Evidence Based Practice Institute
Staff Bios
Program Manager
Lori Ferro is the Program Manager of the Division of PBHJP. Lori received a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from the University of Puget Sound and a Masters in Health Administration from the University of Southern California. Lori has worked for the University of Washington for over ten years. She has a personal passion to promote the integrated approach to mental healthcare: which includes families, providers and communities in education, treatment and recovery. In addition, she works to promote increased public awareness of behavioral health issues to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Lori manages the programs, personnel, contracts, grants, finances and overall operations of PBHJP.Clinical Staff
Leonard J. Irving is a senior therapist for the Family Integrated Transition Program (FIT), PBHJP’s Prime Time Project. He is also an Instructor at Seattle Central Community College in the Social and Humans Services Department where he teaches Chemical Dependency and Family and Adolescent Development and Treatment. Mr. Irving received his Bachelor’s degree from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon and is a licensed Chemical Dependency Professional. He has been at the epicenter of the development of the Evidence Based Treatments in Western Washington, having the privilege of assisting in their development over the last ten plus years. He witnessed the development of Multisystemic Treatment (MST) and its adaptation that is the currently the FIT program. He looks forward to the continued development of programs like MST and FIT so that Washington youth and their families can continue to receive excellent care.
Kristin Bennett is a Washington State licensed Chemical Dependency Professional who works in PBHJP’s Prime Time Project as an MST Therapist and FIT Coach.She earned her Bachelors at Antioch University in Seattle.Kristin has been working with High Risk youth and their families for eleven years. She strives to aid in creating sustainable change in youths and families to increase thelikelihood of family and individual success.
Sashya Clark is a Mental Health Practitioner at the King County Division of Youth Services. She earned her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Washington. Sashya has worked with adolescents in a variety of professional capacities including mental health, youth mentoring and advocacy, and community building. She is especially interested in adolescent identity development, youth empowerment and social justice.
Marcy Pareira is the Lead Mental Health Practitioner at the King County Division of Youth Services. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who earned her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Vermont in 1996. Since then, she has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including hospital, public defense, and community mental health. Marcy is especially interested in crisis intervention, social justice, and advocacy for persons with mental health issues.
Greg Terry is a Prime Time Project Clinical Specialist at PBHJP. He earned a Bachelors degree in Business from the University of Washington in 1992 and has over 12 years of experience working with under privileged children in the Greater Seattle Area. Greg has been an MST therapist since 1999.
Reina Galvez is a Mental Health Practitioner with a License in Mental Health Counseling. She completed her Masters of Social Work from Walla Walla University in 2006. Since then, she has worked in various community mental health settings primarily serving low-income minority populations with a specific emphasis in providing services to children, youth and their families. Her personal passion and interests are in working with underprivileged families.
Professional Staff
April Sather, MPH is the Project Manager of the Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team (WERT), directing the training, development, and dissemination of the Wraparound Fidelity Assessment System. She coordinates various research and evaluation projects which focus on community based services and interventions for children and families, with a major focus on Wraparound Services. April received her Bachelors Degree in Health Education at the University of Montana, and her Master of Public Health from Oregon State University. She is passionate about children's mental health and particularly interested in ways PBHJP can affect public policy and improve the quality of life for families.
Ericka Weathers (formally Wiggins) is a Research Coordinator at PBHJP. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, and a Master of Arts degree in Policy Studies from the University of Washington Bothell. Her ultimate passion is improving the lives of underprivileged youth and families through effective programs and policies. Her personal research interests and the dedication of the department in serving youth and adults with mental illnesses and histories of involvement with child welfare are closely paralleled. She works on a number of different projects some of which include the King County Family Treatment Court Evaluation and Wraparound.
Andrea Negrete is a Research Coordinator at PBHJP. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Washington, Seattle. Her personal experiences growing up as an immigrant in a small farming town in Central Washington has fueled her passion for social change and working to improve the lives of underserved youth and families. At PBHJP, she works on the Children’s Administration-University of Washington Evidence Based Practice Partnership and provides support to the Washington State Disproportionate Minority Contact Assessment.
Research Assistants & Coordinators
Starcia Ague is a Research Study Coordinator at PBHJP. She is a 2010 graduate of Washington State University, majoring in Criminal Justice. Her personal experience with the juvenile justice system began in early childhood, being raised in the presence of child abuse, poverty, and adults engaged in unlawful activities of various kinds. While serving time in a juvenile institution for several years after being arrested for some serious offenses, Starcia worked two jobs while completing her schooling, ultimately achieving an Associate's Degree on-line prior to her release from custody. After enrolling at Washington State University she completed her coursework and did an internship with the Spokane County Public Defender’s office working primarily with youth at risk. While completing her studies at WSU she was awarded the third annual Spirit of Youth Award for 2009 by Governor Christine Gregoire. During her studies at WSU Starcia was also a contributor to the MacArthur Foundation's Models for Change juvenile justice reform initiatives in both King Co. (UofW) and Spokane Co. (WSU).
Starcia serves on the Governor’s Washington State Partnership Council for Juvenile Justice, and she is a frequent contributor to training programs for attorneys working in the area of youth legal services.
Chris Akiba is a Research Study Assistant working on several Washington Institute for Mental Health Research and Training (WIMHRT) projects including the evaluation of Washington state Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams, and Illness Management & Recovery (IMR) programs; as well as the implementation and evaluation of a new ACT + IMR intervention. Chris graduated with a Masters of Public Health in 2012 from the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health in the department of Health Behavior. His previous work has focused on the early treatment of schizophrenia as well as the evaluation of North Carolina Clubhouse programs.
Spencer Hensley is a Research Study Assistant in the division working with the Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team (WERT) and various other projects. He originally comes from Las Vegas, and received his B.A. in Psychology at Gonzaga University in 2009.
Rich Dempsey is a Research Study Coordinator at PBHJP. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Kent State University in Kent, OH and earned a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. He is passionate about learning to speak into another person's life with honesty, authenticity, and humility. Rich's previous work focused on the study and development of early pharmacological interventions for pediatric Bipolar disorders and ADHD at Case Western Reserve University. At PBHJP he provides administrative and research coordinator support to the Family Integrated Transitions TM programs in Washington, New York, Illinois, and Connecticut.
Sarah Holland is a Research Study Assistant at PBHJP. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Washington. She is currently working on a grant sponsored by the Administration of Children’s and Families in coordination with Children’s Administration and DBHR at WA State DSHS to create mental health connections for children and youth in foster care.
Anne Guthrie is a Research Study Assistant at PBHJP. Anne holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Buffalo in Buffalo, NY. She has worked extensively with organizations providing supports for persons with disabilities and their families. A strong interest in the development of improved programs for practitioners led to her involvement in research in evidence-based practices. At PBHJP she works on the Thurston County Girls Circle Evaluation, the 180 Workshop and IF Workshop Evaluations.
Gabrielle D'Angelo is a Research Coordinator on the HB 1088 Workforce Initiative projects and HB 2536 projects. She graduated from The University of Michigan with a BA in Anthropology and an MSW in Management and Clinical Practice. She has served a variety of communities including urban native youth, immigrant families, and refugees. She has a strong interest in culturally-based practice and the intersection of public behavioral health and economic development.
Henrietta (Hattie) Quick is a Research Study Assistant working with the Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team (WERT). Hattie graduated from Goucher College in Towson, Maryland with a Bachelor’s Degree in Women’s Studies and went on to receive a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore with a concentration in Management and Community Organization and a specialization in Mental Health. She previously worked on Maryland’s State Wraparound evaluation, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 1915c RTC Waiver Medicaid Demonstration national evaluation, Maryland’s Healthy Transitions Initiative, and two Maryland System of Care national evaluations.
Anne Buher, MPH joined PBHJP in 2013 as a Research Study Coordinator. Anne holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from the University of Washington, and a Master of Public Health degree from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine with a focus on International Health and Development. She works in collaboration with State-level agencies, including the Children’s Administration, DBHR, and the HCA, on a federally funded project that aims to improve the social and emotional well-being of children and youth in the foster care system that have emotional and behavioral health needs. Anne has worked for a variety of community-based and non-profit organizations on projects related to improving the health of at-risk populations. She is especially interested in research and evaluation in resource-challenged settings and models for sustainable development.
Asia Sarah Bishop, MSW, Research Analyst, graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Western Washington University where she studied race-relations, criminology, and law. Asia moved to Seattle to attend the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at the University of Washington. While in graduate school, she completed internships at Seattle Municipal Court and The Defender Association and independently engaged in research related to racial stereotypes of adolescent gang membership and the negative implications these biases often have on youth and communities of color. She graduated with an MSW concentrating in Policy and Administration and has continued to remain passionate about research and its implications on policy development and implementation, particularly as it relates to racial justice and the overall criminal justice system. She joined PBHJP in 2013 as a Research Analyst on various juvenile justice reform projects.
Administrative Staff
Jean Reeves is the Budget & Fiscal Analyst Lead for the Division.
Lauren Dobrovolny is the Admnistrative Assistant for Dr. Eric Trupin and for the Division.
Sylvia Duong is the Fiscal Specialist for the Division.