Staff

Abby has a Master's Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from New York University and has over 15 years of experience in the human service field, specifically in children's mental health, public health, child welfare and managed care. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Human Services Department at Goodwin College.

Sharon has over twenty years of banking experience in operations and project management. For the past nine years she worked for the City of Hartford, managing affordable housing programs funded by Federal and State of CT grants. Sharon will assist the Vice President of Finance & Operations with grants and contracts administration.

He holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from the UCONN School of Social Work. Prior to joining CHDI, Kyle worked at the United Nations Development Program where he was part of a global indicators project. Previous to this he worked with the IICAPS (In-Home Intensive Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services) program.

Jeana’s work focuses on developing effective systems, policies, and best practices to improve behavioral health outcomes for children, youth, and families through school-family-community partnerships. Currently she coordinates the CT School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI), a state-funded program designed to reduce school-based arrests and to divert youth with behavioral health needs away from the juvenile justice system and into appropriate community-based services and supports. Jeana also directs the Connecticut Network of Care Transformation (CONNECT), a four-year initiative funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), where she oversees planning and implementation of an integrated statewide Network of Care for children’s behavioral health. While she officially joined the CHDI staff in July 2011, Jeana has worked with CHDI since 2008 through her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at The Consultation Center at Yale University. She earned her PhD in Clinical/Community Psychology in 2010 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

She has a BA in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Non-Profit Management and Philanthropy. Yecenia has over 14 years of experience working in the human service field. She has extensive experience in child-welfare systems including foster care and adoption services.

She has a BA in psychology from the University of Connecticut and a Masters Degree in Health Psychology from Central Connecticut State University. Michelle previously worked at the UConn Health Center with Dr. Julian Ford on a National Institute of Drug Abuse funded research study entitled Vocational Outcomes for troubled youth with substance abuse problems and high HIV risk.

She is an experienced clinician, most recently as the Program Director at the Family and Children's Aid Extended Day Treatment program. She also has experience in the IICAPS and FST treatment models. Tiffany will be working with the TF-CBT Coordinating Center to improve the delivery of TF-CBT throughout the state.

Prior to joining CHDI, Eva worked as a consultant for the Connecticut Department of Public Health.  Eva has a BA in Psychology from Smith, an MSW from Columbia University and a PhD in Social Work from Columbia.  Her interests include mental health, particularly in communities of color, childhood trauma in and out of school and removing the stigma surrounding mental health.

She previously worked at the UCONN School of Social Work and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Inc. where she was involved with a number of initiatives supporting individuals with mental health and/or substance abuse issues and diverting young adults from arrest. Tianna’s other experiences have included therapeutic support for children in the custody of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, care coordination for adults with co-occurring disorders and supervision of juveniles involved with the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Lisa has more than 30 years of experience working in child health organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics at Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford and ProHealth Physician's Connecticut Center for Primary Care. She serves on several statewide committees related to medical home implementation in Connecticut, care for children with special health care needs, family support, pediatric training and quality improvement in pediatric care. Her work at CHDI focuses on: care coordination, developmental screening, the interface between primary care and community and subspecialty services, and expanding the capacity of pediatric primary care to address mental health issues. Lisa has a BA in sociology from the University of Massachusetts and an MA and PhD, both in sociology, from the University of Chicago. She holds a faculty appointment in Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

To view Dr. Honigfeld's publications visit https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lisa_Honigfeld.

She provides administrative support to staff on several initiatives. A native of Antigua, Paulette spent seven years at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, and has a total of more than 15 years of administrative experience, which also includes working in the banking industry.

Jason is a nationally recognized expert who has published and presented about child trauma, evidence-based practices, and implementation science.  Since joining CHDI in 2007 as a Program Associate, he has also held positions as Associate Director and Director of Dissemination and Implementation. His work has encompassed child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, law enforcement, education, pediatric primary care, and family advocacy organizations to improve children’s behavioral health services and create sustainable system improvements. A specific focus has been on developing partnerships with state agencies, researchers, and community providers to test, implement and evaluate innovative strategies for disseminating and sustaining EBPs, including MATCH-ADTC, TF-CBT, CBITS, and ARC.  He is Principal Investigator of the Early Childhood Trauma Collaborative, funded by SAMHSA as part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), and he serves on the NCTSN Steering Committee. Jason is also Co-Principal Investigator for the Connecticut Collaborative on Effective Practices for Trauma (CONCEPT), funded by the Administration for Children and Families to improve trauma-informed care for children in Connecticut’s child welfare system. 

Jason is a licensed clinical psychologist who also holds appointments as an Assistant Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at UCONN Health and at the Child Study Center in the Yale School of Medicine. Prior to joining CHDI, Jason completed his pre- and post-doctoral fellowships specializing in child traumatic stress at the Yale Child Study Center. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from UCLA in 2005, and is a graduate of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Breakthrough Series College and The NIH-sponsored Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (TIDIRH).  

A list of Dr. Lang's publications is available at:  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jason_Lang2

Prior to joining CHDI in 2012, Susan’s work focused on health, social, and community-based research and grant writing related to maternal and child health. Susan earned a Master of Public Health degree at the University of Minnesota.

A list of Susan's publications is available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Susan_Macary

Regina has over 23 years of experience as an accountant in the nursing home industry. She has a BS degree in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut with a major in Accounting.

A clinical and community psychologist, Judith holds faculty appointments at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and the Yale University Child Study Center. She also serves as Chair of the board of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy and a trustee of the Grossman Family Foundation. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and earned her doctorate from the University of Colorado-Boulder. She completed postdoctoral fellowships in clinical psychology and in mental health services research and evaluation at Yale. She also was a AAAS Congressional Science Fellow, working in the office of Congressman David Obey.

In 1999, Meyers was hired as Executive Director of CHDI. She became President and CEO of both CHDI and its parent organization, the Children’s Fund of Connecticut, in 2002 and was charged with building the two organizations into what they are today. Under Meyers’ tenure, CHDI grew to 30 employees, more than quadrupled its annual operating budget, and forged partnerships with multiple organizations including academic institutions and state agencies. Under her leadership, CHDI has successfully embedded innovative solutions and best practices into our State’s systems, policies and practices, resulting in meaningful and sustainable changes that produced better outcomes for Connecticut’s children and families.

In 2017 Meyers’ professional work as a community psychologist was recognized by the American Psychological Association’s Society for Community Research & Action with the Distinguished Contributions to Practice in Community Psychology award. In 2016 she received the Connecticut Voices for Children Priscilla Canny Research Award for her leadership in strengthening the connections between research, policy and practice. In 2007 she was chosen as the first recipient of the Jane Bournes Award for Excellence from the Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health.

Prior to joining CHDI, she held positions as Associate Director of the Bush Program in Child Development and Social Policy at the University of Michigan, Senior Policy Advisor to Massachusetts Governor Dukakis, Administrator (Director) of the Iowa Division of Child and Family Services, and Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. 

She previously worked at the Connecticut Association for Human Services providing education in community settings to help increase awareness about and identification for clients who might be eligible for the Food Stamp program. Maggy has a long history of advocacy and education in such areas as HIV and nutritional assistance. She has coordinated programs for the Central Area Health Education Center and worked in an administrative position in a medical practice in Hartford.

Ashley previously worked as an evaluator on a CDC/OAH-funded adolescent public health initiative run by the City of Hartford Department of Health and Human Services. She is responsible for data collection, analysis, and reporting aspects related to the MATCH-ADTC project.

She participated in the TF-CBT Learning Collaborative, has implemented the model and has been a TF-CBT Senior Leader/ Coordinator, supervisor and clinician. Carol has extensive administrative and clinical experience working with children, adults and families in both clinical and school based settings.

Diana has a Masters Degree in Education (Concentration: Rehabilitation Counseling) from Hunter College and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. She completed her Predoctoral Internship at the Post Traumatic Stress Center (New Haven), and her Post-doctoral Fellowship at Clifford Beers Clinic (New Haven). She has extensive experience as a direct services clinician with particular interest in systems & attachment theories, post traumatic stress, chemical dependency, institutional racism and oppression, and disability studies.  

Learn more about CBITS.

Kellie holds a doctorate in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Connecticut. Prior to joining CHDI, Kellie worked on the evaluation team for a federally-funded demonstration project on the effectiveness of supportive housing for families involved in the child welfare system. She also helped lead a study on the characteristics of Connecticut youth who were involved with both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Her broad interests are in quantitative research and improving policies and programs for children and their families.

Lori also provides administrative support to staff in the Finance, Contracting and Human Resources areas and also supports the Vice President for Mental Health Initiatives. She has over twenty years of claims management experience, which includes working in the insurance industry.

Carrie directed a unique learn-to-type program aimed at children with learning disabilities for the renowned Ben Bronz Academy in West Hartford for eight years, and was previously an office manager for a large advertising and marketing agency.

In addition, Paul oversees contract management and human resources for both organizations. He joined CFC/CHDI in 2004 with twenty years of experience in public accounting as a partner in Filomeno and Company, P.C., where he was director of the Audit Department and the firm's Business Valuation practice. Paul is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSCPA).

She began her career in Washington, DC working in politics and government, including for the Clinton Administration at the White House Domestic Policy Council. Later, Julie promoted women's sports opportunities through the WNBA's Washington Mystics and went on to lead a media outreach team for the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign to help reduce youth drug use nationwide.

Before joining CHDI in February 2014, she was Director of Compliance and Privacy at The Village for Families & Children, Laurie was responsible for providing leadership and training to ensure that operations and procedures were broadly communicated and compliant with regulations, policies and laws. She led the Village's reaccreditation process, and worked to enhance HIPAA privacy and compliance practices in support of goals to deliver high quality, evidence-based care to children and families. Prior to the Village, Laurie worked at Connecticut Junior Republic for 23 years serving in many clinical and management roles, providing direct care through family therapy and program/clinical supervision for residential and day treatment, therapeutic recreation and community-based services, and leadership through quality assurance, training and evaluation functions. Laurie is a licensed clinical social worker who received her MSW at UCONN School of Social Work, and BS in Psychology at Northeastern University.

Vanderploeg received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Bowling Green State University, completed Predoctoral and Postdoctoral training at Yale University School of Medicine, and was a research faculty member at Yale before joining CHDI in 2009. He initially began as a Program Associate before being promoted to Associate Director of Mental Health in 2011, and Vice President for Mental Health Initiatives in 2014.  

During his career at CHDI, he played a central role in developing effective policies, systems, and practices for the prevention and treatment of mental health conditions among children and adolescents and their families. He was the lead author of the Connecticut Children’s Behavioral Health Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for addressing the behavioral health needs of youth, which has remained a significant guiding framework for state-wide reform. He was also the co-developer of the Connecticut School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI) model and was instrumental in creating a quality improvement system for the state’s mobile crisis system.

In addition to his role as CHDI President and CEO, Vanderploeg serves on the Behavioral Health Plan Implementation Advisory Board, co-chairs the Quality, Access and Policy Subcommittee of the CT Behavioral Health Partnership Oversight Council, and is a member of several other committees and councils in children’s behavioral health policy development. He holds faculty appointments in Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine and the University of Connecticut Health Center School of Medicine.