Healthy Living Programs
Provider Task Force

Beach Cities Health District convened a Provider Task Force in 2018 as a part of a Beach Cities-wide effort to address student stress and substance use. The Provider Task Force is made of more than 60 organizations and providers in the Beach Cities that support students and families. 

Provider service areas include:

  • Substance use prevention
  • Mental health

The Task Force meets quarterly to offer recommendations on student health issues. Participants provide resources and services to Beach Cities students and families on topics including cancer support, mental health, grief counseling, substance use prevention, interventions and education, as well as mindfulness and social-emotional learning.

Participating providers will:

  • Be part of a Beach Cities-wide effort to address student stress and substance use
  • Offer recommendations on student health issues
  • Convene 3-4 times annually with other providers in the Beach Cities
  • Be eligible to be listed as a community resource on bchd.org/resources
  • Be eligible to participate in/support school events

For questions about the Provider Task Force, please contact Nicole Lunde, Youth Services Substance Use Prevention Coordinator, at nicole.lunde@bchd.org.

Task Force Members

Substance Use  
Alice Kuo, PhD UCLA Pediatrics
Alix Helena Politanoff Behavioral Health Services Inc.
Charles Vavasseur Insight Treatment Recovery
Derreck Reed Los Angeles Office of Education (LACOE)
Donnie W. Watson, Ph.D. Thelma McMillen Center For Alcohol & Drug Treatment/Torrance Memorial
Engy Abdelmalak Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) Curtis Tucker Center for Community Wellness
Erica Winston Behavioral Health Services Inc.
Frederik Schulin Insight Treatment Programs
Howard Barker Clear Recovery Center
Howard Mationg Muir Wood Trusted Teen Treatment
Jac Folkert UCLA Health
Joan Stein Jenkins Juvenile Diversion Project
Kristine Lloyd-Tangermann LACDPH Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC)
Krystal Mousseau LACDPH Connecting to Opportunities for Recovery and Engagement (CORE) Center
Laura McIntire South Bay Families Connected
Mary Eno, MD Kaiser Permanente Addiction Medicine
Melissa Estelle Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Moe Gelbart, PhD Thelma McMillen Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Raunda Jones Behavioral Health Services Inc.
Sebastian Martin New Life House Recovery
Steven Cagle LACDPH Connecting to Opportunities for Recovery and Engagement (CORE) Center
Tom Chic Asian American Drug Abuse Program, Inc
Traci Saruwatari Asian American Drug Abuse Program, Inc
 

 

Mental Health  
Anna Pirkl, LMFT, LAADAC, ATR One Heart Counseling Center
Brittany Dafesh, PsyD   Dr. Brittany Dafesh, Clinical Psychologist
Brooke Tuley Venice Family Clinic South Bay
Chloe Canton, AMFT, APCC Private Practice
Claire Towle, LCSW Taking Time
Diana Lipson-Burge, RDN, CEDRD Private Practice Registered Dietician Nutritionist
Eugenie Lewis, LCSW Creative Life Mapping
Felipe Ramirez Fusion Academy South Bay
Iris Knell, LCSW South Bay Children's Center
Jeannie Beaumont, LMFT, ATR Private Practice
Jennifer Wildenberg Mira Costa High School Guidance Counselor
Kenneth Cohen Private Practice
Leah Niehaus, LCSW Private Practice
Linda Reeves, LMFT Private Practice
Lucia Galante Johnson The SMART Drum
Maria Nazarian, PhD    Beach Therapy
Megan Fishback, AMFT Private Practice
Monica Fyfe, LMFT Our Village
Patricia Jones PS I Love You Foundation
Patty Ellis Taking Time
Paul Stansbury National Alliance on Mental Illness
Rachel Lloyd, LMFT South Bay Children's Health Center - Youth Mental Health Project
Robin Kusilka, LMFT Private Practice
Robyn Deely The Body Project
Shauna Letvin, LCSW Private Practice
Virginia Green, PhD Stillwater Group, Inc.
Whitney Boole, LMFT Beach Cities Psychotherapy