Meet The Trainers
Jillian Gecewicz, LCSW - Jillian serves as Director of the Training Department. She completed her Associate in Applied Science from Hudson Valley Community College in 1997 and went on to complete her Bachelor’s in Social Work at the State University of New York, Albany in 1999. In the year 2000 she completed her Master’s in Social at SUNY Albany under the Advanced Standing Program. Jillian began her career working Direct Care with Children in the Foster Care system. Upon completing her Master’s degree, she accepted a position as a clinician with Parsons Child and Family Center in the Residential Program. Jillian spent 15 years in the Residential system, working in the capacity of a clinician, clinical supervisor, Coordinator of Mental Health Programs, Director of Community Residences, and Senior Director of Residential Services. Her experience includes interface with both the Office of Children and Family Services and the Office of Mental Health. Additionally, Jillian worked in collaboration with SUNY Albany to supervise a number of MSW students over the years. Throughout her career, Jillian has worked with the training department to provide a number of clinical and Supervision trainings for the workforce at Parsons Child and Family Center. Additionally, she worked as part of the implementation team for the Sanctuary Model and provided training for staff on this model of care. In early 2015 Jillian joined the Training team full time. She works diligently with the OCFS Bureau of Waiver Management to manage training Statewide for the Bridges to Health Program. Jillian also works with the Office of Mental Health to manage Statewide training for the OMH Home and Community Based Waiver Programs. She is active on a number of training grants and regularly provides training for local school districts. Additionally, Jillian has developed and implemented curriculum on DASA standards, Trauma, Assessment, Engagement, Person Centered Care, Diversity, Children’s Mental Health, and a variety of other areas of interest. She is also a certified trainer in the Child and Adolescent Strengths and Needs Assessment (CANS), Handle with Care Therapeutic response, and the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Model.
Brandon Howlett, MS – Brandon began his career in the human service field in New Haven, Connecticut in 1995 working as a Youth Coordinator/Mediator for a non-profit consultant agency called S.N.D.H. In this role he delivered violence prevention verbal techniques and critical thinking workshops to the inner-city populous in the NYC Tri-State area. After moving to Albany, Brandon completed his M.S. in Educational Administration and Policy Studies at the University at Albany. In early 2007, Brandon joined the Parsons Child & Family Center team as an Individualized Care Coordinator in the State Office of Mental Health (OMH) Home & Community Service Based Waiver Department (HCBSW). Brandon’s role with HCBW was to provide guidance, linkage, support, and rehabilitative advisement through intensive in-home contact and intervention practices to individuals that receive mental health services through OMH. After a nearly a decade of in-depth work with the HCBSW program, Brandon was able to solidify a mastery skillset in the areas of service linkage, assessment & professional consultation, planning & development, and outcomes monitoring. He served on the Northern Rivers Strategic Planning Working Committee and the Human Resources Management Committee. In October 2016, Brandon joined the SATRI training team full time in the role of Project Coordinator. Brandon oversees the Bridges to Health training contract, actively trains the Netsmart software package to health home network members, provides CANS-NY training to Voluntary Foster Care Agenciesacross the state, and facilitates training on a variety of different topics to the workforce within Northern Rivers.
Greyson Burns, BA – Greyson completed his B.A. in English in 2001 from Franklin Pierce University (Rindge, NH). He began his career in the human service field in 2001 working as an OPWDD residential counselor. Throughout his career, Greyson has worked within programs funded by the Department of Mental Health in both Massachusetts and New York State. In 2011, Greyson joined the team at Parsons Child and Family Center as a Waiver Service Provider in the Bridges to Health program. He was quickly promoted to a Supervisory position. In February of 2016, Greyson joined the SATRI training team full time in the role of Training Coordinator. In his current role, Greyson oversees the OCFS Bridges to health contract where he provides training statewide to both Health Care Integration and Service Provider staff. Greyson is also a certified 1st Aid/CPR trainer and an expert in LGBTQ education.
Ashley Mewhorter, BA – Ashley holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history. She began her career in Human Services working as a Direct Care worker with youth in the Foster Care system living in Residential Care. She later moved into a case management position, where she navigated the foster care system to assure well rounded service provision for those same youth. Ashley joined the SATRI team in 2015, overseeing the development and implementation of Independent Living Skills Training for youth in the foster care and mental health systems. She acts as Co-Director of the Camp To Belong, NY program, developing and implementing a program for siblings who have been separated in the foster care system to spend quality bonding time together in a weeklong camp experience. Ashley also works as a trainer on the statewide Bridges to Health Contract, and is a certified trainer in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Handle With Care, Mental Health First Aid, and 1st Aid/CPR.
Kendra Turcotte, BS - Kendra has been with Parsons Child and Family Center for over 17 years providing quality to the training Department. She facilitates and organizes a multitude of large participant trainings and conferences, and oversees staff and training compliance. Kendra holds a BS in Business Management focused on Human Resources. Additionally, she provides a variety of mandatory trainings for Northern Rivers staff and its affiliates, Parsons Child and Family Center and Northeast Parent and Child Society. These trainings range from mandated reporter, 1st Aide/CPR, Blood Borne Pathogens, hazardous communications, and Therapeutic Response (TCI/HWC).
Sarah Kane, MSW - Sarah has been working for Parson’s Child and Family Center since 2006. She first joined the agency as a volunteer in the Residential program, working with youth placed in foster care. She quickly moved into the role of a Residential Counselor and progressed through the ranks into the role of Shift Captain and Unit Supervisor. While working in residence Sarah continued her education through SUNY Albany’s School of Social Welfare where she received her Masters in Social Work in 2011. At that time she took a job as a Crisis Prevention Specialist, working to reduce the number of restraints within the Residential Treatment Facility licensed by the Office of Mental Health. She was promoted to a clinical position within the RTF where she remained until moving into a trainer position at SATRI in 2016. Sarah is a certified Therapeutic Crisis Intervention trainer. She also delivers training across the state for both the Bridges to Health Program and Home and Community Based Waiver program. Sarah also provides clinical training on a number of topics including trauma, behavioral management, engagement, strength based treatment, and treatment planning.
