Welcome Reigon Nine!
A message from Region Nine leads Ginny Joseph (Orange County) and Sandra Gonzalez (San Diego County):
On behalf of the California PBIS Core Leadership team, welcome to our statewide network of support. More specifically, for those building positive school climates in
– Orange
– San Diego
– and Imperial counties
We’d like to personally welcome you to region nine.
The Orange County Department of Education and the San Diego County Office of Education serve as the region’s California PBIS Technical Assistance Centers, housing multiple programs in our Learning Supports and System of Supports Departments (respectively)– including Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.
As members of the Core Leadership Team, along with our team members Kaci Ellis, and Andrea De Anda, we represent the needs of all communities housed within region nine when it comes to high-quality implementation.
We look forward to connecting with you soon as we continue to create equitable environments in California schools.
Region Nine Contacts
Ginny Joseph
is a Coordinator for PBIS and Mental Health at the Orange County Department of Education. She supports Orange County schools and districts with training and technical assistance for implementing a multi-tiered framework for inclusive behavior supports. Ginny’s background is in School Psychology and Special Education with experience implementing multi-tiered frameworks to support behavior and social-emotional intervention, using data for decision-making, and integrating initiatives to support all students. Ginny is passionate about providing a safe social climate in school settings through the installation of prevention science, social-emotional learning, cultural responsiveness, and family engagement.
Sandra Gonzalez
is a Project Specialist on the System of Supports team at the San Diego County Office of Education, where she co-leads the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Technical Assistance Center. She brings over a decade of direct experience as a School Social Worker with expertise in PBIS, MTSS, SEL, and restorative practices.
Prior to this role, Sandra worked across school social work, nonprofit mental health, and behavioral health technology, building and leading programs that connected students and families to care. She spent over a decade as a School Social Worker before leading a Prevention and Early Intervention program at a local nonprofit. She then moved into behavioral health technology, where she managed a large network of clinicians and built quality and compliance systems for a startup partnering with schools to expand student access to mental health care.
Dr. Kaci Ellis, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Dr. Ellis has a strong commitment to improving the educational experiences of all students, especially those with behavioral disorders and challenges. She is deeply passionate about designing professional development programs for educators to enhance their ability to support students effectively. Additionally, she is skilled in training and coaching educators in positive behavior supports, which can lead to systems-level changes in districts and schools. Dr. Ellis is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of students and educators through innovative strategies and effective interventions.
Andrea De Anda
is a Project Specialist in the Whole Child and Community Design department of the Student Services and Programs division at the San Diego County Office of Education, where she co-leads the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Technical Assistance Center. In this role, she provides technical assitance, consultation, and planning services to schools, districts, and charter schools to support the implementation of systems that promote safe, supportive, inclusive, and positive school climates.
Andrea brings over a decade of experience in education as a School Counselor, PBIS Coordinator, and educator. She has expertise in Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 PBIS systems and interventions, student mental health supports, social-emotional learning, and restorative practices. She is an Authorized California PBIS External Reviewer (ACER), a Certified CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Instructor, and a Restorative Practices Trainer.
Prior to her current role, Andrea served as a School Counselor and PBIS Coordinator at National School District, where she led schoolwide PBIS implementation and coordinated student support services. Earlier in her career, she worked with Southwest Key Programs, providing educational and social-emotional support to unaccompanied immigrant youth who had experienced significant trauma and adverse childhood experiences. These experiences strengthened her commitment to equity, trauna-informed practices, and creating educational environments where all students feel safe, valued, and supported. Throughout her career, she had remained dedicated to partnering with educators, families, and communities to improve outcomes for all students.