Frances A. Melendez

s a licensed clinical psychologist in the State of New York. She is a graduate of the College of Staten Island and received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Graduate School of the City University of New York. Dr. Melendez has extensive and ground-breaking clinical experience working with adults and children infected and affected with HIV/AIDS. Her career puts her in the forefront of HIV/AIDS mental health issues – her work has been the focus for a New York Times article, a documentary and several media interviews. Dr. Melendez has introduced long and short-term therapy to at-risk populations that have traditionally refused mental health services. As the Associate Director of the Rehabilitation Medicine/Traumatic Brain Injury Program at Bellevue Hospital, she has led a pain management and monolingual women\’s self-empowerment group, developed and implemented staff training programs and administered neuropsychological assessments. Dr. Melendez routinely gives presentations at regional and national psychology conferences. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, the National Latino Psychology Association for Hispanic Mental Health Professionals and NYSPA, where she also sits on the executive committee on addiction. Dr. Melendez joined the College of Staten Island as Deputy Director of the Masters Program in Mental Health Counseling in May, 2010.