Larry Resendez, Psy.D

Vice President, Student Services

Phone: 818.364.7642

Email: resendcl@lamission.edu

Responsibilities:

Program development/management; staff recruitment, training, supervision, and evaluation; participation on campus shared governance committees; Chair of the Task Force on Accessibility and co-Chair of the DSP&S Advisory/ADA Compliance Committee; member of the Threat Assessment Team; advocate for ADA/Title V compliance; learning disability assessments; disability verification; accommodation planning; academic/personal counseling; and outreach to the College and the community.

Brief bio:

As Associate Dean of DSPS and the Student Health Center, Dr. Resendez advocates for students with disabilities to assure that they have an equal access to education. Dr. Resendez is also a licensed psychologist, a certified learning disability specialist and counselor who has an extensive background in mental health, learning disability assessment and program development/management.

Adam Serda, MS

DSPS Counselor

Contact/Hours: Monday and Wednesday 9-5, Tuesday 9-7, Thursday 9-4, and Friday 8-12:30. 818-364-7734.

Responsibilities:

I am a full time counselor for Disabled Students Programs and Services. My responsibilities include reviewing documents for disability verification, assisting students with selecting campus accommodations, and academic advising.

Brief Bio:

My education includes a MS degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, BS in Industrial Technology with an emphasis in Architecture, AA in Math and Science and an AA in Business Administration.  I have been counseling community college students for 14 years. I have worked in the following counseling departments: General Counseling, Disabled Student Programs and Services, Extended Opportunity Program and Services, Veterans, Online students, and high school college enrichment programs.

Robert Schwartz, LCSW, Disability Specialist/Instructor

Contact/Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:30am-5:00pm & Wednesdays 11:00am to 7pm.

818.364.7620

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate interpreter services
• Review verification of disability and approve appropriate accommodations.
• Provide educational services and access for eligible disabled students.
• Provide registration assistance.
• Coordinate and supervise tutors.

Brief bio:

My previous work experience was providing brief psychotherapy to Mission College and San Fernando High School students for 3 years through NEVHC. For 6 years prior, I was a psychiatric social worker for area college and high school students at a clinic in Van Nuys.

After graduate school I worked as a social worker in elementary and high schools, and in psychiatric hospitals.

Lauren Franco, MS

I received my Bachelor’s degree in Deaf Studies ASL Interpreting and my Masters degree in Counseling from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). 

I have extensive experience working as a professional interpreter since 2015. I began my career in the field of college counseling in 2018 when I started working at CSUN providing academic and career advisement to students majoring in Deaf Studies. I moved onto worked at Los Angeles Pierce College as a counseling assistant providing career and transfer support to students. I am happy to be here at Mission College as the Disability Specialist. 
 

Adrian Gonzalez, Inst. Assistant, Assistive Technology
Contact/Hours Mondays thru Fridays 8:00am to 4:30pm.
818.833.3313

Responsibilities:
Demonstrates usage of Assistive Technology and Adaptive Technology for DSPS, Textbook conversion to any format such as MP3, Kurzweil 3000, Large print, Daisy. I work closely with DSP&S counselors and helping with appropriate accommodations. I am bilingual in Spanish and American Sign Language. I provide placement testing for discovering academic skills level. I assist students with the financial aid application process. I provide consultation to campus administrators for related assistive technology accommodations. 

Brief Bio:
I received certification as an Assistive Technologist from Cal State Northridge University. My present position is working at Los Angeles Mission College as an Instructional Assistant/Assistive Technologist. I regularly attend conferences and workshops facilitated by the State Chancellor’s Office of High Tech Training Center Unit in Cupertino, CA. I also attend CAPED conventions annually. In addition, I have recently been appointed to the Executive Board of the California Association of Post Secondary Education on Disability CAPED as their Historian. I have also been appointed to the ADA Advisory Committee for the LACCD. Every semester I coordinate local High School visits to LAMC for a DSP&S orientation and invite various disciplines. I coordinate opportunities for college departments to showcase their courses as well as a campus tour for recruitment purposes.  I provide campus-wide awareness of ADA Accessible Document Training. I coordinate tutoring orientation for the campus library tutoring programs. I regularly assist Dr. Larry Resendez with on-going programs and projects for DSPS students. I have been appointed to the following committees: Distance Education Committee and the ADA Advisory Committee. I am especially proud of the amazing opportunity of implementing and coordinating an annual LACCD Disability Summit since October 2015 for over 350 district wide attendees.