Meet our Team
Staff
Cindy Eigler, A.M.
Executive Director of CIMH
Cindy Eigler is the Executive Director of the Coalition for Immigrant Mental Health. As a first-generation Venezuelan, Cindy brings to the role over twenty years of experience working on issues of state violence and trauma. Through her work with Generative Somatics, Cindy recognizes the many impacts of individual and systemic trauma and believes that centering people's healing and transformation is integral for our movements to succeed. As the previous Co-Executive Director for the Chicago Torture Justice Center, Cindy helped develop a politicized healing framework recognizing the many intersecting ways our systems of oppression cause complex and compounded trauma in vulnerable communities. Cindy has her Master's in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice.
Partners
Natalie Fick
Communications Consultant
Affiliation: University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice
Rooted in a resilient family of Lao refugees, Natalie brings awareness of the importance of identity, community, and belonging to all aspects of her work. She is pursuing her Master of Social Work (MSW) at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, where she is training as a clinical social worker and providing therapy to children and adolescents experiencing mental health challenges. Guided by a person-centered approach, Natalie believes that centering youth and families’ lived experiences and honoring their wisdom are essential to meaningful healing.
In addition to her work with CIMH, Natalie serves as Lab Manager of the Refugee Wellness Lab at the University of Chicago, supporting projects that promote refugee family wellbeing in Chicago. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Biological Sciences.
Dawn Matlak
Finance Consultant
Board of Directors
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Aimee Hilado, Ph.D., LCSW
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Ané Maríñez-Lora, PhD
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Maria Cabello
Treasurer
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Virginia Quiñónez, Psy.D.
Board Member
Affiliation: Private Practice
(Co-Founder & Co-Chair Emeritus , 2016-2022 and CIMH Board Member)
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Malena Luzuriaga, B.S.
Board Member
Affiliation: APOYAS | SAFEty-Heartland Human Care Services
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Emerson Wells
Board Member
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Helina Haile, JD
Board Member
Advisory Committee
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Rebecca Ford-Paz, Ph.D.
Co-Chair, CIMH Migrant Mental Health Response
Affiliation: Lurie Children’s Hospital
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Dana Rusch, Ph.D.
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Daysi Diaz-Strong, Ph.D.
Co-Chair, Research & Data
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Maya Oyarbide-Sanchez, LCPC
Co-Chair, Mental Health Practice & Training
Affiliation: RefugeeOne
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Stephanie Torres, Ph.D.
Co-Chair, Mental Health Practice & Training
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Rooshey Hasnain, Ed.D., MA
Co-Chair, Research & Data
Affiliation: UIC Department of Disability and Human Development
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Nina Sedeño, MPP
Co-Chair, Policy & Advocacy Workgroup
Affiliation: Latino Policy Forum
Working Groups
Outreach & Engagement
This working group will work to develop a strategy to support CIMH’s goal, outlined in the recent strategic plan, to adopt a more inclusive approach, expanding beyond binary and systemic definitions of immigrants as documented or undocumented, and instead embracing more inclusive terminology that reflects the diverse communities we serve.
Policy & Advocacy
This working group will contribute a mental health lens to immigrant and refugee policy advocacy and organizing, and help to keep our members informed on actions they can take regarding policy change. The working group will support any relevant community-driven policy campaigns on issues relevant to immigrant and refugee mental health and will monitor, track, and provide guidance to the Executive Director regarding recommendations to cosign legislation or submit witness slips.
CIMH Annual Convening
This working group will utilize the convening brief provided by the CIMH Board of Directors to plan for the 2026 annual convening. This will include identifying/securing a date and location, developing programming for the convening, identification/outreach to speakers/presenters, outreach to community members, caterer, etc.