Andrada-Francesca Ungureanu, MA

2025 RECIPIENT

Stephan D. Weiss Student Mental Health Award

“Problem Management Plus (PM+) in Higher Education Communities: Addressing Mental Health Gaps”

This initiative focuses on implementing a scalable, evidence-based mental health intervention tailored for university students to address the increasing prevalence of mental health concerns. Grounded in the World Health Organization’s Problem Management Plus (PM+) framework, this program aims to train non-specialist student leaders to deliver low-intensity psychological support. The initiative will target The New School’s diverse student population—including historically marginalized and underrepresented groups—with the goal of reducing barriers to accessing care, improving coping skills, and fostering resilience. This initiative is designed to not only address critical gaps in mental health care at The New School, but also to explore how PM+ contributes to academic success and student retention.

About the Project Director:
Andrada-Francesca is a clinical psychologist in training, an educator, and a researcher committed to advancing scalable mental health interventions in underserved populations. She is currently pursuing her PhD in clinical psychology at The New School for Social Research, where her dissertation focuses on the implementation of Problem Management Plus (PM+). Her research bridges community-based participatory approaches with evidence-based clinical practice, particularly within academic and humanitarian settings. As part of her doctoral work, she is leading a pilot implementation of a six-week adaptation of PM+ tailored for university students, addressing campus mental health needs through structured, transdiagnostic, and trauma-informed support. The initiative is housed within the Center for Global Mental Health and the Safran Center for Mental Health, where she also practices as a therapist.

Previously, Andrada-Francesca served as a research associate at the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility through a fellowship with the International Rescue Committee’s Airbel Impact Lab. She also teaches courses in cognitive neuroscience and psychological research methods.