Mercedes Hernandez, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin. 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. 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.
Professional Interests
Serious mental illness; mental health disparities; first-episode psychosis; culturally competent evidenced-based treatment for racial and ethnic minorities with serious mental illness and their families.
Research
- Latinx adults with psychiatric disabilities and the families who care for them: A mixed-methods study of the Latinx family sociocultural context (2025)
- Tablet-based intervention to prevent substance-exposed pregnancy in primary care: Diversity supplement (2020)
- Family involvement in treatment initiation among Latinos with first-episode psychosis (2017)