Emily Almeida, LCSW, MPH
Family Wellness Center
Emily Almeida, LCSW, MPH
Program Manager
Family Wellness Center
Emily Almeida, LCSW, MPH initially joined the SDCC family as a Therapist and Intake Coordinator in the Residential program. She then spent time working with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants as a Clinical Supervisor. Emily is happy to be back within the SDCC family in the capacity of Program Manager of the Family Wellness Center, overseeing SDCC’s outpatient services. As a Program Manager she focuses on supporting the growth of her team members, improving efficiencies, and providing high quality clinical services to the Family Wellness Center’s clients. She is particularly passionate about expanding access to mental health services to immigrant communities within San Diego County. Outside of work Emily enjoys spending time with her family, travelling, and eating tacos!
Mariana Bordas, LMFT
Mariana Bordas, LMFT
Intake and Outreach Manager
Mariana started out as a therapist in the residential program and then became an Intake Coordinator, and now is the Intake and Outreach Manager. Mariana worked for many years as a social worker with children and adolescents in a psychiatric hospital setting. She has also worked in private practice and community clinics. Mariana enjoys staying connected to her Mexican heritage through traveling to see family and providing services in her native tongue of Spanish to families seeking services at SDCC. Mariana is kept very busy with two young children at home.
John Bucher, LCSW
WrapWorks
John Bucher, LCSW
Program Director
WrapWorks
Bio to come
Bryan Dale, Ed.D.
Bryan Dale, Ed.D.
Principal of NPS Academy
Bryan Dale joins the San Diego Center for Children with over a decade’s worth of experience in education. He has served students as a special educator, high school English teacher, and as an instructional leader— always centering his work on culturally responsive and sustaining practices to ensure accessibility and inclusion for all learners. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education from CSU San Marcos and his doctorate in educational leadership from San Diego State University. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and enjoying science fiction literature.
Christina Grice, Ph.D.
Christina Grice, Ph.D.
Program Director of Intensive Clinical Services & Psychological Assessment
Dr. Grice is a California state licensed clinical psychologist. She joined the SDCC team for her postdoctoral fellowship in 2018, worked as a residential therapist, and now oversees the Intensive Outpatient Program. She has worked in the mental health field for over 10 years, including inpatient psychiatric, child welfare, integrated care, and clinical research settings. She completed her PhD at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. As the St. John’s University Vincentian Institute Doctoral Fellow for Social Action, she provided training, assessment, and trauma-specific treatment for under-resourced communities. She completed her internship at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Currently, Dr. Grice is passionate about training the next generation of mental health providers in culturally humble treatment, driven by the youth and families we serve, while integrating evidence-based practices, specifically Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). In her personal time, she enjoys spending time with her family and exploring the outdoors and new places.
Misty Howard
Misty Howard
Director of Quality Assurance
Misty Howard has been with the Center since 2004, beginning her career as a Child Development Counselor and Administrative Assistant. She has been in her current role since 2007, providing administrative support to programs to ensure their compliance with all applicable regulations, accreditation standards, contractual obligations, and training requirements. She also chairs the Center’s Quality Council.
Misty is from a small farm town in Missouri and became interested in working for the nonprofit sector while studying Political Science at the University of Missouri. This interest led her to the Peace Corps following college, in which she served two years as an English Teacher in Romania. Since that time, she has lived and worked for various nonprofits on both the East and West Coasts. Today, Misty is a new mom and spends her weekends enjoying San Diego with her family. She is honored to be a part of the Center, an organization that continually works to improve the quality of services provided to San Diego’s children and families.
Marissa Jones, LCSW
Marissa Jones, LCSW
Clinical Program Manager - Clark Residential
Marissa Jones is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who holds a Master of Social Work degree from California State University of San Marcos, and a bachelor's degree in Child and Family Development from San Diego State University. Marissa has worked with children, adolescents, and families at SDCC's residential setting since 2016 and has gained clinical experience in a variety of roles, including Intake Coordinator, Program Therapist, Lead Therapist, and Clinical Program Manager. Marissa enjoys providing direct care services, in addition to supporting Clinical and Management teams to promote the wellbeing and success of youth and families.
Chelsea Prout, LCSW
Intensive Family Services (IFS)
Chelsea Prout, LCSW
Intensive Family Services (IFS)
Bio to come
Yasmin Williams, LMFT
Yasmin Williams, LMFT
Clinical Program Manager - Children's Residential
Yasmin Williams is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who holds a master’s degree from San Diego State University, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, also from San Diego State University. She has been working in the mental health field for several years in a variety of settings such as home-based, school based, and currently in our Residential setting. She has worked with a vastly diverse population of youth and their families. Yasmin started as a Residential Therapist at SDCC and is now the Residential Clinical Manager. She has a passion for supporting youth, families, and the Residential team in promoting the overall success in the youth and families served.