Michelle Alejandra Silva, PsyD
Biography
Michelle Alejandra Silva, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in providing mental health services to children, adolescents, and adults with trauma related to immigration experiences or backgrounds.
Silva is an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and serves as director of the Connecticut Latino Behavioral Health System, an academic-community partnership that supports behavioral health services for the Spanish-speaking community in greater New Haven.
She completed her doctoral training at the University of Hartford.
Titles
- Associate Professor of Psychiatry
- Director, Connecticut Latino Behavioral Health System, Psychiatry
Education & Training
- PsyDUniversity of Hartford (2005)
- MAUniversity of Hartford (2003)
Languages Spoken
- English
- Español (Spanish)
Additional Information
Honors & Recognitions
- Distinguished Faculty Award for Outstanding Supervision, Psychology Section, 2010-2011; 2017-2018: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine (2018)
- Health Disparities Research Institute Scholar, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health: (2017)
- Health Leadership Fellow, Class of 2011: Connecticut Health Foundation
- Distinguished Early Career Contribution to Psychology, 2009: Connecticut Psychological Association
- Postdoctoral Minority Fellowship Program, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, 2006: American Psychological Association
Publications
- Garcini L, Barrita A, Cadenas G, Rodríguez M, Galvan T, Mercado A, Moreno O, Paris M, Perez O, Silva M, Venta A. A Decolonial and Liberation Lens to Social Justice Research: Upholding Promises for Diverse, Inclusive, and Equitable Psychological Science. American Psychologist 2025, 80: 1-14. PMID: 38127489, PMCID: PMC11190034, DOI: 10.1037/amp0001255.
- Moreno O, Garcini L, Rodriguez M, Mercado A, Venta A, Galvan T, Silva M, Perez O, Cadenas G, Paris M. Liderando Juntos y Revueltos: A Collectivistic Leadership Approach to Address Latinx Immigrant Health and Psychological Needs. Psychological Services 2024, 21: 758-765. PMID: 37796603, PMCID: PMC11753812, DOI: 10.1037/ser0000801.
- Galvan T, Venta A, Silva M, Moreno O, Mercado A, Garcini L. 71.1 Antiracist Clinical Practices to Promote the Mental Health of Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors. Journal Of The American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2024, 63: s99. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2024.07.412.
- Mercado A, Venta A, Morales F, Palomin A, Garcini L, Silva M, Rodríguez M. Trauma in the American Asylum Process: Experiences of Immigrant Families Under the Migrant Protection Protocols. Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice And Policy 2024, 16: s379-s388. PMID: 36222662, PMCID: PMC10083184, DOI: 10.1037/tra0001368.
- McQuaid J, Mandavia A, Cassidy G, Silva M, Esmail K, Aragula S, Gamez G, McKenzie K. Persecution as stigma-driven trauma: Social determinants, stigma, and violence in asylum seekers in the United States. Social Science & Medicine 2024, 350: 116761. PMID: 38701637, DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116761.
- Jaramillo Y, DeVito E, Silva M, Rojas Perez O, Benitez B, Frankforter T, Leon K, Paris M. Enrollment of Spanish-speaking Latinx adults in clinical trials: Five lessons learned from a randomized study in substance use treatment. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2023, 253: 111016. PMID: 37952354, PMCID: PMC10842233, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111016.
- Garcini LM, Rodríguez M, Mercado A, Silva M, Cadenas G, Galvan T, Paris M. Anti-Immigration Policy and Mental Health: Risk of Distress and Trauma Among Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Recipients in the United States. Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice And Policy 2023, 15: 1067-1075. PMID: 35482682, PMCID: PMC9867934, DOI: 10.1037/tra0001228.
- Morales F, Vera J, Silva M, Cadenas G, Mendoza J, Garcini L, Paris M, Venta A, Rodríguez M, Mercado A. An Exploratory Study of Healing Circles as a Strategy to Facilitate Resilience in an Undocumented Community. Journal Of Latinx Psychology 2023, 11: 119-133. PMID: 37841450, PMCID: PMC10569501, DOI: 10.1037/lat0000221.
- Galvan T, Venta A, Silva M, Moreno O, Mercado A, Garcini L. Applying an Antiracist Approach to Promoting Health Equity and Psychological Well-Being in Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors. Journal Of The American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2023, 62: 1179-1181. PMID: 36948395, PMCID: PMC11808733, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.01.023.
- Venta A, Bautista A, Garcini L, Silva M, Mercado A, Perez O, Pimentel N, Hampton K. Impact of COVID-19 on Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors and Families: Perspectives from Clinical Experts and Providers. Journal Of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology 2023, 53: 24-36. PMID: 36726050, PMCID: PMC10390642, DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2022.2158841.
- Perez O, Silva M, Galvan T, Moreno O, Venta A, Garcini L, Paris M. Buscando la Calma Dentro de la Tormenta: A Brief Review of the Recent Literature on the Impact of Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric and Policies on Stress Among Latinx Immigrants. Chronic Stress 2023, 7: 24705470231182475. PMID: 37441366, PMCID: PMC10334021, DOI: 10.1177/24705470231182475.
- Morales F, Perez O, Silva M, Paris M, Garcini L, Rodríguez M, Mercado A. Teaching DBT Skills to DACA Recipients and Their Families: Findings From an ECHO Program. Practice Innovations 2022, 7: 327-341. PMID: 36643377, PMCID: PMC9833813, DOI: 10.1037/pri0000191.
- Silva M, Rodríguez M, Garcini L, Mercado A, Cadenas G, Venta A, Paris M. VALOR: Cultural Considerations When Assessing Central American Immigrant Women in Behavioral Health Settings. Practice Innovations 2022, 7: 268-279. PMID: 37503308, PMCID: PMC10373987, DOI: 10.1037/pri0000186.
- Silva M, McQuaid J, Rojas Perez O, Paris M. Unaccompanied migrant youth from Central America: Challenges and opportunities. Current Opinion In Psychology 2022, 47: 101415. PMID: 35921755, DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101415.
- Silva M, Añez L, Carroll K, Jaramillo Y, Kiluk B, Frankforter T, Ball S, Gordon M, Paris M. Computer-based training for cognitive behavioral therapy for Spanish-speaking substance users: adaptation and satisfaction. Journal Of Ethnicity In Substance Abuse 2022, 23: 251-271. PMID: 35714996, PMCID: PMC10350903, DOI: 10.1080/15332640.2022.2086194.
- Cadenas G, Neimeyer G, Suro B, Minero L, Campos L, Garcini L, Mercado A, Paris M, Silva M, Rodríguez M. Developing Cultural Competency for Providing Psychological Services With Immigrant Populations: A Cross-Level Training Curriculum. Training And Education In Professional Psychology 2022, 16: 121-129. DOI: 10.1037/tep0000380.
- Tebes JK, Awad MN, Connors EH, Fineberg SK, Gordon DM, Jordan A, Kravitz R, Li L, Ponce AN, Prabhu M, Rubman S, Silva MA, Steinfeld M, Tate DC, Xu K, Krystal JH. The Stress and Resilience Town Hall: A systems response to support the health workforce during COVID-19 and beyond. General Hospital Psychiatry 2022, 77: 80-87. PMID: 35569322, PMCID: PMC9033303, DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2022.04.009.
- McQuaid JH, Silva MA, McKenzie KC. Surviving violent, traumatic loss after severe political persecution: lessons from the evaluation of a Venezuelan asylum seeker. BMJ Case Reports 2021, 14: e239025. PMID: 33758042, PMCID: PMC7993358, DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2020-239025.
- Silva MA, Perez OFR, Añez LM, Paris M. Telehealth treatment engagement with Latinx populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancet Psychiatry 2020, 8: 176-178. PMID: 33038976, PMCID: PMC7544483, DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30419-3.
- Psychologists as Educators: Creating Change in Community Mental Health.Ponce, A. N., Carr, E. R., Miller, R., Olezeski, C. L., & Silva, M. Psychologists as Educators: Creating Change in Community Mental Health. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 2019, 50: 427-433.
- Paris M, Silva M, Añez-Nava L, Jaramillo Y, Kiluk BD, Gordon MA, Nich C, Frankforter T, Devore K, Ball SA, Carroll KM. Culturally Adapted, Web-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Spanish-Speaking Individuals With Substance Use Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial. American Journal Of Public Health 2018, 108: 1535-1542. PMID: 30252519, PMCID: PMC6187780, DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2018.304571.
- Training health professional students as lay counselors to treat depression in a student-run free clinic.Rodriguez-Guzman, J., Ramos, M., Silva, M., Mata, D., Raila, H., Rohrbaugh, R., & Barkil-Oteo, A. Training health professional students as lay counselors to treat depression in a student-run free clinic. Journal of Student-Run Clinics, 2018, 1-7.
- Vulnerable but not broken: Psychosocial challenges and resilience pathways among unaccompanied children from Central America.Paris, M., Antuña, C., Baily, C. D. R., Hass, G. A., Muñiz de la Peña, C., Silva, M. A., & Srinivas, T. (2018). Vulnerable but not broken: Psychosocial challenges and resilience pathways among unaccompanied children from Central America. New Haven, CT: Immigration Psychology Working Group.
- Silva M, Paris M, Añez L. CAMINO: Integrating Context in the Mental Health Assessment of Immigrant Latinos. Professional Psychology Research And Practice 2017, 48: 453-460. DOI: 10.1037/pro0000170.
- Paris M, Silva MA, Diaz E, Bedregal LE, Cole RA, Añez-Nava LM. The Connecticut Latino Behavioral Health System: A Culturally Informed Community–Academic Collaboration. Psychological Services 2016, 13: 140-147. PMID: 27148948, DOI: 10.1037/ser0000065.
- Díaz E, Silva M, Garcia-Aracena E, Añez L, Paris M, Barkil-Oteo A, Annamalai A, Delphin-Rittmon M, Jacobs S. Cultural Competence and Public Psychiatry. 2016, 211-222. DOI: 10.1093/med/9780190214678.003.0014.
- Barkil-Oteo A, Silva MA, Ramos MA, Rohrbaugh RM. Teaching global mental health at home and abroad. The Lancet Psychiatry 2014, 1: 328-329. PMID: 26360987, DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(14)70274-3.
- Engaging Latinos Through the Integration of Cultural Values and Motivational Interviewing PrinciplesAñez L, Silva M, Paris M, Bedregal L. Engaging Latinos Through the Integration of Cultural Values and Motivational Interviewing Principles. Professional Psychology Research And Practice 2008, 39: 153-159. DOI: 10.1037/0735-7028.39.2.153.
Departments and Programs
Biography
Michelle Alejandra Silva, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in providing mental health services to children, adolescents, and adults with trauma related to immigration experiences or backgrounds.
Silva is an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and serves as director of the Connecticut Latino Behavioral Health System, an academic-community partnership that supports behavioral health services for the Spanish-speaking community in greater New Haven.
She completed her doctoral training at the University of Hartford.
Titles
- Associate Professor of Psychiatry
- Director, Connecticut Latino Behavioral Health System, Psychiatry
Education & Training
- PsyDUniversity of Hartford (2005)
- MAUniversity of Hartford (2003)
Languages Spoken
- English
- Español (Spanish)
Additional Information
Honors & Recognitions
- Distinguished Faculty Award for Outstanding Supervision, Psychology Section, 2010-2011; 2017-2018: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine (2018)
- Health Disparities Research Institute Scholar, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health: (2017)
- Health Leadership Fellow, Class of 2011: Connecticut Health Foundation
- Distinguished Early Career Contribution to Psychology, 2009: Connecticut Psychological Association
- Postdoctoral Minority Fellowship Program, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, 2006: American Psychological Association
Publications
- Garcini L, Barrita A, Cadenas G, Rodríguez M, Galvan T, Mercado A, Moreno O, Paris M, Perez O, Silva M, Venta A. A Decolonial and Liberation Lens to Social Justice Research: Upholding Promises for Diverse, Inclusive, and Equitable Psychological Science. American Psychologist 2025, 80: 1-14. PMID: 38127489, PMCID: PMC11190034, DOI: 10.1037/amp0001255.
- Moreno O, Garcini L, Rodriguez M, Mercado A, Venta A, Galvan T, Silva M, Perez O, Cadenas G, Paris M. Liderando Juntos y Revueltos: A Collectivistic Leadership Approach to Address Latinx Immigrant Health and Psychological Needs. Psychological Services 2024, 21: 758-765. PMID: 37796603, PMCID: PMC11753812, DOI: 10.1037/ser0000801.
- Galvan T, Venta A, Silva M, Moreno O, Mercado A, Garcini L. 71.1 Antiracist Clinical Practices to Promote the Mental Health of Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors. Journal Of The American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2024, 63: s99. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2024.07.412.
- Mercado A, Venta A, Morales F, Palomin A, Garcini L, Silva M, Rodríguez M. Trauma in the American Asylum Process: Experiences of Immigrant Families Under the Migrant Protection Protocols. Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice And Policy 2024, 16: s379-s388. PMID: 36222662, PMCID: PMC10083184, DOI: 10.1037/tra0001368.
- McQuaid J, Mandavia A, Cassidy G, Silva M, Esmail K, Aragula S, Gamez G, McKenzie K. Persecution as stigma-driven trauma: Social determinants, stigma, and violence in asylum seekers in the United States. Social Science & Medicine 2024, 350: 116761. PMID: 38701637, DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116761.
- Jaramillo Y, DeVito E, Silva M, Rojas Perez O, Benitez B, Frankforter T, Leon K, Paris M. Enrollment of Spanish-speaking Latinx adults in clinical trials: Five lessons learned from a randomized study in substance use treatment. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2023, 253: 111016. PMID: 37952354, PMCID: PMC10842233, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111016.
- Garcini LM, Rodríguez M, Mercado A, Silva M, Cadenas G, Galvan T, Paris M. Anti-Immigration Policy and Mental Health: Risk of Distress and Trauma Among Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Recipients in the United States. Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice And Policy 2023, 15: 1067-1075. PMID: 35482682, PMCID: PMC9867934, DOI: 10.1037/tra0001228.
- Morales F, Vera J, Silva M, Cadenas G, Mendoza J, Garcini L, Paris M, Venta A, Rodríguez M, Mercado A. An Exploratory Study of Healing Circles as a Strategy to Facilitate Resilience in an Undocumented Community. Journal Of Latinx Psychology 2023, 11: 119-133. PMID: 37841450, PMCID: PMC10569501, DOI: 10.1037/lat0000221.
- Galvan T, Venta A, Silva M, Moreno O, Mercado A, Garcini L. Applying an Antiracist Approach to Promoting Health Equity and Psychological Well-Being in Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors. Journal Of The American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2023, 62: 1179-1181. PMID: 36948395, PMCID: PMC11808733, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.01.023.
- Venta A, Bautista A, Garcini L, Silva M, Mercado A, Perez O, Pimentel N, Hampton K. Impact of COVID-19 on Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors and Families: Perspectives from Clinical Experts and Providers. Journal Of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology 2023, 53: 24-36. PMID: 36726050, PMCID: PMC10390642, DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2022.2158841.
- Perez O, Silva M, Galvan T, Moreno O, Venta A, Garcini L, Paris M. Buscando la Calma Dentro de la Tormenta: A Brief Review of the Recent Literature on the Impact of Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric and Policies on Stress Among Latinx Immigrants. Chronic Stress 2023, 7: 24705470231182475. PMID: 37441366, PMCID: PMC10334021, DOI: 10.1177/24705470231182475.
- Morales F, Perez O, Silva M, Paris M, Garcini L, Rodríguez M, Mercado A. Teaching DBT Skills to DACA Recipients and Their Families: Findings From an ECHO Program. Practice Innovations 2022, 7: 327-341. PMID: 36643377, PMCID: PMC9833813, DOI: 10.1037/pri0000191.
- Silva M, Rodríguez M, Garcini L, Mercado A, Cadenas G, Venta A, Paris M. VALOR: Cultural Considerations When Assessing Central American Immigrant Women in Behavioral Health Settings. Practice Innovations 2022, 7: 268-279. PMID: 37503308, PMCID: PMC10373987, DOI: 10.1037/pri0000186.
- Silva M, McQuaid J, Rojas Perez O, Paris M. Unaccompanied migrant youth from Central America: Challenges and opportunities. Current Opinion In Psychology 2022, 47: 101415. PMID: 35921755, DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101415.
- Silva M, Añez L, Carroll K, Jaramillo Y, Kiluk B, Frankforter T, Ball S, Gordon M, Paris M. Computer-based training for cognitive behavioral therapy for Spanish-speaking substance users: adaptation and satisfaction. Journal Of Ethnicity In Substance Abuse 2022, 23: 251-271. PMID: 35714996, PMCID: PMC10350903, DOI: 10.1080/15332640.2022.2086194.
- Cadenas G, Neimeyer G, Suro B, Minero L, Campos L, Garcini L, Mercado A, Paris M, Silva M, Rodríguez M. Developing Cultural Competency for Providing Psychological Services With Immigrant Populations: A Cross-Level Training Curriculum. Training And Education In Professional Psychology 2022, 16: 121-129. DOI: 10.1037/tep0000380.
- Tebes JK, Awad MN, Connors EH, Fineberg SK, Gordon DM, Jordan A, Kravitz R, Li L, Ponce AN, Prabhu M, Rubman S, Silva MA, Steinfeld M, Tate DC, Xu K, Krystal JH. The Stress and Resilience Town Hall: A systems response to support the health workforce during COVID-19 and beyond. General Hospital Psychiatry 2022, 77: 80-87. PMID: 35569322, PMCID: PMC9033303, DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2022.04.009.
- McQuaid JH, Silva MA, McKenzie KC. Surviving violent, traumatic loss after severe political persecution: lessons from the evaluation of a Venezuelan asylum seeker. BMJ Case Reports 2021, 14: e239025. PMID: 33758042, PMCID: PMC7993358, DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2020-239025.
- Silva MA, Perez OFR, Añez LM, Paris M. Telehealth treatment engagement with Latinx populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancet Psychiatry 2020, 8: 176-178. PMID: 33038976, PMCID: PMC7544483, DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30419-3.
- Psychologists as Educators: Creating Change in Community Mental Health.Ponce, A. N., Carr, E. R., Miller, R., Olezeski, C. L., & Silva, M. Psychologists as Educators: Creating Change in Community Mental Health. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 2019, 50: 427-433.
- Paris M, Silva M, Añez-Nava L, Jaramillo Y, Kiluk BD, Gordon MA, Nich C, Frankforter T, Devore K, Ball SA, Carroll KM. Culturally Adapted, Web-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Spanish-Speaking Individuals With Substance Use Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial. American Journal Of Public Health 2018, 108: 1535-1542. PMID: 30252519, PMCID: PMC6187780, DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2018.304571.
- Training health professional students as lay counselors to treat depression in a student-run free clinic.Rodriguez-Guzman, J., Ramos, M., Silva, M., Mata, D., Raila, H., Rohrbaugh, R., & Barkil-Oteo, A. Training health professional students as lay counselors to treat depression in a student-run free clinic. Journal of Student-Run Clinics, 2018, 1-7.
- Vulnerable but not broken: Psychosocial challenges and resilience pathways among unaccompanied children from Central America.Paris, M., Antuña, C., Baily, C. D. R., Hass, G. A., Muñiz de la Peña, C., Silva, M. A., & Srinivas, T. (2018). Vulnerable but not broken: Psychosocial challenges and resilience pathways among unaccompanied children from Central America. New Haven, CT: Immigration Psychology Working Group.
- Silva M, Paris M, Añez L. CAMINO: Integrating Context in the Mental Health Assessment of Immigrant Latinos. Professional Psychology Research And Practice 2017, 48: 453-460. DOI: 10.1037/pro0000170.
- Paris M, Silva MA, Diaz E, Bedregal LE, Cole RA, Añez-Nava LM. The Connecticut Latino Behavioral Health System: A Culturally Informed Community–Academic Collaboration. Psychological Services 2016, 13: 140-147. PMID: 27148948, DOI: 10.1037/ser0000065.
- Díaz E, Silva M, Garcia-Aracena E, Añez L, Paris M, Barkil-Oteo A, Annamalai A, Delphin-Rittmon M, Jacobs S. Cultural Competence and Public Psychiatry. 2016, 211-222. DOI: 10.1093/med/9780190214678.003.0014.
- Barkil-Oteo A, Silva MA, Ramos MA, Rohrbaugh RM. Teaching global mental health at home and abroad. The Lancet Psychiatry 2014, 1: 328-329. PMID: 26360987, DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(14)70274-3.
- Engaging Latinos Through the Integration of Cultural Values and Motivational Interviewing PrinciplesAñez L, Silva M, Paris M, Bedregal L. Engaging Latinos Through the Integration of Cultural Values and Motivational Interviewing Principles. Professional Psychology Research And Practice 2008, 39: 153-159. DOI: 10.1037/0735-7028.39.2.153.
Departments and Programs