PAIMI Advisory Council (PAC)

PAIMI Advisory Council (PAC)
Disability Rights California’s Peer Self-Advocacy (PSA) Program advocates for and oversees the California Memorial Project (CMP). The CMP’s mission is to honor and restore dignity to individuals with mental health and developmental disabilities who lived and died in California state institutions.
The PAIMI regulations require the PAIMI program to have an advisory council to “advise the system on policies and priorities to be carried out in protecting and advocating the rights of individuals with mental illness.” Disability Rights California’s PAIMI Advisory Council advises the Board and staff about issues in the mental health community
The Council is comprised of individuals who are or who have been consumers of mental health services, family members, attorneys, mental health providers, mental health professionals, individuals from the public who are knowledgeable about mental illness, and providers of mental health services. The PAC is involved in DRC’s annual priority setting process in getting comments from the community and in providing recommendations to the Board.
PAIMI Advisory Council Members

Roque Alas Bucton – Chair
Roque Alas Bucton is Indo-Pacific Islander American, emanated on the land of the Tongva. He currently resides in the Eastern Los Angeles County region. Roque identifies as a person who lives with visual, hearing, and mobility impairment disabilities.
Mr. Roque Alas Bucton is a California governor appointee, serving as a member of the State Independent Living Council since 2022. For the SILC, Mr. Bucton is the current chair of the Communications and Collaborations committee, and was the former Vice-chair of the SILC, and a former Governance committee member.
Mr. Bucton serves as Chair on the California Protection and Advocacy for Individuals living with Mental Illness Advisory Council, which is a SAMHSA federal oversight committee. Mr. Bucton represents the PAIMI council as a Board of Director for Disability Rights California.
Mr. Alas Bucton was the co-chair of the Access for All disability advisory committee for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. Roque Alas Bucton was the Disability Advocate and Peer Specialist trainer for the peer run nonprofit Painted Brain.
Mr. Alas Bucton holds a World Music Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the California Institute of the Arts. Roque is a musician, specializing in traditional Pacific Asian percussion, Latin Jazz & R&B on bass & guitar.
He also holds an Advanced Assistive Technology Training certification. Further, Mr. Alas Bucton is a certified Disability Peer Specialist.
On behalf of the California Arts council Arts Infrastructure groups initiative, Mr. Alas Bucton was the former director of the statewide Pilipino Artists Network, a division of the nonprofit FilAm ARTS. He is also one of the founders of the Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture.

Ashlie “Princess” Kosinski – Vice Chair
“So sharpen your eyes; And tune your ear; So you’ll know what you see; Understand what you hear” - Listervelt Middleton
Princess Kosinski, M.Ed., is a behavioral health peer, harm reductionist, advocate, grant writer, and joy developer based in Fresno, CA byway of Long Island, NY. For the past ten years, she has intersected with the behavioral health field personally and professionally as a recipient, a family member, a grant writer, and a community advocate. Currently, Princess is serving on the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Advisory Council (PAC) as Vice Chair. In this role she continues to advocate for stigma reduction and narrative changes, equitable funding and investment for disinvested communities, and providing sustainable community-based solutions that uplift the voices of those served.
Princess holds the vision of a self-directed future for peers experiencing houselessness, incarceration, substance use, mental health, and domestic violence. She remains dedicated to serving the peer community with compassion, non-judgment, and unconditional love. Princess is a fellow in the College for Behavioral Health Leadership 2024-2025 Equity-Grounded Leadership Fellow Program. In this fellowship she will continue to expand her knowledge and implementation capacity for equitable accessibility related to alternative methods of communication, peer-led workforce development, and integration of spiritual and energetic modalities related to recovery and wellbeing for peers accessing the behavioral health system. She is an avid YouTube University student, podcast enthusiast and audiobook listener, exploring topics such as Afrikan spirituality, quantum physics, behavior science, and health and wellness. She enjoys music ranging from the Grateful Dead to tribal house and is enthusiastically the first person on the dance floor.

Jacob Lesner-Buxton
Jacob Lesner-Buxton is the System Change Coordinator for the Independent Living Resource Center. He started working at ILRC in 2013. Working at ILRC has given Jacob the confidence and sense of empowerment to make change and hopefully encourage others to do so.
Besides working at ILRC Jacob is a producer on KPFA’s Pushing Limits one of the only disability-themed radio shows in the USA. He also loves doing yoga and blogging on Facebook.

John Vanover

Katrina Villegas

Kecia Weller
Kecia Weller is a dedicated humanitarian and mental health specialist for people with disabilities. She is a Founding Co-Chair for the National Peer Support Network. The National Peer Support Network is where Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) who are sexual assault survivors will take the lead to build the Network. Kecia works as a Peer Support Specialist for individuals with IDD who have mental health needs. Kecia works at the Tarjan Center; she works with self-advocates throughout California and nationally. She is a member of California’s State-wide Self-Advocacy Network and the DDS Development Services Task Force. In February 2024, CHHS Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaley appointed Kecia to the Master Plan Developmental Services Stakeholder Committee. Kecia is also one of the Co-Chairwomen of Workgroup #2 - Individuals receive timely, inclusive, and seamless services across all service systems.

Kristi Holst
Kristi Holst is a dedicated mental health advocate with a wealth of experience in supporting individuals on their journey to recovery. Her personal experience living with mental illness provides her with unique insights that are vital to her role as an advocate. Since July 2023, Kristi has been serving as a Mental Health Ambassador for Celebrate Recovery, continuing her dedication to mental health advocacy and support. From December 2023 to June 2024, Kristi served as the Mental Health Team Leader at Bayside Church Celebrate Recovery, where she demonstrated her commitment to helping those struggling with mental health challenges in the faith-based community. Utilizing her certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt as a Project Manager, in this role, she collaborated with local mental health professionals and organizations to coordinate and catalog resources for individuals with mental illness who are seeking additional support. Kristi is also a member of the Disability Advisory Council at the California Department of Human Resources as well as a member of the local National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) in El Dorado County, California. Kristi's goals include bridging the gap between mental health and faith-based programs in local churches, establishing faith-based peer support groups and providing vital resources to the recovery community.
Her passion centers on normalizing conversations surrounding mental health and mental illness, giving a voice to those who struggle with their mental health diagnoses. As an individual living with mental illness, Kristi brings real-life experience that uniquely qualifies her for her role on the Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Advisory Council. Her personal journey, combined with her professional expertise, allows her to contribute valuable insights to policy recommendations, program development, and advocacy efforts that promote the rights and well-being of individuals with mental illness. Kristi's diverse experience in both community-based and professional settings brings a unique perspective on the practical challenges and effective strategies in supporting individuals with mental illness, with a particular focus on integrating faith-based approaches with established mental health practices.

Sarah Price Hancock
Sarah Price Hancock is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor with a graduate-level certificate in psychiatric rehabilitation, and a former professor of graduate students in San Diego State University's clinical psychiatric rehabilitation program. She began formally studying rehabilitation needs of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) recipients in 2010. 14 years later she's now the American investigator on an international research team auditing ECT use and rehabilitation needs after treatment. She is a staunch supporter of bodily autonomy and the right to make well-informed treatment choices, serving as a volunteer patient safety advocate for more than a decade.
Sarah's specialty is electrical injury’s immediate and long-term consequences. She is the co-founder and Trustee of the Ionic Injury Foundation. Her passion for electrical injury rehabilitation stems from developing delayed diffuse electrical injury" seven and a half years after receiving 116 rounds of electroconvulsive therapy for a misdiagnosis. After correct diagnosis and successful treatment ended her psychiatric symptoms eight years ago, Sarah prioritizes advocacy to remove barriers to broader assessments and parity in access to comprehensive rehabilitation interventions (physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, vision therapy, vocational rehabilitation, etc).
She is the host of the Emotional Self-Reliance podcast and author of the book “Daring to Dream: Essential tools to find employment.” Sarah survived 116 brief comas and now lives with the consequences of repetitive traumatic brain injury and repetitive electrical trauma. Sarah uses a combination of spoken word, American Sign Language, and/or AAC to communicate and a tilt-recline power wheelchair. When she’s not testifying in state hearings, submitting letters nationally and internationally to advocate for patient rights’, or researching ways to improve quality of life after ECT, she can be found painting, working on family history, or stROLLing around San Diego County on paved-bike trails with her sweetheart. Sarah is living evidence that complete recovery from psychiatric symptoms is possible as well as living a full, purpose-filled life despite acquired disability. Her motto is: Together we rise!

Sarah Triano
Sarah Triano is the associate director of long-term services and supports (LTSS) and disability policy at the national Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS). Triano worked for eight years as the senior director of Complex Care Policy and Innovation for the nation’s largest Medicaid managed care plan, served as a political appointee in former California Governor Brown’s administration, and was the Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center. She proudly identifies as a person with a physical and mental health disability, the mother of two disabled children, and is a caregiver for her father who is a disabled veteran. She lives in rural California with her husband and all her children including a rabbit, chickens, goat, guinea pig, a dog named Xena Princess Warrior, and a horse named Zoe.

Tamara Trevino
Tamara Trevino is a dedicated humanitarian and advocate for justice with over 12 years of experience serving individuals with developmental disabilities. She holds dual Master's Degrees in Rehabilitation Counseling and Marriage and Family Child Counseling. As a Program Manager at the Central Valley Regional Center, Tamara has spent over a decade working to enhance the lives of children and individuals with developmental disabilities, driven by her personal experience with autism and other disabilities within her own family. Her passion is rooted in promoting inclusive social systems that prioritize the dignity and humanity of every individual.
Tamara is also a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist with a specialization in trauma. In 2015, she founded a nonprofit organization after identifying a critical gap in support services for children and families battling serious illnesses in the Central Valley. She has successfully organized large-scale community events and led hundreds of volunteers across California in service opportunities aimed at creating meaningful impact.
A published author and mental health trainer, Tamara is deeply committed to fostering trauma-informed communities. She is especially passionate about advocating for increased access to mental health services for the African American community and individuals with developmental disabilities, continuously working to challenge systems and break down barriers to care.
Tamara remains committed to advancing equity in mental health and developmental services. She continues to work toward building stronger, more inclusive communities where every individual is seen, heard, and empowered. Through her leadership, advocacy, and service, Tamara aims to inspire positive systemic change and foster a future where all individuals have access to the resources and support they need to thrive.
Join Our PAIMI Advisory Council
Help us create a barrier-free, inclusive, diverse world where Californians with disabilities enjoy equal rights, dignity, choice, independence and freedom from abuse, neglect and discrimination.
Fill out the online application https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/post/paimi-advisory-council-as-a-public-member-online-form or see below for more options.
What does DRC’s PAIMI Advisory Council do?
The PAIMI Council is a federally required Council, responsible for providing oversight to the services DRC provides under the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Act.
DRC’s PAC members come from around the state. They educate our board and staff about issues facing people with mental health disabilities in California. They also help inform and involve the community in DRC’s mental health advocacy work.
DRC’s PAIMI Advisory Council (PAC) advises our board and staff about issues in the mental health community. Their important work includes helping to shape our mental health advocacy plans and participating in the planning of our annual goals and priorities. PAC members play a vital role, bringing information from the mental health community to DRC, and from DRC to the mental health community. They also file a federally required annual report that describes and evaluates our mental health advocacy activities and effectiveness.
Who is eligible to apply?
Persons with mental illness, family members and professionals are all represented on the Council. The PAIMI Advisory Council is also committed to appointing members representative of California’s diverse ethnic and cultural communities and makes efforts to ensure the Council reflects different geographic areas of the state.
At least Sixty percent of the PAC members must be people who have received or are receiving mental health services, or their family members. Additionally, each PAC must be led by a person who has received or is receiving mental health services, or who is a family member. In order to be eligible for membership on the Advisory Council, an individual must reside in the State of California, cannot be a relative or significant other of a current Advisory Council member, and cannot be an employee of DRC.
The PAIMI Act Requires that:
- At least 60% of the membership of the Advisory Council be comprised of people or family members of people who have received or are receiving mental health services.
- The Advisory Council be chaired by person or a family member of a person who has received or is receiving mental health services.
- The Advisory Council Chair have a seat on the P&A Governing Board.
- The Advisory Council Chair must meet no less than three times a year.
Subject to these limitations, the Advisory Council shall consist of:
- At least one (1) attorney
- Mental Health Services Professional
- Individuals from the public who are knowledgeable about people who are labeled mentally ill, the advocacy needs of persons with mental illness, and have demonstrated a substantial commitment to improving mental health services
- Mental Health Service Provider
- Peer Support Specialist
- Individuals who have received or are receiving mental health services
- Individuals who are family members of individuals who have received or are receiving mental health services.
- At least one member shall be a primary caregiver of a minor child or youth (under 18 years old) who has received or is receiving mental health services.
You may apply online, or by emailing or faxing your letter of interest and references.
HOW TO APPLY
Fill out the online application or email a letter of interest and references to rayann.smith@disabilityrightsca.org or fax to (916) 504-5810.
Apply HereThe letter should include your contact information and answer the following questions:
- Why do you want to participate on the PAIMI Advisory Council?
- What will you bring to the PAIMI Advisory Council?
- What is your vision for the PAIMI Advisory Council?
- Describe your advocacy experience (advocating for oneself, a family member, or others).
- Describe your involvement on committees, organizations, conference/trainings, etc. that address mental health issues. Please include the names of committees, organizations, etc.
- Describe your educational background, current employment and/or other volunteer activities.
- List at least two references. Please include the name, telephone number and email address for each reference. Additionally, please list if you have a relative who is a DRC staff member or on DRC’s Board of Directors.
- Our PAIMI Council values diversity. To assist the Committee in selecting diverse Council members, please identify which of the following group(s) you belong to: Decline to State, African American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, White, Multi-racial; Developmental Disability, Psychiatric Disability, Learning Disability, Sensory Disability, Physical Disability, Other Disability; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender.
- For PAC Eligibility, please answer the following:
- Are you a current or former Mental Health Services Professional?
- Are you a current or former Mental Health Service Provider?
- Are you a Peer Support Specialist?
- Are you an Attorney?
- Are you an individual from the public knowledgeable about mental illness?
- Are you the primary caregiver of a minor child or youth (under 18 years old) who has received or is receiving mental health services?
PAIMI ASSURANCE GRIEVANCE
Disability Rights California is required to establish a grievance procedure for individuals who have received or are receiving mental health services, or family members or representatives of such individuals to assure that we are operating in compliance with requirements under the program that serves individuals with mental health disabilities (i.e. the Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Act or PAIMI Act).
View the Grievance Form