Staff
Brenda Lapinid received her bachelor's degree in Criminology, Law & Society from UC Irvine and completed her Master of Social Work degree from California State University, Fullerton. Prior to coming to the main campus, Brenda worked as a medical social worker at UCI Medical Center. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the Higher Education Case Managers Association (HECMA), Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP), and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA). Brenda is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and a Certified Case Manager through the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC), as well as a Certified Grief Informed Professional.
Brenda is committed to helping clients who are facing multiple stressors, which impact their overall well-being. Brenda’s work is guided by professional social work values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence.
Iliana Arias received her bachelor’s degree in Human Services from California State University, Fullerton and completed her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Iliana previously worked as a clinical social worker in community outpatient mental health settings, community medical hospitals in their emergency rooms and the UCI Student Health Center. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the Higher Education Case Managers Association (HECMA), and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA).
Iliana is passionate about supporting our students during their time at UCI through advocacy, support and linkages to campus and community resources.
Sheena Danesh-Tellez received her bachelor's degree in Human Services from California State University, Fullerton and completed her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California. She has previously worked in child protective services, adoption services and community mental health. Sheena is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, and a Certified Grief Informed Professional. She is a member of the Higher Education Case Managers Association (HECMA) and Postpartum Support International (PSI).
Sheena is invested in assisting clients to meet their goals. Reaching out for assistance is not always easy; Sheena believes clients have many strengths and she looks forward to working with them.
Kara Feldman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Social Behavior from UC Irvine and received her Master of Social Work degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has previously worked as a psychiatric social worker. Kara is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the Higher Education Case Managers Association (HECMA), Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP), and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA).
In addition to providing social work support to the general student population, Kara provides Respondent support services to both students and employees involved in the University's sexual harassment or sex offense investigation and adjudication process.
Peter is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. He received his bachelor's degrees in International Studies, Economics, and Spanish from UC Irvine and completed his Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California. Peter has previously worked as a therapist and clinical social worker in school-based mental health settings and at UCI Health Pediatric Services. He is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the Higher Education Case Managers Association (HECMA), and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA).
Peter’s role focuses on basic needs issues (food insecurity, housing insecurity, homelessness, financial concerns), and supports and supplements work being done at the Basic Needs Center.
Christy Molino is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and received her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California. She has previously worked as a therapist and clinical social worker in a psychiatric hospital. Christy is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the Higher Education Case Managers Association (HECMA), and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA).
In addition to providing extensive case management services to students, Christy’s role focuses on rapid rehousing, supporting homeless and housing-insecure students by securing long-term, permanent housing. Christy realizes that if such basic needs as housing are not met, students may be unable to achieve personal or academic success, and is committed to empowering individuals while eliminating barriers to support services.
Maeve Diehm is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. She received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from California State University, Long Beach and obtained her Master of Social Work degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Maeve has worked with families and children throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. She has also worked in community mental health providing crisis assessment, intervention and stabilization services. Additionally, she has experience working in both long and short-term residential settings. Maeve is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the Higher Education Case Managers Association (HECMA), and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA).
Maeve’s role focuses on providing assistance to graduate students and the residents of the Graduate and Family Housing communities on campus. Maeve is dedicated to recognizing the strength all individuals possess and is passionate about supporting students through times of need.
Bryanna Tapia provides administrative support to the OCSW, assigning incoming referrals, scheduling intake appointments, and providing resource referrals. She is committed to helping maximize the services provided by the Campus Social Work team to best support the UCI student population. Bryanna graduated from UC Irvine with a bachelor's degree in Sociology and a minor in Educational Studies, and most recently served as the coordinator of a psychiatric facility in Orange County.