Behavioral Health Medical Director

He is the Medical Director of the Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha, Inc. Behavioral Health Program (APM) and a distinguished quadruple board-certified adolescent, adult, and addiction psychiatrist.

He has broad experience in community-based programs, emphasizing those that help increase access to severe mental illness and substance use disorder treatments.

Dr. Colon Rivera is also an attending physician at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and UPMC through their telemedicine services.

He is a co-founder, volunteer, and member of CrearConSalud.org. This non-profit aims to support and conduct educational, research, and advocacy activities to increase public awareness and action regarding mental health in Puerto Rico and Latinx communities in the United States.

Dr. Colon-Rivera serves as a clinical advisor for the Advisory on Alcohol and Other Drugs Committee for Pennsylvania under Governor Shapiro’s administration and the Opioid State Targeted Response Technical Assistance senior advisor in Puerto Rico.

He is the Minority Underrepresented representative for the Hispanic Caucus in the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) after serving for six years as its president, a member of the Assembly, and the Council on Communication at the APA.

Dr. Colon Rivera’s international experience is a testament to his global perspective. He has participated in over 95 national and international presentations/workshops/ writings on substance use and related disorders, social determinants, the technology used to expand mental health treatments, and mental health in adults and adolescents, demonstrating his commitment to a global understanding of mental health.

Behavioral Health Program Director

Jaithra Jayakrishnan serves as the Behavioral Health Program Director at APM. She is a licensed clinical counselor in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey with over 20 years’ mental health experience. She is a National certified counselor and a Board-certified clinical supervisor.

Originally from India, she has worked with non-profit organizations and provided counseling and life skills training to diverse population globally. She is very passionate about understanding the limitless possibilities of human mind which encouraged her to earn two master’s degrees related to Mental Health (psychology and clinical counseling). She also has an MBA in Human resources management.

Jaithra is trained in addiction treatment from Eagleville Hospital in Norristown, PA, and has expertise in family therapy, sand tray therapy, and play therapy from the Family & Play Therapy Center in Philadelphia. Since 2012, she has supported the North Philadelphia community in addressing mental health and addiction challenges.

While working at APM, Jaithra earned certification in Prolonged Exposure Therapy for trauma from the University of Pennsylvania. Currently, she is participating in ongoing CBT training for APM clinicians through The Penn Beck Community Initiative.

In her role as Program Director, Jaithra ensures compliance with city and state regulations, maintaining APM’s policies to uphold high standards of service delivery. She prepares the organization for various audits conducted by the Department of Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Programs, including DDAP, OMHSAS, NIAC, and CBH. Additionally, she continues to supervise the Drug and Alcohol Program and the Mobile Mental Health Therapy.

Jaithra speaks six languages and is a certified Indian classical dance. In her leisure time, she engages in culinary exploration, preparing dishes from different cultures.

Behavioral Health Administration Director

Wanda Ruby Ramirez, MHP, is the Administrative Director and Mental Health Counselor at APM. She obtained her Doctorate in Medicine from the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) in the Dominican Republic in 2004. During her academic pursuits, she volunteered in hospitals and underserved communities, providing complimentary vaccinations to children.

In 2007, Wanda Ruby Ramirez discovered her true vocation in Community Behavioral Health. With over 15 years of experience, she has demonstrated unwavering dedication to serving the Hispanic community, aiding children, adolescents, adults, and families in cultivating positive self-perceptions and surmounting past traumas and profound life stressors.

In addition to her substantial tenure in Community Behavioral Health Services, Wanda Ruby Ramirez has also served as a mentor, holding the position of Science Professor for a period of 5 years across various educational institutions in NJ. She has nurtured aspirations among students to pursue careers as prospective nurses and physicians.

Wanda R. Ramirez provides specialized services to adolescents and adults coping with Major Depression, Generalized Anxiety, and other related diagnoses. She holds current certification in prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD and is actively engaged in ongoing training for CBT certification.

As the behavioral health administrative director at APM, Wanda Ruby Ramirez assumes a pivotal leadership role. She is responsible for supervising daily operations, conducting staff training, and formulating organizational policies and procedures aimed at enhancing and sustaining the department’s health, quality, and innovation.

Behavioral Health Clinical Director

Leticia Nunez joined APM in 2018 as a Clinical Supervisor before becoming Clinical Director.

Her desire to be an agent of change, takes her to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. She is a licensed Psychologist by the Puerto Rico Board of Psychologists and was certified by the Commission for Substance Abuse Professionals and with ASSMCA as a Prevention Specialist. Mrs. Nunez is trained and certified as a Prolonged Exposure therapist for PTSD and PE Consultant from the Center for treatment and study of Anxiety, University of Pennsylvania.

Leticia counts with over 20 years of experience across a variety of treatment settings, including Correction and Rehabilitation systems with adults and adolescents, Intensive Outpatient Substance Abuse Program, and Outpatient clinics. Her clinical work focuses on trauma recovery on issues including depression, anxiety and PTSD. Her passion about working with clients who experienced trauma is to help them to reconnect with themselves, develop their resiliency and obtain empowerment. She is also experienced in treating adolescents and adults with a wide range of emotional, behavioral and adjustment problems including dual diagnoses of mental health and addictions, providing individual, group and family counseling using recovery-resilience interventions and evidence-based practices. She believes in a strengths-based approach and defines herself with a humanistic perspective.

As a Clinical Director, she is responsible for leading a professional team to provide excellent care to the community in the Mental Health field and supervises the clinical programs.

Leticia was raised in Puerto Rico and has resided in Philadelphia since 2014. When she is not working, she spends time with her family, enjoys doing outdoor activities, being in contact with nature and cooking Latin food.