Orange County Association of
School Psychologists

2019-2020 OCASP BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President: Erin Spillane, MA

President-Elect: Tori Downing MA NCSP

Past President: Giniena Tan, MA

Treasurer: Jenna Wood, MS, NCSP

Secretary: Giniena Tan, MA

Secretary Shadow: Christina Phabsomphou

CASP Region IX Representative: Arpita Mandal, MA, NCSP

Event Coordinator: Libby Barnish Kelly, MS, EdS, LEP

Membership & Media Coordinator: Tori Downing, MA EdS
Webmaster & Media Coordinator (Shadow): Ashley Wallace

Community Liaison & PAC Committee: Kelsey Bayless

Newsletter Editor: TBD

University Liaison - Chapman University: TBD

University Liaison - CSULB: TBD

University Liaison - APU: TBD

President-
Erin Spillane,MA

Past President and Secretary -

Giniena Tan, MA

President Elect - TBD

Treasurer - Jenna Wood, MS, NCSP

CASP Region IX Rep - Arpita Mandal, MA, NCSP LEP

Event Coordinator - Libby Barnish Kelly, MS, EdS, LEP

Membership & Media Coordinator -

Tori Downing, MA EdS

Webmaster & Media Coordinator (Shadow) -

Ashley Wallace

Community Liasion & PAC Committee-

Kelsey

Bayless

Newsletter Editor:

University Liaison - Chapman University:

University Liaison -

Cal State Long Beach:

University Liaison -Azusa Pacific:

Erin Spillane is currently a Special Education District Coordinator in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. She was a school psychologist for eight years prior to becoming a coordinator. She currently supports the school psychologists in SVUSD and oversees the Career Start program which provides students with disabilities vocational skills support. Erin also is a member of the SVUSD Crisis Response Team. Erin earned her B.A. in Psychology at UC San Diego and obtained her M.A. in Educational Psychology and PPS in School Psychology at Cal State Long Beach. She initially became interested in school psychology while working as a reading tutor in low income schools in San Diego. She then went on to work with children and families as a one on one ABA therapist for children with Autism and as a substitute teacher. Outside of work, Erin enjoys traveling, trying new food, kickboxing, and going to the beach.
This is Erin’s fourth year serving on the OCASP board.

Giniena is currently working within Orange Unified School District at Cerro Villa Middle School. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from UC Riverside and her Masters in Educational Psychology with a PPS credential at Alliant International University. She started working with children with special needs as a 1:1 Behavioral Therapist for children with Autism at LOVAAS Institute then as an instructional assistant in Irvine Unified and Tustin Unified School Districts. While having experienced working in various settings, she has found that Middle School is her favorite age group. She loves helping students become the best versions of themselves and also analyzing assessments. She also enjoys working on mindfulness techniques to assist students and staff as well as continuously promoting healthy mental and physical well-being for her team.

On her days off, Giniena enjoys going to the beach, reading, and traveling with her family. She currently lives in Orange with her husband, two-year-old son, and two dogs. This December, she is expecting a daughter so she's busy prepping for that!

Jenna Wood works as a school psychologist for multiple sites within the Garden Grove Unified School District. This is her ninth year with OCASP. She completed her Master of Arts and Educational Specialist in School Psychology degrees at Chapman University. In past years, she has presented journal review research on prevention and intervention for selective mutism with Dr. Randy Busse and ABA strategies applied within a three-tiered model at the California Association of School Psychologists (CASP) Annual Conventions in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Her paper with Dr. Busse on selective mutism was published in the 2011 issue of Contemporary School Psychology.

Originally from northern California, Jenna received her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development at UC Davis. She has an extensive background in ABA with experience as a behavior therapist for children with autism and other developmental delays. When she is not working, Jenna enjoys spending time with her family and traveling the world.

Arpita Mandal is in her eighth year as a school psychologist at El Rancho Charter Middle School in Orange Unified School District. She is also the special education department chair and holds various leadership roles within the school. She received her MA in Educational Psychology and PPS Credential in School Psychology from CSU Long Beach. Arpita received her BA in Psychology and Education from UC Santa Barbara. Go Gauchos!

Arpita is also a Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP) and was previously a part-time lecturer in the school psychology graduate program at CSU Long Beach. She is continuing her ninth year on the OCASP board and her second term serving as the Region IX Representative for CASP. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, wine, reading and going to the beach.

If you would like to contact Arpita, you may do so at arpita.k.mandal@gmail.com.

Libby is in her 9th year at a transformation charter high school with Green Dot Public Schools in Los Angeles. She is the Lead School Psychologist, on the Green Dot Crisis Response Team, and also coordinates the intern program for Green Dot. As a certified PREPaRE Trainer, she trains mental health providers and helped develop the crisis prevention and intervention programs within her district. Additionally, Libby consults with and provides training for other districts to establish their crisis protocols and train mental health staff. She co-presented at NASP last year on conducting comprehensive threat assessments.

In her spare time, Libby enjoys photography, traveling, and playing soccer.

Tori is in her second year as a School Psychologist working in Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District. She completed her MA in Educational Psychology and Ed.S. Degree at Chapman University in May 2017. Tori received her BA degrees in Biology and Environmental Science at UC Santa Barbara. Gauchos! Tori got her start working with children in Santa Ana Unified School District as an AVID tutor. She worked for Orange County Department of Education as a Title I Tutor for youth in group homes, foster care, and alternative day schools and worked as a Paraeducator at a dropout credit recovery program, Sunburst National Guard Youth Challenge Academy, in Los Alamitos, CA. Her professional interests are crisis and mental health counseling, building RTI and MTSS structures, and working with students with moderate to severe disabilities.

In her spare time, Tori enjoys traveling, hiking, snowboarding, watching sports and listening to live music. This is Tori's fourth year serving on the OCASP board.

Ashley is a second year school psychology graduate student with an emphasis in professional clinical counseling at Chapman University. She is completing her practicum hours at Ocean View High School in the Huntington Beach Union school district. Additionally, she is doing alternative hours with the Families and Schools Together (F.A.S.T.) team, at the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental disabilities. At the center, Ashley works within the F.A.S.T. team to support families and increase collaboration between families and schools to ensure that our students are receiving the best care possible. Within the field, Ashley is passionate about supporting mental health as well as advocating for least restrictive environment and inclusion practices.
Ashley received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Cal State Chanel Islands. Having a family member in special education, Ashley has been passionate about working with and advocating for students with disabilities from a young age. In her free time, Ashley enjoys yoga, spending time with loved ones, going to the beach, trying new foods, and playing with her kitten, Tuna. This is Ashley’s first year serving on the OCASP board and she can be contacted at aswallace@chapmn.edu.

Kelsey Bayless has earned her Master of Arts in Education degree in Educational Psychology at Azusa Pacific University and is currently pursuing her Educational Specialist degree (Ed. S) in School Psychology with an embedded PPS School Psychology Credential. Kelsey has experience interning at the elementary school level and is currently interning at the High School and Preschool level in Capistrano Unified School District during the 2018-2019 school year. Before pursuing her School Psychologist degree, Kelsey has been dedicated to helping students with learning difficulties become successful through her experiences as a Cognitive Trainer (working one on one with students with Specific Learning Disabilities ; ages 5 to adult) and Early Childhood Instructor (applying applied behavioral analysis to work one on one with toddlers to 12 years old). Kelsey earned her B.A. in English with a Minor in Psychology and Social Behavior from University of California, Irvine. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys hanging out with family and friends, singing karaoke, and reading a good book.

If you would like to contact Kelsey, you may reach her at: kbayless15@apu.edu.