Ms Liliana Galicia Mesa

Liliana has wide expertise in working directly with different groups of vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals. She has supported and supervised neurodiverse children, within educational settings based at socioeconomic disadvantaged areas of London. Also, she has worked with adults with learning and mental health difficulties, who face social inequalities, isolation, and barriers to having independent lives. She has supported individuals with severe mental health difficulties, where she contributed to the co-planning and co-delivering of group therapy. Moreover, as part of her clinical and community psychology degree, she was involved with an organisation that supports families and young people affected by serious youth violence. 

Coming from an ethnic minority, and having experienced migration and social inequalities, Liliana has used her lived and work experience to contribute to research and evaluation projects at ICC, where social inequalities are tackled, the focus is on vulnerable individuals, and findings inform policy. She engages in different stages of the research process, including effective communication with stakeholders when appropriate, literature review, qualitative data collection and critical analysis of it, and creation of visual materials/resources (e.g. infographics) that present findings. The research and evaluation projects that Liliana is typically involved in at ICC, are aimed at improving access and quality of services available to children and young people, promoting inclusion and equality for ethnic minorities, and improving community and mental health interventions delivered to communities at socio-economic and health disadvantage. 

Liliana is passionate about mental health and social justice and is extremely keen on continuing to use her lived and work experience, as well as her academic knowledge to raise awareness about structural inequalities, encourage a more inclusive society, and promote wellbeing. 

Liliana is highly motivated to continue developing her career and to make meaningful contributions towards a more equal society through research and practice.