May 23, 2025

Drea Letamendi: The Superpower of Compassion

By Simba Sims

Photo by Idriss Njike

It’s been a year since I joined the UCLA Student Affairs Media Team, and I vividly remember my onboarding process. My first meeting was at the Tom Bradley building on the west side of campus, known as “The Hill.” When I drove into the parking structure, I parked next to a sleek, all-black sports car. What was most notable, was the trunk logo had been replaced with the Batman symbol.

Intrigued by the detail, I continued to admire the car when a silhouette in a trench coat and shiny black boots emerged with a whoosh from behind the dark tent. Before I could take a better look, my watch buzzed! It was time for orientation.

Moments later, I was introduced to some of my cross-campus partners—one of whom was Dr. Drea Letamendi, PhD (she/her/ella). She greeted me with a warm smile and offered her support whenever I needed help navigating campus resources. She was the Associate Director of Mental Health Training, Intervention, and Response for Residential Life. It was her boots I had glimpsed at in the parking lot, and it has been her boots-on-the-ground serving students in a role she has led since 2017.

Now, she occupies a new role in UCLA’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) as the inaugural Director of Mobile Compassionate Response, or CORE. It’s been said that not all superheroes wear masks and capes—and that each of us has a superpower to positively impact the world. Drea is one of UCLA’s many superheroes and is an ambassador of well-being and resilience.

Nationally, 10% of college students who receive counseling face hospitalization for mental health crises each year. CORE, piloted by CAPS in 2021 and launched in 2025 with Drea as the director, provides on-site, face-to-face support that reduces police involvement during mental health crises. The program is now equipped to respond to high-risk student cases—offering care with dignity and compassion. The goal is to meet students wherever they are: in classrooms, residence halls and every space in between, with unarmed first responders who support, assist and provide mental health care.

After implementing new training, certifications and policies, CAPS has reduced police involvement significantly, with over 74% of student psychiatric hospitalizations (initiated at CAPS) now occurring without police presence.

Equipped with a utility belt of education from Cornell to UC San Diego, and over 20 years of operational experience in the UC system, Drea says, “Education has been her liberation,” and employs the 5 pillars to mental and emotional health: Connection, Coping, Calmness, Care and Compassion.

Drea explains, “When I emphasize ‘dignity’ in the context of mental health care, I’m referring to providing the most supportive, least restrictive care—with professionals trained in de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed approaches, and compassion-driven practices.” Her lifelong mission and superpower has been to bring psychological science to the general public.

Beyond her work at UCLA, Drea owns a private practice as a behavioral science advisor for the gaming, visual effects, and Hollywood industry; bridging the intersections of psychology and superhero theory. From television interviews, to TEDx talks, to podcast appearances, written publications, and Comic-Con panels, she has made it her mission to share how storytelling—and particularly how superhero narratives—can support mental health in youth and college-aged adults.

“Everyone has a story,” she says, “and many just want to be heard and validated.” For Drea, these are elements of a healthy community culture. In one article, she writes, “I proudly serve at UCLA…contributing to a shared mission to expand and elevate resilience among and within diverse communities…through drive, belonging, and purpose in educational settings.”

Leading with dignity and compassion is a standard practice for Dr. Drea Letamendi. When others are quiet, she chooses to yell, shining as a beacon of hope—guiding students toward peace and resilience, while removing any mask of misunderstanding. “Existing, persisting, and resisting” is her mantra for providing mental wellness resources and social justice for all—which explains the Batman symbol on the trunk of her car.