Dr. Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of Children's Research Triangle, earned her doctorate in Clinical Child and Family Psychology from DePaul University. She has 25 years of experience in the psychological assessment and treatment of children, with a specific focus on underserved populations and those within the foster care system. A member of CRT's staff since 1998, Dr Schwartz served as clinical director beginning in 2004, previously, she was the associate director of psychology for the Child Abuse Assessment Program at Chicago's Grant Hospital.  Dr. Schwartz was a research associate for the Institute for Juvenile Research and at the Institute for the Study of Developmental Disabilities at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Schwartz developed research projects involving the prediction and prevention of child and adolescent anti-social behavior; a program evaluation of an enrichment center for inner-city children; and has published an interview manual for the assessment of sexual abuse in developmentally disabled populations.

Dr. Keck is a board certified developmental-behavioral pediatrician who specializes in the assessment and treatment of developmental disorders as well as behavioral difficulties in children. She has been practicing for 18 years. Dr. Keck was formerly the director of Developmental Pediatric Clinics at Lutheran General Children's Hospital. Dr. Keck has expertise working with children with a variety of developmental challenges, including autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and in utero substance exposure. Dr. Keck is the founder and director of Camp SOAR, Children's Research Triangle's camp for children with special needs.  What began in 2000 as a camp for 19 campers and 21 volunteers has grown into providing an overnight camp experience for over 130 campers each summer, assisted by over 160 volunteers.

Dr. Wells oversees our research department. She manages the data for all of our research and service grants and performs the statistical analyses of these data. She also supervises the data management and analysis of our 4Ps Plus contracts. Dr. Wells also consults with CRT staff about research design and methodology on various projects. She has conducted research into milieu treatment settings for children and adolescents, co-authored a meta-analysis of primary prevention intervention programs for children and adolescents, and served as Principal Investigator for two needs assessments for the LGBT community in northwest Indiana.  She served as Clinical Director at New Horizons, Inc., a community based mental health agency serving children and families in Gary, IN, and has worked in community mental health settings. Dr. Wells received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University of Chicago, and completed her predoctoral internship at Children's Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She received her B.A. in Behavioral Science from the University of Chicago.

Stefanie Ward is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor. Ms. Ward completed her graduate degree in Applied Family and Child Studies, with a Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northern Illinois University. Ms. Ward provides individual and family therapy for children, adolescents, and their families at the CRT Clinic and VOCEL, a community partner site in the Austin community. Ms. Ward is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and is rostered in Child-Parent Psychotherapy. Ms. Ward approaches therapy from a relational perspective, helping clients to build and repair connections that will foster resilience. Prior to joining the team at CRT, Ms. Ward worked in an inpatient behavioral health hospital providing therapy to teens and families going through a major crisis. She also has experience providing substance abuse treatment in an inpatient and outpatient setting.

Dr. Fleming is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who conducts psychological evaluations and provides treatment for children, adolescents, and families at CRT. She attended The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where she concentrated in child and adolescent mental health. She has previously worked in a community mental health agency, an inpatient behavioral health hospital, an alternative school for youth with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges, and a group practice in which she has provided individual, group, and family therapy, as well as comprehensive psychological evaluations. Dr. Fleming’s areas of clinical interest include anxiety, depression, self-injury, and trauma.  

Dr. Orbach has a breadth of experience providing therapy to children, adolescents and their families. Clinically, Dr. Orbach takes a highly relational approach within the psychodynamic realm. Dr. Orbach has a special interest in working with clients with trauma histories to develop areas of trust and attachment that are often severed through traumatic experiences. She is currently the site supervisor at Johnson College Prep, one of CRT’s longstanding community partner sites. In addition to her direct clinical work, Dr. Orbach serves as CRT’s Training Coordinator and oversees all aspects of internal and external clinical training, including the clinical training program for graduate students, internal training of staff, and external trainings in the community. Dr. Orbach seeks to inform the community at large about the impact of trauma on children, families, and the systems in which they function in order to help others adopt a trauma-informed lens. Dr. Orbach also oversees CRT's Parent Support Network, which provides education and support for parents of children who have been prenatally exposed to substances. Prior to joining the clinical team at CRT, Dr. Orbach worked throughout the Chicagoland area, including Mt. Sinai Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health, Advocate Illinois Masonic's School Based Health Center, Jewish Child and Family Services, and Lawrence Hall Youth Services. Dr. Orbach obtained both her Masters and Doctoral degree in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Chicago.

Abby Vlahos leads the Development team and is the first point of contact for donors and funders to CRT. She has more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit development at both Chicago area and national nonprofits. Her work for CRT includes overseeing the annual Gala, annual giving, corporate and foundation grants, and communications. She is especially passionate about ensuring equity of access to services for children with disabilities. Ms. Vlahos received her BA from Wheaton College.

Tracey Bell-Hodgman (she/her/hers) joined Children’s Research Triangle in 2020. Tracey received her Master’s in social work from DePaul University in 2018. Tracey has worked in a variety of settings including Chicago Public Schools, homeless shelters for pregnant and parenting young women, and residential facilities. Tracey’s experiences have allowed her to work with infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Tracey believes that it takes a village to raise a child and approaches the work through a relational and trauma informed lens. Tracey values the strengths her clients bring to the table and is highly collaborative in finding creative interventions for clients. Tracey is currently in the process of working towards clinical licensure and rostering for Child Parent Psychotherapy. 

Gauri Goswami is a Child and Family Therapist with experience providing therapy to children, adolescents, and families in schools and in the foster care system. Gauri has primarily worked with families on processing early childhood trauma and building attachment. Gauri received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago with a concentration in Community Health and Urban Development.

As the program evaluator for Project Launch, Cassandra is responsible for tracking and scoring data, data entry and data analysis. She also helps to support CRT through report writing for various grants. Cassandra received her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Trinity Christian College and her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Quynh Giao “Tina” Nguyen is a board-certified pediatrician and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She joins CRT with over 10 years of experience as a general community pediatrician. Dr. Nguyen graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and completed her residency in Pediatrics at Maimonides Infants and Children’s Hospital of Brooklyn, where she served as a Pediatric Chief Resident. She practiced as an academic hospitalist before moving to Chicago in 2006, where she worked as a pediatrician on the south side of Chicago. Dr. Nguyen’s areas of interest include family-centered care, patient education, patient advocacy, and ADHD.

Dr. Fleming is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who conducts psychological evaluations and provides treatment for children, adolescents, and families at CRT. She attended The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where she concentrated in child and adolescent mental health. She has previously worked in a community mental health agency, an inpatient behavioral health hospital, an alternative school for youth with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges, and a group practice in which she has provided individual, group, and family therapy, as well as comprehensive psychological evaluations. Dr. Fleming’s areas of clinical interest include anxiety, depression, self-injury, and trauma.  

Dr. Kohlman is a licensed clinical psychologist specialized in pediatric neuropsychology.  At CRT she conducts comprehensive psychological evaluations for children and adolescents ranging from infancy to young adulthood.  Dr. Kohlman received her doctoral degree from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology with a concentration in neuropsychology, and completed a 2-year neuropsychology postdoctoral fellowship.   Her clinical training has been focused on pediatric neuropsychological testing as well as providing evidence-based treatment for individuals throughout the lifespan.  Dr. Kohlman has previously worked in hospital settings with pediatric oncology patients, an inpatient psychiatric hospital, community mental health centers, and private practice. She has experience assessing and treating conditions such as neurodevelopmental disorders, learning disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, anxiety, mood disorders, eating disorders, emotional dysregulation, and psychosis.  Dr. Kohlman has presented at local and international conferences on topics such as understanding executive functioning in college students, the lasting neurocognitive effects of oncology treatment, and executive functioning differences in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr. Sharon Murphy is a licensed clinical psychologist whose expertise in neuropsychology, psychopharmacology, and special education provide her with a broad perspective in the evaluation of children and adolescents. A former special educator, she earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a specialization in neuropsychology from the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and completed a fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at the University of Chicago. She also completed a postdoctoral master's degree and fellowship in clinical psychopharmacology, a specialized area of study in the use of medications that treat mental health conditions.  Dr. Murphy has expertise in evaluating complex neurodevelopmental issues that have previously been misunderstood or unrecognized. She develops comprehensive intervention plans that build on children’s strengths and support their healthy development.   

Stefanie Ward is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor. Ms. Ward completed her graduate degree in Applied Family and Child Studies, with a Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northern Illinois University. Ms. Ward provides individual and family therapy for children, adolescents, and their families at the CRT Clinic and VOCEL, a community partner site in the Austin community. Ms. Ward is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and is rostered in Child-Parent Psychotherapy. Ms. Ward approaches therapy from a relational perspective, helping clients to build and repair connections that will foster resilience. Prior to joining the team at CRT, Ms. Ward worked in an inpatient behavioral health hospital providing therapy to teens and families going through a major crisis. She also has experience providing substance abuse treatment in an inpatient and outpatient setting.

Dr. Fleming is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who conducts psychological evaluations and provides treatment for children, adolescents, and families at CRT. She attended The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where she concentrated in child and adolescent mental health. She has previously worked in a community mental health agency, an inpatient behavioral health hospital, an alternative school for youth with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges, and a group practice in which she has provided individual, group, and family therapy, as well as comprehensive psychological evaluations. Dr. Fleming’s areas of clinical interest include anxiety, depression, self-injury, and trauma.  

Gauri Goswami is a Child and Family Therapist with experience providing therapy to children, adolescents, and families in schools and in the foster care system. Gauri has primarily worked with families on processing early childhood trauma and building attachment. Gauri received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago with a concentration in Community Health and Urban Development.

Dr. Wendy Kovacs is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist currently working as a Child & Family Therapist. Dr. Kovacs has experience providing therapeutic treatment to children, adolescents, adults, and families with advanced clinical training in attachment therapy and trauma. Previous work experience includes supervising and providing therapy in a private practice, teaching at a Junior College, and as a therapist in a foster care agency. She teaches Marriage and Family Therapy courses. Dr. Kovacs has provided trainings on attachment therapy, managing trauma reactions in children, and adoption issues. She is a Clinical Fellow, an Approved Supervisor, and an Approved Supervisor Mentor in the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. 

Venezah St. Louis (she/her) is a child and family therapist that joined CRT in 2020. She has experience working with children, adolescents, and families through a relational, strengths-based, and trauma-informed approach. Interactive play, games, music, creative writing, and food are just some of the many therapeutic tools that Venezah utilizes to support clients in processing their thoughts, emotions, and trauma. Venezah values each client's right to self-determination and agency, and is a strong advocate of meeting clients where they are in their journey towards healing.

Venezah obtained her Master's Degree in Social Service Administration with a focus on trauma-responsive social work from the University of Chicago in Chicago, IL (2020).

Tracey Bell-Hodgman (she/her/hers) joined Children’s Research Triangle in 2020. Tracey received her Master’s in social work from DePaul University in 2018. Tracey has worked in a variety of settings including Chicago Public Schools, homeless shelters for pregnant and parenting young women, and residential facilities. Tracey’s experiences have allowed her to work with infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Tracey believes that it takes a village to raise a child and approaches the work through a relational and trauma informed lens. Tracey values the strengths her clients bring to the table and is highly collaborative in finding creative interventions for clients. Tracey is currently in the process of working towards clinical licensure and rostering for Child Parent Psychotherapy. 

Tori Albarracin is a Child and Family Therapist and joined CRT in 2020. Tori has previously worked in a forensic setting where she provided therapy services to juvenile residents at a detention center and a private practice setting where she conducted neuropsychological evaluations to children and adolescents. Additionally, Tori has experience working in a non-profit setting providing therapy and comprehensive psychological evaluations to juvenile and emerging adult clients who are receiving social and legal services. Tori’s approach to treatment includes a client-centered, relational approach, and she believes that change can occur through a secure, warm therapeutic relationship.  Tori values trauma-informed treatments and is committed to providing a safe space for clients to collaboratively work through various issues at their own pace. Tori’s particular clinical interests include complex trauma, anxiety, depression, family conflict, and relationship concerns. 

Cheria Randle was born on the south side of Chicago and raised in the southland area.  She graduated from Thornwood High School and attended undergrad at Tennessee State University in Nashville Tennessee.  During her time there she pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., then graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s in Psychology.  She returned to Chicago and worked in a mental health facility for two years before entering graduate school at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology; there she received her Master’s in Clinical Psychology, counseling specialization.  Upon graduation she relocated to Los Angeles, CA where she worked in clinical research for a year before starting her journey with Applied Behavior Analysis.  She worked for 8 years as a behavioral therapist for children with autism before having a baby of her own.  After the birth of her son she relocated back to Chicago and began her journey to counsel children and families that have been impacted by trauma with Children’s Research Triangle.  Cheria will begin her track to LCPC licensure in 2022.  Her future goals include getting licensed and continuing trauma work with children and families.

Dr. Wells oversees our research department. She manages the data for all of our research and service grants and performs the statistical analyses of these data. She also supervises the data management and analysis of our 4Ps Plus contracts. Dr. Wells also consults with CRT staff about research design and methodology on various projects. She has conducted research into milieu treatment settings for children and adolescents, co-authored a meta-analysis of primary prevention intervention programs for children and adolescents, and served as Principal Investigator for two needs assessments for the LGBT community in northwest Indiana.  She served as Clinical Director at New Horizons, Inc., a community based mental health agency serving children and families in Gary, IN, and has worked in community mental health settings. Dr. Wells received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University of Chicago, and completed her predoctoral internship at Children's Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She received her B.A. in Behavioral Science from the University of Chicago.

As the program evaluator for Project Launch, Cassandra is responsible for tracking and scoring data, data entry and data analysis. She also helps to support CRT through report writing for various grants. Cassandra received her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Trinity Christian College and her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan.

As a research assistant for the Trauma Treatment Program (TTP), Gabriell Carpenter is responsible for tracking and maintaining data collection and entry. She is also responsible for collecting data for the 4P’s Plus Project, onboarding new program sites, and producing bi-annual reports. Gabriell completed her bachelor's degree in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience from DePaul University.

As the Research & Program Evaluation Secialist for all foundation grants, Kayla is responsible for tracking and scoring data, entering client measures, data entry, and managing the coordination of school data collection. She also supports the Research team by tracking monthly hours, consents, and inventory management. Kayla is also a research assistant for Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Training, where she works with trainees to complete pre work and manages data collection and analysis for reports. As the Research Internship Manager, Kayla interviews and hires research interns throughout the year. She also works to onboard and train the interns, as well as manage their schedules. Additionally, with the help of the Research team, Kayla works to build community between the Research team and interns through hosting “break times” and Learning Sessions to educate interns on the various topics in the psychological field. Kayla received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Bachelor of Science in Human Services (with a focus on Mental Health) from Loyola University Chicago.

Desmond studied public policy at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. As he pursued his M.P.A., Desmond became increasingly dedicated to social justice and particularly interested in the effects of the American political and economic systems on impoverished communities. He became active in Boston area New Party politics and organizing campaigns for living wages. Working for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay as a Director in the Community Investments Department, Desmond focused on building the internal resources of grassroots organizations and promoting systemic change by mobilizing community residents to organize and empower themselves. He was instrumental in facilitating Boston’s Mattapan Community Partnership, a collaboration of human service providers, businesses, faith-based organizations, and street associations that has become the main funding vehicle for UWMB’s Mattapan Initiative. Currently, Desmond is a resource development consultant specializing in grant writing, strategic planning and needs assessments. He works with nonprofit organizations to develop program outcomes measurement systems, manage grant proposal processes, implement fundraising plans and conduct board development training.

Jacquelyn Dela Cruz graduated with a BA in Art Therapy from Edgewood College located in Madison, WI and is currently CRT’s Office Manager and Receptionist. Her attention to detail keeps the daily functions of CRT running smoothly, along with ensuring compliance guidelines, such as HIPAA, are met. Ms. Dela Cruz’s responsibilities also include processing insurance claims and billing.

Maria Fay, Clinical Executive Assistant at Children's Research Triangle, aids the entire clinical staff in a secretarial capacity and as report manager. In addition to her secretarial duties, She oversees the report process including transcribing, proofing, editing, and mailing reports to parents and caseworkers. In her career as a secretary, Ms. Fay has worked for a major news magazine, marketing firms, and a graduate school of psychology. She feels that her experience with psychologists and soon-to-be psychologists set the path she was to take to her position with Children's Research Triangle. She has taken classes at Northwestern and DePaul Universities, as well as auditing courses at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Kimberly Runnels is the Intake Coordinator at Children’s Research Triangle. She is a graduate of North Park University, with both a degree in Nursing and a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology. In addition, she is certified in Mental Health First Aid. She began her career at CRT as a Research Assistant and moved forward to become our Intake Coordinator. She is responsible for receiving and coordinating referrals, ensuring compliance with state and federal intake requirements, establishing and maintaining a positive working relationships with current and potential referral sources, and preserving a comprehensive working knowledge of community resources in which she can use to assist referral sources in accessing community resources should services not be provided at CRT. She works directly with both the assessment team and the therapy team. 

Ms. Odiase has extensive experience in social service and child welfare.  She has worked in residential facilities and held case management, administrative, supervisory, and director positions in various agencies in Cook, Lake, McHenry, Kane and Will Counties.  She has experience in child welfare, substance abuse, domestic violence, homelessness, mental health, and disabilities. In 2016, Ms. Odiase earned a Masters of Social Work from Loyola University Chicago with a focus in Mental Health.

Ms. Skinner was born and raised in the Southland, and attributes her compassion for advocacy to her experiences growing up in Chicago Heights. Ms. Skinner is an alumna of Northern Illinois University, where she was active in serving the community through membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Professionally, Ms. Skinner has worked in the non-profit and social service sector for several years, as well as having nearly 10 years of direct care in clinical/ therapeutic and educational settings. 

Dr. Keck is a board certified developmental-behavioral pediatrician who specializes in the assessment and treatment of developmental disorders as well as behavioral difficulties in children. She has been practicing for 18 years. Dr. Keck was formerly the director of Developmental Pediatric Clinics at Lutheran General Children's Hospital. Dr. Keck has expertise working with children with a variety of developmental challenges, including autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and in utero substance exposure. Dr. Keck is the founder and director of Camp SOAR, Children's Research Triangle's camp for children with special needs.  What began in 2000 as a camp for 19 campers and 21 volunteers has grown into providing an overnight camp experience for over 130 campers each summer, assisted by over 160 volunteers.

Sari began attending Camp SOAR at the age of 16 as a counselor, which helped shape her career. She received her undergraduate degree in Special Education from Saint Louis University. After a few years supporting district schools, Sari went on to receive her Masters in Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Since then, she has been working as a Board Certified Behavior Analysis in a therapeutic day school in the western suburbs. She continues to attend Camp SOAR every year as a coordinator, helping to plan and run activities for all of camp, support for campers, training for counselors, and behind the scenes support for applications.