Meet Our Staff
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) at UC Santa Cruz is a part-centralized, part-decentralized service, with professionally trained master's- and doctoral-level clinicians located in our central counseling office within the Cowell Student Health Center complex, as well as in various locations across campus. Our staff members come from diverse backgrounds and have a special interest in and experience with helping students explore a wide range of issues. We offer a variety of mental health and wellness services to UCSC students and the broader UCSC community.
Please note that while some of us have particular areas of specialization, all of us at CAPS recognize the social pressures and cultural factors that affect different groups in unique ways. We have been trained in aspects of multicultural counseling, including working with LGBTQIA+ students, addressing rape and sexual abuse, and supporting students with disabilities. CAPS staff also engage in ongoing mandatory and voluntary continuing education to further enhance their skills as mental health professionals.
The following is a list of our staff members and their locations. Note that we do not provide drop-in counseling, so if you are interested in finding out about and/or starting services with CAPS, please stop by our central office or call us during business hours at (831) 459-2628. You can also find more information about our services on our Counseling Services, Psychiatry, and Groups & Workshops web pages.
- Pronouns she, her, hers, ella
- Title
- Case Manager
- Division Student Affairs and Success
- Department
- Student Health Center
- Counseling & Psychological Services
- Phone 831-332-7596
- Office Location
- 2222
- Office Hours Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm
- Mail Stop CAPS
Summary of Expertise
Amelia has particular interest and expertise working with former foster youth, undocumented students, first-generation students, transfer students, and the veteran student population. Amelia also has particular interest in working with substance use, harm reduction and recovery, Latinx students, trauma, interpersonal conflicts, grief/loss, and supporting community-building. Amelia is bilingual in English and Spanish.
Biography, Education and Training
Amelia is a white cisgender female social worker who graduated with a Bachelor's degree in American Studies and Education from UCSC in 2006 before going on to pursue a Masters degree in Social Work with a focus in community development from Cal State East Bay. Amelia is a case manager providing care coordination and therapeutic services to the Student Health Center and CAPS, with a focus in supporting the out-of-state and Latinx student population. Prior to UCSC, Amelia worked for non-profit organizations in the Bay Area providing bilingual crisis services, care coordination, and therapy to people with developmental disabilities and youth in both the foster care systems and juvenile justice systems. Amelia incorporates a strength-based perspective into her clinical work and acknowledges the individual as the expert of their own experience.
