Fellowship Team
The Fellowship team prioritizes creating a welcoming learning environment in which all participants can share their expertise and experience in working with young children and families and explore opportunities for professional and personal growth.
What Fellows say about the Fellowship Team
“The biggest thing I’m taking away is the generous spirit of the Fellowship team and, in response, all the participants. Modeling such kindness and enthusiasm made a big impact on me, especially since there was professionalism, time-management, and clear communication as well. This atmosphere provided me the necessary space to feel regulated and open to learning.”
“The Fellowship team did an amazing job at creating a fun, safe, reflective, non-judgmental engaging space.”
“The Fellowship team is incredible. They showed up eager to share space with Fellows and guest speakers. I loved their positive energy and ability to step back and allow Fellows to construct their own understanding of the material. It’s clear they are committed to the growth and wellbeing of the Fellows, and this was a major strength of the Fellowship!
Agustina Bertone, PhD
Associate Director
Agustina Bertone, PhD, serves as the Associate Director of the Early Childhood Fellowship. She is a Spanish-bilingual licensed clinical psychologist with specialties in perinatal psychology and infant/early childhood mental health. Dr. Bertone has worked in a number of settings, including hospitals, schools, academic centers, and community mental health clinics. She is passionate about the implementation of culturally-responsive practices for supporting parents with young children in schools and therapeutic settings. She completed her doctorate in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at the University of California Santa Barbara and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Early Childhood and Integrated Care at UCLA
Alyssa Morris, PhD
Facilitator
Alyssa Morris, Ph.D. is a facilitator for the Early Childhood Fellowship. Dr. Morris is also a postdoctoral Fellow in the Lezlie & Richard Atlas Early Childhood and Integrated Care Fellowship at UCLA. Her clinical work focuses on supporting caregivers with critically ill infants hospitalized in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) through the Family Development Program. Additionally, Dr. Morris works with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit graduates who have developmental and behavioral challenges during the early childhood period. She is also engaged in research focused on perinatal risks and protective factors for child development and parental wellbeing. Dr. Morris is passionate about disseminating evidence-based research in meaningful ways for parents and providers in other areas of healthcare. She enjoys supporting early childhood professionals in gaining new knowledge as a facilitator of the Early Childhood Fellowship and is the author on a number of training materials on the Wellbeing for LA Learning Center, including “But What About Dad? A Guide to Supporting Dads During the NICU Journey.” Dr. Morris received her doctorate in Clinical Science from the University of Southern California and completed her predoctoral internship at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Blair Paley, PhD
Director
Blair Paley, Ph.D. is the Director of the Early Childhood Fellowship. Dr. Paley also directs the SEEDS Program at UCLA, the Early Childhood Core for the Division of Population Behavioral Health, and is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Her work focuses on developing early interventions for parents and caregivers with young children impacted by trauma, prenatal alcohol exposure, and other early adversities, as well as designing professional development opportunities for community providers who work in early childhood settings. She has served as Principal Investigator on a number of federally-funded grants focused on the development and dissemination of interventions for young children and families in under-resourced communities. Dr. Paley completed her doctorate at UCLA, a research post-doctoral fellowship at UNC, Chapel Hill and a clinical post-doctoral fellowship at UCLA.
Gabriela Alejos, LCSW
Facilitator
Gabriela Alejos, LCSW is a lead facilitator for the Early Childhood Fellowship. Ms. Alejos is also a Clinical Social Worker with the PCIT Clinic and, a Trainer and Curriculum Developer for the Prevention Center of Excellence at UCLA, and a facilitator for SEEDS (Strategies for Enhancing Early Developmental Success) Programs. Much of her current and past clinical work has been with young children and their families. Ms. Alejos is passionate about dyadic work and is always impressed by how powerful and healing relationships truly are. She is a Level 2 Reflective Parenting facilitator, is certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and PC-CARE and has completed Implementation-Level Child-Parent Psychotherapy Training. Ms. Alejos earned her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern California with a concentration of Children, Youth and Families.
Jenna Titen
Program Coordinator
Jenna Titen is the Program Coordinator for the Early Childhood Fellowship, as well as a Training Coordinator for the UCLA Prevention Center of Excellence. Prior to joining the team, Ms. Titen provided administrative support at an outpatient clinic with UCLA Health, with prior administrative experience in various industries over the last several years. Ms. Titen earned her BA in Sociology and minored in Business Management at CSU Channel Islands.
Valerie Yarema, MSW
Assistant Director
Valerie Yarema, MSW is the Assistant Director and a lead facilitator for the Early Childhood Fellowship, in addition to her role as a Curriculum Developer and Facilitator for the UCLA SEEDS (Strategies for Enhancing Early Developmental Success) Program. In all of these roles, Ms. Yarema utilizes a trauma-informed lens to promote the school readiness and emotional wellbeing of young children while supporting the growth and development of early childhood professionals. She has worked clinically in a variety of settings, including community mental health, school-based therapeutic support, private practice, and home visitation. Ms. Yarema is a graduate of UCLA’s Master of Social Welfare (MSW) program with a concentration in Child and Family Wellbeing.
