Kathy Lazear works with many states, communities, and tribal communities as the co-director of the Cultural and Linguistic Competence Hub of the Technical Assistance Network for Children’s Behavioral Health, as a co-trainer focused on cultural and linguistic competence for the capacity building training, Primer Hands On: Building Systems of Care, and as an on-site evaluator of system of care grantee communities for the Center for Mental Health Children’s Initiative (CMHI). Lazear’s work as the coordinator of the Family Centered Interviews for the initial system of care grantee communities helped set the foundation for the current evaluation and assessment design of the CMHI. She also served as the director of training and consultation for the Florida Teaching Family Project for seven years, working with children and youth in therapeutic foster care and residential placements. Prior to her work in Florida, Lazear was a behavioral therapist for the New Jersey Teaching Family Program. Lazear’s work in cultural competence has spanned many years, from a participant in the first system of care cultural and linguistic coordinator training to her role as the facilitator of the 2005 Consensus Meeting on Evidence-Based Practices for Consumers and Families of Color, and as a core member and chair of the CAFB/CMHS/SAMHSA National Workgroup to Address the Needs of Children and Youth Who Are LGBTQI2-S and Their Families. Lazear’s work with LGBTQ youth also includes being the co-author of various publications, including the monograph Asset Based Approaches to Addressing the Needs of Youth Who Are LGBTQI-2-S and their Families (Lazear & Gamache 2007); book chapter Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Families and Their Children (Fisher, Easterly, & Lazear, 2008), Family Influences on Childhood Behavioral and Development (Eds. Gullotta & Blau); book chapter Addressing the Needs of LGBT Youth and Their Families: Building Systems of Care to Support Effective Therapeutic and Programmatic Interventions and Resources (Lazear, Pires, Forsell & Mallory, 2012), in Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Youth Who are LGBT and Their Families (Eds. Fisher, Blau, & Poirier). Lazear was the co-developer of the seminal curriculum – EQUIPO- on partnering natural helpers and child welfare, behavioral health, and juvenile justice providers in diverse, economically challenged communities. Lazear addresses the context and social determinants in which youth and families live, work, and play. Her commitment to understanding the strengths and challenges facing our diverse youth and families is reflected in all her work, including youth suicide prevention and as the lead author for the U.S. adaptation of the Youth Mental Health First Aid manual. For over 30 years, Lazear has provided technical assistance and consultation, assessment and evaluation, and training and coaching to family organizations, states and communities, wraparound and family support and service coordination teams, treatment centers, schools, and to multiple federal grantees.
Selected Professional Positions
1985-2013 | Assistant Professor, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla.
2002-present | Independent Consultant
1999 | Fulbright Instructor, Universidade Lusofono, Lisbon, Portugal
1982-1985 | Independent Consultant, Division of Youth and Family Services, N.J. Princeton Child Development Institute, Eden Institute, and The Teaching Family Project
1981-1982 | Youth Employment Counselor, Life Management Associates, Inc., Freehold, N.J. and Stills and Associates, Newark, N.J.
Selected Positions, Honors, and Committees
National Workgroup to Address the Needs of Children and Youth Who Are LGBTQI2-S and Their Families (2008-present)
Invited Expert Committee on Changing Chances: Improving Child Mental Health Status in the Community, Easing Access to Parent Support, Holding the Generational Gains, Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government (2010)
National Workgroup on Adolescent Suicide: Addressing Disparities through Research, Programs, Policy and Partnerships, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Indian Health Services (IHS), and SAMHSA (2009)
National Workgroup on Addressing Suicide Issues in Systems of Care: Identifying Strategies for Prevention, Intervention & Postvention, CMHS/CAFB/SAMHSA (2006 & 2009)
Selected Presentations, Training, and Teaching
Lazear, K., Booth, C., Concha, M., Ferandez, M., & Acevedo, L. (Mar 2015). Implementing CLAS standards to address behavioral health disparities: Language assistance and health beliefs toolkits. Intensive Workshop, 28th Annual Research & Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent & Young Adult Behavioral Health, Tampa, Fla.
Lazear, K., Fernandez, M, Monsalve Serna, M., Benavente, M., Josephs, L., Sheffield, A. (Jul 2014). Communication and Language Assistance: Putting Standards into Practice. 2014 Training Institutes, Georgetown University Center for Child & Human Development, Washington, D.C.
Lazear, K., Jackson, A., & Monsalve-Serna, M. (Jul, 2012). Cultural Competence: Implications for Practice. Partnership for Child Health, Jacksonville System of Care Initiative, Fla.
Lazear, K. & Roggenbaum, S. (Jul 2012). Addressing Suicide in Systems of Care: Strategies for Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention; Training Institutes: New Horizons for System of Care.
Poirier, J., Lazear, K. (Nov 2010). Resilience & Acceptance: Supporting Families and Children Who Are LGBTQI2-S. Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health Conference, Atlanta, Ga.
Lazear, K. (Nov 2007). Working with Children and Families Living in Poverty, invited speaker at the Teaching Family Association 30th Annual Conference, Washington, DC.
Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications, White Papers, and Selected Reports
Lazear, K. (2015) Why cultural competence is one of wraparound’s greatest strengths and most
persistent challenges. The TA Telescope: Vol. 1 (2) Winter. Technical Assistance Network for Children’s Behavioral Health, University to of Maryland, Baltimore: Md.
Lazear, K.J., Pires, S.A., Forssell, S. & Mallery, C. (2012) “Addressing the Needs of LGBT Youth and Their Families: Building Systems of Care to Support Effective Therapeutic and Programmatic Interventions and Resources.” In Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Youth Who are LGBT and Their Families by S. Fisher, G. Blau, J. Poirier (Eds.), Brookes.
Isaacs, M., Benjamin, B., & Lazear, K. (2009). Foundations of Cultural and Linguistic Competence: Training of Trainers. Human Resources Research Organization, Alexandria, Va.
Lazear, K., Pires, S., Isaacs, M., Chaulk, P., & Huang, L. (2008) Depression among low-income-women of color: Findings from cross-cultural focus groups. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health; 10:127-133.
Lazear, K., Roggenbaum, S. & Doan, J. (2003). Youth Suicide Prevention School Based Guide. University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla.