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Staff   Megan Golden Director, Planning and Government Innovation e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3052     Megan Golden, who is currently the director of planning and government innovation, joined the Institute in 1992 as a Skadden Fellow at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, then a Vera project. In 1994 she was awarded a White House Fellowship. Megan returned to Vera a year later to plan the Appearance Assistance Program, which she directed from 1996 - 1998. She became director of planning in June of 1999. Previously, Megan helped the New York City Board of Elections modernize its operations. She has a B.A. in political science from Brown University and a J.D. from New York University Law School.     Anita Khashu Director [ON LEAVE], Center on Immigration and Justice         Anita Khashu manages Vera’s projects involving immigrants in the justice system. These projects include a national program to provide detainees in immigration detention facilities with legal rights presentations and pro se legal assistance; a national pro bono outreach program to provide legal representation to unaccompanied children in the immigration system; and a program to provide people with limited English proficiency language access to policing services. Anita joined Vera at the Bureau of Justice Assistance in South Africa in May 2002, where she managed Vera’s technical assistance to the Legal Aid Board of South Africa, including helping to implement recently-passed legislation creating a formalized system of plea bargaining. In April 2003, Anita returned to New York and moved to the Institute's planning department, where she worked on projects involving immigrant relations with the police. Prior to joining Vera, Anita worked as a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of New York. Anita received her B.A. from Tufts University and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law.     Merrick Bobb President, Police Assessment Resource Center (PARC) e-mail: tel: (213) 797-1101     Merrick Bobb is president of the Police Assessment Resource Center, a project Vera developed and launched in Los Angeles. A lawyer, he was the first person to occupy the role of police monitor and has become a nationally recognized expert on police oversight and reform. Merrick Bobb has monitored the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for seven years and has consulted with jurisdictions around the country and with the U.S. Department of Justice.     Jean Callahan Director, The Guardianship Project e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1874     Jean Callahan is the director of the Guardianship Project. She joined Vera in September 1999 to plan and eventually direct Vera's Adolescent Portable Therapy demonstration project, which she did until December 2004. Previously, she served as a White House Fellow with Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna E. Shalala. An attorney, Jean worked at the Legal Aid Society for four years and was co-counsel on two class action lawsuits to ensure the right to adequate home care for elderly and disabled Medicaid recipients. In 1998, she served in South Africa as an international monitor for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She is also a social worker and spent three years as a counselor at a methadone clinic. Jean has a B.A. from New York University, an M.S.W. from Hunter College School of Social Work, and a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law-Newark.     Evan Elkin Director, Adolescent Portable Therapy (APT) e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3036     Evan Elkin joined APT in February 2001 as Vera launched the project and he became Director of APT in July 2005. Previously, he worked as a psychologist at New York Presbyterian Hospital's HIV family mental health clinic, where he developed psychotherapeutic strategies for working with children and adolescents infected with or affected by HIV. He completed a pre-doctoral internship in adult and child clinical psychology and a fellowship in the outpatient alcoholism and addiction treatment program, both at St.Vincent's Hospital in New York. Evan has a B.A. in psychology from U.C. Berkeley, and an M.A. in clinical psychology from New York University.     Miles Jackson Director, Adolescent Reentry Initiative e-mail: tel: (718) 947-2727     Miles Jackson joined Vera in April 2007 as director of the Adolescent Reentry Initiative. Previously, he was the director of the Osborne Association’s Court Advocacy Services, a defense-based program that promotes the use of alternatives to detention and incarceration on an individualized case-by-case basis. He has also taught as an adjunct professor at Hunter College School of Social Work. Miles has worked as a commissioning editor for British book publishing houses and as an independent furniture maker. He holds an M.S.W. from Hunter College.     Jenny Kronenfeld Director, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2000     Jenny Kronenfeld first joined Vera as a staff attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem in 1992. In 1997 she joined the newly created Bronx Defenders, working first as a supervising team leader, and becoming the deputy director in 1999. She recently returned to Vera to work on systemic issues within the juvenile justice system and to help develop and run a new sentencing option for young people facing placement out of family court. Jenny has a B.A. in sociology from Hunter College and a J.D. from the CUNY School of Law. Prior to becoming a lawyer Jenny worked in a variety of capacities with state prisoners, people addicted to drugs and alcohol, and runaway and homeless children.     Susan M. Shah Senior Planner, Center on Immigration and Justice e-mail: tel: (212) 376-4026     Susan Shah directs Vera’s projects dealing with improving police-immigrant relations, including the Translating Justice technical assistance project, which assists law enforcement and other justice and public safety agencies in serving multilingual communities. Previously, she was a project director at New York University School of Medicine's Center for Immigrant Health (CIH) where she directed projects to facilitate immigrant access to health care and cultural competence in health care. Before joining CIH, she was an associate attorney in the immigration practice of Bryan Cave LLP. Susan earned her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law, her M.P.H. from Tufts University, and her B.A. in journalism from Drake University.     Stacey Strongarone Director of Legal Orientation and Unaccompanied Children Programs, Center on Immigration and Justice e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3074     Stacey Strongarone joined Vera in September 2006 to work on a national program to provide detainees in immigration detention facilities with legal rights presentations and pro se legal assistance and a national pro bono outreach program to provide legal representation to unaccompanied children in the immigration system. Previously, Stacey worked as a senior project director at New York University's Center for Community Problem Solving on projects related to criminal justice and reentry, immigrant health, and community economic development. Before law school, Stacey was a legal assistant at San Francisco’s La Raza Centro Legal, working on housing and youth law matters. Stacey received her B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross and J.D. from New York University School of Law.     Luisa H. Taveras Project Director, Juvenile Pre-trial Services Project e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3066     Luisa H. Taveras is the project director of the Juvenile Pre-trial Services Project, currently in the planning phase. Luisa has over 15 years of experience in the criminal and juvenile justice systems in New York. Prior to joining Vera, she served as project director of the Bronx Juvenile Accountability Court, a project of the Center for Court Innovation. From 1996 to 2003, she was a trial attorney with the Building Services 32BJ Legal Fund in New York City. From 1993-1996 Luisa was a trial attorney at Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, at the time a Vera project. Luisa serves on the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. She is a Leadership New York Coro Fellow. She holds a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and a B.A. in history and Latin American studies from Colgate University.     Michele Adams Case Manager, Adolescent Reentry Initiative e-mail: tel: (718) 947-2730     Before Michele joined Vera in May 2007, she worked in foster care for over eight years, five of those years with the adolescent population. Previously, she worked in the communications field. Michele has a B.S. in communications from St. John's University, with a minor in business administration.     Zachary Addison Case Manager, The Guardianship Project e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1874     Prior to joining the Guardianship Project in March 2007, Zachary worked as a counselor in a domestic violence shelter in Manhattan. His previous work experience includes interning with the Crisis Unit of the Chapel Hill (North Carolina) Police Department and assisting with research projects on the quality of child care. Zachary received his B.A. and M.S.W. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.     Sia Arnason Co-Coordinator, Guardian Assistance Network e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1948     Sytske Arnason (Sia) first joined Vera in April 2005 as co-coordinator of the Guardian Assistance Network of The Guardianship Project. From 1980 to 2002 she worked at the Sadin Institute on Law, Public Policy & Aging of the Brookdale Center on Aging of Hunter College, first as the social work coordinator and since 1990 as the co-director of the Institute. Sia has also conducted many training seminars on Article 81 of the Mental Hygiene Law and health care decision-making in New York State. She has written training manuals and numerous professional papers and has co-edited a guide to elder law, (Sia Arnason, Ellen Rosenzweig, and Andrew Koski, The Legal Rights of the Elderly: Everything You and Your Family Need to Know About Government Benefits, Health Care, Social Security, Veterans' Benefits, Medicare and Medicaid, Guardianship. New York: The Practising Law Institute, 1995). Sia received her B.A. from Brooklyn College and her M.S.W. from Fordham University.     Anna Ballesteros Family and Youth Field Counselor, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2037     Anna Ballesteros joined Esperanza/Hope in September 2006 as a field counselor. She received her BA in social work from Ramon Llull University in Barcelona, Spain; an MA in counseling from Rhode Island College; and an MSW from Columbia School of Social Work. Anna previously worked as a project coordinator for a peer education training site with Circulo de la Hispanidad, Inc., where she was responsible for coordinating the functions of an HIV prevention program. She also worked as a residential counselor at St. Mary’s Home for Children in Providence, RI, where she provided counseling services to teenage girls who had suffered sexual abuse and had severe emotional and behavioral issues. Anna also worked as a social worker in Lledoners Center in Barcelona, Spain, with homeless boys from North Africa and as a volunteer facilitator for HIV/AIDS in the Workplace Programs for UNICEF.     Jillian Barovick Project Analyst, The Guardianship Project e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1874     Prior to joining the Guardianship Project in April 2006, Jillian worked as a legal assistant in a law firm specializing in immigration and at the Women's Prison Association. Her academic and professional experience include criminal justice work, women's rights advocacy, and teaching developmentally disabled children. Jillian has a B.A. in women's studies from Rutgers University, New Brunswick.     Patricia Calastro Ortiz Clinical Director, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2000     Patricia Calastro Ortiz joined Vera in March 2003 as a field supervisor. She was previously clinical supervisor of Juvenile Crimes Alternative Sentencing programs at the Kings County District Attorney's Office. Patricia also served as a court advocate for the Church Avenue Merchants Block Association's Choices for Youth, an alternative sentencing program for juveniles involved in Brooklyn's Family and Criminal Courts. She has experience with adolescents and families in various settings, including an alternative high school and a residential foster care facility. Patricia received her M.S.W. from Hunter College School of Social Work. In 2005 Trish was promoted to the position of forensic field supervisor at Esperanza, and in 2006 she became the clinical director.     Sherice Campbell Project Coordinator, Prosecution and Racial Justice e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3060     Sherice joined Vera’s Prosecution & Racial Justice Program in September 2007. She previously interned with Safe Horizon where she worked with victims of domestic violence. She also interned at the Kings County Family Court. Sherice is a graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice where she received a B.A in forensic psychology.     Lawrence Caplan Family and Youth Field Counselor, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2007     Lawrence Caplan joined Esperanza/Hope in June 2006 shortly after earning a MSW degree at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University in New York. While there, he interned at the Gateway Counseling Center in the Bronx where he provided individual and group counseling for individuals with severe mental illness. He also interned at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn where he was placed in a school-based health center to work therapeutically both with individuals and groups of middle/high school students. Prior to studying in New York City, Lawrence spent about five years traveling, working, and living in Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, and East Asia. Lawrence received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Concordia University in Montréal, Canada.     Jamilah Clark Director of Community Services, Adolescent Reentry Initiative e-mail: tel: (718) 947-2728     Before joining Vera, Jamilah worked as a program evaluation consultant for Project CASE, a federally funded education initiative in the South Bronx designed to reduce violence and increase learning opportunities at some of the city's most challenging schools. She has also worked with Friends of Island Academy (FOIA) as the director of the women’s division and as the director of community-based services. While at FOIA, Jamilah was responsible for the development of various life skills curricula and youth leadership programming. In the past, she has worked with girls aged 11-14 on a violence prevention project through the Fireman's Fund Foundation and has done extensive work for the SE Massachusetts Board of Education as a cultural awareness consultant. Jamilah graduated from City College of New York with a B.A. in sociology.     Gideon Crevoshay Intake Interviewer, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2028     Prior to joining Esperanza/Hope in September 2006, Gideon Crevoshay traveled throughout Europe and the United States as a folk music and dance workshop co-leader with the Northern Harmony ensemble. These workshops were primarily youth-based cultural enrichment and group building workshops. Previously, he helped lead youth environmental education and conservation sessions with the NorthWoods Stewardship Center in Vermont. Gideon has a BA from Oberlin College where he majored in East Asian studies and Japanese.     Farrah Dormeus Project Assistant, The Guardianship Project e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1874     Prior to joining Vera in October 2007, Farrah worked with the New York State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Bureau of Tuberculosis Control. She worked closely with the human resources and budgeting departments aiding in pre-screening candidates for hire, modifying contracts, creating spreadsheets to monitor budget activity, and aiding in other financing and human resources related matters. She graduated cum laude from the City College of New York in 2007 with a B.A. in psychology and minors in Jewish studies and sociology.     Betty Dutton Intake Interviewer, Adolescent Portable Therapy e-mail: tel: (212) 376-5210     Betty joined Vera in November 2006 as an intake interviewer for Adolescent Portable Therapy. She currently interns with the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), coordinating daily activities for youth in terms of job placement and weekend activities. She has also assisted in counseling sessions with the youth and staff at OCFS. She received her bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Monroe College and intends to pursue a master's degree in criminal justice.     Casey Eiseman Intake & Project Manager, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2020     Casey Eiseman joined Vera in July 2001 to work as an intake interviewer for Adolescent Portable Therapy, a demonstration project that provides continuous drug treatment to adolescents in the juvenile justice system. He started working as the intake coordinator for Esperanza/Hope in 2002 and in 2006 became the intake and project manager. Casey graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in sociology. His studies focused on drug use, deviance, and crime. He is presently pursuing his M.P.A. at New York University's Wagner School.     Ben Estep Information Management Associate, Information Management e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3080     Ben Estep joined Vera in January 2007 as an information management associate. Previously Ben worked on policy and sociological research at the Center for Economic Progress and at the Sloan Center on Parents, Children & Work, both in Chicago. He earned his B.A. in sociology at the University of Chicago and his M.Sc. in philosophy and public policy from the London School of Economics.     Laurence Fernandez Family and Youth Field Counselor, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2043     Laurence Fernandez joined Esperanza in April 2004. Previously he worked at Inwood House/TASA counseling pregnant and parenting teens and their families. In recognizing the need for additional services for the participants at Inwood House, Laurence co-founded the Circle of Sisters therapeutic book club. Additionally, Laurence counseled the male participants at Inwood House through their male initiative Young Fathers Program. He has experience working with children, adolescents and their families, and adults in a range of settings and through various treatment modalities. Laurence received his M.S.W. from Fordham University and is currently a member of Fordham University's School of Social Service's Board of Directors.     Cesar A. Fernandez Geara Therapist, Adolescent Portable Therapy e-mail: tel: (212) 334-1300     Cesar A. Fernandez Geara joined Adolescent Portable Therapy in December 2006. Before joining Vera, he formed part of a research team studying the acculturation process of Dominican adolescent immigrants in the United States. Prior to that he worked in a public hospital in the Dominican Republic as a therapist for children and adolescents. Cesar earned his B.A. in psychology from the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and his M.A. in clinical psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University.     Irving Garcia, Jr. Case Manager, Adolescent Reentry Initiative e-mail: tel: (718) 947-2726     Prior to joining Vera in March 2006, Irving worked for the City and County of San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department as a juvenile hall unit counselor. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2004 with a B.A. in behavioral and social sciences, majoring in criminal justice with a minor in sociology. He is currently in the criminal justice masters program at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a focus in juvenile justice.     Lynette Green Field Supervisor, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2034     Lynette Green joined Vera in June 2003 as a field counselor at Esperanza. She previously worked at South Central Community Services and PSI Services, two private child welfare agencies in Chicago. She has worked as the supervisor for an adoption unit, an adoption/guardianship specialist, and as a case manager. She has also volunteered as a rape crisis counselor with the YWCA of Metro Chicago and as a mentor for youth. Lynette has her B.A. in religious studies from Grinnell College and an M.S.W. from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Work. In February 2006 Lynette was promoted to field supervisor.     Amanda Gropp Therapist, Adolescent Portable Therapy e-mail: tel: (212) 376--8151         Lindsay Herd Case Manager, The Guardianship Project e-mail: tel: (346) 296-1874     Lindsay joined The Guardianship Project in June 2006. She graduated from Knox College with a BA in gender and women's studies with a concentration in dance studies and from Columbia University with a MSW. Before joining the Guardianship Project, Lindsay worked with the aging population of New York City to provide comprehensive social service resources and referrals. In addition, she assisted on a research project at the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse looking at case management services for substance-using welfare recipients in the Bronx. She also designed and implemented a dance study program at a women's prison in Indiana.     Krista Hughes Field Supervisor, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2008     Krista Hughes joined Esperanza in January 2004 as a field counselor. She previously worked at St. Vincent's Cardinal Manning Center as the women's shelter program coordinator and at St. Vincent's Center and S.A.Y. Yes! Center for Youth Development as the after-school program coordinator. She also worked as a graduate intern providing counseling at the Incarcerated Mothers Program and at the Mapleton-Midwood Geriatric Services. Krista has a B.A. in sociology from Point Loma Nazarene University, an M.A. in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and an M.S.W. from CUNY Hunter College. In October 2006 Krista was promoted to field supervisor.     Jason Hyde Team Supervisor, The Guardianship Project e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1874     After receiving a master’s degree in special education, Jason taught in Kenya for several years as a member of the United States Peace Corps. He later moved to New York City to work in the field of social justice. Jason initially counseled people who are Deaf struggling with substance use in Manhattan. In December 2000 Jason joined Vera as a family case manager at the former Vera demonstration project, La Bodega de la Familia, where he worked with individuals returning home from prison, their families, and parole officers to reduce the incidence of substance use and reincarceration. After La Bodega, Jason worked at the Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center as a mental health therapist providing individual and group counseling. In 2005 Jason rejoined Vera after earning a master's degree from the Hunter College School of Social Work.     Mayra Ithier Senior Intake Interviewer, Adolescent Portable Therapy (APT) e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3109     Mayra joined APT in October 2004 as the program's primary intake interviewer. Previously, she worked at Abbott House as a foster care caseworker, concentrating on family reunification. Her responsibilities included advocating for children in family court, making appropriate referrals for children and parents, and providing counseling to children and both foster and biological parents. She also worked at Computers for Youth, Inc., as a research assistant where she conducted quantitative parent interviews, collected data using statistical methods, and assisted with published work. Mayra has a B.A. in sociology from SUNY Stony Brook and will be receiving her master's in public administration from John Jay College in 2007.     Inna Itskova Senior Programmer/Analyst, Information Management e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3117     Inna Itskova joined Vera in March 2001 as a senior programmer/analyst. Inna developed the Program Management Application (PMA) and customizes it to meet the needs of current Vera projects and external customers. She received her B.S. in engineering and computer science from Moscow Technical University, and has developed computer applications in different industries. Inna's most recent position was with Saga Systems, Inc., where she worked on a case management system for civil litigation.     Chloe Junge Project Analyst (part-time), Adolescent Reentry Initiative e-mail: tel: (718) 947-2720     Before joining the Adolescent Reentry Initiative in August 2005, Chloe Junge worked at Offender Aid and Restoration of Tompkins County, a small community-based organization providing services to prisoners and ex-offenders in upstate New York. She was also involved in local campaigns to improve conditions for prisoners and prevent expansion of the local jail and interned with the Prisons Program at Human Rights Watch. Chloe received a B.A. in social and historical studies from Eugene Lang College.     Eric Kolb Therapist, Adolescent Portable Therapy e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3102     Eric Kolb joined Vera's Adolescent Portable Therapy in March 2006. He previously worked with adolescents in foster care, specifically with LGBTQ adolescents in group homes. He currently runs mental health and substance abuse groups at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center and has also worked with the visually impaired and those with severe and persistent mental health issues. Eric received his B.A. in psychology from New College of Florida and his M.S.W. from the Hunter College School of Social Work.     Seven Laracuente Clinical Supervisor, Adolescent Portable Therapy (APT) e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3115     Seven Laracuente joined APT in June 2004 to work as a therapist. She has worked with incarcerated males and females, first time offenders, recovering addicts, people affected and infected with HIV, families involved in the foster care system, and school age children and adolescents with chronic behavioral problems. She has worked in Massachusetts, California, New York, and Puerto Rico. Seven received her B.A. in social work with an emphasis in sociology from the University of Puerto Rico. She has an M.S.W. from Boston College with a concentration in community organizing, planning, policy, and administration.     Krista Larson Clinical Director, Adolescent Portable Therapy (APT) e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3110     Krista Larson joined APT as a therapist in June 2001. Previously, she worked at St. Joseph Services for Children and Families in Brooklyn, New York, where she supervised and provided direct case planning services for families in contact with the foster care system. Krista has also counseled adolescents and their families referred by juvenile court judges and probation staff. Krista has a BA in psychology from the University of Richmond and an MSW from Virginia Commonwealth University.     Janet Lessem Director, Guardian Assistance Network e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1948     Prior to joining the Guardian Assistance Network (GAN) in October 2006 as the program's full-time director, Janet served as associate clinical professor and social work supervisor in Bet Tzedek Legal Services at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law of Yeshiva University. Janet’s familiarity with guardianship stems from her 10 1⁄2 year tenure as director of the Community Guardian Program at Selfhelp Community Services, Inc. She has published articles on guardianship, interdisciplinary education (law and social work), and the collaboration of lawyers and social worker. She also has made numerous presentations on topics such as compulsive hoarding, elder abuse, and self-neglect at conferences, seminars, and workshops. Janet earned a B.S. from Minnesota State University Moorhead and an M.S.W. from Adelphi University.     Janelle Lewis Program Analyst, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2012     Janelle Lewis joined Esperanza in May 2006 as a program analyst. She received her BA in political science and international relations from Syracuse University and her MPA in public and nonprofit management and policy from New York University. Prior to joining Esperanza, Janelle was a project associate for Education Development Center where she administered and analyzed a global survey of youth respondents to determine the social, cultural, and global identity of young people around the world. Before beginning her graduate studies, Janelle worked for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation where she was an analyst in the Operations and Management Planning Division. While pursing her undergraduate degree, Janelle interned with the Refugee Resettlement Program of the InterReligious Council where she was a case management assistant for Sudanese refugee families, attending to the educational and social needs of families' children.     Victor Marte Case Manager, Adolescent Reentry Initiative e-mail: tel: (718) 947-2729     Prior to joining Vera, Victor worked for Graham-Windham as a family planner in the family reunification unit. Previously, he worked for the Harlem Children's Zone as a site coordinator in one of the youth development programs and later joined Kaplan Inc. as a part-time site coordinator in the SES program. Victor received his B.A. in sociology from the City University of New York and graduated cum laude.     Rafael Martinez Recreational Activities Facilitator, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2004     Rafael Martinez joined Vera in September 2003. Before coming to Esperanza/Hope, he was a trained mediator for the Hartford Area Mediation Program and a volunteer fundraiser for All Star's Project, Inc. Rafael graduated from Trinity College where he earned his B.A. in international studies with a concentration in Latin America and the Caribbean. He is currently enrolled at New York University's Wagner School. In September 2006 Rafael was promoted to the position of recreatinal activities facilitator at Esperanza, where he will work to engage young people in positive community-based pro-social activities.     Yvonne Mbewe Intake Interviewer, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2031     Prior to joining Esperanza/Hope in October 2006, Yvonne Mbewe worked with the executive consulting firm of Gumbs + Partners, recruiting women and people of color to managerial level positions within the nonprofit sector. She also has extensive practice working with disadvantaged children throughout Harlem, New York, with organizations such as the Bell Foundation and the Elmendorf Opportunity Center. Yvonne received her bachelor's degree in political science and the Thomas Hunter Honors Program from Hunter College, CUNY in 2003 and first worked with Vera as an intern at Adolescent Portable Therapy.     Jennifer Medina Project Assistant, The Guardianship Project e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1874     Jennifer joined the Guardianship Project in February 2006 as an intern before joining full time in October 2006 as project assistant. She previously worked as a student mediator at the New York State Attorney General's Office mediating complaints in the Consumer Frauds Bureau and tracking businesses engaged in fraudulent and illegal business practices. She earned her B.A. in applied psychology and human relations with minors in art history and women's studies from Pace University in 2006.     Khemenec Pantin Family and Youth Field Counselor, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2017     Khemenec Pantin joined Vera in January 2006. As a graduate student, he worked at Groundwork Inc., providing counseling for disadvantaged students ages 10–14. He also helped develop a pilot program, Fresh Start, offering in-school preventive counseling services to students with behavioral issues. He previously interned for the West Harlem ACT team at Urban Pathways, providing group advocacy training to the homeless. He has also worked as a job readiness instructor at Friends of Island Academy, offering intensive workforce training and internship opportunities to juvenile offenders. Khemenec received his bachelor’s from Wesleyan University and his M.S.W. from Columbia University School of Social Work with a concentration in family and children services.     Susan Rainho Youth and Family Counselor, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2039     Susan Rainho joined Esperanza in August 2006. She previously worked as a case planner for CAMBA’s Family Center where she provided individual and family counseling to clients with children at risk for foster care placement. She interned at Carrfour, a transitional housing program in Miami, FL, where she provided formerly homeless families with counseling services, crisis intervention, conflict resolution, and advocacy. Since receiving her master’s degree in 2002, Susan has worked closely with diverse populations in terms of mental health, homelessness, learning and physical disabilities, domestic abuse, child abuse and neglect, child sexual abuse, court-involved youth and families, housing, and substance abuse. She has also worked closely with children and adolescents by providing them with individual and family counseling, play therapy, vocational counseling, and grief counseling. Susan earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of Miami and a dual M.S. in mental health counseling and marriage and family therapy from Barry University in Miami, FL.     Kaitlin Reedy Investigator, The Guardianship Project e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1874     Kaiti joined The Guardianship Project in September 2006 after earning a B.A. in criminal justice from George Washington University in Washington, DC. Her prior work experience includes conducting research on child abductions as an intern with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, serving as a financial crimes intern with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, working in a law firm, and interning with the National Center for Victims of Crime.     Sean Reynolds Program Coordinator, Adolescent Portable Therapy e-mail: tel: (212) 376-5203     Before coming to Vera Sean worked at the Children's Aid Society as an operations assistant where he worked primarily with the WIA Teen Leadership program and the New York Times Summer Employment program. He graduated from Boston University with a bachelor's degree in economics.     Elizabeth Rogers Therapist, Adolescent Portable Therapy (APT) e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3098     Elizabeth Rogers joined APT as a therapist in March 2006. She previously worked for The Bridge's assertive community treatment team, providing home-based mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, and crisis intervention to adults living with mental illness. As a graduate student, Elizabeth worked with parenting adolescents, day care students, and their parents, and at an out-patient mental health clinic. Before moving to New York in 2002, she worked at a Head Start program in Rhode Island and at a nonprofit agency in Washington, DC, providing educational and social services to children and adolescents. Elizabeth received her B.A. in history from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and her M.S.W. from Columbia University School of Social Work.     Eden Ruiz Project Assistant, The Guardianship Project e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1874     Eden joined the Guardianship Project as a project assistant in July 2007. Previously, she worked as a shelter supervisor for Centre House, a homeless shelter for adults, and a housing case management intern at Housing Transitions Inc., both of which serve the population of Centre County, PA. She earned her B.S. in human development and family studies with a minor in psychology from The Pennsylvania State University in 2006.     Joanna  Santa Therapist, Adolescent Portable Therapy e-mail: tel: (212) 376-5204     Joanna Santa joined APT in January 2007. Before joining APT she worked as a youth development program manager at New Door Ventures (formerly Golden Gate Community, Inc.) in San Francisco, CA, where she developed a mentoring program and a work experience program for high-risk adolescents. Joanna also provided case management and counseling to youth who were homeless or involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems as well as youth in recovery from substance use. Prior to that, Joanna worked in New York City at various nonprofit organizations providing services to youth and families also involved in family court and juvenile justice systems and did volunteer work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Joanna has a B.A. in psychology from Hunter College and earned her M.S.W. from the Hunter College School of Social Work.     Heidi J. Segal Senior Planner, e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3032     Heidi Segal is currently working on a variety of projects including Prosecution and Racial Justice and the Center on Youth Justice as well as initiatives concerning indigent defense. Heidi joined Vera in July 2001 as associate director of the State Sentencing and Corrections Program, and from November 2001 through October 2003 she was the founding director of Vera's national Youth Justice Program. Previously, Heidi was a senior staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society's capital and criminal defense divisions. Heidi has a B.A. from Vassar College in political science and sociology and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.     Danielle Sered Senior Planner, Planning and Government Innovation e-mail: tel: (212) 376-4061     Before coming to Vera in 2006, Danielle worked with the Center for Court Innovation's Harlem Community Justice Center, where she led its programs for court-involved and recently incarcerated youth. While there, she developed Generations, a new bilingual program for mothers and daughters. Before arriving in New York, Danielle designed and directed a program to teach conflict resolution through the arts in inner-city Atlanta schools and juvenile detention centers. She has extensive involvement in gang intervention work and experience with a variety of mediation and conflict resolution techniques. Danielle received her B.A. from Emory University and her masters degrees in poetry and european literature from New York University and Oxford University (UK) where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar.     Jeffrey Sharlein Family and Youth Field Counselor, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2022     Jeffrey Sharlein joined Esperanza/Hope in August 2006, after receiving his M.S.W. from Hunter College School of Social Work. His social work internships included Partnership with Children's Pathways program for suspended junior high and high school students, and Bronx PrYde, a community-based youth development program. Prior to graduate school, he worked in nonprofit technical assistance at Shatil in Jerusalem, Israel, taught middle school English at Cush Campus Schools in New York, and worked as an education counselor/instructor at Project Renewal's Next Step program, also in New York.     Santrice Simon Case Manager, Adolescent Reentry Initiative e-mail: tel: (718) 947-2725     Santrice Simon joined Vera in May 2007 as a case manager for the Adolescent Reentry initiative. Previously she was a senior case manager of CAMBA HomeBase Homelessness program. She has also facilitated empowerment and motivational speaking workshops to indigent individuals. Santrice has worked as a paralegal and investigator for the Legal- Aid Society in the Criminal and Housing divisions. She attended City College and majored in psychology and English. Santrice is an avid reader and has had her writings published.     Robert Sims Case Manager, Adolescent Reentry Initiative e-mail: tel: (718) 947-2724     Robert Sims joined Vera in September 2007 as a case manager for the Adolescent Reentry Initiative (ARI). Before coming to ARI, Robert worked in the Bronx at Project Samaritan, Inc., as a case manager for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Robert also mentors men and women returning home after serving lengthy prison sentences. Robert is currently a social work student at Lehman College, where he will attend graduate school in fall 2008. Robert also finds time to produce a weekly radio program on WBAI 99.5 FM that focuses on criminal justice and various other human rights issues.     Andrea Snelson Deputy Director, The Guardianship Project e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1874     Andrea first joined Vera in July 2001 as a planning analyst for a project studying New York City's system for status offenders, Persons In Need of Supervision (PINS), and explored respite care as an alternative to foster care for families in need. Beginning in February 2004, Andrea led the planning of the Guardianship Project, which would ultimately launch in April 2005. Prior to joining Vera, she was a research assistant at the Bronx Veteran's Association Hospital, working with a grant-funded team that studied mood and personality disorders in adults. Andrea has a B.A. in psychology from Mount Holyoke College and a J.D. from the Cardozo School of Law.     Julia Spring Co-Coordinator, Guardian Assistance Network e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1948     Julia C. Spring first joined Vera in April 2005 as a co-coordinator of the Guardian Assistance Network of The Guardianship Project. Previously, she was the director of student counseling and an associate clinical professor at Columbia University School of Law and a senior attorney at the Sadin Institute on Law, Public Policy & Aging of the Brookdale Center on Aging of Hunter College. Julia received her B.A. from Radcliffe College/Harvard University, an M.S.W. from the University of Michigan School of Social Work, and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.     Kerica Stewart Case Manager, The Guardianship Project e-mail: tel: (347) 296-1874     Before joining Vera in September 2006, Kerica worked at a mental health rehabilitation program for three years as a case manager, assisting numerous clients with obtaining and maintaining gainful employment. She was also a program assistant to the Wellness Education Program at Hunter College for two years. She earned her B.A. in sociology in 2003 from Hunter College and intends to pursue an M.S.W. in the next year.     Phil Valdez Director of Finance & Administration, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3071     Phil Valdez joined Vera in March 2003 as accounting manager. In 2005 he was promoted to controller. Previously, he worked in finance departments in various positions at Broadcast Music, Inc.; The Alan Guttmacher Institute; Pacific International Services (a division of Pacific Fruit); and Martin Progressive LLC. In 2006 Phil transferred to Esperanza where he coordinates the fiscal and administrative functions of the program.     Bianca Van Heydoorn FAO Schwarz Youth Development Fellow, Adolescent Portable Therapy e-mail: tel: (212) 376-8154     Bianca joined Vera in October 2007 as the FAO Schwarz Youth Development Fellow at Adolescent Portable Therapy (APT). Prior to joining Vera, she worked at the Center for Employment Opportunities assisting youth and adults reintegrate through transitional employment after periods of incarceration. She also worked with Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, a Harlem-based program that works with young women at risk for or involved in commercial sexual exploitation and violence. Bianca has a B.A. in correctional sociology from the City University of New York and is currently working toward her master’s degree in criminal justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.     Cristen Van Vleet Clinical Supervisor, Adolescent Portable Therapy e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3154     Cristen Van Vleet joined Adolescent Portable Therapy in August 2006. Before that, she spent nearly 11 years working extensively with adolescents as a dropout prevention specialist for the Austin Independent School District as well as serving as a program manager for Communities In Schools, Central Texas. She has also worked for Child Protective Services in Austin, Texas, within its Intensive Family Preservation Unit, and in New Orleans within its Sexual Abuse Investigation and Case Management Unit. She has supervised MSW interns, Americorps volunteers, and taught English as a Second Language in Oaxaca, Mexico. She received her BS in psychology from Texas A&M University and her MSW from Tulane University.     Mayela Velez Family and Youth Field Counselor, Esperanza/Hope e-mail: tel: (646) 278-2000     Mayela Velez joined Esperanza/Hope in January 2006. She previously worked at Friends of Island Academy as a case manager for the Adolescent Link program where she provided intensive case management, needs assessment, crisis intervention, referral services, etc., to young people ages 10–17 who were previously detained at juvenile detention centers or Rikers Island. She also worked at St. John's University for the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) providing academic advisement to college students. Mayela received her B.A. in psychology and her M.A. in sociology from St. John’s University.     Micah West Planning Analyst, Planning and Government Innovation