Center Staff

Mario Hernandez, Ph.D.

Biography:

Dr. Mario Hernandez is Professor and Chair of the Department of Child and Family Studies at the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, within the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences at the University of South Florida. In his role as Chair, Dr. Hernandez’ responsibilities include fiscal management, personnel management, and research development for 250 faculty and staff. The department has a total budget of $3.3 million and an additional $17 million in contracts and grants.

Dr. Hernandez provides leadership and management for a variety of research and technical assistance projects at the local, national, and international levels. His research interests include accessibility of mental health services for diverse children and families, and identifying and measuring organizational factors associated with reducing mental health disparities. Also, he has developed an approach using logic models and theories of change that supports the design and implementation of local child mental health collaboratives. Dr. Hernandez has been instrumental in helping many local communities build and design their child mental health services using logic models.

Dr. Hernandez has co-edited two books, Promoting Cultural Competence in Children’s Mental Health Services (1998) and Developing Overcome Strategies in Children’s Mental Health (2001). He has also published articles and book chapters on developing outcome strategies for children’s mental health, cultural competence and in applying logic models to support community change efforts. Additionally, he edited and contributed to: a special issue of the American Journal of Community Psychology, focused on exemplars of community practice that have used logic models to guide their local efforts; the Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, focusing on child mental health policy; and, the Journal of Behavioral Healthcare and Research, focusing on system accountability in children’s mental health.

 

Contact: Mario Hernandez , Ph.D.

News:

Fall Courses: Graduate Certificate Program Addresses the Growing Need for Improved Services in the Behavioral Health Field

CFS Chair Mario Hernandez Elected as President of the Board of the National Alliance of Multi-Ethnic Behavioral Health Association

CFS Department Chair Dr. Mario Hernandez is Faculty Recipient of 2008 USF PRIDE Award

Dr. Mario Hernandez is Appointed Chair of Department of Child & Family Studies

CFS Faculty Among Authors for Special Issue of the Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research

Key Publications On-Line:

Prince Inniss, J., Nesman, T., Mowery, D., Callejas, L.M., & Hernandez, M. (2009). Serving everyone at the table: Strategies for enhancing the availability of culturally competent mental health service (Making children’s mental health services successful series). Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, College of Behavioral & Community Sciences, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Department of Child and Family Studies, Research and Training Center for Children’s Mental Health.

 View a pdf

Callejas, L. M., Nesman, T., Mowery, D., & Hernandez, M. (2008). Creating a front porch: Strategies for improving access to mental health services (Making children’s mental health services successful series, FMHI pub. no. 240-3). Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Research & Training Center for Children’s Mental Health.

 View a pdf

Newman, C., Liberton, C., Kutash, K., & Friedman, R. (Eds.) (2008).Annual Research Conference Proceedings, A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base. Tampa, Florida: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Department of Child and Family Studies, The Research and Training Center for Children’s Mental Health.

 View a pdf

Hodges, S., Ferreira, K., Mazza, J., Vaughn, B., Van Dyke, M., Mowery, D., Hernandez, M., Briscoe, R., & Blase, K. (2007, Nov. 30). Phase I report (Developing sustainable infrastructure in support of quality field?based practice series, FMHI # 248?2). Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Department of Child and Family Studies.

 View a pdf

Hernandez, M., Nesman, T., Isaacs, M., Callejas, L. M., & Mowery, D. (Eds.) (2006). Examining the research base supporting culturally competent children's mental health services. (Making children's mental health services successful series, FMHI pub. No 240-1). Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Research & Training Center for Children's Mental Health.

 View a pdf

Harper, M., Mernandez, M. Nesman, T., Mowery, D., Worthington, J., & Isaacs, M. (2006). Organizational cultural competence: A review of assessment protocols. (Making children's mental health services successful series, FMHI pub. No 240-2). Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Research & Training Center for Children's Mental Health.

 View a pdf

Callejas, L., Mayo, j., Monsalve-Serna, M, & Hernandez, M. (2006). Linking community helpers and services with schools serving Latino families: An orientation to the RAICES/Promotoras Model and associated training curriculum. Tampa: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Dept. of Child & Family Studies

 View a pdf

Hernandez, M. & Hodges, S. (2006) Applying a theory of change approach to interagency planning in child mental health. American Journal of Community Psychology, 38(3) 165-173

 View a pdf

Hernandez, M. (2006). Community-based theories of change: Overview of findings. In C. Newman, C. Liberton, K. Kutash, & R. M. Friedman (Eds.), The 18th Annual Research Conference Proceedings, A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base (pp. 305-306). Tampa: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health.

 View a pdf

Hodges, S., Pinto, A., Hernandez, M., & Uzzell, C. (2006). The use of qualitative methods in systems of care research. In C. Newman, C. Liberton, K. Kutash & R. Friedman (Eds.) The 18th Annual Research Conference Proceedings, A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base (pp. 395-400). Tampa: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health.

 View a pdf

Hernandez, M., Worthington, J., & Davis, C. (2005). Monograph: Measuring the fidelity of service planning and delivery to system of care principles. Tampa, Florida: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Department of Child and Family Studies, The Research & Training Center for Children’s Mental Health.

 View a pdf

The Research and Training Center for Children’s Mental Health. (2005). The System Accountability Project Publications. Tampa, Florida: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Department, Department of Child and Family Studies.

 View a pdf

Friedman, R.M., Best, K., Armstrong, M., Duchnowski, A., Evans, M., Hernandez, M., Hodges, S., & Kutash, K. (2004). Child mental health policy. In B.L. Levin, J. Petrila, & K. Hennessey (Eds.), Mental health services: A public health perspective, 2nd ed. (pp. 129-156). New York: Oxford University Press.

  Request a copy

Worthington, J., Davis, C., Hernandez, M., Pinto, A., & Vergon, K. (2009). System of care practice review: Review team member training manual (rev. ed.) Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, The Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.

 View a pdf

Hernandez, M. (Ed.) (2003). Special series: Children’s mental health policy [Special issue]. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 11(1).

  Request a copy

Hernandez, M., & Hodges, S. (2003). Building upon theory of change for systems of care. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders 11(1), 19-26.

  Request a copy

Hodges, S., Hernandez, M., & Nesman, T. A. (2003) Developmental framework for collaboration in child-serving agencies. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 12(3), 291-305.

  Request a copy

Lourie, I., & Hernandez, M. (2003). A historical perspective on national child mental health policy. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders 11(1), 5-10.

  Request a copy

Hernandez, M. & Hodges, S. (2003). Crafting logic models for systems of care: Ideas into action. [Making children’s mental health services successful series, volume 1]. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, The Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Department of Child & Family Studies.

 View a pdf

Friedman, R. M. & Hernandez, M. (2002). The national evaluation of the comprehensive community mental health services program for children and their families program. A commentary. Children’s Services: Social Policy, Research, and Practice, 5(1), 67-74.

  Request a copy

Hodges, S., Hernandez, M., Nesman, T., & Lipien, L. (2002). Creating change and keeping it real: How excellent child-serving organizations carry out their goals. Tampa, Florida: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Department of Child and Family Studies, The Research and Training Center for Children’s Mental Health.

 View a pdf

Hernandez, M., Gomez, A., Lipien, L., Greenbaum, P. E., Armstrong, K., & Gonzalez, P. (2001). Use of the System of Care Practice Review in the national evaluation: Evaluating the fidelity of practice to system of care principles. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 9, 43-52.

  Request a copy

Hernandez, M., Hodges, S., & Cascardi, M. (1998). The ecology of outcomes: System accountability in children’s mental health. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 25(2), 136-150.

  Request a copy