Our Staff

Clinical Director

• Heather is the Clinical Director for Focus’ home-based Behavior Intervention Programs. Ms. Kahn conducts initial assessments, oversees the Clinical Supervisors and client programming, and provides relevant training. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with both a wealth of experience and a passion for providing individualized, effective services to children with Autism and their families. Heather earned a Masters Degree in Psychology, Applied Behavior Analysis Track, from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. During this time, she received hands-on training and experience on the neurobehavioral unit at the Kennedy Krieger Institute at John’s Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. She began working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis in 1997 and has provided clinical and administrative services in educational, residential, vocational, inpatient, and home-based settings. Primary interests and specialization include functional behavioral assessment and analysis, the development of treatment plans for individuals with challenging problematic behavior, autism and developmental disorders, verbal behavior, and the dissemination of the principles of behavior analysis. Ms. Kahn is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis and the California Association for Behavior Analysis.

Ani Nikolova, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Clinical Director

• Dr. Nikolova is Focus’ Director of Training and a Clinical Director of school programs in the Glendale/Burbank area. In these capacities, she conducts trainings in ABA methods for all staff, oversees the work of Clinical Supervisors, keeps up-to-date with current research, and directs the ABA intervention program in her service area. Dr. Nikolova holds a Ph.D. degree in Applied Cognitive Psychology from Claremont Graduate University and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Inspired by her passion for helping children and families deal with Autism diagnosis, she began working with children with Autism as an undergraduate student. She has been providing behavior intervention, programming, supervision, parent education, and consultation to schools since 1997. Her expertise includes assessment, incorporating research into clinical practices, and program development for children with a variety of disabilities in the school and home settings. She has published articles in the areas of executive processing and memory, and has presented papers at numerous national and regional conferences. Dr. Nikolova is fluent in Bulgarian and has a unique appreciation for cultural diversity.

Fae Rubenstein, MS, LCSW
Clinical Director

• Ms. Rubenstein has been the Clinical Director of Focus’ LAUSD school-based services since 2003. She conducts intake interviews with new clients and their families and oversees the work of NPA Supervisors and Behavior Interventionists. Fae has a passion for working with children and is dedicated to providing individualized, quality services in the school sector, enabling Focus’ clients to receive the greatest possible quality of life through the development of skills for academic and social success. She is dedicated to facilitating the flow of information and support between Focus staff and the teachers, administrators, other professionals, and families with whom Focus works. Prior to working with Focus, Ms. Rubenstein created and ran a school social work program for the Culver City Unified elementary schools and worked therapeutically with foster care children and with teens on probation. She is the co-author of a board game for adolescent girls at risk for teen pregnancy published and distributed by Western Psychological Services. Ms. Rubenstein also has a private practice in West Los Angeles specializing in working with parents, families, and children with special needs. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has done post-graduate studies with the Psychoanalytic Center of California.

Ramona Lopez, MS
Program Director of BMOD

• Ramona is the Program Director for the home-based Behavior Modification Program. She conducts functional assessments, writes individualized behavior support plans and works directly with parents to learn the principles and application of Applied Behavior Analysis. Ramona holds a Masters Degree in Counseling/option Applied Behavior Analysis and a B.A. in Child Development with an option Multiple Subject Credential. She has over 15 years experience working with direct service for school age children and as a supervisor for the NPA program. Ramona has worked with Focus since 2005 and is dedicated to working with children and their families. She believes with her knowledge and experience along with her love and devotion she can make a significant and positive difference in the lives of children and their families.

Nicole Messuri, MA, LMFT
Supervisor

• Nicole is a NPA Supervisor for LAUSD school-based services. Focus primarily on the Westside. She is responsible for the development, implementation, and modification of behavior support plans, supervision of Behavior Interventionists, and provision of regular reports on each client’s progress. She enjoys collaborating with school staff and parents to provide resources and support effective implementation of interventions. Nicole came to the field of Clinical Psychology after a career in education as an elementary school teacher and as an Educational Therapist. She holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and is currently pursuing a certification to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She enjoys applying both behavioral and therapeutic approaches to her work with children and their parents and is also working to develop creative interventions to support the emotional and behavioral development of children with Autism and Special Needs.

Carrie Hammond, MA, LMFT
Supervisor

• Carrie has been working in mental health and social services since 1998. In addition to her masters degree and current studies in Applied Behavioral Analysis, she is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and brings a particular awareness of family dynamics to her work. In her role as a Supervisor with Focus, Carrie develops intervention programs, writes behavioral progress reports, supervises Behavior Interventionists providing ABA services, and communicates regularly with school staff, regional center staff and parents about progress of each child’s ABA program. She loves this work because of the opportunity to help children with Autism and related disorders, support their family members, and make a real difference in their lives. Carrie is dedicated to helping these children live to their fullest potential.

Emily Ooms, MA
Supervisor

• As an NPA Supervisor for Focus, Emily works closely with behaviorists, parents, teachers, and school administrators to facilitate the support of children in the school setting. After receiving her master’s degree from the University of Chicago, Emily worked in university administration for 12 years, counseling students and organizing academic conferences. Wanting to work with younger children, she returned to school to obtain a teaching credential and taught third and fourth grade for 13 years. Emily brings extensive experience with special needs students to her work with Focus and is committed to providing her clients with the strategies and support they need to achieve their full potential.

Robin Orcutt, MA
Supervisor

Leila Rambod, MA
Supervisor

• Leila completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology in 1999 and a Masters Degree in Special Education in 2006. She has extensive training in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) methods, including Pivotal Response Training (PRT) and Discreet Trial Training (DTT) and has been working with children with Autism and other related disabilities since 2004. Leila specializes in working with both in-home and in-school cases, conducting behavioral assessments, designing individualized intervention plans, writing reports, and providing ongoing parental and staff training. Leila is dedicated to improving the life and maximizing the potential of each and every child served. She enjoys her work and feels that she benefits even while providing service, saying, “The children that I have worked with have taught me about life and how precious it is, and that’s a gift that I will always treasure.”

Emily Varon, MA
Supervisor

Evelyn Wilson, MA
Supervisor

• Evelyn currently supervises Behavior Interventionists who work with children and parents--both in schools and in family homes. With over ten years of experience working with children who have developmental disabilities, Evelyn is committed to developing programs to better support these children, their parents and teachers. Evelyn earned her Master of Arts Degree in Human Development in 2005. She continues to complete additional training and is currently enrolled in an ABA course through the University of North Texas.

Ra'Nica Jackson, MA

Supervisor

• As a supervisor for Focus' NPA and Parent Training programs, Ra'Nica provides supervision to behavior interventionists in the school and home setting. Additionally, she develops behavioral programs and provides support and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) training to parents and families. With more than 10 years experience in ABA, Ra'Nica brings to Focus her passion and commitment to make a difference in the lives of children with special needs. Ra'Nica currently holds a BA in Psychology from UCLA (2000), and a MA in Teaching with a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis from National University (2009). She is currently eligible to sit for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board's (BACB) examination to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Ra'Nica is a member of the California Association for Behavior Analysts.

Leticia Pineda
NPA and ABA Program Coordinator

Kyrah Johnson, BA Contact
Business Manager