Debra Cacianti

Dr. Debra Cacianti is currently serving as the Associate

Director of Training at the APA accredited clinical

program at the Chicago School in Anaheim. Prior to

this assignment, she has been a departmental faculty

member and an adjunct professor for five years. She

earned her PhD in 1994 at the APA accredited program

at the California School of Professional Psychology in

San Diego. Her dissertation focusing on adolescent

substance abuse was defended with honors. She has

been licensed in the State of California since 1996. She

earned her undergraduate degree at the University of

California, Irvine in 1989.

Dr. Cacianti has 25 years of experience working in the

correctional system in California. From 1997 to 2013,

she worked for the Department of Juvenile Justice as

both a therapist for incarcerated youth and as a

supervisor for correctional programs and institutions.

Through this experience she developed expertise in

working with high-risk adolescents and families,

substance abuse and suicide prevention.

In 2013, she transitioned to adult corrections through

her employment at the California Institution for Men in

Chino California. At this large men's prison, she

supervised a 34-bed inpatient hospital and

administrative segregation. Through her 10 years of

experience in this setting, she developed expertise

working directly with severely mentally ill and violent

inmates. She has provided essential training to the

department of corrections throughout the years,

particularly in suicide prevention and substance abuse.

As her passion for teaching grew, she began adjunct

teaching at Argosy in 2018 and transitioned to full

faculty upon her retirement from corrections in 2022.

In addition to experience in corrections, Dr. Cacianti

has worked in private practice and with children and

families in a community care setting. She has obtained

certification in assessment of psychopathy through

extensive training with the Hare PCL-R.