Dr. Paula Madrid's Bio

Dr. Paula A. Madrid is a New York State licensed clinical and forensic psychologist who has been in practice in New York City since 2001.

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Fluent in Spanish and English, she specializes in providing bilingual mental health services with a focus on psychological and forensic evaluations. Dr. Madrid has extensive experience in clinical, academic, and hospital settings, all which contribute to her keen ability to understand complex clinical and organizational cases and evaluate clients meticulously using the most relevant psychometric instruments and assessment techniques. 

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Along with running a successful practice with several associates, Dr. Madrid has been involved in many disaster and crisis organizations and initiatives. She founded and directed the Resiliency Program, which merged several Children’s Health Fund 9/11 mental health initiatives, from 2003 until 2007. She also served as the Director of Mental Health Services for Operation Assist—a joint initiative by Children’s Health Fund and the Columbia University National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP). In this capacity, she developed three mental health programs, supervised and trained a team of professionals, and oversaw the functioning of three clinics that are still operational in Biloxi, Mississippi and New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Additionally, Dr. Madrid was appointed director of the NCDP Division of Psychosocial Preparedness, as well as serving as an associate research scientist there for several years. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at NCDP.

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Dr. Madrid was also a fellow at the Harvard Program for Refugee Trauma (HPRT) from 2009 until 2012 was on the faculty of the HPRT Global Mental Health Program in Orvieto, Italy, for two years.

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In addition to these appointed positions, Dr. Madrid has been a clinical, organizational, and managerial consultant and participant in post-disaster and conflict work that includes the 2004 Madrid Train Bombings in Spain; a Colombian anti-terrorism campaign; post-tsunami relief work in Port Blair, Andaman Islands; and post-hurricane relief work in Texas, Florida, and Louisiana.

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Dr. Madrid’s work has been published by a variety of scholarly outlets such as, Mental Health and Disasters, Pediatrics, Journal of Emergency Medicine, Advances in Pediatrics, Psychiatric Services, Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, and Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. She served as a peer reviewer for academic journals including, Pediatrics, Global Public Health, Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, and filled an advisory role on the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

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In 2015, the Transdiaspora Network, a non-profit organization advancing HIV prevention, honored Dr. Madrid with the Change-maker Award for her work with teens who are considered high risk for behaviors that could lead them to contracting HIV.  In 2006, Dr. Madrid was honored by Latina Magazine as one of the 10 most fabulous Latinas of the year alongside Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and others. 

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Dr. Madrid earned her Doctor of Psychology degree from the University of Hartford in 2001. 

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