About Us
Name
Integral Community Solutions Institute
vision
We are leaders in providing culturally competent integral mental health services for the greater San Joaquin Valley servicing and promoting emotional health and well being.
Somos líderes en la prestación de servicios de salud mental integral culturalmente competentes para el gran servicio del Valle de San Joaquín y la promoción de la salud emocional y el bienestar.
approaching to programming
- Integral Theory
- Atencion Plena – Mindfulness
- Pláticas – Wellness and Bienestar
- Working with Transitional Aged Youth and Adolescents
Who are you?
Integral Community Solutions Institute (ICSI), a 501 (c)3 non-profit mental health agency, was founded in 2011 by a group of community mental health experts, providers, and advocates.
Over the years, ICSI has contracted with local agencies and schools to provide mental health services to individuals and families in need. ICSI believes in promoting community health through advocacy and wellness of the body, mind, and spirit.
Our mental health consumer base includes children, youths, and their families exposed to trauma; women and families of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
El Instituto Integral de Soluciones Comunitarias (ICSI), una agencia de salud mental 501 (c) 3
sin fines de lucro, fue fundada en 2011 por un grupo de expertos, proveedores y defensores
comunitarios de salud mental.
Con los años, ICSI ha contratado varias agencias y escuelas locales para proporcionar servicios
de salud mental a personas y familias necesitadas. ICSI cree en promover la salud comunitaria a
través de la defensa y el bienestar del cuerpo, la mente y el espíritu. Nuestra base de consumidores de salud mental incluye niños, jóvenes y sus familias expuestas a traumas; Mujeres y familias de víctimas de violencia doméstica, agresión sexual y trata de
personas.
Sunnyside Mindfulness Club
Our Mindfulness Club Vision is:
We are leaders in raising awareness of the benefits of mindfulness practice, personal development and higher education.
We create a culture of peace and stress reduction through daily mindfulness practice.
We offer mindfulness teachings in schools and wider community outreach through our mindfulness retreat.
We create a culture of peace and stress reduction through daily mindfulness practice.
We offer mindfulness teachings in schools and wider community outreach through our mindfulness retreat.
Who We Are
our team
Dr. Juan C. Garcia, Founder & Director
Dr. García, a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT), is the
executive director at ICSI. He has dedicated close to 40 years of
experience engaging and working with Latinx and other vulnerable
communities. Dr. García holds a master’s degree in community-clinical
psychology from San Jose State University (1982), and a PhD in
anthropology from Stanford University (1985). He has served in a number
of leadership positions and guiding policies promoting mental wellness for
underserved and unpopulations. For example, he served on the NAMI
California Board of Directors for six years and is now an active member
of NAMI in Fresno. Dr. García has also created a community engagement
therapy model through his work at California State University, Fresno
(Fresno State) and in the nonprofit sector that has led to thousands of new
and retrained culturally competent and language proficient mental health
professionals. He has founded and led Spanish-speaking and community-
focused service provider groups that to-date continue advocating and
promoting mental health care for Latinx communities. As a professor at
Fresno State, Dr. García established a counseling and rehabilitation
program that is aligned to the recovery model with an emphasis on
empowering, giving hope with a sense of purpose, changing behaviors
through self-responsibility and self-efficacy, and conveying that recovery
is possible when mental health consumers are given a meaningful role in
life. He has taught multicultural aspects of counseling at CSU Fresno for
more than 30 years, and as a result is an expert in implementing culturally
responsive approaches in counseling, social services, and in administrative
structures in the helping professions. Dr. García is now a Professor
Emeritus of the same counseling center in Fresno State that he helped
design and lead. Recognizing that the only way to adequately address the
health and mental health treatment gap among Latinx and other
un/underserved communities is to go inside the neighborhoods where the
people live to deliver services. Therefore, in 2011 he co-founded Integral
Community Solutions Institute (ICSI) to provide counseling services to
un/underserved populations in Fresno and throughout the San Joaquin
Valley.
Fausto Novelo, Director of Operations & Clinical Counselor
Fausto G Novelo, a graduate of Alliant University, California School of
Professional Psychology, with a Master of Arts in Counseling, Associate
Professional Clinical Counselor, is currently both the program manager
and a clinician for Integral Community Solutions Institute. Fausto is in
charge of public affairs, coordinating professional development for staff,
and intake and distribution of clients. Mr. Novelo also provides clinical
counseling to individuals in need of therapy due to trauma related issues,
human trafficking, interparner violence, victims of violence, or vandalism
at home. Mr. Novelo has experience working with individuals suffering
from eating disorders, substance abuse disorder, providing them with
individual and group therapy; he also provides group therapy on the
following topics, grief and loss, substance abuse and mental health,
women empowerment, and co-occurring disorders. In addition, he has
experience in family therapy. Mr. Novelo also has certifications in: Law
and Ethics, Human Trafficking 101, LGBTQ+ and Gender Identity,
Trauma Informed, child abuse reporting, systemic Racism & Structural
Racialization: Examining the Impact of Behavioral Health Disparities,
Account for Quickbooks, Property Manager certificate, and attends
frequent webinars with SAMHSA. Mr. Novelo is frequently searching for
resources beneficial to clients, such as housing and education resources,
that can help those who want to further their education – GED or College.
Everardo Pedraza, Associate Marriage Family Therapist
Everardo Pedraza is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. He is the son of Mexican immigrant farm workers and the first and only person in his family to pursue a higher education. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of California, Berkeley in 1997 and his California Secondary Teacher Credential from Fresno State’s School of Education and a Master of Arts with honors in theology from the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley in 2007. He earned his Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University, Fresno in 2103. During his time at ICSI he completed his certification as a Certified Integral Therapist with Dr. Mark Forman, author of A Guide to Integral Psychotherapy: Complexity, Integration,
and Spirituality in Practice (https:// citintegral.com, 2010). During his
time at ICSI he has implemented a pioneering and successful Mindfulness
Club at Sunnyside High School (Fresno Unified School District) in
southeast Fresno. As well, he has provided individual and couples therapy.
During his internship at ICSI he has obtained experience counseling
adolescents and their families as well as adults with various issues
including depression, addiction, anger and anxiety. He has obtained
experience with clients from various walks of life with emotional and
behavioral issues related to premarital, marriage, divorce, parenting,
substance abuse, PTSD and grief work. Everardo has established himself
as a mindfulness leader and skilled facilitator, leading individuals and
groups in various mindfulness practices, in individual and group sessions
and designing a successful Mindfulness Retreat for Teens with the
Sunnyside High School Mindfulness Club. He is passionate about working
with the underserved Latinx populations. As a bilingual therapist, he
wishes to continue raising awareness of mindfulness practice
psychotherapeutic and personal development and higher educational
attainment to first-generation college-students from underserved
communities. He has emerged as a respected leader in integral
psychotherapy. With 17 years of teaching English in the inner-city, Mr.
Pedraza has achieved success in working with at-promise teens and
popularized mindfulness and normalized psychotherapy among the youth.
Everardo integrates multiple models including, but not limited to,
emotion-focused therapy, structural family therapy in an approach that
best fits his clients.
Dr. Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Research Director
Dr. Juan Carlos Gonzalez’ is an associate professor in the Department of
Educational Leadership at the California State University, Fresno. He
holds bachelor’s’ in Spanish and Philosophy from California State
University – San Bernardino, a master’s in Higher Education from The
Ohio State University, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and
Policy Studies from Arizona State University. He is presently working on
a California Department of Public Health funded project to document
effective Latinx therapeutic methodologies for at-risk Latinx youth. Dr.
Gonzalez’s contribution is to the research design, serve as co-evaluator,
write the research for publication, and help YCMM become an evidence-
based practice. Since 2000, Dr. Juan Carlos Gonzalez’ has been engaged
in higher education research and study. He served as PI as small research
grants, primarily university-based. He is currently the Director of
Research and Evaluation for Integral Community Solutions Institute
(ICSI) focused on improving mental health outcomes for Latinx youth. At
this stage of his career, he is focused on assisting local non-profits with
grant writing and development, mostly non-profits focused on serving
school underserved youth. This is amazingly rewarding work to him as he
has the opportunity to engage and include junior colleagues, and also
because it is working in a severely underserved Latinx community.
Damaris Munoz, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Damaris is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, who was born in Puebla,
Mexico. Damaris received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Merced majoring in Psychology with a Minor in Spanish in 2010. She earned her Master’s degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University, Fresno in 2014. Damaris has worked in the educational arena for various years and received her PPS credential in 2018. Damaris has provided therapy for Individuals, families, and children at Integral Community Solutions Institute (ICSI), Spirit of Women, Centro La Familia, and Madera County Behavioral Health Services. She has experience in individual and group counseling as well as family and couples. During her time at ICSI, she
served as one of the trailblazers in the SB1569 Human Trafficking project in 2013. Damaris has also worked with Substance abuse disorders and dual diagnosis disorders. Aside from providing time and effort to ICSI’s
mission, she was employed as a pre-licensed mental health clinician for
Madera County Behavioral Health Services. Where she treated children
and adolescents suffering from Depression, Anxiety, and Conduct
Disorders. Additionally, she has also worked in the adult Outpatient unit
treating chronic mental health disorders such as Schizophrenia, Bi-polar,
and other mood disorders. Today, Damaris works at Ezequiel Tafoya
Alvarado Academy where she provides counseling services to the students
and families. This includes but is not limited to meeting with students one
on one, family and parent meetings, group sessions. Here, Damaris
advocates for the students’ social-emotional needs and empowers families
to become involved in the students' academic journey. Lastly, Damaris
implements various groups such as Mindfulness, journaling, and Art
therapy groups.
Alejandra Perez, Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Alejandra Perez is a Marriage and Family Therapy Associate at Integral
Community Solutions Institute. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal
Studies from California State University, Fresno. She is a graduate of
California State University, earning her Master of Science in Marriage,
Family and Child Counseling and PPS Credential in May of 2019. During
her time at ICSI she has worked with the Hip-Hop Therapy Program by
co-facilitating hip-hop therapy groups, co-facilitating mindfulness-based
substance abuse groups, and providing individual therapy. During her
internship with ICSI, she obtained experience counseling adolescents and
their families addressing substance abuse, addiction, depression, anger,
and anxiety. Alejandra Perez has obtained experience with clients across
all walks of life with emotional and behavioral issues related to premarital,
marriage, divorce, parenting, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress grief-
work. She is passionate about working with the underserved Latino
populations. As a bilingual therapist, she wishes to continue raising
awareness of the ability of such services to people of low socioeconomic
backgrounds. Oftentimes there are language barriers that limit the access
of services to certain groups. With ICSI, Alejandra feels she has achieved
the knowledge and skills needed to successfully serve those who feel that
there are not sufficient resources available in their own language.
Alejandra integrates multiple models, including, but not limited to,
emotion focused therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, structural family
therapy in an approach that best fits each individual.
Jairo Lozano, Associate Marriage Family Therapist
Jairo Lozano is a graduate from California State University, Fresno
Counseling program, Jairo Lozano has developed and implemented the
Hip Hop Therapy program at Ripperdan Community Day School and
Mountain Vista High School. Jairo began interning with ICSI and
participated in SB1569 Human Trafficking Project serving clients who
were spanish speaking, undocumented, victims of abuse and violent
crimes, and victims of human trafficking. He has developed a passion for
working with underserved and marginalized populations and is currently
working with youth in alternative education settings. Jairo has
incorporated his experience and insight as a Hip-Hop artist to develop
culturally relevant and identifiable interventions that have been successful
in providing mental health access to underserved adolescents. He has
drawn from elements of Acceptance Commitment Therapy and
Mindfulness to provide a delivery system of interventions based on the
practices of the Hip-Hop culture. Jairo is able to provide therapy to this
population through the creation of meaningful music and lyrics. He
utilizes layers of culture with adolescents to facilitate establishing rapport
and reducing stigma towards mental health. By utilizing a cultural art form
that many youth identify with, he is able to lead youth towards
psychological flexibility and treatment in depression, anxiety, trauma,
family issues, substance abuse, identity issues, grief and loss, and anger
issues. Jairo is trauma informed, certified, and has obtained a certificate in
mindfulness and cultural competency. Through his work with Madera
Unified School District, he has also become certified in Restorative
Justice.
Miriam N. Zuniga, Administrative Assistant
Miriam N. Zuniga was born in Jalisco, Mexico and is currently the first
person to pursue higher education in her family. She is currently pursuing
her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at California State University,
Fresno and is expected to complete her Bachelor’s in December 2020.
Miriam has been working with ICSI for the last four years as an
administrative assistant. Here she has gradually built a strong foundation
of knowledge regarding the various tasks and duties of an Administrative
Assistant. She is the main point of contact for the office as she is in charge
of answering the phone, assisting office visitors, and setting up client
appointments. Miriam has increased efficiency in several of her assigned
roles, and is very effective at aiding new trainees. She is Trauma-Informed
certified. Always a team player, Miriam is keen on helping and ensuring
things are getting done.
Media
Contact Us
Principal contact person
Dr. Juan C. Garcia
general contact information
Email: icsi2013@att.net
Phone: 559-260-4581
Website: https://icsi.solutions
social media
Sunnyside Mindfulness Facebook
LOCAL EVALUATION REPORT
Integral Community Solutions Institute—Fresno County
