Germán Cadenas

The inaugural CYSEW Associate Director is Dr. Germán A. Cadenas, an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP). Dr. Cadenas identifies as an immigrant from Latin America and his academic work is community-based, with intersecting foci on the psychology of immigration and on critical consciousness as a tool for social justice. This includes the development and validation of strategies to support the psychological well-being, education, career/work, and health of immigrants and other underserved communities. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Counseling Psychology and serves on the Advocacy Coordinating Committee (ACC) of the American Psychological Association.

Publications:

• Cadenas, G. A., Domenech Rodríguez, M. M., Garcini, L. M., Mendoza, J. G., Suro, B., Mercado, A., Rojas Perez, O. F., Venta, A., Galvan, T., Moreno, O., & Paris, M. (2024). Antiracist activism for immigrant rights and healthy coping: Initial evidence for a community-based framework. American Journal of Community Psychology, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12769

• Cadenas, G. A., Akoto, M., Domenech Rodriguez, M., Garcini, L., Venta, A., Paris, M., Galvan, T., Moreno, O., Rojas Perez, O., & Neimeyer, G. (2025). Community, professional, and lived experiences shape competence in immigrant mental health service. Practice Innovations. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000281

• Cadenas, G.A., Sosa, R., Mora Ringle, V., Aguilar, C., Akoto, M., Bahadori Fallah, Mohammad, & Hamilton, K. (Accepted). Practice guidelines for ALIVE co-mentoring: An approach to liberating psychology education and training from the inside out. American Psychologist.

Media Appearances/Speaking Engagements:

• Cadenas, G.A. (2025, March). Holding sanctuary for immigrant youth and families in educational spaces. Keynote Presented at Temple University's 44th Annual School Psychology, Counseling Psychology, and ABA Conference.

• Patel, S., Cadenas, G.A., Kia-Keating, M. (2024, August). Advocating for and with immigrant populations. In de las Fuentes, C. (Chair), Psychological science on the frontlines of the U.S. immigration landscape. Presidential Programming Symposium, Featured Stage, American Psychological Association Convention, Seattle, WA.

• Cadenas, G.A. (2024, April). Promoting Mental Health Equity Among Immigrants Globally. Invited Speaker at the 17th Annual Psychology Day at the United Nations. https://www.psychologydayun.com/eventspeakers

Previous Organizations: 

• Rutgers Center for Youth Social Emotional Wellness

• American Psychological Association (APA)

• Immschools

Accomplishments:

• APA Award for Distinguished Early Career Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest (2025). Selected by the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest.

• Excellence in Community and Publicly Engaged Scholarship Award (2025). Presented at the Chancellor and Provost Celebration of Faculty Excellence. Rutgers University, New Brunswick

• Distinguished Professional Early Career Award by the National Latinx Psychological Association (2022).

Upcoming Projects:

• Cadenas, G.A., *Sosa, R., Tule-Romain, L., & Carrizales, V. (Under Review). Empowered with information and flourishing psychologically: A preliminary study examining a school-based program for undocumented youth and families.

• Cadenas, G.A., Silamongkol, T., Nienhusser, H.K., Carlos Chavez, F., Capielo Rosario, C., Torres, L., & Moreno, O. (Under Review). Immigration-related racism and xenophobia in state policy: Links between structural oppression, working conditions, and mental health.

• Cadenas, G.A., Akoto, M., & Tschauner, M. (Revise and Resubmit). Learning to create career interventions for global justice: A critical and reciprocal education for equality (CREE) approach.

Social and racial justice are central to the framing, methods, and implementation of my work. The overall goal of my research program is to advance social and racial justice, hence, these aspirational ideals also serve as a guiding light for my work.