Michael Drexler, Ph.D., CPRP
Associate Professor, School of Psychology (SOP)
SOP Director of Academic and Student Affairs
Dr. Drexler is a neuropsychologist and is an Associate Professor at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont California, where he serves as Director of Academic and Student Affairs, and Chairs the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
He is also Adjunct Professor of Neuropsychology and Neuropsychological Assessment at the California School of Professional Psychology of Alliant International University (CSPP of AIU), Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco (USF).
He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, and board certified by the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.
Background
Dr. Drexler worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) from 2001 through 2023. While with DVA, he served in a number of capacities including as the VA Sierra Nevada Network (VISN 21) Director of Organizational Development and Wellness and Chief Wellbeing Officer, VA VISN 21 Chief Mental Health Officer, Acting VISN 21 Chief Medical Officer, and for the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS), he served as Director of the Telemental Health Section of the Mental Health Service, Coordinator of the Workplace Violence Prevention Program at SFVAHCS, Psychologist for Mental Health in inpatient medicine, Clinical Director of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center, Local Psychosocial Recovery Coordinator (LRC) for Severe Mental Illness, Hospice Psychologist, Mental Health Manager for Compensation and Pension, Geriatric Neuropsychologist and Geropsychologist.
Before moving to DVA, he worked for the SF Department of Public Health and was stationed at Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in San Francisco, serving as Director of the Neuropsychology Service, Program Director of Psychosocial Units (with a focus on SMI), and Psychosocial Coordinator of the Dementia Cluster. During that time, he was also on staff at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Dr. Drexler has worked as the consulting neuropsychologist for Geriatric Services of San Francisco, Garfield Geropsychiatric Hospital in Oakland, Morton Bakar Geropsychiatric Center in Hayward, and Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco.
Dr. Drexler served as Chair of the Continuing Education Committee of the National Academy of Neuropsychology and on the Ad Hoc Education Committee of the International Neuropsychological Society. He served as President of the Northern California Neuropsychology Forum.
Education
- Postdoctoral Residency/Fellowship. Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology; (Laurel Grove Rehabilitation Hospital-Eden Hospital, Hayward California, 1990)
- Psychology (San Francisco VA Health Care System, 1986-1988)
- D., Clinical Psychology. Dissertation: A Comparative Neuropsychological Study of Recognition of Facial Affect in Dementia and Depression; (California School of Professional Psychology of Alliant International University, 1988)
- Master’s Degree, Clinical Psychology. Research Topics: Prototypic Norms for a Children’s Version of the California Verbal Learning Test; Longitudinal Study of Progression in Dementia; (California School of Professional Psychology of Alliant International University, 1984)
- Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology. (University of Colorado, Boulder, 1980)
Courses Taught
- Lifespan Development (NDNU)
- Clinical Assessment & Treatment Planning (NDNU)
- Research Methods & Proposal Design (NDNU)
- Dying, Death, & Bereavement (NDNU)
- Cross-Cultural Issues (NDNU)
- Gerontology Focus courses (NDNU)
- Neuropsychology and Neuropsychological Assessment (CSPP of AIU)
- Brain, Mind, & Behavior (Interdisciplinary Studies (UCSF)
- Individual & Systems Assessment (USF)
- Individual & Family Psychopathology (USF)
- Neuroanatomy and Psychopharmacology (AIU MS in Clinical Psychopharmacology Program)
Research and Interests
- Neuropsychology of normal and pathological developmental processes
- Attitudes of Mental Health Professionals
- Memory and Trauma
- Cross-cultural neuropsychology
- Environmental interventions with dementia syndromes
- Schizophrenia and Severe Mental Illness
- Brain trauma
- Workplace Safety
Selected Publications
Bush, S., & Drexler, M.L. (Eds.) (2002). Ethics in neuropsychology. Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger.
Drexler, M.L. (2014). Psychological assessment of veterans in long-term care. In S.S. Bush (Ed.), Psychological assessment of veterans. New York: Oxford University Press. (Chapter 3).
Drexler, M.L. & Walker, W. (2003). Geropsychology: Emerging practice and training. In M.B. Kenkel, L. Winfrey, L. Collins, & J. Yalof (Program Committee), NCSPP pre-conference book of readings (cited on-line at NCSPP website). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Drexler, M.L., Walker, W.L., Krackov, B., & Wyman, M. (2004). Geropsychological services for Palliative Care/Hospice patients in a VA nursing home care unit. Psychologists in Long Term Care Newsletter, 18, 3-8.
Harrison, M., Haney-Chambers K., Drexler, M., Lyon-Bramhall, A., & McQuaid, J. (2020, July). Lessons learned from a service-wide transition to tele mental health: We have overcome challenges, made mistakes, and learned a great deal. VA Section Newsletter, APA Division 18, Psychologists in Public Service.
Heaton, R.K., & Drexler, M. (1987). Clinical neuropsychological findings in schizophrenia and aging. In N.E. Miller & G.D. Cohen (Eds.), Schizophrenia and aging: Schizophrenia, paranoia, and schizophreniform disorders in later life (pp. 145-161). New York: The Guilford Press.
Karlin, B.E., Teri, L., Shealy-McGee, J.S, Sutherland, E.S., Asghar-Ali, A., Crocker, S.M., Smith, T.L., Curyto, K., Drexler, M. & Karel, M. (2017). STAR-VA Intervention for managing challenging behaviors in VA Community Living Center residents with dementia: Manual for STAR VA behavioral coordinators and nursing champions. Community Living Center Mental Health Providers. Washington, DC: VACO publications.
Purcell, N., & Drexler, M.L. (2018, March). Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management: Lessons Learned in One VA Health Care System. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tam0000093
Purcell, N., Shovein, E., JD; Hebenstreit, C., & Drexler, M. (2017). Violence in a U.S. Veterans Affairs healthcare system: Worker Perspectives on prevalence, causes, and contributors. Policy and Practice in Health & Safety, DOI: 10.1080/14773996.2016.1266439.
van Zyl, M., Shumaker, E., & Drexler, M. (2022, March). Telehealth: Benefits, barriers, and burnout– VA providers share their experiences with telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and invite you to join the conversation. VA Section Newsletter, APA Division 18, Psychologists in Public Service.
Vinogradov, S., Kirkland, J., Poole, J.H., Drexler, M.L., Ober, B.A., & Shenaut, G.K. (2003). Both processing speed and semantic organization account for verbal fluency in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 59 (2-3), 269-275.
Selected Presentations
Drexler, M., Nguyen, D., Juanamarga, J., Reddy, S., Shumaker, E., Kotte, A., Lyon-Bramhall, A., & Ma, F. (2019, May). VA mental health clinicians’ perceptions of delivering behavioral interventions using telemental health technology (TMH): data to help support the important VA initiative for remote treatment. Presented at the Association of Veterans Affairs Psychology Leadership (VAVAPL) Annual Conference, San Antonio, Texas.
Drexler, M.L., Rizzo, T., Sutherland, E.S., Yuger, F., & Cheng, E. (2007, February). A preliminary study of the incremental validity of quantified process-related features from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) to diagnostic classification of cognitive disorder in a geriatric sample. Presented at the annual convention of the International Neuropsychological Society, Portland, Oregon.
Glezerman, A., & Drexler, M.L. (2001, November). The Russian Adaptation of the CERAD Battery (CERAD-RA). Presented at the Annual Conference of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, San Francisco, California.
Juanamarga, J., Shumate, S.K., Drexler, M.L., & Reddy, S., (2017, April). Theoretical orientation and technology: Telemental health use in clinical practice within VA facilities. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Clinical Issues Paper Session II, Sacramento, CA.
Lang J.A., Drexler M.L., Riley N., DeCristoforo L., & Sedo M.A. (2002, October). A Stroop Alternative for Non-English Speakers: Investigation of the Clinical Utility of an Automatic-Controlled Processing Model Applied to the Five Digit Test. Presented at the Annual Conference of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, Miami, Florida.
Ma, F., Drexler, M., Shumaker, E., Reddy, S., Larkins, D., Juanamarga, J., & Burns, R. (2018, April). Telemental Health: Innovative Practice to Enhance Care for Veterans. Presented at the APA Technology, Mind, & Society: An interdisciplinary conference, Washington, D.C.
Miele, A., Benigno, A., Gunner, J., Leigh, K., Lynch, J., Drexler, M., McCaffrey, R., & Weiss, E. (2010). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive power, and negative predictive power of 15 Embedded Symptom Validity measures among litigants: Caution, dangerous curve ahead! Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 25, 502.
Nguyen, D., Mendoza, C., Joseph, K., Drexler, M., Mendoza, R. (2019, April). Telehealth care for women combat veterans. Presented at the Annual California Psychological Association Conference, Long Beach, California.
Poggesi, R. M., Reddy, S., Drexler, M., Shumaker, E. (2018, May). Case report for technology-mediated delivery of CBT for Insomnia yields promising results. Presented at the meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, San Francisco, California.
Shiratori, Y., Leigh, K, & Drexler, M.L. (2012, April). Sensorimotor Group treatment of Severe Mental Illness and other Sensory Processing Disorders: Procedures and observations. Presented at the annual convention of the California Psychological Association, Monterey, California.
Spaminato, L., Drexler, M.L., & Tanno, C. (September, 2023). Neuropsychological Constructs: Factor Structure of a Standard Battery Revisited. Presented at the Annual California Psychological Association Conference, San Diego, California.
Spaminato, L., Henn-Haase, C., Cooper, B., & Drexler, M. (2024, March). Deception: Worth Paying Attention To? Clinician Perceptions and Interviewee Endorsement of Response Bias in Violence Risk Assessment. American Psychology Law Society Conference 2024, Los Angeles, California.
Walker, W.L & Drexler, M.L. (2004, July). Color Trails & Five-Digit Tests: Education Effects in Modern Greek Speakers. Presented at the joint meeting of the Australia Society for Brain Impairment and the International
Wortman, K. M., Drexler, M.L., & Casey, S. C. (2018, June). Using the NEO to assess and describe personality in mild TBI: Results and implications. Presented at the Federal Interagency Conference on TBI (FICTBI), Washington, DC.
Young, R., Drexler, M., & Chiu, E. (2018, March). What Are We Missing in Person-Centered Dementia Care: The Care Burden of Being a Caregiver. Presented at the 2018 ASA Aging in America Conference, San Francisco, California.