Andrea Larson has joined the University of Colorado at Boulder Ombuds Office as a half-time associate ombudsperson, Director Tom Sebok announced.
Mary Chavez, the current associate ombudsperson, has reduced her appointment to half time in order to spend more time with her daughter and work on her doctoral dissertation. Larson also will continue to serve as counselor-in-residence in the Williams Village residence halls, a joint program sponsored by the CU-Boulder Housing Department and Counseling and Psychological Services: A Multicultural Center.
Larson received her master's degree in clinical psychology from CU-Boulder in 1990 and subsequently collected data for a project directed by the CU-Denver National Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, a congressionally-mandated study of American Indian Vietnam Veterans.
Larson is working on a doctoral dissertation examining the impact of spiritual practices on recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder for American Indian combat veterans. She also provided clinical services to veterans at the Boulder Vet Center and the Denver Veterans Administration Medical Center.
Larson has 10 years of formal and informal diversity training and is a founding member of the Diversity Committee on the Emergency Psychiatric Services Team at the Boulder County Mental Health Center. In addition, she recently instituted and facilitated diversity training for staff at the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, where she served as the mental health counselor for the past year.
Larson is particularly interested in the development of dispute resolution models, such as the Restorative Justice Program, which use cross-cultural community strategies that have evolved over centuries.
The CU-Boulder Ombuds Office provides confidential, informal, impartial and independent dispute resolution services for all members of the campus community. The office assists students, faculty and staff in identifying and evaluating options for resolving and managing conflicts, provides mediation services, conducts workshops on conflict management and makes referrals to other appropriate university and community resources.
All ombudspersons on the CU-Boulder campus subscribe to the Ethical Principles of the University and College Ombuds Association.
Individuals wishing to meet Andrea Larson in the Ombuds Office may visit the office at 302 Willard Administrative Center or make an appointment by calling (303) 492-5077.