Connecticut Mental Health Waiver Recovery Assistant Training

Nicole Kavalan joined the team at Advanced Behavioral Health in 2017 as a Community Support Clinician for the Mental Health Waiver Program. In 2022, Nicole took on a Supervisory role and now also provides Clinical Supervision for colleagues who are working to obtain their clinical hours. She received her MSW from New York University and her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Connecticut. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a wealth of experience within community mental health and DMHAS affiliated programs. She has worked in a variety of social service settings, including mental health, addiction, geriatrics and intellectual disabilities. Nicole enjoys working with individuals to help them achieve their best quality of life.

A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Katie Daly specializes in serving adults with serious and persistent mental illness. Her education includes a BA in psychology with a specialty focused on mental health and substance use and a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a focus in group work and working with older adults. Katie also holds a post-graduate certificate in Essential Supervisory Skills for Human Service Professionals. Having started her career as a case manager working directly with this population in the community, she became passionate for community-based work. Katie has provided direct clinical care via individual and group therapy utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and the Seeking Safety model, among other tools. She is also a big proponent of harm reduction, using the Stages of Change model, and practicing Motivational Interviewing to assist individuals in facilitating the change they want to see in their lives. Katie began working for the Connecticut Medicaid Waiver program for individuals with serious and persistent mental illness in 2012 as a Community Support Clinician, was promoted to Clinical Supervisor in 2017, and has served as Program Manager since 2022. Katie has conducted trainings in the mental health field for over a decade and has also presented about the use of Home and Community Based Services for the mental health population on a national level. As such, Katie is well-versed in the needs of adults with serious and persistent mental illness and the best practices for providers serving this population.

Jessica Bransfield joined the Mental Health Waiver as a Community Support Clinician in 2021. She received her Master of Social Work from Columbia University, New York, New York, and her Bachelor of Psychology from Capella University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Her background in social work includes work in child residential settings, community-based family agencies, clinical private practice, and academic advising for MSW students. She has experience working in child welfare, community programming, school based social work, crisis intervention, academia, and trauma informed therapy in children, adolescents, and adults. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Council. Jessica is trained in suicide prevention techniques and clinical practices such as E.M.D.R.

Erika (Annie) Lisee is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has worked primarily in the mental health field throughout her career.  Annie earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Connecticut, and went on to complete her MSW at the UCONN School of Social Work.  Annie currently is a Community Support Clinician for the Mental Health Waiver program, assisting adults with severe mental illness to remain in the community with appropriate in-home supports.   Prior to her time with the mental health waiver, Annie has worked in a variety of settings, including school-based health centers, an early childhood program, employment services, and community college advising which has provided her the opportunity to assist people in all stages of their life.

Kathleen Turner is a state licensed social worker, and works as an Intensive Care Manager with Advanced Behavioral Health’s Mental Health Waiver program. Her career spans across different aspects of social service. She has experience with fundraising and grant writing, program development, volunteer management with Monroe’s municipal food pantry, and case management and care coordination for severely mentally ill people living in community settings with Guardian Ad Litem Services, Inc. Kathleen completed her Masters of Social Work, with a focus on Community Based Service and Leadership, at Fordham University in 2021, and is completing her Masters of Public Health, with a focus on Environmental Health Sciences, at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.