Jay Bettergarcia, Ph.D., is a non-binary queer person of color and a professor in Psychology and Child Development at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Jay runs the Queer Community Action, Research, Education, and Support (Q C.A.R.E.S.) program to identify barriers and improve access to affirming mental health services for LGBTQ+ youth and adults across San Luis Obispo County. Their work explores LGBTQ mental health and wellness, evidence-based models for diversity training, and affirming therapy approaches with transgender and non-binary clients.
Through community-based action research, Jay hopes to help understand and spread awareness about the issues facing the queer and trans communities. They hope to help create actionable change to support individuals, families, and communities to live well and thrive, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.