Jacqueline Vara

About Jacqueline Vara

Dr. Jacqueline Vara has experience as a community leader, director, executive director, and Vice-President of Woman’s and Family Programs for the Los Angeles Missions’ Anne Douglas Center in the heart of Los Angeles Skid Row. The Los Angeles Missions’ Anne Douglas Center exists to provide help, hope, and opportunity to women and families in an effort to rebuild women’s lives. The Los Angeles Mission’s women outreach was named the Anne Douglas Center for Women in recognition of Mrs. Kirk Douglas’ long-standing compassionate generosity to homeless women. Dr. Vara has worked for more than 20-years with special needs populations such as: homeless, survivors of domestic-violence, child-abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking, substance abuse, addictions, mental illness, and chronic health issues. She has served in leadership as an executive director of a non-profit urban community counseling center, provided administration of community programs with 7-levels of care program services from prevention, intervention, residential treatment services, and mental-health counseling services. She has also spearheaded and coordinated community educational programs in low-income neighborhoods and area schools for at-risk children and youths, which were based on 3.7 million in grant-funding. Dr. Vara has also taught bi-lingual English-Spanish community education classes such as: Domestic Violence, Anger Management, and Parent Education. She has also served for 10-years in municipal government public-service in human resources administration, recruitment, benefits, labor relations, and training.

Experience

1. Lecturer-adjunct Professor

   Azusa Pacific University

   Apr 2016 — Present · Los Angeles, CA, US

Education

• California State University, Fullerton

  Master's degree, Marriage, Family, & Child Counseling

• Biola University

  Doctor of Philosophy - Ph.D.

• California State University, Fullerton

  Bachelor's degree, Psychology & Sociology