She completed training as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Southern California working in a National Institute of Mental Health-funded project examining the duration of untreated psychosis among Latinos. Her research interests are informed by her extensive clinical practice experience in community mental health settings and focus on mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities with a particular emphasis on Latinos with serious mental illness and their families including early intervention services for individuals experiencing first-episode psychosis. Dr. Hernandez received support from the National Institute of Mental Health for her research on the role of protective factors in outcomes among Latinos with schizophrenia and their families.