Karen Molano
Distinguished child psychologist and a certified infant, family, and early childhood mental health specialist
Woods Cove A
Healing Together: Supporting Survivors of Sexual Violence
Dylan Ong & Katie Quach
Commissioners, ASUCI Sexual Health Commission
Crescent Bay CD
Early Intervention for Better Outcomes in Youth with Serious Mental Health Concerns
Dr. Cameron Carter
Professor & Chair of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, UCI
Moss Cove A
Determinants of Mental Health and Help-Seeking Among Muslim American Young Adults
Dr. Dana Saifan
Assistant Professor of Psychology, CSULA
Moss Cove B
How Mental Health Apps Work: Building AI-Powered Recommendation Systems for Mental Health
Hana Walsh & Rany Tith
Board Advisor & Former CEO, OOTify
Woods Cove B
LUNCH WILL BE SERVED AT
1:00 PM IN PACIFIC BALLROOM D
BREAKOUT SESSION 2
2:15 PM
Stronger Together: Supporting Others With OEOD
Anh Pham
Investigator, UCI Office of Equal Opportunity & Diversity
Moss Cove A
Pursuing a Career in Digital Mental Health Research
Madison Taylor
Doctoral Student, TEAM Lab
Moss Cove B
Beyond Resilience: Understanding Stress, Health Disparities, and Pathways to Wellbeing for Marginalized Communities in Academia
Julia Birenbaum
Doctoral Student, Department of Psychological Science
Woods Cove A
Psychosocial Factors as Sources That Drive and Diminish Racial Health Inequities
Rudy Medina Ceballos & Jennifer Barajas
Doctoral Students in Psychology
Woods Cove B
Better Humans: The Power of Connection in a Disconnected World
Janeane Bernstein
Journalist, Outside the Box
Woods Cove C
CLOSING REMARKS
3:15 PM
RECEPTION & NETWORKING
3:30 PM
THE RECLAIM MENTAL HEALTH CONFERENCE
GIVES SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS:
