2020 keynote speaker Natasha "Tasha" Mendoza- Natasha Mendoza is an associate professor in the School of Social Work and director of the Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy at Arizona State University. She earned her doctorate in social work at The Ohio State University and completed her postdoctoral training at the Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions at the University at Buffalo in New York. As an expert in behavioral health, Mendoza’s scholarship is focused on substance use and co-occurring disorders, physical health, identity (e.g., cultural, gender, sexual), and connecting service systems (i.e., health care, criminal justice, child welfare). Furthermore, Mendoza specializes in the intersection of behavioral health and public safety. The foundation of her scholarship is built on the premise that behavior change is a function of interpersonal relationships, occurring within the context of culture and across multiple systems. Additionally, Mendoza's work as a researcher and educator explores and elucidates the ways in which identity and wellness may be assets in behavioral health. Aside from research, Mendoza is actively engaged in preparing students to work with members of the LGBTQ+ community and build on the empirical foundation of social work with an emphasis on the treatment of substance use and co-occurring disorders.