Yuliana E. Gallegos Rodriguez, PhD
Yuliana’s research interests focus on learning effective treatment options for people suffering from psychopathology. Paying specific attention to neuropsychological predictors of functioning in schizophrenia. As a project, she wants to incorporate language and dialect to mentor in translation of assessment tools to the Spanish language.
This year, Yuliana assists in developing psychiatric rehabilitation capabilities at Midtown Center (MTC), an adult day rehabilitation center affiliated with the Community Mental Health Center of Lancaster County. The MTC is the Day Rehabilitation program for persons challenged by the symptoms of a severe mental illness. Structured work related rehabilitative services are provided to consumers who are motivated to improve their level of functioning. She participates as the team psychologist on rehabilitation teams and help with program development and program evaluation activities. Yuliana is involved in direct clinical services, administrative/management activities and staff development. She also has experience with goal-oriented assessment and rehabilitation planning in a treatment team context. There is close collaboration with members of the Serious Mental Illness (SMI) research team who are developing specific therapy modalities to be implemented at MTC.
Last year, Yuliana worked at the People’s Health Center (PHC), a community medical center serving uninsured and low-income individuals in the Lincoln area, including a significant number of immigrants and refugees. Yuliana was responsible for conducting intake assessments and providing individual psychotherapy in both, English in Spanish, and she was available for immediate consultation with medical providers (e.g., physicians, nurse practitioners, health educators, case managers) regarding mental health concerns as they arise with patients.
During her second year, Yuliana worked as a research assistant at the Veteran’s Administration Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System (VA-NWI) providing "2nd Level Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Evaluations" to returning combat veterans who have been screened to be at risk of possible TBI.
During her first year in the program, Yuliana worked as a research coordinator in the Consumer Action Research Team (CART) project with Nebraska Advocacy Services, Inc. and provided training, supervision, and support of persons with a serious mental illness who learned to conduct research in their communities by getting involved at all stages of action research in methods that enhance activism, organization, and quality of life, in an attempt to promote empowerment and recovery.
Email Yuli: yulie1882@gmail.com
Presentations & Posters
Laib, K., Gallegos Y., & Spaulding, W. (2012, November). Neuropsychological Functioning in a population with Severe Mental Illness. Poster will be presented at the 46th Annual Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Ann Harbor, MD.
Gallegos, Y., Davidson, C., Liu, N., & Spaulding, W. (2011, November). Defeatist Attitudes and Locus of Control Compared to Neurocognition and Social Cognition in Community Services for Serious Mental Illness. Poster will be presented at the 45th Annual Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Toronto, Canada.
Laib, K., Gallegos Y., & Spaulding, W. (2011, November). Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists' Perspectives of Schizophrenia and Employment. Poster will be presented at the 45th Annual Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Toronto, Canada.
Gallegos, Y., Davidson, C., & Spaulding, W. (2011, September). Relationships among neurocognition, defeatist attitudes, and community functioning in schizophrenia. Poster presented at the 25th Annual Meeting for Society for Research in Psychopathology. Boston, MA.
Gallegos, Y., Link, P., Fish, S., Granholm, E., (2009, March). Defeatist Performance Attitudes and Diminished Motivation in Schizophrenia. Poster will be presented at the meeting of International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, San Diego, CA.
Gallegos, Y., Link, P., Fish, S., Granholm, E., (2008, September). Defeatist Performance Attitudes & Cognitive Task Effort in Schizophrenia. Poster presented at the meeting of Society for Research in Psychopathology, Pittsburgh, PA.
Gallegos, Y., Espinoza, M., Granholm, E., Couture S., (2006, October). Poor insight predicts poor symptom outcome in middle-aged and older people with schizophrenia in a two-year longitudinal study. Poster presented at the meeting of Society for Research in Psychopathology, San Diego, CA.
Espinoza, M., Gallegos, Y., Granholm, E., Loh, C., Link, P., (2006, May). Cognitive vs. Clinical Insight in Older Patients with Schizophrenia: Reliability over One Year Follow-up. Poster presented at the meeting of Association for Psychological Science, New York City, NY.