Susan Brown, Ph.D. and Maria Swann, Ph.D.
Program Directors

• Drs. Brown and Swann founded Focus in 1985 to provide comprehensive psycho-educational services to children and families with special needs. Both are licensed Clinical Psychologists with extensive experience in child development, early childhood and special education, mental health, and speech and language. In addition, Dr. Swann is a licensed Speech and Language Pathologist. Dr. Brown has worked with Head Start programs since 1969, and was clinical director of Julia Ann Singer Center for 15 years. Both Dr. Swann and Dr. Brown have private practices in Hollywood and West Los Angeles and take active roles in overseeing Focus’ programs and services.
  

 

Heather Kahn, M.A., BCBA
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.
Clinical Director

• Dr. Nikolova is Focus’ Director of Training and a NPA Clinical Director. In these capacities, she conducts trainings in ABA methods for all staff, keeps up-to-date with current research, and oversees the school-based behavior intervention program in her service area. Dr. Nikolova holds a Ph.D. in Applied Cognitive Psychology from Claremont Graduate University and has completed all of the ABA coursework and fieldwork required to be BCBA eligible. She has been providing behavior intervention, supervision, parent education, and consultation to schools since 1997. Her expertise includes assessment, program development and early intervention for children with a variety of disabilities in the school setting. 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.

Nicole Messuri, MA, LMFT
Clinical Program Director

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  Nicole is a Clinical Supervisor for Focus’ in-home services, 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 needs of children with Autism and other special needs.

Carrie Hammond, MA, LMFT
Supervisor

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  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.

Adrienne Mubarek, PsyD Candidate
Supervisor

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  Since 2001, Adrienne has been working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis with children who have been diagnosed with autism and other developmental disabilities as well as children who are typically developing but need behavioral support. She has worked in schools, with home-based programs, and with clinic-based programs. Her primary responsibilities with Focus include developing, implementing, and following up on behavior plans and skill building programs and working with families to create an enriched learning environment for children. She works primarily on the Westside of Los Angeles, but also travels to the Valley and South Los Angeles. Adrienne has completed the coursework for both a Masters Degree and BCBA certification and is currently enrolled in a PsyD ABA program at The Chicago School in downtown L.A.
  

Emily G. 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.

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.”

Sarah Mobarak, BA
Program Coordinator

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  Sarah has been the Program Coordinator for Focus’ Regional Center programs and Foothill School District cases since 2007. She works closely with our Clinical Directors, Behavior Interventionists, Business Manager and administrative staff, Regional Center and School District staff, and client families to facilitate communication and ensure that services are delivered in a timely and reliable fashion. She is very effective at keeping track of who is doing what and facilitating connections between families and service providers and is readily available and willing to help clients and staff with any questions they may have.

Susan Avolio, BS
NPA Program Coordinator

• Susan Avolio has been the NPA Program Coordinator at Focus for the past seven years. She coordinates all aspects of our school-based program and is fortunate to work directly with parents, school district staff, our behavioral and supervisory staff as well as office staff and Clinical Directors. Prior to that she worked as a Behavior Interventionist for Focus. Susan began her work with developmentally disabled children when she was still in high school. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Brooklyn College and pursue her passion for helping children with disabilities and their families. She is also the proud mom of three children.