Biography
Judy DeBonis is an Assistant Professor who joined the CSUN faculty in the Fall of 2011. She has over 25 years of professional experience in clinical practice and research, program development, teaching and training in clinical, academic, and business environments. A Ph.D. Social Work practitioner with international experience in integrated healthcare, Dr. DeBonis is currently interested in the changes in the healthcare system resulting from the Affordable Care Act and in the opportunities for social work to serve in the "new" healthcare roles that are emerging to provide comprehensive, whole-person care for physical health, mental health, and substance health needs. With an extensive background in mental health, as a clinical consultant to Pfizer Health Solutions Dr. DeBonis designed curriculum based on the empowerment model to promote patient self-management for both mental health and physical health chronic conditions that was adapted and implemented for U.S. and international markets. In 2012, she worked with the Council on Social Work Education and the Center for Integrated Health Services as a contributor in the development of the first integrated healthcare curriculum for social workers that was piloted across 22 schools of social work nationally. In 2013, Dr. DeBonis was awarded funding for students to participate in a piloted field placement in integrated healthcare, serving as the field instructor. Currently, Dr. DeBonis is working to design a workforce training curriculum for mental health practitioners that will enhance staff skills and confidence to regularly incorporate physical health components into the mental health services currently provided. The goal is to ensure that patients with serious mental illness and co-occurring chronic physical health disorders are empowered to effectively self-manage and participate fully as partners with healthcare providers.
Dr. DeBonis holds a Ph.D. from the USC of Social Work and an MSW from the State University of New York at Albany. She received a funded dissertation grant from NIMH. Currently, she is a Principal Investigator on a Garrett Lee Smith Campus Grant focused on increasing awareness about the stigma associated with suicide and offering suicide first-aid trainings for members of the CSUN and Northridge communities. Dr. DeBonis also represents CSUN as a Co-Principal Investigator on a Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) grant, working with researchers from USC and UCLA to examine the impact of advocacy on healthcare outcomes in eight Los Angeles based hospital settings.
Education
- Ph.D., University of Southern California, Social Work
- MSW, SUNY at Albany
- BA, Russell Sage College, Creative Arts in Human Service