Beth is a certified interventionist with over 16 years of experience working in behavioral healthcare. She has dedicated her professional life to helping those who have been affected by mental health and substance use disorders. She is an energetic and passionate advocate for change who believes in the profound importance of early intervention.
As a person in long-term recovery, Beth relies heavily on her personal story to impart hope and inspire action in family members seeking support. Being on the front lines helping loved ones navigate the chaos of mental illness and addiction has been the most rewarding and challenging work of her life thus far. It has also cemented the gratitude she feels for the loved ones who fought for her many years ago when she was too sick to fight for herself.
Many moons ago, Beth attended Indiana University on a track and field/cross country running scholarship. She spent eight years working as a high-end real estate professional in New York City, where she collaborated with top marketing firms, architects and real-estate agencies.
Beth is an avid runner, a passionate dog-rescuer, and a loving wife and mother.
Lauren is a Registered Nurse; she has dedicated her career to helping individuals with mental health challenges. Before becoming a Registered Nurse, Lauren received an undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Quinnipiac University. She went on to pursue her nursing degree from SUNY Adirondack and is currently pursuing her Masters in Nursing as an Advanced Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.
Throughout her career, she has worked in a variety of psychiatric settings including psychiatric emergency room, substance abuse treatment, and psychiatric home health services. However, her specialty has been working with adolescents. She spent six years working on adolescent inpatient psychiatric units, until her passion for helping adolescents led her to working at Turnbridge where she has continued to grow in her career.
When not caring for others, Lauren enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with her family.
Clara Chasse is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Susquehanna University where she majored in Psychology with a minor in Leadership Studies. During this time, she engaged in research opportunities focused on disrupted attachment styles in young adults. Clara earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Saint Joseph where her research explored anxiety presenting as selective mutism and measuring effective forms of therapeutic approaches.
Prior to joining Turnbridge, Clara served as an AmeriCorps volunteer working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence in counseling, case management, advocacy, and in crisis management. Predominantly, Clara’s clinical experience has been working with children, adolescents, and their families. These various settings of experience include community based outpatient, school based, and inpatient psychology. Also, in addictive medicine for young adults struggling with substance dependency utilizing a medication assisted treatment (MAT) approach.
Additionally, Clara specializes in several therapeutic approaches including, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Strengths-based, Solution Focused, trauma focused, Positive Psychology, and Motivational Interviewing. She believes in a person-centered approach, supporting client identified goals, and exploring identified barriers to bridge strong and sustainable futures.
In her free time, Clara enjoys an active lifestyle, creating music, and international travel with friends and loved ones. She’s a life long learner and seeks out skills and new information to utilize her in practice on regular basis.
As Director of Operations at Turnbridge’s adolescent program in Killingworth, Phil Young provides oversight and support to all departments within the Killingworth location. He ensures the seamless functioning of all operational aspects, striving for excellence in client-centered care.
With over a decade of experience in behavioral healthcare and client service, Phil brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Turnbridge. He frequently engages with families and clients to share his insights and experiences, offering a unique perspective on treatment.
Before joining Turnbridge, Phil worked in various roles within the human services sector, gaining extensive experience in substance use disorder and family support. He earned his undergraduate degree in Family Studies from the University of Connecticut and is currently completing his MBA in Healthcare Administration.
Maria is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She earned her Bachelor of Arts at Quinnipiac University, where she majored in Psychology with a concentration in applied clinical science. As an undergraduate, Maria spent a year interning in a therapeutic high school working with students ages 13-21. She went on to pursue her Master of Social Work at Columbia University, where she focused on mental health and disabilities.
Maria initially began her social work career as a float therapist in a psychiatric hospital after interning there in her final year of graduate school. She provided case management, crisis intervention, and individual, group, and family therapy to a wide range of patients as young as 5 and as old as 65. After several years of working in the inpatient environment, Maria’s desire to form longer-term relationships with her clients ultimately led her to Turnbridge. In her work with clients and their families, Maria practices an integrative approach and draws from modalities such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Insight Oriented Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.
Outside of her career, Maria enjoys hiking, going to concerts, crocheting, and spending time with family and friends.
Zach Penn is a Licensed Professional Counselor who earned his Master of Art in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Fairfield University with a concentration on trauma informed techniques, compulsive behaviors, and substance use. Zach’s background includes a focus on statistics which helps him incorporate and embrace the value that data driven practice has in the mental health space.
Zach’s clinical experience with diverse populations and levels of acuity includes in-home services provided to families, outpatient care, collaboration with providers utilizing medication assisted treatment (MAT), and independent private practice.
Zach specializes in multiple therapeutic approaches including Psychodynamic therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy. He incorporates these modalities through a holistic, strength based, solution focused lens.
In his free time, Zach enjoys golfing, rock climbing, and exploring new cuisine along the shoreline.
Kassidy Curr is a passionate professional with extensive experience working with clients suffering from mental health and substance use disorders. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker who earned her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Connecticut with a concentration in clinical work with individuals, groups, and families. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies.
Kassidy utilizes a holistic, solution-focused approach to working with clients. As a woman in mental health recovery herself, she diligently works to empower clients as they navigate their own wellness journeys, build self-worth, identify goals for their future, and create a life that’s worth protecting.
Peter McConnell has been working in the behavioral healthcare field for more than 14 years and the education field for more than 24 years. Peter holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Science in Political Science with a concentration in international relations from Southern Connecticut State University where he was a member of the Phi Alpha Theta honors society. In addition to his work at Turnbridge, Peter teaches college courses in economics and banking at a local community college.
Peter’s career began in the banking industry while pursuing his undergraduate studies. After working his way up to management at a local bank, Peter’s flair for education became apparent, thus, he transitioned from the field of finance to education. His first teaching position was at a local New Haven school where Peter taught social studies and geography and was elected Rookie Teacher of the Year and Teacher of the Year.
Peter began his career in behavioral health over a decade ago when he joined Turnbridge as a case manager. He was program director in the young men’s program where he had been twice elected by his fellow colleagues as Boss of the Year, and more recently transitioned into a Professional Development role where he’s responsible for helping Turnbridge’s next generation of talent hone their skills. Peter’s life objective is to help those who are struggling in life to understand WHY they are struggling, whether it be vocationally, academically, mentally, and/or behaviorally, and to comprehend how a program of action can improve their condition on multiple levels.
In his free time, Peter has years of experience as a lifeguard, group hike leader, sponsor, mentor, and community leader. He finds that spending time outdoors is a vital healing experience for himself and his clients.
For over a decade, Peter and Turnbridge have been supporting clients in ever-improving ways as the treatment world has evolved.
David’s extensive business background combined with his personal story of recovery led to the founding of Turnbridge in 2003. Under his direction, Turnbridge has evolved into a nationally provider of residential behavioral healthcare services for both young adults and adolescents. He has pioneered innovative approaches and developed programs specifically for these age groups that have changed the way the industry approaches treatment.
His educational background includes a Liberal Arts education from Harvard University. In addition to spending most of his career in the non-profit world, his professional experience also includes a variety of leadership roles with start-up organizations and educational institutions.
He enjoys spending time with his sixteen year old daughter Alexis, is an aspiring musician, and an avid golfer.
As President, Brett provides oversight and support to all departments within Turnbridge. He joined Turnbridge in February 2010 and is responsible for maintaining focused and driven clinical operations, project management and execution, increasing programmatic efficiencies, and ensuring quality outcomes and customer satisfaction are acheived.
As a longtime alumni of the Turnbridge Young Men’s Program, Brett offers a unique perspective on client-centered treatment. He frequently speaks with families and clients to share his experiences and knowledge of the Turnbridge Program. Before joining Turnbridge, Brett worked for Blum Shapiro, the largest regional accounting, tax and business consulting firm in New England. He graduated from Champlain College with a B.S. in Professional Writing. In his free time, Brett enjoys spending time with his family, maintaining an active lifestyle, the arts, and the pursuit of personal growth.
