Meet the Open Hearts Team

Dr. Catharina M. Johnson is the School Safety Program Training Director with the AZ Department of Education. She began her career with ADE as a Program Specialist in the School Safety Program. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Grand Canyon University, teaching psychology courses at both the undergraduate and master’s level.

Dr. Johnson has a professional background in the juvenile justice system, having worked with the Maricopa County Juvenile Probation department for over 26 years. She has a passion for helping kids and families navigate the justice system, which often overlaps with the behavioral and mental healthcare systems, as well as the education system. During her former career in probation, Dr. Johnson held many supervisory positions including supervisor for the Youth Recovery Academy (YRA – the county’s in-house treatment center which was an in-patient hospital/rehabilitation center), supervisor of Drug Court, supervisor of the Treatment Unit, supervisor of JIPS (Juvenile Intensive Probation Services), and supervisor of Standard and Diversion units at the West Valley Community Justice Center. Her final position with the probation department was as the Safety Supervisor. In this capacity, she provided in-service training to employees in all areas of safety: defensive tactics, verbal de-escalation techniques, firearms, trauma-informed approaches, implicit bias, and other issues of diversity and fairness, as well as disparate treatment for children of color, and access to treatment for people of color. However, her most beloved position was when early on in her career with the probation department, Dr. Johnson held the position of Safe Schools Juvenile Probation Officer for five years, having been assigned to four K-8 schools in a lower socio-economic area in Phoenix.

Dr. Johnson’s expertise lies in issues of safety and wellness, having most recently served as the co-coordinator for the Peer Support group in the Critical Incident Stress Management team in the previous department. Additionally, she is a recent graduate of FEMA’s National Emergency Management Basic Academy in Emmitsburg, VA.

As a lifelong student, Dr. Johnson has three degrees from Arizona universities; a bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies from ASU, a master’s degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Human Relations from NAU, and a doctorate in General Psychology with an emphasis in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from GCU. As a lifelong teacher, Dr. Johnson has provided instruction in many areas; currently, in her role with ADE, she leads the training team in developing curriculum and providing professional development opportunities for grantees in the School Safety Program. All areas of safety and wellness are addressed such as topics on bullying, chronic absenteeism, threat assessment in schools, family engagement, character education, and how to navigate the school safety assessment and prevention team within the grant funded schools.

Dr. Johnson is an alumnus of Valle del Sol’s Hispanic Leadership Institute in Phoenix. Additionally, she currently serves on the board of directors at Open Hearts Family Wellness which is a local community-based mental healthcare and wellness organization. She is presently serving in the role of Secretary & Treasurer with the OH board of directors.

Born of a German mother and a Mexican American father, Dr. Johnson speaks German and Spanish fluently. In her off-time, she loves to travel and attend sporting events with family and friends.