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Alexis A. David (she/her/siya) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) working as a Clinical Supervisor in San Francisco Unified School District. She has a private practice in clinical supervision and consultation supporting BIPOC clinicians. She is a daughter of immigrants from Tarlac and Batangas, Philippines. Alexis was born and raised in Yelamu, Ramaytush Ohlone Territory. She is a mother to three brilliant beings. She is an alumni of San Francisco State University for both her Masters in Social Work (MSW) and undergraduate studies in Asian American Studies and Criminal Justice. She has worked in various capacities in Education through school social work; crisis and mental health consultation; teaching Ethnic Studies and Filipinx/a/o Studies; working with youth and families in foster care and youth impacted in the juvenile justice system; youth substance abuse treatment and prevention; youth development and community organizing.
Alexis is one of the founding members of the Filipino Mental Health Initiative-San Francisco (FMHI-SF) launched in 2012 and leading therapeutic programming to the community in the SF Bay area. In 2023, Alexis joined the Amado Khaya Initiative Advisory Board to support the legacy of community organizing and activism from the late Amado Khaya Canham Rodriguez. Alexis believes that promoting mental and community wellness in the Filipinx community creates access points to collective healing and lays pathways of compassion for ourselves and one another. |
Languages Spoken: English, Tagalog (Understands Fluently)
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My journey to licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist began with levels of challenges and healing, creating a passion to share what I have learned through the power of self-compassion and the will to grow. The experience of being raised by Filipino immigrant parents, and navigating through the developmental and cultural challenges within my traditional family context, have led me to develop a strong sense of curiosity toward self-realization. I had the openness and curiosity guiding my way through self-inquiry to reach a level of deeper self-awareness and a sense of purpose in my life. As a result, I have been able to build bridges between my two worlds while maintaining a strong connection to my inner voice.
With my particular upbringing, I came to appreciate there was no better time and opportunity to deepen my understanding of the human psyche, emotion, and body in the context of culture. The three are strongly woven when responding to pleasant or painful experiences. I attended the California Institute of Integral Studies and earned my Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Community Mental Health. On my path to licensure, I have worked with children, adults, and families in community clinics and schools in the Bay Area. Currently, I maintain a private practice in San Mateo, and see individuals from very diverse ethnicities and backgrounds. My approach in psychotherapy is collaborative and engaged with curiosity and compassion. I bring my curious self into every session with attention to the natural shifts in each individual’s process. I value each shift as a new piece of information to help find the individual’s experience and build on his/her/their strengths to create a more integrated and healthy perspective. I also provide supportive and practical feedback to assist them effectively. Using creativity, I incorporate different techniques that meet the unique needs of each individual. With compassion and non-judgment, this process allows for a greater level of safety and openness, which in turn leads to deeper insight and personal growth that the individuals are committed to obtaining. I use this technique in whatever path of treatment the individual is open to explore. |
Languages Spoken: English, Basic Tagalog
Affiliations: Mental Health First Aid-National Council for Mental Wellbeing; College of Ethnic Studies, Asian American Studies Department-San Francisco State University, Pin@y Educational Partnerships |
Verma Soria Zapanta is a Visayan educator, photographer, and wellness practitioner born and raised in Yelamu, occupied Ramaytush Ohlone Territory (San Francisco, CA). She has served youth throughout San Francisco and Los Angeles as an Ethnic Studies teacher before fully immersing herself in holistic medicine and mental health advocacy work. She is a Mental Health First Aid instructor and co-founder of Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship and the Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference: Youth Contingency Internship. Verma is a humble culture bearer and student of Hilot, an ancient healing modality from the Philippines that incorporate bodywork, energy healing, ritual, and plant medicine. She hosts knowledge exchanges, workshops, retreats, and a Filipinx healers pop-up market called Ginhawa Marketplace through her wellness practice "Hilot with Verma".
"I connected to FMHI-SF in 2018 through the "Kapwa Konnections" project as a featured artist for the community exhibition and consultant to develop the Kapwa Rising Mural in SOMA Pilipinas, guided by Bay Area artists Sami See and Monica Magtoto. FMHI-SF is beautiful because we can be creative in engaging folks on the complex, complicated, and painful mental health topics, which is very stigmatized in the Filipino community. I hope every community member we engage with feels they have the agency to tend to their mental health needs while finding a community to lean in." |
Languages Spoken: English, Tagalog
Affiliations: San Francisco County Office of Education; Woodside Learning Center in San Francisco Unified School District; Kababayan SFUSD; Co-founder of Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship & Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference Youth Contingency Internship |
Harvey Lozada is a fourth-generation FRISCOPINO. He is an educator, community worker, healer, filmmaker, photographer, and visual storyteller. Harvey is the son of Filipino immigrants from the islands of Luzon and Mindanao and traces his familial roots in Yelamu, occupied Ramaytush Ohlone territory (San Francisco, CA) as far back as the 1920s. He is a humble culture bearer and descendent of traditional medicine keepers such as albularyos and manghihilots from the so-called, Philippines. Harvey’s healing journey began with community activism and engaging young people in the juvenile justice system. For over 18 years, he has dedicated his life to disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline through youth leadership development and culturally responsive counseling services for children and families throughout San Francisco. Harvey currently serves as a Transition Specialist at the San Francisco County Office of Education and Woodside Learning Center in San Francisco Unified School District and co-developed FMHI-SF's Filipinx youth mental health education program, Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship.
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Languages Spoken: English
Affiliations: Pin@y Educational Partnerships |
Rosario Santos Macahilas (she/siya) is a second generation Pinay born and raised on Ramaytush Ohlone Land (San Francisco/Daly City, CA) with roots in the Philippine provinces of Pangasinan and Aklan. She serves as the Program Assistant for the Filipino Mental Health Initiative of San Francisco and the Organizational Coordinator for Pin@y Educational Partnerships. She received her bachelors degree in Ethnic Studies and a minor in Psychology from Saint Mary’s College of California.
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Languages Spoken: English, Basic Tagalog
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Michelle Fortunado-Kewin (aka Dr. MFK) is a second-generation Filipino-American born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and works part-time as a macro school social worker. She runs a small private practice focused on clinical supervision, consultation, training, and program development.
Her areas of interest and expertise are suicidality in youth, restorative practices, clinical supervision, crisis intervention in schools, and program and policy development in educational settings. Dr. MFK connected with FMHI-SF through her previous work at the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). She was impressed to see an organization devoted to serving and supporting Filipino and Filipino-American students' mental health and well-being in San Francisco and wanted to get involved. She has been a guest speaker at Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellbeing Internship and has volunteered at the Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference. Additionally, she was a therapist with the ADUA program before becoming a clinical supervisor. |
Languages Spoken: English, minimal Ilokano and Tagalog
Affiliations: AGASAN |
Unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Territory; SF, CA - Rachel Lastimosa (she/they/siya) is a second generation Ilokana with ancestry from Kalinga Apayao, Ilocos Sur and Ifugao. She is an interdisciplinary artist, cultural worker and practitioner. She has worked in the Bay Area as a community organizer and artist since the early aughts. In 2018, she founded AGASAN, a collective of artists and practitioners that provide wellness workshops to BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. She is pursuing a masters at California Institute of Integral Studies, Counseling Psychology Department with
an Expressive Arts Therapy emphasis. Rachel’s focus on the intersection of arts, culture, equity and wellness continues to be the foundation for her creative pursuits and community service. |
Languages Spoken: English
Affiliations: Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellbeing Internship |
Annika Franco (she/her)Annika Franco is a daughter of Filipino immigrants, from the province of Pampanga, Philippines, and was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Annika graduated from Lowell High School in 2023, and is currently attending City College of San Francisco as a full-time student, with plans to transfer into a 4-year University. She is studying to pursue a career in community development, specifically in the field of mental health. Annika believes in the importance of mental health advocacy in the Filipino/a/x community and is passionate about reducing the stigma surrounding mental health.
Mental health means learning to understand our own individual limits and boundaries. It affects every part of who we are—our mental, physical and social well-being. It's important for us to normalize discussions around wellness and mental health in order for us to heal and rely on each other as a community. These discussions will help foster a safe space for the Filipinx/Filipinx American community to break the cycle of trauma and move toward healing. We can support each other on this journey while also encouraging self-compassion and collective care. |
Languages Spoken: English, Tagalog
Affiliations: Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellbeing Internship |
Ilana Salayog (she/her)Ilana Salayog is a dedicated first-generation full-time college student currently enrolled at City College of San Francisco. She is pursuing a degree in Public Health and plans to transfer in Fall 2025. Born in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Philippines, she moved to San Francisco at the age of 7. Ilana is a graduate from Buong Loob in 2023 and returned as an Young Adult Ally Intern in the Spring of 2024 and 2025. Ilana is determined to further her education and contribute to raising awareness about mental health issues within the Filipina/o/x American community.
Mental health is the state of our well-being when navigating stress and confronting challenges. Normalizing discussions around wellness and mental health in our community is crucial because it is stigmatized. We often underestimate the importance of mental health and how it plays a role in our daily lives. Raising awareness can result in a supportive, comfortable, and safe environment for individuals to share similar experiences passed from down through generations before. Recognizing and addressing mental health can make an impactful change within the Filipinx/Filipinx American community. |
Languages Spoken: English
Affiliations: Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellbeing Internship |
Rejine Rhianna Barles (she/her)Rejine is a first-generation daughter of Filipino immigrants. A Filipinx-American born and raised in Ramytush Ohlone territory (San Francisco, CA). She is a current student at City College of San Francisco, majoring in Psychology in hopes to be a Speech-Language Pathologist one day. Rejine graduated from Buong Loob in 2023, joined the Youth Contingency in 2024, and now is back as an Young Adult Ally in 2025. As a mental health advocate, Rejine continues to return to this program to educate and destigmatize mental health within the Filipinx community.
Mental health is interpreting and embracing all feelings, positive and negative. It’s important to normalize discussions around wellness and mental health within our Filipinx-American community to encourage the youth to seek assistance, finding solace and guidance through one another if they could not find it within their own families. By educating and supporting future generations to come, we can break the cycle of generational trauma and end the stigma surrounding mental health. |
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Bernadette Sy (she/her)Title: Chief Financial Officer
Languages Spoken: English Affiliations: Filipino-American Development Foundation Bernadette Sy has worked for Filipinos serving nonprofits since 1999. She helped to launch Filipino Mental Health Initiative San Francisco and works with community based mental-health programs at the Bayanihan Community Center. It's vital that a mental health component be a part of all community services serving the Filipino community. Awareness and reducing stigma about mental health in the Filipino community is the first step toward stabilizing families and individuals who struggle with mental illness. Mental health is an important aspect of being and feeling well. Understanding what to do to manage your mood and your outlook on life is a challenge that all people experience sometime in their life. Often times communities can find comfort, strength,and healing amongst each other. This is the basis for community based wellness. |
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Filipino American Development FoundationThe Filipino Mental Health Initiative of San Francisco is a program of FADF, The Filipino American Development Foundation. FADF’s vision provides the necessary support to strengthen and empower Filipino Americans, enabling community hubs to develop resources and assets that can benefit the local and broader community. FADF believes the Filipino cultural value of bayanihan, which means mutual assistance and mutual caring is the catalyst for community self-development and sustainability. FADF exists to strengthen the social, physical, and economic well being of the Filipino American community in the San Francisco Bay Area, with special attention to San Francisco’s South of Market community.
FADF's Mission accomplishes this by: -Increasing community access to a wide range of economic, health and social services through collaboration with existing programs and the development of culturally appropriate services -Providing the Bayanihan Community Center as a space to strengthen community ties, to facilitate the sharing of resources and expertise among service providers in SOMA, and to build leadership skills and the capacity of service providers to effectively provide relevant social services to the community -Empowering Filipino American organizations through fiscal sponsorship and leadership support and guidance -Producing educational and cultural programs/events to engage and celebrate Filipino American culture and community |
https://www.galingbata.org/
Email: [email protected] Instagram: @galingbata Twitter: @galingbata Facebook: Galing Bata |
Filipino Education Center: Galing Bata After School Program (they/them)Languages Spoken: English, Tagalog
Affiliations: Filipino-American Development Foundation; SOMA Pilipinas; Bessie Carmichael/Filipino Education Center FEC GALING BATA PROGRAM provides vital linguistically sensitive and culturally responsive services and resources to the Transitional Kindergarten - 8th Grade students enrolled at Bessie Carmichael/FEC throughout the school year and the summer, to their families, and the community in SOMA Pilipinas, the Filipino Cultural Heritage District in San Francisco. Social-emotional learning, restorative practices and trauma-informed care are embedded in their programming. Their staff are also certified in Mental Health First Aid and are screeners for behavioral health challenges or crises. They are committed to fostering safe spaces through building intentional and trusting relationships with students and families; spaces such as a weekly middle school lunch club to celebrate Filipino culture and identity, enrichment on wellness & resilience for middle school students, weekly parent support group (GB Chikahang Good Vibes), etc. In their efforts to prioritize their students’ wellbeing, they work closely with school-day social workers, make student referrals to community resources for mental health and wellness support, are an active member of the Bessie/FEC Wellness Team and Bessie/FEC Coordinated Care Team, and collaborate with other organizations to address the mental health issues within our community (MHC, FMHI-SF, Incredible Years/Filipino Family Health Initiative, etc). We connected with FMHI-SF through our work at SFUSD with other Filipinx social workers and our work around serving the mental health needs of our students and families. Collaborating with FMHI-SF is an important part of our role as school social workers because they are connected to the community. FMHI-SF supports the community, provides safe spaces (virtually and in-person pre-COVID) for Filipinx to gather, build connections and learn from each other. Mental health is not too different from our physical health; as much as it’s necessary to take care of our physical health, it’s also important to care for our mental wellbeing. In Filipino/Filipino-American communities, mental health is not something that is talked about with families and friends because it’s something that is not physically seen and therefore not understood. This silence is making it more difficult especially for young adolescents to understand their own mental health. The intergenerational silence and stigma around mental health in our Filipino/Filipino-American culture continue to harm our youth and so as educators, mentors, and mental health experts it is our job to destigmatize this narrative of mental health, it is our job to prevent our youth from suicide ideation, and instead foster spaces that build resilience and encourage wellness. |
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Jeannie Celestial, PhD, LCSW (she/her)Title: Licensed Clinical Psychologist; Trauma Therapist; Coach; Consultant
Languages Spoken: English, Conversational Tagalog Affiliations: Filipino Mental Health Initiative-Solano County Jeannie E. Celestial (she/her/hers) is the youngest of two anak/children of settlers from Cavite & Cebu, Philippines on Guam, Chamorro indigenous land. Her family migrated to Northern California (Ohlone Territory) where she was raised (Vallejo). Passionate about holistic health & well-being, Jeannie serves as a Clinical Psychologist, offering psychotherapy including EMDR, Attachment-Focused EMDR, and somatic embodiment for treating traumatic stress. Jeannie was one of the early core members of FMHI-SF and helped establish its sibling organization, Filipinx Mental Health Initiative-Solano (FMHI-Solano). Jeannie is a daughter, sister, wife, and mother on a journey of decolonization and liberation and is honored to support the others on this path. Jeannie earned her Doctorate in Philosophy in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University with an Emphasis in Clinical Neuropsychology and an Emphasis in Meditation and Psychology. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at the University of California at Berkeley in the 1990s, where she was active in Pilipino American Alliance, Maganda Magazine, and Kapwa (which she co-founded). Celestial additionally holds a Master of Social Work degree from San Francisco State University. "FMHI-SF carries the blood of our people and is truly a represent our resiliency and also our most vulnerable. I have been honored to support FMHI-SF through the years. I believe FMHI-SF's and my service as a healer has helped destigmatize therapy and has helped change the culture about help-seeking. We are helping people to be unapologetically healing themselves and our communities. To me, mental health means being at peace and in harmony with yourself, other people, and the world. For a large majority of Filipinx folks, this might also mean being at peace with God, one's ancestors, and nature. We must promote and uplift the importance of mental health and holistic wellness in our community: 1) because we carry the stories of resilience and strength of our ancestors, 2) because it's imperative to practice self- and community care to resist the fallacy of White Supremacy and the Model Minority Myth, and 3) because we are all meant to shine and embody our innate gifts." |
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Dr. JoanMay T. Cordova (she/hers/siya)Title: Social Media/Digital Content Creator at the Filipino Mental Health Initiative-San Francisco; Professor at Silliman University-Dumaguete, Philippines; Professional Consultant in Oral History, Social Media and Nonviolence
Affiliations: Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) National President Emerita and Kingian Nonviolence Coordinating Committee Languages Spoken: English, Filipino Dr. JoanMay T. Cordova’s a professional consultant in social media, oral history, nonviolence, and curriculum. With a Filipino bilingual (K-12) credential from USF and a doctorate from Harvard University, JoanMay’s taught pre-school through doctoral students. Currently a Visiting Professor at Silliman University in Dumaguete Philippines, she's working on a new Human Security Institute with Silliman's Salonga Center for Law and Development. You’ll find her international journeys @ForCommunities on Instagram and Twitter. JoanMay began curating social media @FMHISF in 2017. By promoting FMHISF's orginal community #mentalhealth videos (produced with @sine68fims) @FMHISF engaged local and international groups who all advocate to #EndTheStigmaOnMentalHealth. "Photo by Dr. Dawn Bohulano Mabalon in July, 2018." |