"I'd like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to work at El Futuro. It is good to know that there are still people in this world who put people's health above anything else." - recent temporary employee who worked with us for 4 months
Please don't hesitate to call us:
Carrboro Clinic Main number: 919-338-1939
Extension Person Position
501 Connie Garcia Clinical Program Assistant: scheduling, front desk
502 Alejandra Therapist in Siler City Schools
503 Luke Smith Executive Director and Psychiatrist
505 Josh Hinson Therapist
506 Dulce Ramirez Outreach/Education
508 Sandy Ruiz Clinical supervisor and therapist
509 Gabriela Livas-Stein Therapist, Director of Research
510 Birgitte Espitia Clinical Program Director, Therapist
517 Christa Atkinson Therapist
Durham Clinic Main number: 919-688-7101
Extension Person Position
600 Lexa Malave Clinical Program Assistant: scheduling, front desk
601 Karla Siu Therapist
603 Emily Guzman Therapist
604 Luke Smith Executive Director and Psychiatrist
606 Birgitte Espitia Clinical Program Director, Therapist
607 Pamela Citrynell Resource Development
608 Dulce Ramirez Outreach/Education
609 Wayne Williamson Practice Manager and Finance Director
David Lucas Smith, MD, Psychiatrist and Executive Director 
Luke Smith was raised in Arkansas and moved to North Carolina for psychiatry residency training in child and adult psychiatry. After volunteering in the community and perceiving a great need for Spanish language services, Dr. Smith mobilized the community to create El Futuro. He is the Executive Director and Medical Director, and provides psychiatric care to both children and adults. He is double board certified in both adult psychiatry and in child and adolescent psychiatry. On the weekend you can find him mountain biking and hanging out with his wife and two daughters.
Karla Siu, M.S.W., L.C.S.W. Therapist
Karla Siu grew up in Honduras, Tokyo and Virginia. She has worked in welfare reform, community mental health, research on biculturalism, and services to Latino domestic violence offenders. Karla has special expertise in serving families and children, conducting play therapy, and assisting in recovery from trauma. She recently co-authored a paper on cultural issues in treating Latino-Hispanic families with domestic violence issues, expected to be published in 2008. She also works with her church in the community through the “Celebrate Recovery” program.
Sandy Ruiz, LCSW, LCAS, CCS Therapist and Clinical Supervisor 
Sandy Ruiz has worked in mental health and human services for many years in Connecticut, Philadelphia, and North Carolina. She studied Counseling Psychology, with a concentration in treatment of artists, at Northwestern University in Chicago, but her studies were interrupted by a family move to Chile. There she studied Spanish and learned first hand about Latino culture. Sandy has worked in public mental health in Alamance and Caswell Counties. Since 1994 she has provided substance abuse treatment for the Latino community through the Burlington mental health center and in private practice. Her MSW is from the University of North Carolina, where she completed a certificate in substance abuse. Sandy enjoys classical music, and has a background in vocal performance.
Josh Hinson, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., LCAS, Therapist 
Josh Hinson was born and raised in Boone, North Carolina. Josh has worked in community health and development, advocacy, migrant services, child development, and Child Protective Services. He has studied anthropology and has a Master’s degree in Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill. Josh has provided individual and group therapy for English and Spanish-speakers, including treatment groups for men convicted of domestic violence, and Spanish-speaking women suffering from anxiety and depression. Josh works with teens, adults, and families. He is licensed in substance abuse treatment, including DUI assessment and treatment groups.
Birgitte Espitia, Ph.D, Therapist and Clinical Director  Birgitte Espitia is Danish, but lived in Colombia for three years. Dr. Espitia works as a therapist half-time at the Carrboro Community Health Center and half-time at the Siler City Community Health Center, with funding from the state Office of Rural Health. Her past work includes serving refugee immigrants, child prostitutes, and young children. Her training is in Marriage and Family Therapy, and she enjoys taking a family-centered approach to mental health treatment. Dr. Espitia’s Colombian-American husband teaches at UNC, and she has two daughters.
Alejandra Martinez Lacabe, M.S.W., L.M.S.W. (Iowa), Therapist
Alejandra Martinez Lacabe recently joined our staff after moving to Raleigh from Iowa to join her family. Ms. Martinez Lacabe, who was raised in Argentina, is working in collaboration with the UNC School of Social Work and Robert Woods Johnson Foundation to provide school-based liaison services to Latino-Hispanic immigrant teens in Siler City. So far she has found the environment welcoming. “The teachers and administrators are all kind and welcoming,” she said. “They seem to be glad to have the help... If I were based in an outpatient clinic, there’s no way I could get this level of understanding or rapport with the school community.” Ms. Martinez Lacabe is an avid windsurfer and likes hanging out with her nephew.
Wayne Williamson, CPA Practice Manager 
Wayne has extensive experience as a CPA. He worked earlier in his career with a Durham based firm where he performed audits. He then went into private practice for a number of years before joining the El Futuro team in 2009 because he was looking for the challenge we offered him and "opportunity to help make a meaningful difference in people's lives." Wayne grew up working with his parents in small business and has been around small and growing companies for a long time so he feels right at home at El Futuro. Wayne has brought this wonderful experience to us and helped develop our business department with the goal of making sure we are sustainable and around for a long, long time!! He enjoys talking about his wonderful family, pet chickens, basketball antics, and time in the outdoors.
Connie Garcia Clinical Assistant in Carrboro
Connie Garcia is the Clinical Assistant who first greets most callers and visitors to El Futuro. She is of Nicaraguan descent and grew up in New Jersey and Philadelphia. A licensed cosmetologist and legal secretary, Ms. Garcia has a wide variety of experience including organization, customer service, home health work, supervision, soldering, electronics, and site maintenance. Ms. Garcia is a proud grandmother and is active in her church community and extended family.
Lexa Malave-Garcia Clinical Assistant in Durham
Lexa K. Malave-Garcia is the Clinical Assistant who first greets most callers and visitors to El Futuro. She is from Puerto Rico. She attended the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey where she earned a degree in Hispanic Studies and she is also a Paralegal. Lexa loves to watch movies and enjoys outdoor activities such as walking and biking.
Christa Atkinson, M.S.W., L.C.S.W. Therapist
Christa received her BA from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and her Master's degree in Social Work from UNC Chapel Hill. She has lived in Costa Rica and Chile and traveled and worked in South America and Africa. Christa specializes in working with young children, adolescents and families with trauma, abuse, grief, and depression. Christa is trained in providing Incredible Years parenting groups, SPARCS adolescent treatment groups, and MMTT child treatment groups.
Gabriela Livas Stein, Ph.D., Director of Research 
Gaby was born in Mexico City, Mexico and immigrated with her family to the United States when she was a young child. Dr. Stein completed her clinical psychology training at UNC - Chapel Hill, and she is currently an Assitant Professor at UNC-Greensboro. At El Futuro, she provides therapy, supervision, and consultation on research. She and Dr. Cathy Lee are currently coordinating the Right Question Project at El Futuro - a multi-site research project with Cambridge Health Alliance that aims to increase patient empowerment. She enjoys running, eating good food, and spending time with her ever-growing family.
Emily Guzman, M.S., LPC, Therapist
Emily Guzman was born in Bay City, Michigan but has lived all over North America including Knoxville, Tennessee, Ames, Iowa, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Fresno, California and Sinaloa, Mexico. Emily has a bachelors in Child Psychology and Spanish from the University of Minnesota and a Masters in Counseling with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University, Fresno. Emily loves working with all types of client's but especially enjoys helping adults and teenagers with depression. At El Futuro, she is a full time therapist and works with adults, families, couples, children, and teenagers. In her free time, Emily likes to hike in the woods with her son, go fishing with her husband, do yoga, workout, bike, stargaze, birdwatch, and just hang out.
Dulce Ramirez Bilingual Outreach and Education Coordinator 
Dulce Ramirez was born in Cuba and was raised in Miami, Fl. She was raised drinking "un cortadito Cubano" sitting under a palm tree at the beach. Three years ago, Ms. Ramirez and her family moved to Durham where she finished her undergraduate degree in Psychology. Ms. Ramirez has experience in working with community mental health, supervision and many years of working with the Latino population. Being an immigrant herself, she relates to the hardships and the challenges that the Latino population faces today. Ms. Ramirez plays many roles in her life including being a mother of three children, a wife and a daughter! When she is not spending quality time with her family, she enjoys reading novels and traveling.
|
|
