ABOUT
MEET HELIANA RAMIREZ, PHD, LISW
While recovering from my experience in a toxic workplace, I realized that mental health providers are typically unprepared to address the specific trauma of workplace racism and anti-LGBTQ bias. With expertise in post-traumatic growth and peer support, I developed a communal space for workplace abuse survivors to reduce isolation and increase support from people who understand the experience of workplace abuse and recovery. Reflecting on information most helpful to my own recovery, I designed resources to help protect one's career and culturally informed somatic interventions to address physical and emotional injuries from toxic jobs. A Self-help Resource Workbook, blog posts, and on-demand webinars are available for toxic workplace survivors, mental health clinicians, employment attorneys, and others interested in a trauma-informed approach to toxic job self-defense and recovery.
My subject matter expertise includes designing and evaluating anti-racist and LGBTQ+ Affirming workforce wellness interventions, occupational psychosocial safety, culturally responsive Suicide Prevention, Somatic Trauma Therapy, Harm Reduction, and Liberatory Toxic Job Survivor Community Building. As a clinician and researcher, my work addresses the impacts of racism, anti-LGBTQ bias, sexism, classism, stigma, and institutional betrayal on the physical and mental health of diverse civilian workforces and military service members.
Hello, I'm Heliana
TRAININGS
Evidenced-based, culturally informed, and centered on the resilience of LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color. Specialized topics include:
-
Beyond Burnout and Racial Battle Fatigue
-
DEI Workforce Recovery: Beyond Backlash
-
Healing the Harm of Workplace Abuse
-
Protection from Inauthentic Allyship
-
Anti-Racist & LGBTQ+ Affirming Suicide Prevention
Qualifcations
RESEARCH & CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
-
Designed nationally recognized LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Programs and LGBTQ+ Patient Care Programs
-
Trained behavioral health providers, managers, and executives in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) issues related to employee experiences and patient care.
-
Mixed methods research design
-
Expertise in Community-Based Participatory Research
-
20+ years of success engaging communities of color, LGBTQ+ people, youth, people living with disabilities, and Veteran populations in research, education, and clinical care.
-
Culturally-responsive design, facilitation, and analysis of data from virtual and in-person focus groups, surveys, and interviews
-
Designing, implementing, and evaluating individual and group level interventions for LGBTQ Veterans, unhoused BIPOC youth, women injection drug users, and women in incarcerated facilities.
EDUCATION
University of California, Berkeley
PhD, Social Welfare, May 2017
​
Washington University in St. Louis
Master of Social Work, May 2004
​
University of California, Santa Cruz
Bachelor of Arts, Community Studies, May 2000
​
CERTIFICATIONS
Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy
The Embody Lab, January 2023
​
Racelighting Course Certificate
Cora Learning, November 2022
​
The Resilience Toolkit Introductory Course
Lumos Transforms, January 2021
​
Cognitive Processing Therapy
Medical University of South Carolina, June 2018
​
Prolonged Exposure Therapy
Medical University of South Carolina, June 2018
​
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Santa Clara University, January 2007
​
Intergroup Dialogue Facilitation
University of Michigan, January 2003
PUBLICATIONS
Ramirez, M. H. (under review). Health Worker Suicide: Occupational Mental Injury Not Employee Mental Illness
​
Ramirez, M. H. (under review). Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Backlash (DEIB) Workforce Self-Defense from Racial Battle Fatigue.
​
Ramirez, M.H., et al., (2020). Telehealth Clinical and Technical Considerations for Mental Health Providers Pacific Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, SAMHSA · May 19, 2020
​
Ramirez, M. H. & Bloeser, K. (2019). Queering the Warrior Archetype: LGBTQ Service Women. ABC-CLIO/Praeger Publishing, Santa Barbara. In Kate Hendricks Thomas & Kyleanne Hunter (Eds.) Invisible Veterans: What happens when service women become civilians again. Santa Barbara, CA:
​
Bloeser, K. & Ramirez, M. H. (2018). Learning from example: Resilience of service members who identify as LGBT.
Praeger Publishing. In Kate Hendricks Thomas and David L. Albright (Eds.) Bulletproofing the Psyche.
​
Ramirez, M. H., & Bloeser, K. (2017). Creating safe spaces: Best practices for clinicians working with sexual and gender minority military service members and veterans. Springer, New York, NY. In Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, Joseph Wise, and Bryan Pyle (Eds.) Gay Mental Healthcare Providers and Patients in the Military: Personal Experiences and Clinical Care.
​
Ramirez, M. H., & Bloeser, K. (2017). Risk and Resilience: A review of the health literature of veterans who identify as LGBT. Springer, New York, NY. In Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, Joseph Wise, and Bryan Pyle (Eds.) Gay Mental Healthcare Providers and Patients in the Military: Personal Experiences and Clinical Care.
​
Ramirez, M. H., & Sterzing, P. R. (2017). Coming out in camouflage: A queer theory perspective on the strength, resilience, and resistance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender service members and veterans. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 29(1), 68-86. · Jan 20, 2017
​
Ramirez, M. H., Rogers, S. J., Johnson, H. L., Banks, J., Seay, W. P., Tinsley, B. L., & Grant, A. W. (2013). If We Ask, What They Might Tell: Clinical Lessons from LGBT Military Personnel Post-DADT. Journal of Homosexuality, 60:2, 401- 418 · Feb 15, 2013
​​
Brown, N., Luna, V., Ramirez, M.H., Vail, K., & Williams, C. (2005). Developing an effective intervention for IDU women: A harm reduction approach to collaboration.
AIDS Education and Prevention, 17:4, 317-332 · Aug 1, 2005
​
MISSION
These services are offered as self-help resources and are not provided as medical advice, clinical therapy, or legal advice. Please see a doctor, mental health provider, or attorney as needed.
See our Accessibility Statement here.
CONTACT