Joanne M Tortorici Luna

Dr. Joanne Tortorici Luna is known nationally and internationally for her work with individuals, families, and communities in situations of armed conflict.

She frequently serves as a consultant and trainer regarding school crisis; after the September 11 terrorist attacks, New York City schools asked her assistance for traumatized school personnel.

In Nicaragua, she has worked as a Counseling Psychologist, University Professor, and Coordinator of Mental Health Services for a large region of the country. She was National Director of a mental health program for Nicaraguan child survivors of the war.

As a United Nations consultant, she has worked as a mental health trainer, evaluator, and program developer in the war/conflict zones of the Central American countries as well as in South Africa. As a UNICEF advisor, she led the development and implementation of Nicaragua's first Peace Education Program, and South Africa's first Country Programme for Emergency and Long-term Humanitarian Assistance. She was an international advisor to South Africa's Goldstone Commission for the Prevention of Political and Public Violence. Her areas of specialty include crisis response, mental health and human rights concerns in situations of armed conflict and widespread disaster.

She has worked for the Long Beach Unified School District as a school counselor, and as Violence Prevention Coordinator. She helped lead the formation, training, and management of LBUSD's multiagency School Crisis Response Team, as well as the CSULB Volunteer Crisis Resource Team.

She is a Trainer/Member of the Culver City Fire Department's Community Emergency Response Team, and is a Trainer/Founding Member of the City of Long Beach's Hate Crime Response Team.

As recognition of her community involvement, she has been awarded the 2004 CSULB Faculty Achievement Award for Community Service, the President's Volunteer Service Award for 2005, 2006, and 2007, and was named 2006 Volunteer of the Year for the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association's Region 11, encompassing California, Nevada, and Hawaii.

Dr. Tortorici Luna is proud to have been one of New York City's first woman cab drivers.

• Equine Facilitated Mental Health and Experiential Learning
• Emergency Mental Health Services
• Compassion Fatigue and Job Satisfaction in First Responders and Educators
• Writing as Healing

 Tortorici Luna, J., & Johnson, K. (In review). When terror comes to school: Compassion fatigue, trauma and burnout among post 9/11 NYC educators.

Tortorici Luna, J. (2007).  Arlington West:  The things we carry.  In Annis, M., Palecek, M. & Trettien, W. (Eds.). Cost of freedom. The anthology of peace and activism.  Berthoud, CO:  Howling Dog Press, 36-37.
 

Tortorici Luna, J. (2007)  Collaboratively Assessing and Stabilizing Schools After Large-Scale Terrorist Attacks, Advances in Psychology Research, Vol. 38, Hauppaugue, New York: Nova Science Publishers, 33-48.

Tortorici Luna, J., & Johnson, K. (2004) Adapting critical incident stress management to the schools: A multi-agency approach. Journal of School Violence, (3), 4, 59-76.


Tortorici Luna, J. (2003). (Contributor, Unit 7 - Disaster Psychology). Community Emergency Response Team Instructor Guide. Washington, DC: Department of Homeland Security (Federal Emergency Management Institute, Emergency Management Institute, National Fire Academy).

Tortorici Luna, J. (2003). To seek refuge: The plight of the child. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 4 (1), 101-105.

Tortorici Luna, J. (2002). Helping children learn: The legacy of violence. Leadership, 32 (2), 24-27.

Tortorici Luna, J. (2002). Collaborative assessment and healing in schools after large scale terrorist attacks. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 4 (3), 201-208.

Ressler, E.M., Tortorici, J.M., & Marcelino, A. (1993). Children in war. A guide to the provision of services. New York: UNICEF.

• Program Coordinator, Educational Psychology Program, 2007-2008
• Co-Trainer and Team Coordinator, CSULB Volunteer Crisis Resource Team
• Mentor, CSULB Partners for Success
• Scholarly and Creative Activities Award 2002-03; 2008-09.
• University Faculty Achievement Award - Community Service 2004
• President's Volunteer Service Award 2005, 2006, 2007
• Volunteer of the Year Award, Region 11 North American Riding for the Handicapped Association 2006
• Research Committee, Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association
• Chair, Campus Climate Committee
• Chair, EDPAC Curriculum Committee
• Faculty Hearing Panel
• Member, Phi Delta Beta, International Honor Society

Emergency Services Administration -  Mental Health 

CSULB Volunteer Crisis Resource Team

Equine facilitated mental health and experiential learning

Writing as healing