Phoenix staff are versatile in education & experience. They are diverse in culture, and experience and received ongoing training on cultural awareness, professional relationships and strength based approaches. Phoenix staff are dedicated professionals who enjoy promoting the welfare of others.
Victor Acevedo, BS, holds his Bachelor of Science from Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY and is currently pursuing his Master of Social Work from Walden University. He has over 12 years of experience working with vulnerable children and families in a variety of settings including residential care, juvenile justice programs, foster care, and employment services.
Victor completed the Middle Management Institute through the City of Hartford. He has a passion for developing and implementing new ideas on how to best support youth and families. Victor works as a volunteer in his community and has participated in youth leadership efforts in Southern New England. Victor is the Supervisor of Programs at Phoenix Professional Services, LLC.
Melissa Aiello, LMSW, is a 2010 Alumni of the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. She has over 15 years of experience working with children, adolescents, young adults and families who have a history of trauma, mental health illness, self-injurious behaviors, and behavioral problems. Melissa has experience working in residential facilities, transitioning young people to the workforce, in-home settings, and an outpatient mental health clinic.
She is trained and has extensive experience providing Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Crisis Intervention and Motivational Interviewing. She has used these skills and other clinical skills to assist her clients with creating realistic goals, increasing their positive beliefs about themselves, increasing their advocacy skills, and enhancing their relationships with their identified support system. Melissa has as a strong background with her humanitarian efforts within Connecticut, other parts of the country, and abroad. Through these efforts within her community and abroad, she has a drive and determination to assist those who are struggling within themselves, home, and community
Lindsay Brathwaite, MFT, is a 2014 Alumni from Central Connecticut State University’s with a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. She has experience working with diverse groups ranging from children to adults and couples, families facing depression, anxiety, substance, parenting issues, trauma, and school issues to name a few. Her education and career has always focused on how various systems (school, parents, neighborhood, family, work) impacts each person as an individual. Lindsay has experience working in various settings from school, within the home, and outpatient mental health clinics.
Lindsay is trained in parent management training (PMT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE): trauma treatment used for adults. She has a strong background working with individuals facing substance abuse and adult trauma. As a client-focused therapist, Lindsay enables each client to be a driver of their treatment and provides support to their vision for healing, rebuilding, and renewal with new skills and perspective.
Amy T. Soto MSW, joined Phoenix Professional Services in August 2015 as a TSS Therapeutic Supervisor. Her major responsibility in this capacity is the clinical attunement sessions with mentee and supervision of mentors. As a social worker, and through her work experience, she has gained extensive understanding of working with hard to reach populations; individuals with substance abuse and mental health issues; domestic violence; the homeless; minorities, families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, and children and adults. She has experienced with different treatment modalities such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and EMDR.
Amy currently holds a BA in History and Spanish and a Master’s in Management with a concentration in Health Care Management Systems from the University of Saint Joseph. She also holds an MSW from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Public Health, and a license in Clinical Social Work.