Mental Health Providers - Community Health Centers

Champlain Islands Mental Health Providers
Essex Mental Health Providers
Good Health Mental Health Providers
Pearl Street Mental Health Providers
Riverside Mental Health Providers
Safe Harbor Mental Health Providers
South End Mental Health Providers
Winooski Mental Health Providers

Champlain Islands Mental Health Providers

Alyssa Basiliere, LICSW earned a BA in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from Saint Michael’s College and her MSW from UVM. Alyssa has lived and worked in Vermont for upwards of six years, originating from the Boston area. Alyssa uses a person-centered, strengths-based, and trauma informed approach, incorporating DBT and CBT to support patients in achieving their goals. Prior to CHC, she worked in school settings, residential programs, and private practice. Her areas of focus include eating disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma, and OCD. Outside of work, Alyssa enjoys spending time with family, hiking with her pup, and snowboarding.

Essex Mental Health Providers

Meaghan McFadden, LICSW is a native Vermonter who received her BA in Religion from Davidson College and her MSW from Portland State University. She worked most recently on the Integrated Health Team at Northwestern Counseling providing counseling and care coordination to patients at Northwestern Primary Care in St. Albans. Meaghan has expertise in depression and anxiety management, self-care and wellness, health and behavior change, insomnia treatment, and stress reduction.

Good Health Mental Health Providers

Christy Pilsucki, LICSW, LADC is a licensed clinical social worker and addictions counselor. She received her BA from the College of William and Mary in Virginia and her MSW from Boston University. Christy has been at CHCB since 2013. Her area of focus includes depression and anxiety management, addiction, domestic violence and sexual assault, life stress concerns and development of self-care for wellness. Christy is an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) trained clinician.

Pearl Street Mental Health Providers

Stephanie Szkaradnik, LICSW received her BA in Psychology from Salisbury University. Originally from Pennsylvania, she spent a number of years post-college as an English teacher overseas in Taiwan, Vietnam and Turkey. After returning to the states, Stephanie received her MSW from the University of Vermont. Her experience includes time as a residential counselor at NFI Group Home, internships at both Steps to End Domestic Violence and Lund Family Center, and as an Integrated Health Team social worker at Northwestern Pediatrics in St. Albans. Stephanie specializes in working with adolescents and young adults with issues of depression, anxiety, behavioral issues, relationships, and transitions. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys playing sports, traveling, reading science fiction/fantasy novels, and spending time with friends and family.

Riverside Mental Health Providers

Jacqueline Cahill, LADC, LICSW joined CHC after five years in Central Vermont serving people who have substance use disorders, with a focus on medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorders. Jacqueline holds two degrees from City University of New York, an AAS in Legal Studies and a BA in Journalism; in 2018 she attained a Master of Social Service from Bryn Mawr College School of Social Work and Social Research. Her therapeutic focus is strengths based, solution focused, with unconditional positive regard for patients, and her professional focus is recovery from trauma and abuse. Jacqueline likes to spend her free time enjoying the beauty of Vermont while hiking and biking trails, or at home fermenting, canning, and cooking all kinds of delicious food.

Lauren Carpenter, LICSW uses a collaborative and strengths-based approach in her therapeutic work, incorporating aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness to help people reach their goals. Prior to joining CHCB, she worked in a number of mental health settings, including a women’s mental health clinic supporting pregnant and postpartum women, and an early childhood mental health clinic where she worked with families with young children. She graduated with a BA from Smith College, and an MSW from the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Varney Glassman, LICSW earned her BA in anthropology and social psychology from Bennington College and her MSW from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to moving to Vermont and joining CHC in 2022, Varney lived in Philadelphia where she worked with LGBTQ+ individuals healing from acute and complex trauma. Previously, she has worked in private practice, family shelter, and school settings. Varney utilizes a relational, trauma-informed and collaborative approach to support individuals in their healing. Her areas of focus include PTSD and C-PTSD, anxiety, depression, relationship issues and identity exploration. Outside of work, Varney enjoys connecting with loved ones and spending time outside running, swimming, and cross-country skiing.

Shannon Lucy, MPH, LICSW earned her BA in Japanese Language and Literature from Wellesley College and studied abroad at Japan Women’s University before going on to receive a Master of Public Health from the University of Vermont. She spent several years coordinating clinical trials in the University of Vermont Neurological Sciences Department before obtaining her MSW through University of North Dakota. Prior to joining CHC, Shannon provided behavioral health services in rural health centers in Franklin County, VT. Her clinical interests include: working with survivors of domestic violence, suicide-focused assessment and treatment, inner child work, and acceptance and commitment therapy. In her free time Shannon enjoys spending time with family and pets, exercising, advocating for immigrant rights, and reading psychological thrillers.

Samuel Lurie, LICSW, MEd joined the Mental Health Services team after many years of health care advocacy for marginalized groups including LGBTQ folks and people with disabilities. He earned a Masters of Education at the University of Vermont and later an MSW at Smith College School for Social Work. He has worked in inpatient, private practice, and community mental health settings providing client-centered, trauma-informed care. Samuel specializes in somatic approaches to healing, and is a clinical hypnotherapist (2008 graduate of Hypnotherapy Academy of America) who incorporates mindfulness, guided imagery, EMDR and other body-mind techniques to reduce anxiety, boost confidence and build skills for change and growth. Samuel is also the social worker for CHCB’s Transgender Clinic, providing affirming care to transgender and gender non-binary folks and their support systems.

Meagan Rohde, LICSW joined CHC after moving to Vermont from Denver, Colorado in 2022. Meagan received her BA in Psychology from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities and earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Denver. She has volunteered and studied in Mexico and Ecuador, and as a bilingual (English-Spanish) clinician, Meagan has enjoyed working with children, adolescents and adults in medical, educational, and non-profit settings. Meagan is trained in EMDR and uses a relational, trauma-informed, and mind-body approach to support healing and growth. Since 2014, she has primarily focused on trauma, anxiety, depression, parenting and relationship challenges in her clinical practice. Outside of work, Meagan loves being outside, traveling, watching documentaries, and connecting with friends and family.

Emily Sanders Garcia, LICSW received her BA in Political Science at the University of Vermont and worked as a litigation paralegal and high school and college debate coach for a number of years after graduation. Emily switched tracks and went back for her MSW at UVM when she realized she wanted to help people in a way that felt more meaningful to her. She has experience working with adults with persistent mental health challenges, embracing and promoting restorative justice in schools and communities, and youth and their caregivers around trauma and mental health challenges. Emily enjoys working with children and adults and focuses her practice around depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and grief and loss. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and animals, gardening and being outside.

Matthew Perret, LICSW was born and raised in New Jersey. He received his BA in Psychology from Rutgers University and MSW from Kean University before relocating to Northwestern Vermont. Prior to relocating, he spent several years working as a residential counselor with people living with severe and persistent mental illnesses on maintaining housing security. His post-graduate work has centered on integrated behavioral health care where he has worked in a variety of primary care and pediatric offices throughout Franklin County. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family and dogs and also enjoys running, hiking and rock climbing.

Jessica Schwartz, LICSW, AAP received her BA from the State University of New York at Oswego and MSW from New York University. Prior to joining CHCB in 2015, Jessica worked at nursing homes in Vermont providing individual psychotherapy, and worked at a large urban hospital in New York City providing counseling and services to medically hospitalized patients and their families. Jessica’s areas of focus include depression and anxiety management, self-care and wellness, grief and loss, health and behavior change, and stress reduction.

Safe Harbor Mental Health Providers

Krysten Farrell, LICSW received her BA from Saint Michael’s College and MSW from the University of Vermont. She has worked in community-based, residential and medical settings with folks between the ages of 12 and 98, including at Safe Harbor Health Center’s permanent supportive housing program, Beacon Apartments. Krysten returned to the Safe Harbor team in 2020 to provide individual therapy and social work coverage during medical clinics.

Leighton Johnson, LICSW, LADC is the Homeless Health Care Program Behavioral Health Supervisor. He received a BA from Hobart College and MSW from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work. Before coming to CHCB, Leighton worked in North Carolina on an Assertive Community Treatment Team with individuals who had severe and persistent mental illness and who were often homeless and struggling with substance abuse issues. Leighton has been with CHCB since 2010 and works at the Safe Harbor Health Center with individuals who are homeless and in transitional housing. Leighton provides social work coverage for Safe Harbor’s medical clinics and individual therapy with a focus on treating depression, anxiety, trauma and substance abuse issues using cognitive behavioral and motivational interviewing techniques.

South End Mental Health Providers

Tamara O’Rear, LICSW, AAP received a B.S. from the University of Oregon and an M.S.W. from Springfield College. Since graduation she has provided counseling to patients diagnosed with a life threatening and/or chronic illness. She works with individuals to increase their health by learning new coping skills, and to develop and maintain daily routines that include health care, and self-care activities. Tamara is competent in motivational interviewing, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), stress reduction, and Eye Motions Desensitization and Reprocessing, (EMDR) to treat depression, anxiety, substance use and low self-esteem. She has 16 years of experience facilitating psychoeducational and support groups that have focused on learning DBT skills, stress management, and on distress related to body image. Tamara believes in the basic goodness and potential of each person to change, and ability to create a life that has meaning, joy, and purpose. In her free time she enjoys water exercise and an exploration of all things Spiritual.

Winooski Mental Health Providers

Kara Fauth, LICSW, AAP received her BA from Colorado State University – Pueblo and MSW from Smith College. Prior to joining CHCB in 2016, Kara worked in various settings including residential, inpatient, and outpatient treatment, as well as a pediatric hospital and an educational setting. Kara most recently worked with Howard Center, providing therapeutic support to high school students and families. Kara provides a strength-based approach to address depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use, behavior changes, and stress reduction in order to achieve overall wellness. Kara is also an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) trained clinician.

Colin Hunt, LICSW, LADC graduated from San Francisco State University with his MSW in 2016 and has worked in a variety of social work settings since then. Colin uses a client-centered approach in his therapeutic work, incorporating aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma informed practices. As a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, he also provides alcohol and drug counseling for individuals evaluating their relationship with substance use. Most recently, Colin has gained experience working with adolescents and their caregivers providing outpatient counseling, family therapy and parenting support.