Samantha Calvillo is a licensed clinical social worker practicing in California. Originally a central California native, she now enjoys life near the beaches of Los Angeles with her partner and two Siamese cats. Samantha earned her Bachelor of Sociology degree at California State University, East Bay, and her Master of Social Welfare degree at the University of California, Los Angeles. Like a faithful social worker, Samantha is passionate about large-scale societal issues and their impact on the individual.
Samantha's dedication to her work is evident in her roles as a therapist and crisis counselor at the UCLA Rape Treatment Center (RTC). Before transitioning to her full-time role at the RTC, Samantha worked as an on-call crisis counselor in the RTC acute clinic and as a medical social worker in the emergency department. In addition to her full-time role and current academic endeavors, she has a small private practice where she primarily works with young women facing life transitions and Latinas learning to navigate the balance between their Latino culture and their mental health.
As a Latina who embraces Mexican and American cultures, Samantha is passionate about finding the "best of both worlds" by embracing cultural strengths and mental health awareness. Samantha's passion for Latino mental health and supporting survivors of sexual violence led to her current research interest, which aims to enhance the care provided to Latina sexual assault survivors by better understanding the role Latino culture has on their symptomology when seeking therapy to address their trauma.
DSW Showcase Student Presentation
Samantha Calvillo
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Witnessing Culture in Clinical Practice: Treating Latina Survivors of Sexual Assault
Concentration - Clinical Social Work
- Monday, April 28, 2025 -
- 10:30 am
Abstract
This presentation explores the unique influences of Latino cultural values on the trauma symptoms of Latinas following a sexual assault, synthesizing key findings from my systematic literature review (SLR), conceptual paper, and practice application paper as part of this capstone project.
The SLR examines existing research on the mental health disparities experienced by Latina sexual assault survivors, emphasizing their higher rates of PTSD and depression, lower engagement in therapy, and cultural barriers to care. It identifies familismo, gender roles, and religious beliefs as key cultural influences that shape symptomatology.
Building upon the SLR, the conceptual paper applies feminist and ecological systems theories to develop a strength-based, culturally competent assessment framework. Feminist theory highlights gender oppression, systemic inequalities, and the role of gender in shaping trauma responses, while ecological systems theory examines how societal, familial, and environmental contexts influence survivors’ experiences. This assessment tool is designed to measure the level and type of cultural influences, both positive and negative, on a survivor’s mental health, empowering clinicians to tailor treatment accordingly.
The practice application paper explores the real-world implementation of this tool, addressing barriers, ethical considerations, and strategies for integrating culturally responsive assessments into clinical practice.
This presentation concludes with actionable recommendations for improving therapeutic outcomes, enhancing treatment retention, and advancing culturally competent trauma care through assessment-driven interventions.