Kristie Reed, Director. Kristie is a Vermont Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Director of the INCLUSION Program in Burlington Vermont, a position she has held since the creation of the program in 1999. Kristie earned a Masters degree in Social Work from the State University of New York at Albany, NY. Program design and development is an area of passion for Kristie. In addition to designing public school alternative education services, she created a micro-residential program for youth with sexualized behavior problems. Kristie’s current areas of focus include extensive consultation with local school districts, presentations to national audiences on Paraeducator training, and the design of behavioral programs to support seriously emotionally disturbed youth in inclusive classrooms.

Jennifer Uttecht, Clinical Director. Jennifer is a Vermont licensed Clinical Psychologist, Doctorate from Wright State University’s School of Professional Psychology. Jennifer has 16 years of clinical experience working with children and families in a variety of treatment settings. Her current work focuses on developing and implementing creative treatment plans for severely emotionally disturbed children in educational settings while using outcome measures to ensure that services are effective. She is presenting this work to national audiences.

Daniel Daneau, Program Supervisor. Daniel earned his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Vermont. In 2000, Dan joined the staff of HowardCenter's Residential Treatment Program, where as a residential counselor he assisted children aged five to fifteen who faced a wide variety of emotional and mental health issues. He has worked for the INCLUSION Program for the last six years, and currently as the Program Supervisor, he coordinates up to 26 staff, provides extensive field training to Interventionists, and facilitates a therapeutic summer camp. Dan is currently pursuing his Masters degree in Clinical Psychology.

Kathy Searles, Family Worker. Kathy holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from The University of Vermont, and is a Vermont Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She has been at HowardCenter for almost 22 years and in the INCLUSION Program for 12. Prior to that, she was in charge of community programs that served low income and incarcerated women. She has also worked in the Vermont Treatment Program for Sexual Aggressives, a Program of the Vermont Department of Corrections. Kathy has been a board member for several community organizations.

Ordina Smailhodzic, Family Worker. Ordina earned her Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Niagara University. She has clinical experience working with youth and adults struggling with substance abuse issues. In addition to her work with families, Ordina facilitates Social Understanding Groups in public schools.

Dan Gaudet, Integration Specialist. Dan earned his Master’s degree in Education from Johnson State College. In addition to his work as an Integration Specialist, he created a micro-residential program for youth with sexualized behavior problems. Dan is a certified trainer of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, and delivers trainings on a variety of topics to public school and mental health professionals throughout the state of Vermont.

Tisa Begnoche, Integration Specialist. Tisa earned her Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from St. Michael’s College. She has eight years of clinical experience working with children and families in a range of settings. Her career accomplishments include creating a micro-residential program for youth with sexualized behavior problems. The current focus of Tisa’s work is developing and implementing comprehensive behavioral programs for emotionally disturbed children and adolescents.

Sandra Limoge, Integration Specialist. Sandra earned her Masters degree in Education from St. Michael’s College and is a Vermont Licensed HQT Special Educator. She has worked in public schools and alternative education programs for the past 26 years. In 1999, Sandra created the INCLUSION Program. Her current work focuses on social cognition group treatment and specialized reading instruction.

Lisa Gregory, Associate Integration Specialist. Lisa earned her Bachelors degree in Psychology from St. Michael’s College. Lisa has served the INCLUSION Program for the past five years, providing therapeutic interventions, including assistance with self-regulation. She also provides support and training for INCLUSION staff. Liza is a specialized literacy instructor certified Wilson Reading System instructor.

Kerry Wadhams, Associate Integration Specialist. Kerry has a Bachelor of Science in Special Education from the University of Tennessee, and is currently working toward her Masters of Education at the University of Vermont and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis through Pennsylvania State University. Kerry has eight years experience supporting individuals with emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges in a variety of settings.