Meet Our Team

Katy Dondanville, PsyD, ABPP, is an Associate Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She is board certified in cognitive and behavioral psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Dondanville is the director of research for the Fort Hood Site of the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. She oversees 30 faculty and staff in the delivery and evaluation of clinical intervention research for combat PTSD and related conditions in collaboration with some of the world’s leading clinical experts. Dr. Dondanville and her clinical team have delivered cutting-edge treatment and assessment for over 2000 service members in the STRONG STAR clinic at Ft Hood. In 2016, Dr. Dondanville was awarded the UT Health Science Center Presidential Award for Clinical Service for her work with service members and veterans with PTSD. In 2017, she was awarded the Arthur W. Melton Early Achievement Award from the Society of Military Psychology (Division 19) of the American Psychological Association. She has trained hundreds of mental health providers in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and has consulted with organizations and providers regarding the successful implementation of evidence-based treatments in community settings.

Brooke A. Fina, LCSW, BCD, is an Associate Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Ms. Fina is board certified in clinical social work by the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work. She serves as the suicide risk advisor for the STRONG STAR Consortium and Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. She specializes in Prolonged Exposure (PE) for combat-related PTSD and is a trainer and master clinician in PE, as well as a trainer in Crisis Response Plan for suicide prevention. She is an expert in Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and Nightmares (CBT-I&N). Ms. Fina oversees the development, implementation, and evaluation of all training curriculum.

Crystal Mendoza, MA, joined The STRONG STAR Training Initiative in 2019, as a Program Manager. Ms. Mendoza works with stakeholders, faculty, providers, and staff across the country to strengthen their efforts to attract, train, evaluate and support the delivery and evaluation of clinical intervention research for combat PTSD and related conditions. Before joining the STRONG STAR Training Initiative, she served as the lead independent evaluator for the STRONG STAR Research Consortium and Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (CAP), where she managed, trained, and provided on-going supervision for independent evaluators, therapists, fellows and staff in psychological interviews and assessments across trauma and resiliency clinical trials. Taught and trained by leading scholars Dr. Frank Weathers on Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) and career mentored by Dr. Elizabeth Hembree, Ms. Mendoza became renowned for her knowledge of psychological evaluations and assessing patient’s response to therapeutic treatment of study participants with combat-related PTSD and other traumatic-related disorders. Ms. Mendoza holds a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from St. Mary’s University and a B.A. degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Vivian Lewicki joined the STRONG STAR Training Initiative in 2021 as a Program Coordinator and Communications Specialist. Ms. Lewicki provides administrative support for the Training Initiative team and the community-based mental health providers enrolled in Learning Communities. Prior to joining the STRONG STAR Training Initiative, she served as Development Associate at the University Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of University Health in San Antonio, Texas, where she managed several programs, special projects, and the Foundation's social media communications. Ms. Lewicki also worked alongside the development team to seek philanthropic funding and support for patients and families across the South Texas region, including playing a key role in receiving a grant from Teen Cancer America in support of the Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program and unit at University Health. She holds a bachelor's degree in public administration with a minor in criminal justice from the College of Public Policy at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Kristi E. Pruiksma, PhD, is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Pruiksma provides clinical services for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. Dr. Pruiksma works primarily at the site of the consortium located on the United States Army installation at Fort Hood in Killeen, TX. Her clinical and research interests are in the areas of behavioral sleep medicine and PTSD. She specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), and cognitive behavioral therapy for nightmares (CBT-N).

Abby Blankenship, PhD, is an Associate Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She is a cognitive-behavioral research therapist for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. Dr. Blankenship’s research and clinical interests are in the areas of PTSD, PTSD treatment mechanisms of change, and individual and family psychological resilience. Dr. Blankenship’s expertise involve providing individual and group Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and administering the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). She has extensive experience working with veterans and active duty service members.

John Moring, PhD, is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. He is Co-Training Director for the STRONG STAR Postdoctoral Fellowship and is the Behavioral Medicine/Cognitive Behavioral Track Coordinator for the APA-Accredited Internship in Clinical Psychology at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Moring is a research therapist for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. He specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for combat-related PTSD and provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for post-traumatic headache and Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for PTSD.

Brittany N. Hall-Clark, PhD, is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Hall-Clark specializes in Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy for combat-related PTSD, Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD as well as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and nightmares (CBT-I&N). At the Fort Hood site of STRONG STAR, she is a cognitive behavioral research therapist treating active duty soldiers for several randomized clinical trials since 2011. Her professional interests include translational research, the influence of cultural variables on mental health, racial/ethnic differences in PTSD symptom presentation, and provider cultural competence.

Vanessa M. Jacoby, PhD, is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Jacoby provides clinical services to active duty service members and their families for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. Her research interests are in the developmental trajectory and treatment of PTSD and other trauma-related disorders. She specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD and Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD. Additionally, Dr. Jacoby has worked with trauma-exposed children and whole families utilizing Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and has experience in incorporating family members into evidence-based treatments for PTSD.

Hannah Tyler, PhD, is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Tyler provides clinical services for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. She has extensive experience providing trauma treatment for active duty military, veterans, and civilian community members. Dr. Tyler specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and Nightmares (CBT-I&N), Written Exposure Therapy (WET), and Crisis Response Planning for Suicide Prevention. Her research interests include military psychology, evidence-based trauma treatments, and the stigmatization of combat-related PTSD.

Tabatha Blount, PhD, is an Associate Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Blount specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD, Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD, and COPE for dual diagnosis PTSD and Alcohol Abuse. Additionally, she has training in cognitive behavioral therapies for chronic pain. Since 2010, she has served as a research therapist for STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD studies examining PTSD treatments in post-911 active duty service members and veterans. Her professional interests include PTSD, chronic pain, family-based , and behavioral treatments for tic disorders.

Hunter Hansen, PsyD, LMFT, is an Adjunct Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in private practice. Dr. Hansen specializes in Prolonged Exposure (PE) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and provided clinical services for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD at San Antonio, TX from 2017-2019. In addition, Dr. Hansen has extensive training in cognitive behavioral therapies for chronic pain management and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). Dr. Hansen’s professional interests include treatment of PTSD, chronic pain, family-based therapies, depression, and anxiety.

Casey Straud, PsyD, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and an Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio. He also holds a joint appointment within the Department of Psychology at University of Texas at San Antonio. Dr. Straud is a cognitive behavior therapist and specializes in treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. He has training and experience providing Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD. Dr. Straud’s professional interests include PTSD treatment effectiveness and the identification of psychosocial factors that impact treatment.

Maritza Grau-Magat, LCSW is the Evidence Based Psychotherapist Coordinator and Team Leader at the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System - Suicide Prevention High Risk Therapists Program. Previously she worked as the Tele Mental Health Coordinator in the PCT Clinic in VA Puerto Rico. She received her MSW from Barry University and completed internships in The Broward County Mobile Crisis Unit and Child Care Connections in Florida. She is a former Director of Social Work at the State Psychiatric Hospital in PR and is a former President and Vice President of NASW, PR Chapter. In addition, she held a private practice for seven years, and was the Family and Community Specialist for Region IIB for Head Start where she trained supervisors and provided technical assistance to staff in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and throughout the United States. She has been a Regional CPT Provider, Trainer and Consultant since 2007 and has hundreds of successful CPT cases. Throughout her 30 years as a social worker, she has worked in different states and very opposite scenarios that range from serving the medically indigent to working with inmates to advocating in Washington DC for Mental Health and Head Start Program.