Jesselly De La Cruz

Jesselly De La Cruz, BA in Political Science (Rider University), MSW (Rutgers University), and
DSW (Rutgers University), is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in NJ. She is an alumnus of the
NJ Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program at The Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and
Development, and completed a Post-Graduate Certificate in Family Therapy at The Multicultural
Family Institute, Inc. in Highland Park, NJ.
Having originated from an underprivileged background and being a child of an immigrant family herself, Dr. De La Cruz’s education and work has been motivated by her desire to support traditionally underserved populations. Towards that overarching goal, she has worked in direct services and program management with various Latino advocacy nonprofit agencies. She
currently serves as Executive Director for the Latino Action Network Foundation, a statewide
nonprofit focused on advancing progressive policy.

As a bilingual mental health professional, Dr. De La Cruz has provided individual, group, family, and community-based treatment to clients in English and Spanish for 15+ years. Her clinical training and experience include Latino mental health, working with children and families, assessment and  psychological treatment of psychiatric mental health conditions, and trauma-based therapies. She is committed to the advancement of the social work field and provides clinical supervision and training for licensed social workers and students as field
instructor.
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Her leadership roles and professional affiliations include being a Lifetime Member and Past
President of the Latino Mental Health Association of NJ, Clinical and Research Member of the New Jersey Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, and an active member and leader in the National Association of Social Workers - New Jersey Chapter. Dr. De La Cruz is also a published author in academic texts such as Tools for Working with Spanish-speaking Clients (2017) and Social Work and Sexual Trauma: Phenomenological Perspectives (2018). She provides continuing education workshops and clinical trainings focused on Latino mental health and various clinical themes in working with trauma and interpersonal violence.