DSH - Patton: Internships - Meet Our Supervisors

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel"
--Maya Angelou

Belel Ait Oumeziane, Psy.D.

Cynthia Aguilar, Psy.D.

Robert Brodie, Ph.D.

Dr. Laurel Chavez-Mattos received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Sam Houston State University with an emphasis in forensic psychology. She is a board-certified specialist in forensic psychology with the American Board of Professional Psychology. She completed her internship in the Forensic Track at DSH-Patton and stayed to complete her Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology. She currently serves as a Senior Psychologist Specialist in DSH-Patton’s Forensic Evaluation Department, where she primarily conducts evaluations of trial competency, as well as malingering evaluations, comprehensive risk assessments, commitment extensions, and provides expert testimony. In addition to her strong interest in forensic assessment, she enjoys providing individual and group therapy and has served on the local DBT implementation committee at DSH-Patton, as well as the Transgender Treatment Advisory Committee. Her research interests include recent projects evaluating the validity and utility of measures of response style with diverse populations. Abstracts of her research projects can be found on her ResearchGate profile. She currently serves as an Assessment Supervisor in the internship program and has also supervised within the Fellowship program. In addition to her work at DSH-Patton, she holds a forensic private practice in the community conducting competency, sanity, mental health diversion, risk assessment, and mitigation evaluations. Outside of work, she enjoys playing pickleball, going to the theater, and spending time with her family and two dogs.

David Contreras, Psy.D., ABPP

Maria Cueto Lopez, Psy.D.

Brittany Dey, Psy.D.

Jeremy Feiger, Ph.D.

Betsy Galicia, Ph.D.

Dr. Glassmire is the Psychology Training Director at Patton. In this role, he directs the internship program and postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology, and he provides administrative support for the other training programs in our department. Dr. Glassmire is a board-certified specialist in forensic psychology with the American Board of Professional Psychology. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology with an additional emphasis in clinical neuropsychology at Patton in 2002. Dr. Glassmire was formerly the psychologist in Patton’s Substance Abuse and Mental Illness program and was later a psychological assessment consultant on a program for patients adjudicated as incompetent to stand trial. He enjoys teaching and was formerly a part-time adjunct faculty member in the Department of Gerontology at the University of Southern California teaching both graduate and undergraduate classes for six years. Dr. Glassmire’s research group at Patton focuses on forensic assessment including use of the MMPI-3, trial competency assessment, and the assessment of symptom and performance validity. His research often focuses on evaluating the accuracy of assessment instruments across cultural groups and clinical populations commonly seen in forensic settings. Abstracts of his research projects can be found on his ResearchGate profile. In 2023, Dr. Glassmire was awarded the Distinguished Contributions to Forensic Psychology Award from the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. In his spare time, Dr. Glassmire enjoys distance running, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family.

Dr. Graham-Howard is a senior supervising psychologist in Program IV. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology when dinosaurs were still roaming the earth. Her initial passion was working with children, adolescents and families, but she took a detour to complete her predoctoral internship at Patton State Hospital, which completely upended her professional trajectory. She stayed at Patton for fifteen years, first as a staff psychologist on EB-11 (now EB-12) for ten years, and later as the Postdoctoral Training Director for five years. Shortly after getting licensed, she started a private practice in forensic psychology that she still maintains. Early work was primarily assessing juveniles for the courts and later this expanded to adult forensic assessment work. She left Patton in 2008 to accept an academic appointment in the PsyD program at Azusa Pacific University. She began her work teaching and supervising dissertations and was promoted to Department Chair after four years. For many years, she remained as Department Chair and took on the additional role as Director of Clinical Training, Practicum. For her final two years at the university, she was the Interim Dean for the School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences, and in her last year, as Interim Dean for that school and the School of Education. In 2024, she left APU and returned to Patton a second time, thrilled to supervise and return to her first passion, providing long-term, individual therapy and clinical assessment for patients at Patton. She is still active in her private practice, doing juvenile competence to stand trial and dispositional evaluations, NGRI, competency to stand trial, mitigation, sex offender risk assessment, and mental health diversion cases.

Dr. Hannifin received her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Family Systems from Azusa Pacific University in 2008. She completed an internship at The Guidance Center in Long Beach. As part of her internship training she completed specialty rotations in neuropsychology at Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and in child/adolescent trauma and abuse at the federally funded MCAVIC-USC Child and Adolescent Trauma Center in Long Beach. Dr. Hannifin also received one year of formal Dialectical Behavior Treatment (DBT) training at Harbor UCLA. Dr. Hannifin was hired as a staff psychologist at DSH-Patton in 2008 and worked on admission units until 2019 when she joined the Forensic Evaluation Department (FED) as a forensic evaluator. In 2021, Dr. Hannifin was appointed as one of the Senior Psychologist Supervisors in the FED. Dr. Hannifin also has a private practice in which she completes forensic evaluations and serves as a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME). Dr. Hannifin has provided supervision at the practicum and intern level and is currently the Professional Development Seminar facilitator for the Post-Doctoral fellows.

Dr. Hartounian graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. She received her Master of Science and Doctor of Psychology degrees in clinical psychology from the University of La Verne. She completed advanced practicum training at Patton State Hospital. Dr. Hartounian completed her pre-doctoral internship at Mendota Mental Health Institute, an inpatient forensic state hospital in Wisconsin. During internship, she completed rotations focused on violence risk and competence to stand trial assessments. As a post-doctoral fellow at Central Regional Hospital’s Forensic Evaluation Center in North Carolina, she completed outpatient evaluations of competence to stand trial and mental state at time of the offense. In 2018, Dr. Hartounian was hired at Patton State Hospital, where she works on an all-male PC 1370 (competency) unit.

Dr. Hotetz received her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from California Baptist University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Tarzana Treatment Centers where she gained experience working with substance use disorders and dual diagnosis in an inpatient psychiatric, residential, and outpatient setting. Dr. Hotetz started working as a staff psychologist at Patton State Hospital in January 2025, where she worked on an all-male PC 1370 (competency) and LPS unit conducting admission psychological assessments, competency evaluations, and risk assessments. Currently, Dr. Hotetz is a Senior Psychologist, Specialist in the Enhanced Treatment Program (ETP) providing evidence-based individual treatment, group treatment, behavior plans, risk assessment, and crisis intervention to patients at the highest risk of committing violence. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog, reading, and attending concerts, music festivals, and sporting events.

Dr. King completed his doctoral degree in clinical psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, San Francisco campus. He completed his internship and two-year postdoctoral residency in neuropsychology at California Department of State Hospitals (DSH), Patton. He then earned board certification in clinical neuropsychology through ABPP. Subsequently, he worked in a variety of settings as a neuropsychologist, including DSH-Coalinga, Loma Linda University, Kaiser Permanente, and private practice. He has experience working with individuals across the lifespan and in a variety of departments, such as developmental and behavioral pediatrics, neurology, neurosurgery, and behavioral health. He has also taught graduate courses in cognitive assessment, personality assessment, and clinical neuropsychology. Dr. King is currently a neuropsychologist at DSH-Patton and directs the FREE program, which integrates cognition-focused interventions and trial competency restoration for individuals with cognitive challenges.

Dr. Kinney received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology. She completed her internship in the Clinical Neuropsychology Track at DSH - Patton State Hospital and then completed a postdoctoral residency in clinical neuropsychology at DSH-Patton. She board certified in clinical neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology. Currently, she is the Director of DSH - Patton's Neuropsychology Consultation Service. She is a primary supervisor for Neuropsychology Interns and fellows, and she is the Co-Director of the Neuropsychology Post-Doctoral Fellowship. She is particularly interested in the neurocognitive correlates of psychiatric illness and the complexities that arise from providing neuropsychological services to dually-diagnosed individuals. Her areas of clinical and research interest are in psychiatric neuropsychology, cross-cultural psychology, and positive psychology. Abstracts of her research projects can be found on her ResearchGate profile. In her free time, she enjoys the sense of fulfillment she receives from the "vital engagement" of family life.

Dr. Patrick McGonigal earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a Forensic Emphasis and Quantitative Methods Minor from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) in 2024. He also has a Master's degree in Legal Studies (MLS) from the University of Nebraska College of Law. At UNL, Dr. McGonigal studied and trained in threat assessment and management with a particular interest in preventing targeted violence against marginalized communities. He completed his internship and postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at DSH-Patton. Dr. McGonigal has published peer-reviewed research on forensic mental health, prejudice, and personality disorders, as well as a book chapter in the Handbook of Antisocial Personality Disorder. Dr. McGonigal was hired as a staff psychologist for DSH-Patton's dedicated Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing unit following his fellowship. He later joined the Forensic Evaluation Department (FED) where he conducts risk assessments, provides expert witness testimony, and conducts forensic evaluations involving Deaf and HoH patients. He is also a member of the Transgender Treatment Advisory Committee (TTAC) where he provides assessment and consultation regarding transgender patients. His forensic interests include competency to stand trial, assessment of malingering, and sexual violence risk. In addition to his work at DSH-Patton, Dr. McGonigal provides community-based lectures in the Los Angeles area regarding forensic psychology

Dr. Molina received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She completed her pre-doctoral internship in the Forensic Track at DSH-Patton. She remained at DSH-Patton to complete her Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology. After completing her forensic training, Dr. Molina worked as a clinical and forensic psychologist at state hospitals in Massachusetts and Florida. In these positions, she completed forensic and clinical assessments, provided individual and group treatment, conducted staff trainings related to forensic and clinical issues, served as an expert witness, and supervised psychology trainees. In 2022, she returned to DSH-Patton as a Senior Psychologist Specialist in the Forensic Evaluation Department. In her current role, she conducts violence risk assessments, sex offender risk assessments, and competency evaluations. Additionally, Dr. Molina is fluent in Spanish and regularly conducts Spanish-language forensic evaluations. Dr. Molina has served as an assessment coordinator in the internship program and a coordinating supervisor in the forensic fellowship. She is also currently one of the co-facilitators of the forensic fellowship’s landmark case seminar. Dr. Molina’s research interests include psychopathy and forensic assessment of Spanish-speaking populations. Abstracts of her research projects can be found on her ResearchGate profile. In her spare time, Dr. Molina enjoys traveling, exercising, and spending time with her two black cats, Bellatrix and Eevee.

Dr. Nitch is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional psychology (ABPP). Dr. Nitch received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2002 from Loma Linda University, with a concentration in Neuropsychology. His doctoral dissertation explored the relationship between chronic pain and non-pathological personality traits. Dr. Nitch completed an internship at the Loma Linda VA Hospital and then a Neuropsychology Fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Upon the inception of the Neuropsychology Consultation Services at DSH - Patton in 2004, he began his tenure in state service. Dr. Nitch is the Co-Director of Neuropsychology Fellowship Training at Patton. When not serving the governor, Dr. Nitch works in the outpatient Psychiatry clinic at the Loma Linda Medical Center and in an assessment private practice. His research interests include performance validity, the cognitive correlates of psychosis, and best practices for treating severe mental illness via cognitive remediation. . In addition, he maintains an active interest in studying the functional effects of psychotropic medications, having earned a Master's Degree in Psychopharmacology (2006). Abstracts of his research projects can be found on his ResearchGate profile. When it is time for diversion, his activities of choice include trail running and watching documentaries.

Dr. Jackie Orozco received her PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University (APU) with an emphasis in Family Systems, where she also completed a psychodynamic concentration track. Her dissertation focused on ethnic identity development in adolescents. Dr. Orozco’s internship and postdoctoral training included clinical and forensic work, including parental capacity evaluations, sexual violence risk assessments, competency to stand trial, NGRI, etc. She started working for DSH as a unit psychologist (for pre-trial commitments). She became a Senior Psychologist Specialist in the Forensic Evaluation Department (FED) in 2022. Her current role includes primarily working with the IST population. Dr. Orozco is fluent in Spanish and routinely conducts forensic evaluations in Spanish. Outside of DSH-Patton, she also maintains a private practice where she assesses various psycholegal capacities with adult populations (i.e., mental health diversion, mitigation, and competency to stand trial). She serves on expert panels for both San Bernardino and Los Angeles County, as well as select referrals from Orange County. In her spare time, Dr. Orozco enjoys arts and crafts, painting, photography, exercising, and spending time with her Persian cat, Kizmet Duchess.

Dr. Pate received her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University and in 1999 received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Dakota. After completing her internship in the Clinical track at DSH-Patton, she was hired and worked for five years as the sole psychologist for DSH-Patton’s only long term all-female fifty-bed unit. She then worked on an acute male admissions unit, after which she worked for two years on a co-ed wellness-focused long term care unit. In 2006, she moved to administration to assist the Psychology Chief with DOJ requirements, and in 2007 she became a Senior Psychologist Specialist. In January 2008, she was appointed Senior Psychologist Supervisor for Program I (now Program 6), and in 2013 she began sharing a caseload with another Supervising Psychologist. At present she is both a Senior Supervisor and the treating psychologist for fifteen patients on the geriatric unit. Dr. Pate has been providing supervision in Patton’s internship since 2002, and has served as a Coordinating Supervisor since 2005. She is board certified in Clinical Psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology. She has published in the areas of personality traits, personality assessment, and crisis response, and has worked in the community at a program that treats and assesses sex offenders. In 2006, she completed a yearlong advanced training course in object relations psychoanalytic psychotherapy, and she has received advanced training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She maintains a part-time private practice providing psychological treatment and assessment. In her spare time she has earned two black belts in tae kwon do, plays soccer, and roots for Arsenal in the English Premiership Football league.

Dr. Rodriguez received his Ph.D. in 2006 from the combined program in Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology at Utah State University. He completed his pre-doctoral internship at DSH-Patton before joining the hospital as a staff member in 2006. Dr. Rodriguez has a strong interest in the theory and practice of psychotherapy. He uses an integrative approach in his work with clients, with client-centered theory providing the foundation for integrating other theoretical ideas and techniques. He also has a strong interest in ethnic minority mental health issues, with special emphasis on the relation between acculturation and mental health. Dr. Rodriguez currently works on a monolingual Spanish speaking unit where he conducts assessment and therapy in Spanish.

Dr. Sanchez completed his Psy.D. in Clinical Forensic Psychology at Alliant International University in 2017. Prior to attending Alliant International University, he completed a master’s degree in Psychology at Mercy College. He also attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he obtained an associate’s degree in Police Studies and a bachelor’s degree in Forensic Psychology. As part of his doctoral training, Dr. Sanchez completed practicum placements at Augustus F. Hawkins Mental Health Clinic, Eastlake Juvenile Mental Health Court/UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, and Gateways Forensic Community Treatment Program (FCTP). His training included providing treatment as well as conducting neuropsychological and forensic assessments. He completed his internship at the California Department of State Hospitals (DSH) – Metropolitan. Following internship, he worked at Liberty Jail-Based Competency Treatment (JBCT) program, where he specialized in conducting competency to stand trial evaluations.

Dr. Sanchez was hired as a staff psychologist at DSH-Patton in October 2019. Since April 2021, he has served as a Senior Psychologist Specialist in the Forensic Evaluation Department (FED). He also serves as an Assessment Supervisor for the internship program. In addition to his work at Patton, Dr. Sanchez maintains a private clinical and forensic psychology practice and serves as an expert on several court panels throughout Southern California. His research interests include malingering in neuropsychological assessments and juvenile and adult competency to stand trial. In his spare time, Dr. Sanchez enjoys spending time with his family, serving his local church, watching movies and shows, and reading.

Dr. Sillo received her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with a minor concentration in family studies from Loma Linda University. She completed her practicum at Patton in 2006 and went on to complete her internship at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Metropolitan Detention Center. In addition to working on a variety of research projects in the field of substance abuse, she was a project coordinator for the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Program. She has also provided substance abuse treatment at the Matrix Institute for Addiction. Dr. Sillo has taught at the University of La Verne as a part-time faculty member. She is an Army reserve veteran and her service consisted of performing duties as a psychologist within a medical unit. She has also performed work as a Qualified Medical Evaluator and has provided other types of forensic consultation services working with both juvenile and adult populations. She has enjoyed supervising students at Patton since 2008 and her approach to supervision includes assisting each trainee transition into a balanced professional life. In her spare time, Dr. Sillo enjoys spending time with friends and family, cooking, exercising, watching movies, and traveling.

Dr. Singleton received her Psy.D. in Clinical Community Psychology from the University of La Verne. Prior to joining the staff at DSH-Patton, she worked as a Research Specialist II with Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, where she conducted numerous research and program evaluation projects. She has worked at DSH-Patton since 2011. As a unit psychologist, she worked with patients adjudicated as incompetent to stand trial, as well as offenders with mental health disorder, and patients found not guilty by reason of insanity. She has been the practicum director since 2019, and she has been a Senior Psychologist Supervisor since 2021. She currently runs the practicum training program and supervises clinical staff in off-unit positions, including the psychologists working in the Enhanced Treatment Program. She is the co-chair of Patton’s Transgender Treatment Advisory Committee. In her private practice, she also conducts both civil and criminal forensic evaluations. Her clinical and research interests include gender-affirming care, adjudicative competence, program development and evaluation, and violence risk reduction.

“One of the most rewarding parts of my job is being involved in our training programs. I see supervision as a collaborative process between the trainee and supervisor and driven by the needs of the trainee. Throughout the year, I enjoy watching trainees gain comfort with, and confidence in, their own skills and abilities, and their ability to make complex connections between theory and practice.”

Dr. Souza is a board-certified specialist in forensic psychology with the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). He received his doctorate in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. He completed his pre-doctoral internship at NYU-Bellevue Hospital and continued his forensic training in the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology at DSH-Patton. Currently, Dr. Souza is a senior psychologist in DSH-Patton’s Forensic Evaluation Department where he conducts comprehensive risk assessments, commitment extensions, competency, malingering evaluations, and provides expert testimony. He is fluent in Spanish, and he regularly conducts Spanish-language forensic evaluations. Dr. Souza has served as a coordinating supervisor for Patton’s postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology for several years. He specializes in violence and sex offender risk assessment and has conducted various trainings related to risk assessment for DSH and outside institutions. Additionally, he is an author-approved HCR-20-V3 trainer, and he is active in committees focused improving the quality and efficacy of violence risk assessment across the Department of State Hospitals in California. Dr. Souza maintains a private practice where he provides trial consultation and conducts assessments in both English and Spanish focusing on a variety of forensic issues including violence risk, sex offender risk, competency, insanity, and mental health diversion. His research interests include violence and sex offender risk assessment, psychopathy, and forensic assessment of Spanish-speaking populations. In his spare time, Dr. Souza likes to workout, travel, and catch up on Netflix documentaries.

Dr. Samantha Stayton received her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School (Irvine campus). She completed her internship in the Clinical Track at DSH-Patton. She is currently a Staff Psychologist on a unit that primarily houses patients who have committed sex offenses and have been committed to DSH-Patton via Penal code 1026, not guilty by reason of insanity (NGI), PC 2962 and 2972, individuals committed to the hospital under California’s Offender with a Mental Disorder (OMD) statute, and LPS conservatorship at DSH-Patton. She holds interests in the treatment, assessment, and prevention of sexual offending, with her work grounded in trauma informed and evidenced based practices, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Additionally, she has served on the Transgender Treatment Advisory Committee and the Social Committee. She currently serves as a practicum supervisor in the practicum program. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with my family, traveling, watching any form of competition show, exercising, and going to venues with live music.

Dr. Tiffany Truong earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Texas A&M University in 2023. She completed both her APA-accredited predoctoral internship and forensic postdoctoral fellowship at DSH-Patton before accepting a staff psychologist position on an acute, short-term female unit focused on competency restoration. Dr. Truong currently works in the Forensic Evaluation Department (FED) at DSH-Patton as a forensic evaluator. In this role, she conducts post-trial forensic evaluations and provides expert testimony for the courts and Board of Parole Hearings. Outside of her hospital work, she also engages in private forensic practice, conducting a range of evaluations, including pretrial mental health diversion assessments. Her clinical and scholarly work emphasizes evidence-based practice, structured professional judgment, and cultural responsiveness. Dr. Truong’s research explores the accuracy of malingering assessment tools, the predictive validity of violence risk instruments, and the influence of psychopathy on juror decision-making. She has published in leading journals such as Criminal Justice and Behavior, Law and Human Behavior, and Psychological Assessment, and has presented nationally and internationally at forensic psychology conferences.

Dr. Michelle Swiontek received her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in Military Clinical Psychology, from Adler University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health – CHOICE Program wherein she provided outpatient clinical services to adults recently released from jail on probation. She also conducted psychological testing with adults throughout San Bernardino County to provide diagnostic clarity and recommendations for treatment. After completing her internship, Dr. Swiontek began working at DSH-Patton as a staff psychologist on an all-male admissions unit. She focuses on providing individual and group treatment to patients deemed Incompetent to Stand Trial (IST). Her clinical practice is primarily rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). However, she integrates principles from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) when clinically appropriate. Her professional interests include severe mental illness, working through delusions, competency assessment and treatment, military psychology, and veterans’ risk factors for incarceration.

Dr. Yenne received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a Forensic Emphasis from Sam Houston State University. She is a board-certified specialist in forensic psychology with the American Board of Professional Psychology. She completed her internship and postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at DSH-Patton. Throughout her tenure at Patton, she has worked on several treatment units with a variety of commitment types and in the Forensic Evaluation Department. She currently serves as the Psychology Training Director where she oversees DSH-Patton’s APA-accredited internship in clinical psychology and postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology and provides administrative support to other training programs within the department. Dr. Yenne also facilitates the New Psychologist Seminar for new staff psychologists at DSH-Patton to help them orient to the hospital. She is the co-chair of DSH-Patton’s annual Forensic Conference. Her research interests include impartiality and quality in forensic mental health reports. She maintains a limited forensic private practice. In her spare time, Dr. Yenne enjoys playing the violin in a local community orchestra, crafting, and spending time with her dog, Norepinephrine.