María Garay-Serratos, M.S.W, Ph.D.

María E. Garay-Serratos, M.S.W., Ph.D., is the Protagonist, Associate Producer, and Domestic Violence-Traumatic Brain Injury and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (DV-TBI/DV-CTE) Expert Consultant for a powerful new feature documentary, This Hits Home, released in May 2023 and available to stream on Amazon Prime. Her search for the reasons behind her own mother’s cognitive, behavior, mood, and motor decline and ultimate death after 40 years of domestic abuse serves as the backdrop for this groundbreaking documentary by Sydney Scotia, Producer, Director, and Actress. In This Hits Home, Dr. Garay-Serratos learns from Dr. Ann McKee (CTE world-renowned brain scientist and Director of Boston University CTE Center), in real time, that her mother’s brain did exhibit the damage associated with CTE. Dr. McKee further explains that the case is extreme, worse than any former NFL player’s or veteran’s brain she has examined. Along with her journey, the intimate and compelling stories of courageous DV women victims, survivors, and thrivers, insights from lawmakers and DV authorities, and the shocking revelations from world renowned experts at the Mayo Clinic, Harvard University, Boston University CTE Center, and the University of Pennsylvania, combine to paint a chilling portrait of brain injury that forever changes the lives of DV victims, survivors, and thrivers. Supported by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and the American Brain Foundation, this feature unearths a distressing truth, begins a global discussion, and sounds the alarm for a call to action.

During the filming of This Hits Home, Dr. Garay-Serratos founded and serves as Chief Executive Officer of Pánfila Domestic Violence HOPE Foundation. It is the world’s first non-profit organization dedicated to creating awareness and solutions for the silent pandemic of domestic violence-traumatic brain injury (DV-TBI) and subconcussions and CTE and other neurodegenerative diseases. The foundation was created in tandem withThis Hits Home to provide a call to action.

Dr. Garay-Serratos’ career is a product of extensive academic training, hands-on experience with at-risk children, youth, and families, domestic violence victims, survivors, and thrivers, and a heroic struggle to overcome domestic violence in her family. Dr.Garay-Serratos’ passion for understanding the roots of domestic violence and for pursuing innovative methods to prevent it inspired her to become a leader in the domestic violence field.

Prior to Pánfila Domestic Violence HOPE Foundation and This Hits Home, Dr. Garay-Serratos served in executive leadership positions with The Salvation Army's Southern California Social Services Division, Para Los Niños and the Goldie Hawn Foundation, all located in Los Angeles. She specializes in the human services fields of domestic violence, mental health, housing programs (emergency shelters, community-based supportive housing, and permanent housing), early childhood education, child and family services, homelessness, hearing impairment, and substance abuse treatment services.

Dr. Garay-Serratos holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Pitzer College (Claremont, CA), a Masters of Social Work and Ph.D. from the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. She has held teaching positions at USC, and served as supervisor and mentor for the USC Masters of Social Work Internship Program.

The Los Angeles Times published an op-ed by Garay-Serratos in October 2015 about the relationship between domestic violence, head trauma, and traumatic brain injury. She has appeared on television for CBS 5 and ABC 15 in Phoenix and has been interviewed for articles in the Arizona Republic and The Huffington Post.