Management Team

Administration:

Melanie Gidney, Executive Director

Melanie Gidney was appointed to the role of Executive Director, following the retirement of Linda Chambers, who had served in the role since 1994.  Ms. Gidney had been working on an interim basis in this role for the past year and a half as a support to Ms. Chambers while she was on extended leave.  Ms. Gidney has been a dedicated and highly respected staff member and leader at the agency for over 28 years, with an impressive mix of clinical and administrative experience that has positioned her well for this role.

After receiving her degree from the University of Vermont, Melanie Gidney joined the Clara Martin Center in 1992 as a case manager in the Community Support Program (working with adults who have a major mental illness). She then assumed her first leadership position within the agency as the Assistant Coordinator of Case Management Services in 1994. In 1995, she was designated by the Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health as a Qualified Mental Health Professional, which she maintains to this day. Also in 1995, she became the Intake/Emergency Site Coordinator for the Randolph area. In 1997, she shifted from a clinical position to an administrative position within the agency and brought her many skills to the human resource department as the Human Resource Manager. In 2001, she moved into the role of Director of Operations, overseeing many facets of the organization. After having a family, she assumed the role of Director of Quality Assurance and Systems Improvement. She worked closely with the Executive Director for many years and was promoted in February 2020 to become the new Executive Director of the Clara Martin Center. She has been recognized as a dedicated and highly respected staff member and leader at the agency for over a several decades. She has demonstrated an enduring commitment to the Clara Martin Center staff, clients and to the many communities served.  She is a lifelong Vermonter, who has strong family roots to the Orange County area. Her passion for people, her empathy and ability to connect with others makes her a strong leader for the Clara Martin Center’s entire organization.

Christie Everett, Director of Operations

Christie Everett originally joined the agency in 2011 as the Emergency Services Coordinator and Hospital Diversion Case Manager, after relocating from NY where she had served as the Director of the Finger Lakes Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (FLCPEP) since 2001. After a short time away from Clara Martin Center, she returned in the beginning of 2012 as the Director of Acute Care Services, following Tropical Storm Irene and in 2014, took on the additional oversight of the Access Services where she helped transition the agency to a centralized scheduling model of care delivery.  In 2014, she took on the lead development role in the creation of a new housing project for the agency at 28 South Main Street in Randolph, a project which opened in 2019.  During this time, her role transitioned again to become the Director of Acute Care Services and Program Development, a position she held until transitioning to her current role as Director of Operations in 2020.  She earned her MSW degree from Syracuse University in 2001 and was licensed in NYS in 2002.  She was designated by the VT Commissioner of Mental Health as a Qualified Mental Health Professional in 2012, and earned her LICSW in 2013. She is a certified ALICE trainer, and is a member of the Snelling Center’s Vermont Leadership Institute Class of 2019.

Tim Ross, Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jena Trombly, Director of Human Resources and Compliance

Jena Trombly joined the Clara Martin Center in 1991 following the completion of her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with Departmental Distinction from Hartwick College in Oneonta NY. She began her career at CMC as a Case Manager in the Randolph CSP program and became a Qualified Mental Health Professional in 1993. In 1994 she transferred to the Bradford office and took on a leadership position as the Intake and Emergency Services Coordinator, providing direct care and supervising the Adult Out-Patient staff.  While in that position she successfully transitioned the Adult program to a sustainable Fee For Service model with a Walk in Clinic to provide immediate access for those in need of acute care. Upon obtaining her Master of Arts Degree in Counseling Psychology from Lesley College in 1997, she became the Director of Adult & Access Services and transitioned back to the Randolph offices. In 2002, Jena took on the role of Corporate Compliance Officer, and later added the title of Privacy Officer in 2003. She remains in both of these roles today. In addition, in 2005 Jena left clinical work and accepted the position of Director of Human Resources which allows her to focus on employee recruitment, training, development and retention. A life-long learner, Jena enrolled in the Vermont Leadership Institute through the Snelling Center for Government in 2005 and graduated from that program with a certificate in Community Leadership in 2006.

Jena has been a strong advocate for Workforce Development at the State level including championing pay equity for Designated & Specialized Service Agencies, working with the Office of Professional Regulation to streamline licensing for Substance Use Providers, and advocating at the legislature for expanded student loan repayment & tuition reimbursement for mental health and substance use disorder providers.  In 2019 Jena was recognized for her work and was selected as the Vermont Human Resources Professional of the Year, by the Vermont Society of Human Resources.

Clinical:

Dr. Kevin Buchanan, Medical Director

Dr. Kevin Buchanan joined the Clara Martin Center initially through a contract with West Central Services as the Medical Director in 2002 following four years of practice at Rutland Regional Medical Center/Rutland Mental Health. He became employed by the Clara Martin Center in 2008, providing leadership, vision and oversight of all medical services for the agency. He also provides direct clinical care through the Community Support, Adult Outpatient, and Substance Abuse programs. Dr. Buchanan received his PhD in Neuroanatomy and MD from Loma Linda University. He did his psychiatry residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center from 1994-1998. He has been certified by the American Board of Psychiatry/Neurology since 2002.

 

Dawn Littlepage, Clinical Director

Dawn Littlepage completed her master’s degree in 1988 and has had varied employment experiences working with all client populations. She has extensive experience as an emergency screener, outpatient therapist, inpatient therapist, psychiatric inpatient admissions coordinator, intake coordinator for a mental health agency and as an emergency services director. She also has experience working in substance abuse treatment and working with children in school settings.  Dawn’s path also included working as an art therapist in an inpatient setting with adults and in inpatient pediatric oncology. In 1995 Dawn joined the Clara Martin Center as Director of the Community Support Program and soon after added the responsibility of Emergency Team Coordinator. In 1997 she obtained her license as a mental health counselor. In 2000 Dawn left the agency to work in a nursing home providing assessments, training and mental health counselling. She returned to CMC in 2005 as Director of Access and Adult Outpatient Programs. In 2006 she became the Clinical Director providing clinical oversight of all programs as well as oversight of clinical and legal risk management issues.

Kristen Briggs, Director of Access and Acute Care Services

Kristen came to the Clara Martin Center in 2013 as the Hospital Diversion Bed Manager for Chris’s Place, the crisis bed program, before transitioning to overseeing Safe Haven as well.  Following several years as Acute Care Coordinator, overseeing Emergency Services, and the two residential programs, Kristen was promoted to her current position as Program Director of Access and Acute Care.  Kristen completed her Master’s Degree in Social work in 2019 and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.  Kristen has been providing mental health services for the past 15 years including much of that time also working to support those with substance use diagnoses.  In her current role, Kristen oversees the residential programs of Safe Haven, Chris’s Place, and 28 S. Main as well as the Emergency Services and Access teams.  Kristen’s focus in her work remains person first and person centered, strengths based treatment through the risk management and lethality assessment lens.  Kristen teaches Adult Mental Health First Aid, serves as the Y/T/MHFA Coordinator for the agency and has passion in decreasing stigma and educating the community in mental health concerns and resources.

 

Gretchen Pembroke, Director of Adult Services

After receiving her BA degree in Psychology from St. Michael’s College, Gretchen Pembroke joined the Clara Martin Center in 1999 as a Case Manager in the Community Support Program. She took on a leadership position at the agency when she was named the Community Support Program Team Leader in 2005, a position she held until 2012, when she was named the Director of Adult and Access Services. In 2007, Gretchen received her MA degree in Psychology from Vermont College, Union Institute and University and she has since attained her Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) license. She remained the Director of Adult Services when the Access Program was merged with Acute Care Services in 2014, and at that time took on the additional leadership and oversight of Primary Care Services integration.

 

Tammy Austin, Director of Child and Family Services

Tammy Austin came to the Clara Martin Center in 2003 as a Child and Family Clinician from Syracuse University where she earned her masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. In 2006, she obtained licensure as a LMFT, and became a C&F Team Leader in 2007, and was promoted to Director of Child and Family Services in 2012. Tammy’s clinical focus has been working with individuals, families, and couples utilizing relational and systemic approaches. In addition to the Clinical and Programmatic work, Tammy enjoys working in the world of Regulation. She has served on the Vermont Board of Allied Mental Health Professionals for 10 years, and is currently Board Chair. Tammy enjoys supporting the professions of Marriage and Family therapy, and Mental Health Counseling at local, state and national levels. She just completed her second term as Secretary of the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards.

 

Danielle Cayton, Director of Substance Abuse and Criminal Justice Services

Danielle Cayton came to the Clara Martin Center in 2018 as the Substance Abuse Coordinator.  She accepted her current position in January 2019. Danielle has been serving in behavioral health for the past ten years, providing clinical services at both inpatient and outpatient level of care.  Danielle completed her Master’s degree in 2013, and began working in substance use residential services for both men and women.  Currently working as the Program Director for Substance Abuse and Criminal Justice Services at Clara Martin Center she provides program development, clinical supervision and continues to do a mix of clinical work with people with substance abuse disorders, and most recently in the Clara Martin Center Domestic Violence Accountability Program and Sex Offender Treatment Program.  Danielle enjoys working with a diverse population and a variety of community partners.  Strengths-based and trauma-informed approaches are important to her.

Demetra Hazatones, Adult Services and Regional Coordinator

Demetra Hazatones has been with the Clara Martin Center since 2006. She is a licensed mental health and licensed drug and alcohol counselor. She initially started as a school clinician at Connecticut River Academy, then moved into the role of adult substance abuse clinician for five years. She is currently the adult services and regional coordinator, for Bradford. She obtained her Masters Degree at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, focusing on Cognitive Behavior Therapy. She has a passion for Dialectical Behavior Therapy for various populations and has great joy and excitement watching the change process. She thoroughly enjoys living in rural Vermont.