Riverside Family Support
Our Staff
Carrie Landis, LCSW, MAT
Director
To meet the community's growing needs, Carrie Landis founded Riverside Family Support to continue providing necessary educational services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Carrie has a master’s in social work with a concentration in clinical social work. In addition, she holds a bachelor’s degree in education as well as a master’s in teaching. Carrie has over twelve years of combined experience in educational settings and the social work field. Before clinical work, she worked with children in the public school system and provided community-based services to families, children, and adolescents. Carrie is passionate about biological reunification and the importance of family preservation. Carrie supports clients with a strengths-based perspective and a humanistic approach. She strongly believes in the impact of attachment and utilizes that lens with individuals and families. She works to connect community members with services that will further support their journey through trauma, depression, anxiety, and other related struggles.
As a licensed clinical social worker, Carrie provides therapeutic services to adults and children. In addition to therapy, she provides mental health assessments for children and adults. She is a trained EMDR clinician and specializes in attachment-focused EMDR. With expertise in attachment disorders, ADHD, and executive function coaching, Carrie provides specialized support tailored to each individual's needs.
Furthermore, Carrie provides court-ordered parental capacity and custody evaluations. Her qualifications include an advanced forensic social worker certificate with specialized training in evaluation writing, child welfare advocacy, and trauma-informed service provision for justice-involved populations.
Carrie provides a safe space without judgment for every client and offers unconditional positive regard. She seeks to combine her years of experience and education with empathetic understanding to empower clients to make positive changes within their lives. If you want to speak with Carrie directly or schedule a therapy consult, email her below.
Taylor Wolfe, BSW
Assistant Director
Taylor Wolfe joined Riverside Family Support as the Assistant Director in 2021 to support the growing agency in expanding upon services provided to families in the Shenandoah Valley.
Taylor holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from James Madison University. Taylor has provided community-based services to families in the area since 2016 and has greatly enjoyed working directly with families in home, office, and community settings.
Taylor’s work centers on agency management and development with consideration to how the supervisory role aids in preventing worker burnout. She is passionate about biological family reunification and the preservation of families. She feels it is crucial to utilize the perspectives of client families and hear the direct experiences of youth in care to continually advocate for and improve client outcomes.
Taylor is excited about the opportunity to continue to grow and develop services at Riverside Family Support to meet the diverse needs of our clients and community.
Claire Foerster, BS
Youth & Family Specialist
Claire Foerster joined Riverside Family Support to continue pursuing her passion for helping families. Her interests include supporting families and individuals learn healthy communication styles and form relationships, find productive outlets for coping with stress, & break cycles of poverty, abuse, & addiction.
Claire has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, with a special focus on recidivism prevention. She has a variety of experiences with individuals in the Valley.
Claire has worked for various social work, domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy, and public safety agencies over the past seven years. These years of experience included the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communications Center, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Department of Social Services, as well as the Collins Center & Child Advocacy Center.
Claire believes in meeting people where they are, however they are, and helping them feel empowered to make & maintain positive changes while understanding their own trauma responses.
Hannah Gautier, BSW
Youth & Family Specialist
Hannah joined Riverside Family Support to continue her passion for mentoring youth and supporting families in the surrounding community.
Hannah received her Bachelor's in Social Work from James Madison University. While obtaining her Bachelor's degree, Hannah worked as an intern at Riverside Family Support from 2021 to 2022 to understand youth and families in the area. Additionally, Hannah interned for James Madison University's Valley Scholars program working directly with first-generation middle and high school students across the Shenandoah Valley to further their higher educational journey.
Hannah hopes to provide a safe space for all individuals struggling with personal challenges and empower clients to advocate for themselves. She wants to promote self-determination within clients in order to set and clarify attainable goals.
Jessica Arey, MSW
YFS Clinician & Supervisor
Jessica joined Riverside Family Support to continue pursuing her passion for helping children and families feel empowered to lead their most fulfilling lives.
Jessica has a bachelor’s degree in Public Health Education with a concentration in Substance Abuse Prevention and is currently pursuing a master’s in Social Work with a concentration in clinical services. She has provided a range of community-based services to families and children of all ages over the past 7 years. Jessica has served her community as an educational specialist, Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer, Crisis Intervention Team Trainer, foster parent educator and has many years of experience as an Intensive In-Home provider.
Jessica feels it is important to utilize an individualized & strengths-based approach to meet the specific needs of each client. She has a passion for supporting cohesion in families to promote positive relationships. Jessica finds joy in supporting families with education & connection to community resources to achieve a sense of overall stability. Jessica is excited to provide a benevolent and empowering space for education and growth within Harrisonburg, Rockingham, and the surrounding counties.
Rachel Kauffman, MSW
Youth & Family Clinician
Rachel Kauffman (née Stone) joined Riverside Family Support in order to work closely with the community and advocate for their different needs.
Rachel has experience working with the elderly from her work at nursing homes as a CNA. She served as a Youth & Family Specialist and MSW intern at Riverside from 2021-2022, she gained experience working with youth, parents, and families as a parent educator and therapeutic mentor.
Prior to Rachel's involvement in social work, she worked in human resources and spent a lot of time assisting with employee crises and relations. Rachel received her Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from James Madison University and recently graduated from the University of Southern California with her Master's degree in Social Work. In the future, Rachel is looking to pursue a License in Clinical Social Work.
Rachel's main priority as a social worker is to make a positive difference in whatever way she can. Rachel is an advocate for mental health and hopes to bring joy to the lives of those she interacts with.
Kayla Alexander, BA
Youth & Family Specialist
Kayla joined Riverside Family Support to pursue her passion for working with children and families.
She has a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from George Mason University, with minors in Information Technology and Psychology. She is currently working towards her Master’s of Social Work degree and School Social Work Certificate from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Kayla believes every person is capable of growth and success. She has personal experience working with children with mental health difficulties and focuses on a strengths-based and empathic approach to her interactions.
Kayla is excited to work as a Youth & Family Specialist with Riverside Family Support and finds joy in supporting and advocating for the needs of each family.
Chelsea Jones
Youth Mentor
Chelsea joined Riverside Family Support as a Youth Mentor to share her empathy and support with the youth and families in need in our community. Chelsea is passionate about advocacy and providing a safe space for all individuals and family units she works with.
Chelsea is working on her bachelor's in Health and Human Services at Western Governor University. Chelsea plans to obtain her QMHP while pursuing her Masters in Social Work to continue to work closely with families and individuals and use her voice to support clients who need an advocate. Chelsea has experience with administrative work in a counseling office along with mentoring and performing supervised visitation with families in non-judgmental environments.
Chelsea is dedicated to working with youth and their families to make an impact in their lives and promote positive change. She strives to use her supportive and compassionate approach to allow families to work closely together and succeed. She is also committed in guiding families down the path to repair and reunite.
Carmen Trestrail
BSW Intern
Carmen is completing an internship with Riverside Family Support to enhance her passion for working with adults and children.
Carmen studies Social Work at James Madison University and will be receiving her BSW in May of 2024. Throughout her time at Riverside, she plans to use her experience to figure out what specific clientele she is interested in the most.
Carmen is dedicated to working with adults, children, and families to enact social change and use her abilities to make a positive impact on her community. She has previously completed service hours at Church World Services Harrisonburg and Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia. During her time with these agencies, she found herself drawn to how much she loves working with different parts of the community.
After graduation, Carmen plans to pursue a job working with Adult Protective Services in Hampton, VA or Richmond, VA.
Kim Wright, MA
YFS Staff Development Coordinator
Kim joined Riverside Family Support as an educational specialist to continue her passion for working with those in the community.
In addition to her bachelor’s degree in sociology, Kim has a master’s degree in human services counseling with a concentration in trauma and crisis response. She has worked in social work for over seven years for multiple agencies in Harrisonburg. She has experience working with the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Department of Social Services (HRSSD) as well as the local court system.
Kim believes in finding creative solutions to the problems that families are facing. She is passionate about working to meet the unique needs of each family and empowering them to maintain change long-term. This involves a strength-based approach that identifies the positive aspects of the family while focusing to build on those characteristics.
Kim is excited to be a part of Riverside Family Support. She is looking forward to utilizing her experience and passion while helping families remain intact.
Cayla Riesen, BS
Youth & Family Specialist
Cayla Riesen joined Riverside Family Support to continue her passion of working with children as well as advocating for those in the community.
Cayla has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Longwood University. Cayla comes to Riverside with ten years’ experience as a classroom teacher, specifically third and fourth grade. The majority of her time teaching was in Charlottesville City along with schools in the Rockingham community.
In Charlottesville, she worked at a Title 1 school with a diverse population and further realized her passion for working with children and families from various backgrounds and life experiences. She finds joy in building those relationships and connecting families with education and resources to lead their most fulfilling lives. Cayla is excited to transition from the classroom to working with the whole family. She hopes to utilize her prior experience and passion to help families in the Harrisonburg-Rockingham communities.
Abigail Trimble, BSW
Youth & Family Specialist
Abigail is interning with Riverside Family Support in order to explore her interests working with children and their families.
Abigail studies Social Work at Mary Baldwin University and will be receiving her BSW in December of 2023. She has a long history working in childcare and has been in her current position as a psychiatric care technician for three years, working with children and adolescents experiencing mental illness and behavioral crises.
Abigail is passionate about serving children and families experiencing stress, mental health challenges, and behavioral struggles, with a specific interest in child development, trauma, and the way that trauma affects our brains and
bodies.
Abigail’s long-term goal is to continue her education in graduate school and eventually become a children’s therapist.
DonJulio Sanchez-Youngblood
Youth Mentor
DonJulio Sanchez-Youngblood is a youth mentor at Riverside Family Support, where he hopes to give back, provide guidance, and pour wisdom into at-risk youth. He also hopes to strengthen the community by providing encouragement and advocating for those in need.
DonJulio has experience working with the community as an emergency medical technician where he worked with a volunteer rescue squad, as well as in the emergency room. He has also gained experience working directly with youth through the school system as a behavioral aide. He hopes that he can further his mission by providing the youth with a healthy role model. Prior to DonJulio joining the team at Riverside Family Support, he served the community in more ways than one. He worked as a retail sales associate, a volunteer first responder, and an emergency room technician during the pandemic.
DonJulio is excited to get to know and work with the Harrisonburg, Augusta, and Rockingham County communities. He hopes he can help provide the support families never knew they needed.
Gray McDevitt
BSW Intern
Gray is interning with Riverside Family Support to explore her interest in educating and empowering youth and families on a wide range of topics. Gray is currently studying Social Work at James Madison University, anticipating graduating in May with a Bachelor's Degree. Since beginning as a Social Work student, Gray has been exposed to a range of different populations and expertises within the field. From being a youth mentor, to interning within a rehabilitation center, Gray has gathered a diverse set of skills. Within her University, she is a founding member and co-chair of The President’s Coalition to End Sexual Violence and held the position of co-president in the student organization Students Against Sexual Violence for 5 semesters. Gray is a very driven individual who is passionate about serving and advocating for vulnerable populations. She is especially interested in education as a form of prevention of neglect, abuse, and power-based violence, as well as empowering and providing support for survivors of trauma. Gray knows that healing is not linear and is prepared to be patient and help to equip clients with the tools they need. She believes in a very client-centered approach and is looking forward to providing non-judgemental and compassionate service to individuals and families within the community.
