Rick Ornelas, MSW, is an associate teaching professor at USC Suzanne Dworak Peck School. He co-leads the Social Work and Public Safety Collaborative at USC, which aims to support public safety and the communities they serve by partnering social workers and public safety to offer multidisciplinary and inter-professional services.
Professor Ornelas is a retired sergeant in the Los Angeles School Police Department. With over thirty years of law enforcement experience, he collaborates with public safety to reimagine and implement effective strategies and solutions at both the local and national levels. He also provides training for first responders in diverse topics, including leadership, mental awareness and crisis interventions, evidence-based practices, procedural justice, implicit bias, and building trust between the police and the community. Professor Ornelas also sits on the curriculum committee for each of the programs.
He has a diverse background that includes experience working with law enforcement and their families, organizational consulting, executive coaching, staff development, training on best practices and evidence-based interventions and strategic planning. He is pursuing a Doctorate of Behavioral Health from Arizona State University with a focus on Integrated Behavioral Health for First Responders.