Medicaid Waiver Providers
Amy Beaven, MS
Service Areas: La Porte, St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties
Experience: Amy has worked with individuals dually diagnosed with developmental and mental health disabilities here in Northwest Indiana since 2009. She has worked with individuals who have intellectual and emotional challenges. Amy earned her Master of Science degree in Psychology from Capella University and her undergraduate degree in Human Services from Bethel College. Amy took a sabbatical in 2020 to provide direct care to adults with developmental disabilities who were left underserved by the pandemic and returned to provide behavioral support in 2022. Amy serves kids in Elkhart and St. Joseph counties and adults in La Porte County.
Expertise/Special Interests: Amy is a trained associate neuro-linguistic practitioner (NLPp) and applies imagery, mirroring, and modeling techniques, and utilizes linguistic patterns and body language in her work. Amy understands that there is no all-inclusive treatment format that fits all, so she utilizes a person-centered collaborative approach. Amy is experienced in behavioral, cognitive behavioral, motivational, and mindfulness approaches. Special interests include working with individuals who have intellectual disabilities, activity-based intervention, and animals.
Dru Bolakowski, MA
Service Areas: St. Joseph and La Porte Counties
Experience: For 14 years, Dru provided a wide variety of case management services to a wide spectrum of clients including but not limited to seniors, dementia patients, and those diagnosed with many forms of developmental disabilities. She currently works as a Behavior Consultant to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Expertise/Special Interests: Dru understands that there is no all-inclusive treatment format that fits all, so she utilizes ABA practices to tailor treatment plans to meet specific individual and family needs.
Ashley Cox, MA
Service Area: Lake County
Experience: Ashley began her career with the IDD population in 2018 where she served as a DSP for adults with various intellectual and developmental disabilities. She immediately fell in love with caring for these individuals and within a month, she started her career in ABA working as a Registered Behavior Technician. Shortly after, Ashley pursued and earned her Masters of Arts in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis at Arizona State University in 2015. Ashley has experience working with all ages of individuals with a wide range of disabilities in various settings including schools, in-home and clinic.
Expertise/Special Interest: Ashley is always applying basic ABA principles to everyday life. Ashley has experience designing individualized treatment plans using ABA strategies for individuals and their families to reach their goals. Teaching individuals and families different strategies will enhance and improve communication/social skills and encourage more independence. Ashley enjoys tending to her garden, being crafty, and playing the Sims.
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Shannon Kietzman, MS
Service Area: Starke County
Experience: Shannon has been a special education teacher since 2001, working with both middle and high school students. She received her Master of Science from Purdue University with additional specialized coursework in the area of Emotional Disabilities completed at Indiana State University. Over the course of her career, she has taught students with autism, mild intellectual disabilities and specific learning disabilities, though her primary area of specialization has been working with students with emotional and behavioral disabilities.
Expertise/ Special Interests: Shannon has a special interest in working with teenagers and young adults with behavioral, emotional and mental health challenges. She believes in using positive reinforcement strategies and other techniques to shape behavior toward achieving desired outcomes. She enjoys traveling, pursuing artistic interests with a wide variety of art media, reading, spending time outdoors and transforming her property into a wildlife habitat.
Veronica Lopez, MS
Service Area: Lake County
Experience: Veronica has more than 25 years of experience with children and adults with developmental disabilities and mental health. She has worked for several agencies providing families with support as a case manager as well as a behavioral therapist. Veronica has experience working as a parent educator, addictions, service coordinator, mental health counselor and in the educational setting. She received her master’s degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis from Purdue University.
Expertise/Special Interest: Veronica's passion has been working with children with Autism and supporting their families. She has also worked in underprivileged communities and dedicates time to find resources for those families that may not be able to advocate for themselves. Veronica utilizes her knowledge of ABA to help those in need.
Adam Madison, MS
Service Area: Lake County
Experience: Adam began a career in 2014 as an addictions specialist assisting United Steelworkers as an intern through an Employee Assistance Program. As a former tradesman, he identified deeply with the struggles of juggling work, family and selfcare. After earning his Masters of Science in Clinical Counseling through IUN, Adam transitioned to Campagna Academy where he served as an interim IOP therapist for at-risk youth. Thereafter, he transitioned to mental health therapist at Edgewater Systems for Balanced Living in a methadone clinic and 24-hour crisis center in Gary, Ind. In 2018, Adam took a break from the industry and returned to construction as a volunteer for Americorps, where he assisted Habitat for Humanity by rebuilding neighborhoods in the West Pullman neighborhood of South Chicago. Upon completing his service, he joined Local 599 as a carpenter apprentice to build scaffolding in industrial settings and fast-food restaurants. However, it was not long before he heard a calling to return to mental health; this time as a Waiver Therapist serving the IDD population. His first home was with Life Strategies in Schererville, Ind., and later took advantage of opportunities at Northern Indiana Therapies. Adam embraces the IDD population and their families with a passion. He works with all ages and a wide range of disabilities. He creates reasonable challenges for individuals to foster feelings of accomplishment, to build esteem and enhance functioning. He simultaneously provides additional opportunities to enhance communication and emotional regulation. He targets specific problem behaviors and coaches families on appropriate responses to reinforce desired behaviors and build effective coping mechanisms.
Expertise/Special Interest: Words that have been used to describe Adam include quirky, creative and energetic. It would not be unusual to find him riding a unicycle or bouncing on trampolines with clients. As an avid gardener, he may ask to carve up a piece of your backyard to assist clients with occupational skills. He also is a trained journalist and writes creatively. This experience enables him to effectively develop interpretable behavior plans, elaborate social stories for clients, and efficient correspondence with all team members. His toolbox is vast and versatile, so rest assured that he will find something to build powerful connections with your loved one.
Jessica Mahoney, BS, CTRS
Service Areas: St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties
Experience: Jessica has more than ten years of clinical experience working with both children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Jessica is board certified through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Association and is a member of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association.
Expertise/Special Interests: Jessica focuses on helping clients of all ages live a healthy lifestyle through recreation and other activity-based interventions. She works on developing a fitness routine, healthy food choices and meal preparation, and meditation and relaxation techniques. Jessica is passionate about physical fitness and helping clients feel their best. She also utilizes creative arts, sports, and leisure education.
Luke Mast, MS, Spanish Speaker
Service Areas: Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties
Experience: Having completed an undergraduate degree in psychology, Luke first began working in the field of mental health in 1995 as a volunteer in a South American psychiatric hospital. He later earned a master’s degree in Counseling and Human Services at IUSB. Over the years, he has worked in various roles serving individuals with developmental and intellectual challenges. One of these positions was as a behavior consultant at Northern Indiana Therapies from 2017-2021. He has worked with individuals of all ages and a range of disabilities.
Expertise/Special Interests: As a bilingual clinician, Luke is available to provide services to Spanish speaking families. Special interests include providing pre-vocational training and promoting exercise for overall health. Luke strives to engender quality, person-centered environments to help clients thrive.
Erin Milliken-Phillips, MA
Services Areas: St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties
Experience: Erin has a wealth of experience working within the Medicaid Waiver system as a family member to various loved ones receiving waiver services and group home services, a Direct Support Professional and as a Case Manager. She has a Master’s degree in General Psychology and experience in working with all ages and all abilities.
Expertise/Special Interests: Not only does Erin thrive in supporting individuals in learning new skills via behavior modification, it is a passion of hers to advocate and support individuals in developing and living their most meaningful life. Erin has experience working with women, minorities, the LGBTQ community, and in the area of addictions. Erin is well versed in networking and connecting individuals to resources and others in their community through collaboration and social support groups.
Bill Price, M.Ed
Service Areas: La Porte, St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties
Experience: Bill has been a Behavior Clinician since 2005 and has worked in the rehabilitative field for 21 years. In addition to his work as a Behavior Clinician, Bill also volunteers with Project Homecoming, a medical clinic for the homeless population of St. Joseph County. He helps spread the word about the clinic, collects donations, and advises the clinic on mental and behavioral health screenings, focusing on depression, anxiety, trauma and PTSD.
Expertise/Special Interests: Bill works with children and adults, specializing in teaching core learning skills to children on the autism spectrum. Core learning skills are building blocks, critical prerequisite skills, that allow children to learn more quickly. These core skills include attention, joint attention, social referencing, imitation, request-making, labeling, and sequencing. He also specializes in teaching language skills using discrete trial training, a variant of applied behavior analysis. Discrete trial training is a highly structured approach that includes extensive use of prompts and reinforcement.
Samantha Resendez, MPA, CTRS, Spanish Speaker
Service Areas: St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties
Experience: Samantha Resendez has been a board certified recreational therapist (CTRS) for seven years and enjoys helping individuals of all ages thrive and live healthy lives through recreation and leisure.
Expertise/Special Interests: Samantha is flexible when it comes to working around the needs and interests of the individuals she serves. Her goal is to provide community integration and be a personal advocate of client rights.
Erin Shine, MA
Service Areas: Lake, Porter and La Porte Counties
Experience: Erin started her career in ABA working as a behavior technician in August 2020 and shortly after began working toward her degree in ABA. She earned her Master's Degree in ABA from Ball State University, as well as certificates in Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis. She has experience working in clients' homes as well as in a clinical setting, with children and adolescents with Autism.
Expertise/Special Interest: Erin enjoys utilizing ABA techniques to work with children and adolescents on building social skills, communication, and independence.
Cynthia Singleton, MA-Behavior Analysis, Certificate in Autism Specialty, Spanish Speaker
Service Areas: Lake and Porter Counties
Experience: Cynthia is a behavioral clinician with a specialty certification in autism. She started her career as a Medicaid Waiver case manager and has worked with individuals with developmental disabilities before she decided to obtain her masters degree in Behavioral Analysis from Ball State. Originally from New York, Cynthia moved to Indiana to pursue her passion to work with clients with disabilities who need support in their daily lives and in their long-term pursuits. Cynthia works with clients in their homes and in community settings. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and enjoys working with adults and children alike.
Melinda Thalmann, MS
Service Areas: La Porte, Porter and St. Joseph Counties
Experience: Melinda has been teaching in special education for 35 years. She received her MA in Special Education from Indiana University and, over the course of her career, has taught in the areas of mild, moderate, and severe intellectual disability differences, specific learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disabilities, and students on the autism spectrum. She took a break from her teaching career in Indiana to travel to the United Arab Emirates for 4 years to teach and assist in setting up Special Education programs in Abu Dhabi. She is back and excited to be working as a Behavior Consultant.
Expertise/Special Interests: Melinda has a special interest in working with children and young adults with behavioral, emotional, and mental health challenges. She believes in using sensory input and strategies to help children and young adults learn how to self-regulate in healthy and adaptive ways and she serves on a committee for the local Snoezelen multi-sensory environment sensory rooms that work to create and implement these rooms in the surrounding school systems.
Jessica Vitale, MSW
Service Areas: St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties
Experience: Jessica has over 20 years experience working in the social work field, including working in shelters, counseling youth and families in crisis, working with high functioning special needs clients (at the shelter), and helping women work through drug addiction while gaining independence to move out of homelessness. She worked for DCS for 7 years, and has been a Behavior Consultant for the past 4 years.
Expertise/Special Interests: Jessica is especially interested in working with high functioning adults with or without children, helping to learn about their rights and abilities. She enjoys linking them with services to allow them more freedom, while they learn social and safety skills in the community. She encourages her clients to improve their coping skills, independent living skills, make healthy choices, and meet their goals.