IRC Staff Snapshots

Our professionals are our best assets. Their personal qualities and professional commitment are the reasons why we see improvements and positive results with the youth at JTDC.

Some of the members of the IRC psychiatric and psychosocial teams share their perspectives about their daily work.

Robyn Inaba, PhD
Lead Clinical Psychologist
Psychosocial Services Team

This is a fast-paced, tough environment, with lots of emergencies, so you need to be flexible. But at the end of the day, it’s all about our youth. Working at JTDC is a rich opportunity to engage them with mental health services.

This is an unprecedented time for the Isaac Ray Center. We hope to build a program that can be on the forefront of the field, and we’re working to be a resource for others. It is a big responsibility, and daunting. But, it’s also a great opportunity. We hope to reach out to families and communities, and do more so every youth leaves JTDC having had a mental health experience.

Brian Conant, PhD
Clinical Psychologist/Team Leader
Psychosocial Services Team

There are people from the community who volunteer their time at JTDC because they want to help the kids. But we actually get paid to experience that sense of satisfaction. It’s a real gift. What keeps us here is having an opportunity to make a connection.

IRC gives us the opportunity to be creative. For example, we have one activity where the kids memorize and then interpret quotes by famous people. Some kids were bullies or had discipline problems, but this was a chance for them to be heard and receive positive feedback. We’ve had very positive results and some real successes with that activity.

Norma Wilson
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Psychosocial Services Team

You can’t be too thin-skinned if you work here. You have to be flexible, and go with the flow. No two days are alike. But we have a tight-knit group here that has your back.

Some of the kids have taken a lot of abuse or gone through terrible experiences. You need to be tenacious in relationship building. You can be a port in the storm when others have given up.

I’ve been here three years. There’s a willingness and openness to new ideas. Having the ability to create – and the freedom to create – new systems or different processes to do my work is what I most enjoy about being here.

Nancy Fowler, APRN, BC, CNP
Coordinator of Psychiatric Services
Psychiatric Services Team

Working at the JTDC, you have to be an advocate for the youths, and you have to have a desire to educate everyone about mental health needs. So many of the youths here have had bad things happen to them. But I have seen the benefits and the positive effects of our work. One of my greatest experiences was listening to one kid’s story. When he finished, he said, “No one ever listened to me like that.”

Ours is a collegial and dedicated group that works across disciplines. We also look for opportunities to educate other professionals in the mental health arena. Recently, I was a co-presenter with another colleague from the psychosocial team at a national conference where we discussed IRC’s multi-disciplinary model of assessment and treatment, and provided case studies in assessment and diagnosis.

Lynelle Thomas, MD
Interim Director of Psychiatry
Psychiatric Services Team

We have a very resourceful group of professionals working here. Despite the barriers or crises we confront on a daily basis, the team’s commitment, smarts, and sense of dedication make it a positive, even joyful, workplace! Uniting us is a deep desire to help children in need so they can become productive citizens.

I’ve been with the IRC team for two years, and hope to serve as a bridge between the children and the justice system. So few people understand the vulnerabilities of the kids. If they only knew, we might have more services or programs. We are trying to get that message out – serving as spokespersons and advocates for the kids, and as ambassadors for the field of child and adolescent psychiatry.

Barbara Preib-Lannon, PhD, PMHCNS, BC
Psychiatric Services Team

We’re on the frontline working at the JTDC. Sometimes it’s like working in a MASH unit. At first, the kids were wary of us. Now, they say hello. They’re asking for us. That’s a huge cultural shift.

In terms of building new models, we’d like to create stronger transitional and aftercare programs for our youths. Establishing links to other mental health resources also is a goal. Schools can play a big role, especially in terms of early intervention, by having mental health clinics and professionals readily available to children and families.

Angela Sedeño, PhD
Mental Health Specialist
Psychsocial Services Team

We have one of the finest frontline groups I’ve ever known. We take care of each other, and work at team building.

The JTDC is a multi-faceted, dynamic, and ever-changing workplace. Every day is different, and every day is full. We see kids in their moments of crisis, and I have definitely seen residents make significant life changes.

There was one 16-year-old Latino young man who had journaled and written poetry while at the JTDC. A week before sentencing, after months of mental health support, he took the risk of contacting his biological father and agreed to talk with him about past hurts. It was a positive experience. His dad came from out of state to visit him and they re-established a relationship. A year later, the young man contacted me to tell me that he had graduated and had his first job mentoring youth.

Kiela Bolden, PsyD
Mental Health Specialist
Psychsocial Services Team

I wanted to work at IRC because I was interested in working with the adolescent population. Working with the kids here would allow me to fine-tune my diagnostic skills and hone in on their needs. It’s important to remember that the residents are kids. And it’s important to recognize the individual, not the offense. If you can’t do that, you shouldn’t work here.

Lili Burciaga
Mental Health Specialist
Psychsocial Services Team

It’s been rewarding to be a consistent force in the lives of the kids here. When they ask for you, you know that you are helping them process information and events. And you know you are making a difference.

A lot of the kids like to draw. Some of their drawings are related to detention and what they see in their future. Some see themselves back in detention. But helping them express themselves, having them give you a drawing or their poetry, or having them say “thank you” is very rewarding. Some may have committed serious crimes, but they all deserve treatment and a chance.

It’s also really exciting to have team building opportunities with other coworkers. We talk on a daily basis about our experiences and we all try to cover for each other. There is a strong support system for our achievements and projects.

Aimee Potter
Licensed Clinical Social WorkerPsychsocial Services Team

I came to work at JTDC because I have a passion for adolescents. The people who thrive here are organized and willing to be an advocate for the youth. You also need patience to navigate around a difficult justice system with limited resources. We have a helpful team that can assist in a crisis.

What’s most rewarding is having a chance to establish a relationship with the kids, to be able to work the system, and become an advocate as the kids go through the justice system. We’re talking to difficult-to-reach youth. You can view our work as a form of prevention – it’s about putting out a fire before it starts.