About CHDI

Staff

CHDI’s diverse staff shares a common mission: improving the health and well-being of children.

Our staff members provide a range of expertise in pediatrics, children’s mental health, social work and government and have a range of knowledge and experience in translating research to inform and improve public policy and practice.

Rebekah Behan Senior Project Coordinator
rbehan@chdi.org | 860-679-8726

Rebekah Behan is a Project Coordinator. She joined CHDI in 2019 and works on the School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI), School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation (SHAPE) system, and Project AWARE. Rebekah has over 18 years of experience working in the human service field, with an extensive background in youth development, prevention strategies, and mentoring services. She is a skilled project manager and trainer who has presented both locally and nationally.

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Jeana Bracey, PhD Associate Vice President of School and Community Initiatives
jbracey@chdi.org | 860-679-1524

Jeana Bracey is Associate Vice President of School and Community Initiatives at CHDI. She joined CHDI in 2011. She oversees several school and community-based systems development activities and has experience in school-based mental health, juvenile justice diversion, health equity, and program implementation and evaluation.

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Roseann Breindel, MA Project Coordinator
rbreindel@chdi.org | 860-679-4816

Roseann (Rosie) Breindel joined CHDI in June 2022 as a Project Coordinator working on school mental health initiatives. Rosie earned her MA in School Counseling from the University of Saint Joseph and a BA in English from Providence College. She previously worked as a certified middle school counselor providing academic and social-emotional support for students in grades 5-8 and has participated in department, school, and district-level initiatives to improve behavioral health.


Jaime Brown, MSW Project Coordinator
jbrown@chdi.org | (860) 679-6223

Jaime Brown joined CHDI in March 2023 as a Project Coordinator working on projects related to evidence-based practice dissemination and quality improvement initiatives in children’s behavioral health programs.

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Yecenia Casiano, MS Senior Project Coordinator
ycasiano@chdi.org | 860-679-2336

Yecenia Casiano is a Senior Project Coordinator. She joined CHDI in 2013 and works on both the School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI) and the Mobile Crisis Intervention Services (formerly Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services - EMPS) - Performance Improvement Center Projects.

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Tasmina Chowdhury Data Analyst
tchowdhury@chdi.org | 860-679-4676

Tasmina Chowdhury joined CHDI in January 2023 as a Data Analyst. She is responsible for analyzing data and producing reports for several different initiatives and projects, including Trauma ScreenTIME, Workforce Development, and Evidence-Based Treatments.

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Michelle Delaney, MHP Senior Associate
mdelaney@chdi.org | 860-679-4544

Michelle Delaney is a Senior Associate. She joined CHDI in 2011 and works on the School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI). She previously worked as a Senior Data Analyst on Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Coordinating Center initiative.

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Meghan N. Flynn, Ph.D. Post Doctoral Fellow

Meghan Flynn is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Child Behavioral Health. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Services Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), specializing in Community Psychology and Implementation Science. Meghan also served as a policy fellow at the Research-to-Policy Collaboration, where she helped translate evidence-based research into actionable policy at local, state, and federal levels.

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Nicole Foster, LMSW Project Coordinator

Nicole Foster joined CHDI as a Project Coordinator in September 2024 working on projects relating to developing training for the DCF Workforce Development and Transformation Transfer Initiative (TTI) and primarily using our new asynchronous platform, Kids Mental Health Training. Nicole is a licensed social worker with experience in schools as well as other settings, and previously had a career as a nurse in pediatric primary care. She has extensive experience training other professionals as well as family members.

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Tiffany Franceschetti, LCSW Senior Associate
tfranceschetti@chdi.org | 860-679-8064

Tiffany Franceschetti manages the dissemination and implementation of several evidence-based practices (EBP) for CHDI. Tiffany has over 15 years of experience in children’s behavioral health, including more than eight years at CHDI. She has disseminated and implemented several EBPs, including MATCH, TF-CBT, and the Early Childhood Learning Collaborative (ECTC). She has extensive experience using the Learning Collaborative methodology and is a state trainer for MATCH.

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Marlene Gomez Project Coordinator
mgomez@chdi.org | 860-679-7322

Marlene Gomez joined CHDI in May 2023 as a Project Coordinator working on both the Connecting to Care (CONNECT) initiative and the school-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI) with the goal of implementing the youth and family voice into systems.

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Christine Hauser, LCSW, LADC Senior Associate
chauser@chdi.org | (860) 679-1517

Christine Hauser joined CHDI in January 2021 as a Senior Project Coordinator. She was promoted to Senior Associate in 2023. She coordinates statewide implementation of evidence-based treatments for children's outpatient behavioral health, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and the Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems (MATCH-ADTC).

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Shannon Houston, MSW Communications Manager
shouston@chdi.org | 860-679-6242

Shannon Houston joined CHDI in June as Communications Manager, managing the organization's digital presence and supporting overall communications strategy and planning. She brings 17+ years of experience in nonprofit communications, fundraising, and community project management.

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Ryan Jason Vice President for Finance & Operations
rjason@chdi.org | 860-679-1533

Ryan Jason is Vice President for Finance & Operations. He joined CHDI in 2022 and leads CHDI’s accounting, finance, contract management, operations, and human resources. Ryan has 15 years of experience in finance and public accounting with a focus on the non-profit sector.

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Aleece Kelly, MPP Senior Associate
akelly@chdi.org | 860-679-6549

Aleece Kelly joined CHDI in August 2018. As Senior Associate, she leads CHDI's expanding work in behavioral health systems development, including efforts to strengthen Connecticut's behavioral health workforce and support the state’s behavioral health plan implementation workgroups. Aleece also serves as chair of CHDI’s Committee on Anti-Racism and Equity (CARE). In this role, she leads the committee’s efforts to recommend, implement, and monitor adherence to standards for culturally appropriate and anti-racist policies and practices within the organization in order to advance health equity and wellness.

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Alyssa Korell, PhD Project Coordinator
akorell@chdi.org | 860-679-8722

Alyssa Korell is a Project Coordinator at CHDI working primarily on evidence-based treatment initiatives. She was hired after completing her postdoctoral fellowship with CHDI in 2023. Prior to joining CHDI, she served as a clinical interviewer for the National Study of Mental Health, where she obtained information about the prevalence of mental health and substance use disorders among adults in the United States.

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Alice Kraiza, MPH Senior Project Coordinator
akraiza@chdi.org | 860-679-2907

Alice Kraiza joined CHDI in September 2019. She serves as Senior Project Coordinator for the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) and Bounce Back initiatives. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Neuroscience from Gettysburg College and received a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Public Health Administration and Policy from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. Her master’s thesis focused on the implementation and initiation of school-based mental health programs in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

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Jason Lang, PhD Chief Program Officer
jlang@chdi.org | 860-679-1550

Jason M. Lang serves as CHDI’s Chief Program Officer, where he leads CHDI’s work to advance solutions that result in equitable and optimal behavioral health and well-being for children, youth, and families. He is responsible for staff and programs across CHDI’s areas of expertise, including evidence-based practices (EBPs), trauma-informed care, comprehensive school mental health, quality improvement and measurement-based care, and policy and system development. Jason is a nationally recognized expert on child trauma, evidence-based practices, and implementation science and has published and presented extensively on these topics.

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Brittany C.L. Lange, DPhil, MPH Senior Associate
blange@chdi.org | 860-679-8064

Brittany Lange is the Senior Associate for CHDI’s ScreenTIME (Screen, Triage, Inform, Mitigate, Engage) initiative. In this role, she leads the development and national dissemination of an online training for child-serving professionals to improve early identification and support for children suffering from traumatic stress. She also supports CHDI’s quality improvement initiatives.

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Jamie LoCurto, PhD Senior Associate
jlocurto@chdi.org | 860-679-4968

Jamie LoCurto is the Senior Associate for Project AWARE. She joined CHDI in January 2020 and leads implementation, quality improvement, evaluation and training on Project AWARE. Jamie has over 10 years of experience working with schools and community mental health centers, implementing, training and overseeing evidence-based treatments in anxiety and depression for children and adolescents.

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Jack Lu, PhD, LCSW Director of Implementation
jlu@chdi.org | 860-679-1520

Jack re-joined CHDI in 2019 where he leads the dissemination and implementation of multiple evidence-based treatment (EBT) initiatives for children with behavioral health concerns, with a particular focus on training and site-based consultation. These initiatives include Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems (MATCH-ADTC), and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) and Bounce Back (BB).

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Elaine Mancini, MA Project Coordinator
emancini@chdi.org | (860) 679-6293

Elaine Mancini joined CHDI in January 2023 as a Project Coordinator for the School-Based Diversion Initiative. In this role, Elaine will coordinate the implementation of SBDI in several schools and districts and support CHDI’s school mental health initiatives.

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Ashley Nelson Senior Data Analyst
anelson@chdi.org | 860-679-8052

Ashley Nelson is a Senior Data Analyst. She joined CHDI in January 2017 and works on multiple evidence-based treatment initiatives (including MATCH-ADTC, TF-CBT, and CBITS/Bounce Back). She has a BA in Psychology and Child Study from the University of Saint Joseph, and a computer science certification from Gateway Community College.

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Katie Newkirk, PhD Senior Associate
knewkirk@chdi.org | 8606794308

Katie Newkirk, PhD, joined CHDI as a Senior Associate working on performance improvement in children's behavioral health. In this position, she helps lead the data analysis and quality improvement reporting for several community-based children's behavioral health initiatives.

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Caleb Owen Data Fellow

Caleb joined CHDI as a Data Fellow in 2024. He primarily supports CHDI's quality improvement initiatives for crisis services and evidence-based practices. Caleb recently graduated with a BA in Psychology from the University of Connecticut, where he worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant. He is interested in the potential of leveraging data analytics to optimize efficacy, monitor progress, and discern trends in children's behavioral health.


Kate Powers, LMSW Senior Project Coordinator
kpowers@chdi.org | (860) 679-4974

Kate Powers, LMSW, joined CHDI in March 2023. She serves as Senior Project Coordinator for Workforce Development projects, including the new online training center, the Workforce Strategic Plan, and CT Health Horizons.

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Kellie Randall, PhD Associate Vice President of Quality Improvement
krandall@chdi.org | 860-679-8098

Kellie Randall is the Associate Vice President of Quality Improvement at CHDI. In this role, she provides oversight for initiatives focused on trauma-informed and best practices in children's mental health, with a specific focus on data analysis, reporting, and quality improvement. She also helps to guide CHDI and support the Board of Directors as a member of the senior leadership team.

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Lori Schon Office Manager
lschon@chdi.org | 860-679-1536

Lori Schon joined CHDI in 2008. She serves as CHDI's Office Manager where she responsible for managing organizational operations, technology, and human resources. She also serves as the Liaison to the Board of Directors and supports CHDI's contracts and finance activities.

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Suzanne Shea Accounting Manager
sshea@chdi.org | 860-679-6222

Suzanne Shea joined CHDI in January 2020. She serves as Accounting Manager, supporting CHDI's finance, human resources, and contract operations. She has over twenty years of accounting experience, most recently working in Property Accounting for a company that provides affordable housing through state and federal funding to residents across the country.

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Nik Sixco Administrative Assistant
nsixco@chdi.org | 860-679-8095

Nik Sixco joined CHDI in May 2023 as an Administrative Assistant. Nik provides administrative support to CHDI staff and partners on a range of children’s behavioral health initiatives and supports the Finance/Administrative team.

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Heather Solak Senior Data Analyst
hsolak@chdi.org | 860-679-8099

Heather Solak rejoined CHDI in 2019 as a Senior Data Analyst and works primarily with children’s outpatient services data, including work with a number of the evidence-based treatments, as well as on the CBITS/BB initiative.

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Julie Tacinelli Vice President for Communications
jtacinelli@chdi.org | 860-679-1534

Julie is the Vice President for Communications and is responsible for building awareness of the organization’s mission, priorities and initiatives. She oversees internal and external communications strategies, messaging, content, publications, websites, and outreach. Julie also contributes to the management and strategic direction of CHDI as a member of the senior leadership team and helps to guide CHDI’s work to address racism and promote equity. She joined CHDI in 2012.

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Kayla Theriault, MPH Senior Associate
ktheriault@chdi.org | 860-679-8775

Kayla Theriault serves as a Senior Associate, where she helps to lead CHDI’s Mobile Crisis Performance Center. In this role she provides data analysis, reporting, and quality improvement for Connecticut’s Mobile Crisis program by monitoring key indicators on access, quality, and outcomes to help inform policy and practice solutions. She also provides coaching for states to improve their mobile crisis services, including serving as faculty on the Mobile Response and Stabilization Quality Learning Collaborative – a partnership between CHDI and the Innovations Institute at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. Kayla also supports other quality improvement activities and initiatives, including the School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI) and Care Coordination.

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Jenna Trott, LMSW Project Coordinator
jtrott@chdi.org | (860) 679-4945

Jenna Trott joined CHDI in 2024 as a Project Coordinator working on projects related to evidence-based practice dissemination and quality improvement initiatives for TF-CBT and MATCH.

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Allison Valenti, LMFT Project Coordinator
avalenti@chdi.org | 860-679-4921

Allison Valenti, LMFT, joined CHDI as a Project Coordinator in 2023. In this role, she focuses on CHDI’s substance use disorder (SUD) initiatives, including work in youth outpatient settings through a DCF-funded SUD project and in-home services through SAMHSA’s CT-TREE grant.

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Jeffrey Vanderploeg, PhD President & CEO
jvanderploeg@chdi.org | 860-679-1542

Jeff Vanderploeg is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut. He joined CHDI in 2009 and was appointed President and CEO on October 1, 2017.

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Kara Vlahcevic, MS Data Analyst
kvlahcevic@chdi.org | 8606798051

Kara Vlahcevic joined CHDI as a data analyst in November 2022. She is responsible for analyzing data and producing reports to support CHDI's quality improvement initiatives in outpatient children’s behavioral health and evidence-based treatments (including TF-CBT, MATCH-ADTC, and CBITS/Bounce Back).

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Arielle Wagoner Senior Project Coordinator
awagoner@chdi.org | 860-679-4975

Arielle Wagoner joined CHDI in May 2023 as a Senior Project Coordinator working on the Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems (MATCH-ADTC) and Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) initiatives. Previously, Arielle worked in the public school system for 7 years as a school psychologist. She has provided support for children’s social-emotional and behavioral health needs through assessment, intervention implementation, and consultation and collaboration-related activities.

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Sarah White, LCSW Project Coordinator

Sarah White joined CHDI as a Project Coordinator in July 2024 working on the CONNECT and SBDI initiatives. Sarah is an LCSW and a Licensed School Adjustment Counselor and earned her Master of Social Work from Simmons University. Sarah’s most recent role was a School Social Worker at Longmeadow Public Schools in Longmeadow, MA, were she provided counseling and crisis intervention services and developed intervention strategies to increase students’ academic success. She also has clinical experience in other settings, having worked in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and correctional facilities.


Annie Winneg, MPH Senior Project Coordinator

Annie Winneg is the Senior Project Coordinator for CHDI’s Trauma Sensitive Practices in Early Childhood (TSPEC) project. In this role, she leads the development of a training series around trauma-sensitive practices for early childhood interventionists. She also supports CHDI’s ScreenTIME initiative.

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Mackenzie Wink, PhD Project Coordinator
mwink@chdi.org | 860-679-4966

Mackenzie Wink joined CHDI as a Postdoctoral Fellow in July 2022 working on our school mental health initiatives. She was hired as a Project Coordinator in 2023. Mackenzie earned her M.A. in 2019 and completed her Ph.D. in 2022 in Human Development and Family Sciences, with a specialization in child and adolescent development, from the University of Connecticut.

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Beth Zweibel, MA Contracts Manager
bzweibel@chdi.org | 860-679-1572

Beth joined CHDI as Contracts Manager in April 2022. She has over two decades of experience in grants and contracts processing, monitoring, and compliance.

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