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Since 1984, Dr. Sacco has pioneered the use of home-based mental health to multi-problem families often referred by Department of Social Services, Department of Youth Services, courts and schools. He is an international speaker on school violence and victimization who has appeared on CNN News and featured on CNN Opinion commenting on school shootings and bullying, as well as addressed audiences in Jamaica, Paraguay, Australia, and New Zealand on the topics of violence. Dr. Sacco is an adjunct Professor at Western New England College in Springfield, MA.

He has been qualified as an expert in Child and Family Mental Health over 100 times in juvenile and federal courts in Massachusetts. He has been a consultant to the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit on topics including US School Shooters, Threat Assessment, Domestic Violence, and Internet Sexual Exploitation of Children.

Dr. Sacco is also a 25 year martial artist with a Black Belt in Han-Pul Karate. He has co-authored 35 papers and book chapters on school violence prevention, threat assessment, as well as several educational videos. He recently published a book titled "Why School Anti-Bullying Programs Don't Work".

Dr. Sacco co-wrote a featured article for CNN Opinion titled "Clues your child is bullied, and what to do" as part of CNN's complete coverage on Stop Bullying, Speak Up week.

Dr. James Sacco is the new Clinic Administrator at Community Services Institute (CSI.) He oversees all aspects of care at the clinic. He is a distinguished clinician with 20 years clinical experience and a member of the American Psychological Society. Dr. Jim Sacco has two decades of experience evaluating and consulting on very difficult cases referred by Department of Social Services, courts, and schools. He is a specialist in learning disabilities and the assessment of risk and trauma. Dr. Sacco began as a classroom teacher and advanced into the role of School Administrator. Now, he is moving into the senior role as Administrator at CSI. He has testified as an expert in psychology many times in the past ten years. He will also continue to function as the Chief Psychologist.

Dr. Cohen has been the Medical Director for the Springfield office of Community Services Institute (CSI) since its inception in 1987. He is a certified Psychiatrist and a board eligible Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist with a long-standing reputation as a specialist on the diagnosis and treatment of children exposed to trauma. He is a member of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology, and the Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and he has had a private practice in Amherst for the past 29 years.

Ms. Balletto is a seasoned clinician and supervisor with over 20 years experience providing direct services and developing and implementing innovative programs for vulnerable and hard to reach families and individuals. She has worked closely with highly diverse teams and client populations across the spectrum of public, private and independent practice settings. Areas of clinical focus have included maternal-child health, HIV/AIDS, GLBT, eating problems/body image issues and expanding and re-conceptualizing service models within traditional practice settings. Ms. Balletto holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the Hunter College School of Social Work of the City University of New York. In 1998, she completed her psychoanalytic training in Feminist Relational Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy at the Women’s Therapy Centre Institute in New York City. She has been in private practice for 14 years and has recently opened a new practice in Easthampton, MA.

Dr. Storey has had 20 years experience as a psychological examiner. He has also been called on as an expert witness for Care and Protection cases, including criminal cases. He is a graduate of the American International College (AIC) doctoral program and interned at the Curtis Blake Center. Dr. Storey is also a Tai-Chi Master researching the application of Internal Arts in psychological therapy.

Dr. McMahon has work with families, adults and children in community mental health, hospital, early intervention and private practice settings.  She has worked in a behavioral medicine unit, received training in neuropsychology, and was formerly the Director of the Master's Program in Counseling Psychology at New England.  Dr. McMahon develops public education and service projects focusing on Peak Oil and issues of community building and sustainable lifestyles. She writes on ways to adapt current psychological theory and practice to help people deal with the emotional impact of dramatic economic, climate and cultural upheaval, and offers educational seminars and lectures on these issues.  She is a clinical member and former Executive Board member of the Massachusetts Division of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and is certified as a sex therapist and educator.  She maintains a part-time private practice serving the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts.

Jennifer Wuest is an experienced clinician with more than 10 years of supervisory experience.  She has worked in a wide variety of settings providing client care and supervision including outpatient clinics, psychiatric hospitals, IOPs, emergency services and private practice.  She brings to her clinical work a focus on CBT, DBT and also, EMDR.  She received her MSW from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work in 1996.  She currently supervises the clinicians at CSI’s Springfield office and carries a small case load.

Pamelah Brown-Stevens has been providing 20 plus years of direct service to a variety of hard-to-reach groups. In the AISS Program, she played a key part in developing support services to the after-incarcerated. With her tools and knowledge in Hapkido, Polarity, and Transpersonal Psychology, Pam has counseled 100’s of victims of crime and trauma (i.e. The Beacon House for Women, Spirit of the Heart Kung fu, Ludlow Sheriff’s Department). In her work with the homeless, Pam has contributed countless hours to the Housing First Movement, while she focused on addiction recovery, addressing chronic mental illness and marginalization. Pam holds an MA in Psychology from Antioch New England Graduate School, is a member of the APA, and is presently a Wellness/Life Coach and Therapist in Northampton. She currently supervises therapeutic mentors at CSI's Springfield office for CBHI services and carries an active case load.

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Dr. Louie has worked with families, children and adolescents for over three decades, with a specialty in providing services to troubled youth who present with emotional issues, addictive disorders and aggressive profiles. In this capacity, he has directed mental health departments within city hospitals, community based agencies and schools. He is an expert in cultural diversity and working within the Asian community. Beginning his professional career as a public school educator working with special needs students, Dr. Louie has held academic appointments at the medical schools of Harvard University and Boston University and hospital appointments at Boston Medical Center and Mclean Hospital. In addition, Dr. Louie has served as a Police Psychologist for various police departments in the Commonwealth. Since 1985, Dr. Louie has been a Guardian ad litem and qualified expert witness for several Probate and Family Courts. In this capacity he has conducted evaluations in 150+ cases, with assessment and testimonial expertise in high-conflict custody cases that present with domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse and trauma issues. Dr. Louie is also a 25 year martial artists with a Black Belt in Hapkido Karate.

Charles Granoff, MSW, LICSW, LMFT
Diplomate in Clinic Social Work; Senior Clinical Supervisor; Therapist

Mr. Granoff has been CSI’s senior supervising social worker for 22 years. He has supervised thousands of cases and conducted many hundreds of family assessments within multiple problem families. He is on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies, Inc.  and has been an active researcher in child violence in Jamaica and the United States. Mr. Granoff has been in private practice in Newton for the past 10 years specializing in community stabilization of complex mental health cases.

Beth Rontal has been with CSI since 2000 and is a clinical supervisor seeing adults, teens, couples and families. She specializes in anxiety, depression and trauma with a sub-specialty in binge-eating. Twelve years as a wellness coach and ten years experience counseling weight loss patients in out-patient and in-patient settings, informs her view that diets alone don't work. Beth received her MSW from Simmons College where she received the Iris McRae Award for Creative Contribution to the Field of Social Work for the group she conducted at Tufts New England Medical Center on body image and self-esteem, called, "Making Peace with Beauty." She uses a combination of traditional therapy and mind/body methods and is trained in the Tapas Acupressure Technique, Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and dream interpretation. Beth is a member of the New England Society for the Treatment of Trauma and Dissociation. She also brings 15 years experience in the creative arts as a costume designer and helps people get in touch with and reignite their creativity.

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