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Jamie Bellenoit, LMFT, Ph.D. – Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Bellenoit is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and is a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy where she has been practicing for over 15 years. She received a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Providence College, and then received a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Hofstra University in 2004. She completed her education by earning a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in the same field. Her doctoral research interests focused on the correlation between early childhood relationship experiences (with caregivers, siblings, etc.) and adult romantic relationship experiences. Her clinical experience includes working in multiple settings such as outpatient mental health agencies, residential treatment centers, and hospitals. She was Chief Operating Officer of Adelbrook Behavioral and Developmental Services until 2013 when she left to pursue private practice and teaching at the University of Connecticut. In 2016, she was chosen as the 3rd Executive Director for the Community Child Guidance Clinic, and first woman in this position.
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Tanja Larsen, LCSW – Executive Vice President of Clinical Operations
Tanja Larsen began her training in the field of social work and obtained her bachelor’s degree from Southern Connecticut State University. Prior to completing her Master's of Social Work at Fordham University, she worked in community-based programming in the field of juvenile justice. Taking her love for community work and desire to grow her clinical skills, Tanja joined Community Child Guidance Clinic in 2000. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the CCGC School, she managed the day-to-day crises, offered clinical consultation to school staff and provided family and group therapy to the parents of the students. She also helped develop North Star, CCGC's Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program. In 2012, she transitioned into a supervisory role for the outpatient clinic, during which time, she has facilitated the expansion of group therapy services, evidenced-based practices, substance abuse treatment, and trauma treatment. Throughout her time here, she has collaborated with area colleges and universities to train interns. As a solution-focused leader who is passionate about developing and implementing strengths-based effective programming to meet the needs of our community, she believes in collaborating and engaging in the micro, mezzo and macro systems in the process of change.
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Lauren Schempp, LCSW – Vice President of Administration
Lauren Schempp came to the Clinic in 2007 after earning her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Western New England University and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Boston University. Lauren has worked in a variety of settings throughout the Clinic including roles in CCGC’s Intensive Outpatient Program and CCGC School before becoming the Director of Special Initiatives in 2016. Lauren’s experiences at the Clinic have led her to a variety of areas of clinical interest including co-parenting after divorce and separation, psychotic disorders, and substance abuse. After many years working directly with local universities and supervising generations of CCGC staff, Lauren has also discovered a passion for clinical supervision as well as the training and field education of social work students. In her current role as Vice President of Administration, she brings the energy, motivation, and organizational skills she has shown in other roles to new projects benefiting the clinic and its internal and external communities.
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Carlos A. González, MD – Medical Director
Dr. Carlos A. González graduated from Cornell University Medical College and completed a residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital, followed by a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York. A native of Puerto Rico and transplanted New Yorker, Dr. González has been in Connecticut since 1989, initially as an assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale and director of the Connecticut Mental Health Center’s Hispanic Clinic. He subsequently worked extensively as chief of the psychiatric crisis service at Griffin Hospital, and on top of his role at CCGC, maintains a small private practice in West Hartford and Vernon. Dr. Gonzalez believes firmly that the mental health of children and adolescents is the primary determinant of their well-being as adults. His focus is on the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents, including extensive experience in school consultation, foster care, adoption, and the impact of culture and family on the emotional status of children. He is the author of two chapters on cross-cultural psychiatry, and has been active as a cultural adviser to the DSM. He is adept in the medical management of psychiatric disorders in children, but does not believe that medication can be effective in the absence of a holistic approach that may include individual and family therapy, as well as educational interventions. Dr. Gonzalez is bi-cultural and fluent in Spanish.
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Jeff Ferranti, M.Ed – Director of Education
Jeff Ferranti is our Director of Education at the CCGC Day School. He began his career as a special education teacher in Springfield, MA and has worked as a special education administrator for the past 24 years. Jeff is a graduate of Bridgewater State University with an M. Ed in Counseling and advanced graduate work in Behavior Interventions from the University of Massachusetts and Northern Illinois University. Jeff oversees school operations with vision and integrity, fostering a culture of excellence to inspire and support school administrators, faculty, and staff to ensure students reach their full potential.
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Robin Entress, LCSW – Director of Community and Home-Based Services
Robin Entress received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from NYU and MSW from Smith College School for Social Work. She began her career providing home-based services along the south shore in Massachusetts, and then joined a large community mental health center outside of Boston. Robin's love of community-based work led to her taking a part-time position at Community Child Guidance Clinic providing home-based wrap-around services. Since 1996, she has focused on providing intensive in-home services to help families with the greatest needs, including evaluating children in psychiatric crisis, treating children who may need out of home placement and working with families whose children are at risk of removal. Robin has enjoyed the opportunity to meld child, parent and family treatment and engage with families in their natural environments. Robin also oversees parochial school-based services, which provide access to children who might otherwise not receive mental health treatment.
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Anisa Cole, LCSW – Director of Clinical Operations
Anisa Cole oversees CCGC’s clinical day programs, including North Star Intensive Outpatient Program, as well as Manchester public school-based services. Anisa earned bachelor's degrees in both family studies psychology, as well as an MSW from the University of Connecticut. She has a strong clinical background that includes six years with Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services (EMPS), working as an enhanced care clinician. Additionally, she is part of the Black Family Enrichment Program, and has experience providing outpatient therapy and residential care, as well as group work. Anisa joined CCGC in 2016 so that she could continue pursuing her passion of improving the mental health of children and ensuring their emotional well-being, while offering safe, therapeutic, and culturally competent care.
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Erica Mott, LPC - Director of Outpatient Services
Erica Mott focuses on the overall operation and supervision of the outpatient department’s leadership team. Erica is most passionate about the early childhood population and is the agency’s senior leader in all three of CCGC’s evidence based practices (EBPs): Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT); Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems (MATCH); and the Attachment, Regulation and Competency framework (ARC). Erica received a bachelor's degree in Child Study and master's degree in Community Counseling from the University of St. Joseph. Before arriving at CCGC as an Outpatient Clinician in 2013, she was a preschool teacher at the South Windsor Child Development Center and worked in residential homes for adolescent boys and girls. Her previous clinical experiences include Connecticut’s Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services (EMPS) and East Hartford Youth Service Bureau.
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Nancy Dube – Administrative Services Director
Nancy Dube oversees much of Community Child Guidance Clinic's administration functions including human resources, compliance, vendor management, and facilities management. Nancy also manages Happy Trails Transportation services, including training, certification, and fleet management. Prior to arriving at CCGC in 2016, she served as an administrator for more than 18 years at a residential and community service nonprofit. Additionally, she has a background in the insurance industry, working in pension development data processing. Nancy studied at the University of Illinois Carbondale and Middlesex Community College, with a primary focus on business administration, human services, and workforce education and development.
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Molly Getchell, BA – Marketing and Outreach Coordinator
Molly Getchell has been a part of the Community Child Guidance Clinic since 2010. She began her career as a Mental Health Counselor, providing direct care and contributing to program development within the North Star Intensive Outpatient Program. In 2016, Molly transitioned to her current role as Marketing and Outreach Coordinator.
A graduate of the University of Connecticut with a degree in Psychology, Molly oversees CCGC’s social media and website, plans events and fundraisers, works on the grants team, and manages the design and production of agency media and publications. She also represents the agency at community events, fostering relationships that strengthen CCGC’s connection with the community.