Denise Alvarado is a PhD Candidate in Psychology Research and Evaluation at Walden University. She holds an Honors Associate of Arts in Human Services from Kirkwood Community College, where she was a member of Phi Theta Kappa. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology from Northern Arizona University, and her Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Walden University. She also holds advanced certification in addictions counseling in the state of Iowa.
Denise Alvarado has 15 years of clinical experience in a variety of settings, including residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment, inpatient psychiatric, and home interventions with the developmentally disabled.
Currently, she is working as a graduate research assistant to Dr. George Smeaton, the Assistant Dean of Research and Evaluation in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Walden University. In addition to being involved in a multitude of research projects with Dr. Smeaton, she is developing a wellness instrument for Native Americans, called the Native American Wellness Scale (NAWS) as her dissertation research. You can view the Native American Wellness Scale (NAWS) website here.
Awards
Fellowship for Research and Applications for Social Change , Walden University 2008
Student of Color Scholarship, Kirkwood Community College, 1998 – 2000
Business and Professional Women’s Foundation Scholarship, 1995 – 1997
Classes Taught
Addiction Transfer and Technology Center (ATTC) and Iowa Cable Network (ICN): “Toolbox for Counselors” graduate classes at the University of Iowa in counseling education, 2001
Consulting
Addiction Transfer and Technology Center (ATTC) and Iowa Cable Network (ICN), Cultural Consultant and Instructor, (2001)
Practice Research Consortium (PRC), Cultural Consultant, 2000
Iowa Substance Abuse Program Director’s Association (ISAPDA), Cultural Consultant and Diversity Trainer, 1993 – 1995
Presentations
“The Native American Wellness Scale”, Poster presentation, Walden University Summer Research Symposium, Bloomington, Indiana, 2006
“The Native American Wellness Model” Poster Presentation, American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Washington D.C., 2005
The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA: Guest Lecturer – “Cultural Competency and Substance Abuse” 1999
St. Luke’s Hospital, Cedar Rapids, IA: Guest Lecturer – “Native Americans in Substance Abuse Treatment”, 2000
Annual Governor’s Conference in Substance Abuse, Des Moines, IA: Presenter – “It’s a Small World After All – A Cultural Odyssey into Recovery”, 2001; “Women Walking in Balance”, 2001; “Cultural Competency”, 2000
SASSI, Dubuque, IA: Guest Lecturer – “Alcoholism: Out with the Old and in with the New”, 2001; “Designer Drugs and Methamphetamine Abuse”, 2001; “Marijuana Abuse: It’s Just an Herb”, 2001
Youth and Shelter Services, Ames, IA: Presenter/Consultant – “Developing Cultural Fluency through Examination of the Self”, 2001
Program Development:
- Extended Outpatient Program, Mideastern Council on Chemical Abuse, Iowa City, IA, 2001
- Family Program, Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital, Gallup, New Mexico, 1995
- Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Program, Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital, Gallup, New Mexico, 1995
- Cultural Competence Committee, at Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital Behavioral Health Services Division, Gallup New Mexico 1995
- Women’s Codependency Program, Mideastern Council on Chemical Abuse (MECCA), 1993
Professional Activities
Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIPS) Field Reviewer, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), 1999
Iowa Latino AIDS Coalition, Member of Steering Committee, 1995
Additional Expertise
Trained in the Red Road Approach to Recovery by its founder Gene Thin Elk; counseling approach designed specifically for Native Americans
Trained in Applied Post Colonial Clinical Practice by Eduardo Duran PhD, a theoretical approach for Native Americans that uses the trauma of history as the root metaphor for therapeutic interventions.
Professional Memberships
American Psychological Association for Graduate Students (APAGS)
American Anthropological Association, General Anthropology Division
Society for Psychological Anthropology
Iowa Board of Substance Abuse Certification
Denise Alvarado was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She lives in the Midwest with her son, Brandon. Her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren live in North Carolina. She can be contacted at denise.alvarado2@waldenu.edu.
