Biography
Dr. Cora Palma is a Licensed Educational Psychologist and Nationally Certified School Psychologist with nearly 20 years of experience at the intersection of education and mental health. She has extensive expertise in school behavioral threat assessment, suicide risk assessment, and crisis response, and has served as a trusted leader within school systems supporting student safety and well-being.
Since 2010, Dr. Palma has trained educators and multidisciplinary school teams in behavioral threat assessment and suicide prevention. In 2020, she became a certified trainer and coach in the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) model, and has since partnered with schools across California to strengthen systems for prevention, assessment, and post-crisis support.
Dr. Palma previously served as a school psychologist in historically marginalized schools across Los Angeles, and later as a Director of Mental Health Services in a California school district. She has also led the Families and Schools Together (FAST) program at the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders and taught graduate students in School Psychology and Licensed Professional Clinical Counseling at Chapman University. Her work and research have focused on trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and practical strategies to support students impacted by trauma.
In addition to her professional work, Cora is also a parent, which has given her a very real understanding of how overwhelming it can be to navigate the educational system from the other side of the table. This perspective has fundamentally shaped the way Dr. Palma practices and teaches graduate students.
Since 2010, Dr. Palma has trained educators and multidisciplinary school teams in behavioral threat assessment and suicide prevention. In 2020, she became a certified trainer and coach in the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) model, and has since partnered with schools across California to strengthen systems for prevention, assessment, and post-crisis support.
Dr. Palma previously served as a school psychologist in historically marginalized schools across Los Angeles, and later as a Director of Mental Health Services in a California school district. She has also led the Families and Schools Together (FAST) program at the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders and taught graduate students in School Psychology and Licensed Professional Clinical Counseling at Chapman University. Her work and research have focused on trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and practical strategies to support students impacted by trauma.
In addition to her professional work, Cora is also a parent, which has given her a very real understanding of how overwhelming it can be to navigate the educational system from the other side of the table. This perspective has fundamentally shaped the way Dr. Palma practices and teaches graduate students.
