Meet the Team
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We provide targeted care for pediatric, adult and geriatric patients. Call 800-825-9989 or 310-825-9989 to learn more about our psychiatry services.
Meet Our Children's Friendship Program (Social Skills) Clinic Team
Director
Dr. Shilpa Baweja is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. She directs the Parent Training Programs for children (ages 2–12) and adolescents (ages 12.5–16), as well as the Children’s Friendship Program.
With over 28 years of experience as both a researcher and clinician, Dr. Baweja has worked extensively with children and adolescents in diverse settings, including outpatient psychiatry, intensive outpatient programs, residential treatment, and school-based mental health services. She specializes in the assessment and treatment of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions and co-occurring mood disorders, and is extensively trained in evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), exposure-based therapies, and trauma-informed care.
Her expertise lies in supporting families navigating the complexities of parenting children with neurodevelopmental conditions and severe behavioral challenges. Drawing on both her clinical training and her own lived experience as a parent, Dr. Baweja offers a compassionate, science-based perspective that bridges research and real-world family life.
Dr. Baweja earned her Master’s degree from Columbia University and her Ph.D. in Human Development and Psychology from UCLA. Her research focuses on the psychological effects of peer victimization and community-partnered initiatives to expand access to school-based mental health services.
Director of Training
Dr. Reina Factor is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Director of Training. With over 20 years of experience providing individual, group, and family-based interventions, she has extensive expertise working with autistic and neurodivergent individuals across the lifespan, particularly children, and those with co-occurring challenges such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, ODD, early psychosis, and mood disorders. She is trained in a number of evidence-based parent-mediated and focused interventions and both her clinical and research work focuses on the social and emotional development of autistic children, examining family and peer systems, mechanisms of change, and treatment outcomes.
Dr. Factor additionally serves as a staff psychologist at the UCLA Child OCD Intensive Outpatient Program. She completed her undergraduate degree at Emory University, where she studied early social responsiveness in children. She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Virginia Tech, and completed both her predoctoral and postdoctoral training at the UCLA Semel Institute. A Los Angeles native, Dr. Factor is a third-generation UCLA Bruin and fourth-generation Californian.
Clinician
Neila Wolff, MA, MAEd is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior with over 12 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and their families. She specializes in supporting neurodivergent school-aged children and their caretakers, with expertise in Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, learning differences, and anxiety and mood disorders. Neila also has extensive experience navigating California’s special education systems and resources, including IEPs and Regional Center services, and is passionate about helping families access the supports available to them.
She has provided individual and group clinical care in schools, social service agencies, and pediatric clinics. She also trained at The Help Group and worked as a clinician at one of their nonpublic schools. In addition to her Master’s in Clinical Psychology, she holds a Master’s degree in Education. Before transitioning to clinical practice, she served as Assistant Director of Global Education at a Los Angeles high school, where she taught and traveled internationally with students. A Los Angeles native, she earned her bachelor’s degree from USC and is proud to work with her team at the UCLA Semel Institute.
Program Founder
Professor Emeritus
Dr. Fred Frankel is the founder of the Parenting and Children’s Friendship Clinic. He directed the Parent Training and Children’s Friendship Programs since its inception in 1982. Dr. Fred Frankel is a Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA. He is internationally recognized for his work on evidence-based social skills and friendship interventions. His current research extends Children’s Friendship Training to community settings with diverse populations, including children with autism, ADHD, obesity, and fetal alcohol syndrome. He is Principal Investigator of the CART project, Parent-Assisted Friendship Training in Autism, focused on children in elementary school. This work builds on his widely used treatment manual, Children’s Friendship Training (2002). Dr. Frankel received his Ph.D. in psychology from UC Irvine in 1971 and joined the UCLA faculty in 1973.
Ari Rubin
Clinic Coordinator
Ari Rubin joined the Children’s Friendship Program as Clinic Coordinator in 2025 after graduating from Denison University with a B.A. in Psychology. His role includes managing scheduling, program organization, and day-to-day operations to ensure smooth delivery of clinic services. Ari’s interests focus on child development, with a particular emphasis on social and behavioral growth.
Ashley Johnson began as a research assistant in 2022 and became Assistant Clinic Coordinator in 2023, helping oversee operations for the clinic’s three programs and managing the research assistant team. She graduated from UCLA in 2024 with a B.S. in Psychobiology and a minor in Society and Genetics, and is pursuing an M.S. in Genetic Counseling. Her graduate thesis, Investigating the Diagnostic Yield of Genetic Testing for Adults with Intellectual Disability, Developmental Delay, and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder, reflects her commitment to improving access to genetic services. Ashley is also a LEND fellow, receiving interdisciplinary training to support children and youth with developmental disabilities. She is passionate about raising awareness of genetic testing and counseling, as well as advocating for individuals with physical, intellectual, and mental health needs. Outside of work, she enjoys running, cooking, reading across genres, and exploring new restaurants.
Raisa Jailyan, MA, BCBA
Doctoral Trainee
Raisa Jailyan, MA, BCBA is a third-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program at Azusa Pacific University and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. At the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, she receives supervised training through the Parent Training Program, PEACE, and the Children’s Friendship Program, where she co-leads evidence-based social skills and parent training groups. She is also completing advanced training in pediatric neuropsychology at Our Kids Developmental Services, gaining experience with cognitive, developmental, and neuropsychological assessment.
Raisa’s clinical background includes work in private practice, schools, preschools, community programs, and outpatient clinics, supporting children, adolescents, and families with a wide range of developmental, behavioral, and emotional needs. She has extensive experience in ABA therapy and early intervention for children with autism and other developmental disorders.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Linguistics from UCLA, a master’s in Psychology from Pepperdine University, and a master’s in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University. Her doctoral dissertation focuses on developing culturally inclusive parent training resources to improve access to care for underserved and underrepresented families of children with autism.
Madeline Dolan, M.A.
Doctoral Trainee
Madeline Dolan, M.A. is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the APA-accredited Clinical Psychology Program at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles, with an emphasis in Health Psychology. She is currently a therapist trainee at the Parenting and Friendship Clinic. Madeline has trained in inpatient, community mental health, and outpatient settings, providing individual and group therapy as well as neuropsychological testing for children, adults, and families across a wide range of mental health conditions. She brings diverse clinical experience and a strong commitment to promoting social and emotional well-being in the populations she serves.
Ava Swanstrom
Doctoral Trainee
Ava Swanstrom is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Loma Linda University and an extern at the UCLA Behavioral Parent Training and Children’s Friendship Program Clinic. At UCLA, she provides evidence-based therapy and assessment for individuals across the lifespan, with a special focus on supporting neurodiverse children and families.
Her graduate research examines ways to reduce parenting stress through accessible, family-centered interventions and to address disparities in services for families of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Through both her clinical and academic work, Ava is committed to strengthening service systems and promoting equity by integrating research, clinical practice, and community engagement.
UCLA Undergraduate Research Assistants
Anil Gharachourlou
Jennifer Garcia
Mina Hakimi
John Huynh
Taryn Lambert
Siobhan Nelson
Shanjita Paul
Maya Passananti
Kayli Stinson
Raisa Eri Villanueva
Juliette Vrjen