About the CCAT Team
The Cultural Competence Action Team (CCAT) is a team that is diverse in its ethnic and racial composition, and includes:
- expertise in family leadership in cultural competence;
- on-the-ground infrastructure building at the state and community level;
- clinical experience with diverse populations;
- expertise in research and evaluation work to reduce disparities; and
- national,state and local policy experience
Ken Martinez
Email: kmartinez@air.org
Phone: (505) 898-2220
Ken, a native New Mexican, was born and raised in Santa Fe. His cultural roots are Mexican American, Spanish American and American Indian. Growing up in a large traditional extended family, Ken was raised with strong familial, spiritual and cultural values, beliefs, traditions and rituals, highly influenced by his grandparents. Belief in family and respect for elders and their wisdom was always a fundamental teaching that permeated the Martinez/Sandoval household. A strong value on education encouraged Ken to pursue higher education which culminated in a doctorate in psychology. Since that time, Ken has been a clinician, teacher, administrator, policy maker and now a technical assistance provider for the Technical Assistance Partnership.
Ken was the State Children’s Behavioral Health Director in New Mexico and is Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. As immediate past Chair of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), Children, Youth and Families Division, Ken represented the children’s mental health directors of the 50 states and territories.
Nadia Cayce
Email: ncayce@ffcmh.org
Phone: (609) 625-2711
Nadia Cayce's cultural background is multi-cultural and multi-ethnic. Her family of origin has a strong military history and involvement in caring for children in foster and adoptive care. Nadia's cultural roots are African-American and Italian; however through marriage she has been influenced by Latin cultures, particularly Venezuelan and Puerto Rican. In addition, Nadia is a co-parent with her mother of three children of Latino descent. Nadia embraces the diversity in her family … a typical Sunday dinner could consist of a traditional southern cuisine at a dining room table where Italian and Spanish (or any combination) was being spoken.
Nadia is further influenced by the strong leadership and presence of her mother in her life and in her family of origin. As a result of her mother's influence, Nadia is a first generation college graduate and strives to preserve the integrity of women in the workplace, community and family.
Nadia studied Spanish in her high school and college years and travels frequently to Spanish-speaking countries particularly the Dominican Republic. Through a spiritual connection, youthful perspective and ultimate dedication to her family and her career, Nadia seeks to embrace and empower families and youth of color.
Karen B. Francis
Email: kfrancis@air.org
Phone: (202) 403-5164
Karen was born and raised in Jamaica, West Indies. She grew up in a racially and ethnically diverse family and community, an experience that she feels has been a real gift and an asset that has prepared her for life. “I grew up in a very diverse environment providing exposure to foods, traditions and customs that have served to open my mind and contribute to the person I am today. Having grandparents of both German and African decent, uncles of Asian decent, a nephew that is bi-racial black and Asian is just a small example of the diversity of the family that I was born into.” At the age of sixteen Karen came to United States to enter college.
Karen is involved in volunteer community work both in Washington DC and Jamaica. She is co-founder and Vice President, of Jamaican Women of Washington (JWOW, Inc) a private non-profit organization with a mission to raise awareness and provide support to organizations that focus on improving the health and quality of life of underserved and vulnerable women, children and families, primarily in Jamaica, W.I., and the Caribbean region.
Karen is a Senior Research Analyst at American Institutes for Research (AIR). She also serves as the on-site consultant on Cultural and Linguistic Competency to the Child Adolescent and Family Branch (CAFB), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HHS. In this capacity, Karen coordinates the sharing of information, resources, best practices and other tools to ensure the development of effective strategies for addressing cultural and linguistic competency and the reduction of racial/ethnic disparities related to the activities and programmatic thrusts of the CAFB. Karen serves on the SAMHSA Disparities Workgroup that provides support and guidance to SAMHSA’s efforts in addressing racial/ethnic disparities. She is involved in the development of a Cultural and Linguistic Competence Primer.
Karen is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., she is currently working on her Ph.D. at Howard University. She lives in Maryland with her son.
Amy Johnson
Email: amjohnson@air.org
Phone: (202) 403-5575