Krystal Duncan is the Coordinator for Social Emotional Supports at Fontana Unified School District, where she oversees a team of licensed mental health professionals and coordinates mental health services for K-12 students.
Krystal enrolled in LMU’s Ed.D. Program because she was looking to expand her impact in supporting marginalized and minoritized students and families, and wanted to both increase her knowledge and broaden her ability to influence meaningful outcomes for education.
Her dissertation, “Culturally Sustaining and Legally Compliant School-Based Mental Programs: Lessons Learned from Year 1 of Implementation,” chaired by Kenzo Sung, Ph.D., identified the key elements of a culturally sustaining and legally compliant school-based mental health program. Moving forward, Krystal would like to continue to explore the intersection of race, culture, and mental health challenges for children in public schools, specifically BIPOC students and students with special needs.
Participating in the Ed.D. Program has allowed Krystal to network with like-minded educators and afforded her the opportunity to participate in panels, present at conferences, and to write articles about best practices in school-based mental health.