SITKA, July 6, 2012 — The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) Behavioral Health Division is pleased to announce the hiring of Araceli “Ari” Cabarcas, Psy.D., as a behavioral health clinician at the Haa Toowóo Náakw Hít outpatient behavioral health clinic in Sitka.

“Araceli has joined the SEARHC Behavioral Health team at Haa Toowóo Náakw Hít,” SEARHC Behavioral Health Division Director Melody Price-Yonts said. “She is a great addition to the team as she uses her creative energy and her experience in providing mental health treatment to adults and children.”

Dr. Cabarcas holds a Doctorate of Psychology degree from California Southern University in Irvine, Calif. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in psychology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from National University in San Diego.

Before moving to Sitka, Dr. Cabarcas worked in California as the YWCA director for a domestic violence treatment program, a trainer for the Anti-Defamation League, a talk radio show host, the writer of an advice column and two books about domestic violence and women who are abusive (one in English, one in Spanish), and she spent a decade working in private practice. She also worked for the Broward County Correctional Facility Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program in Florida.

She was the 1999 San Diego Latina of the Year and was on the 2008 Riverside County Women to Watch List. Her medical interests include biological psychology, forensic psychology and neuropsychology, and she enjoys church, spending time with her daughter, kayaking, snorkeling, reading and learning.

“After working in private practice for a decade, I really missed feeling part of a team and SEARHC embodies the collaborative model so well,” Dr. Cabarcas said. “The people here seem to be dedicated individuals who want to serve the community with the utmost integrity, which is a core belief of mine. I enjoyed all the smiles when I came for the interview and continue to enjoy the positivity daily now as an employee.”