TRACEY ROLLINS SPANN, LMSW
Director of Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Tracey has worked with children, youth and their families for the past 20 years. She has provided case management, direct clinical, supervisory and administrative support to interdisciplinary staff in child welfare, homeless and education organizations. In addition to providing internal professional development training, Ms. Spann has presented at both local and national conferences. Ms. Spann recently co-wrote and published an article: “Using Visual Support Strategies (VSS) in Inclusive Early Childhood Environments”, for New York State’s Developmental Disabilities Policy Council Journal.
Ms. Spann has led organizational change efforts around diversity, the development and implementation of new programs, restructuring policies and procedures, record keeping and outcome measurements.
MINDY SMALL, M.A, SAS
Coordinator of Autism Services
Mindy has been working with individuals on the autism spectrum for over 25 years. She holds a BS from the University of Hartford in special and early childhood education and a MA from Teachers College, Columbia University in special education. Mindy also has a school administrator and supervisor certificate (SAS) from New York State.
Mindy began her career at Birch Family Services as a classroom teacher and has held a variety of positions including educational supervisor and assistant principal. She has been the Coordinator of Autism Services for over the last 12 years. Her current role includes providing classroom consultation and staff development at Birch as well as for numerous public and private schools across the tri state area. Mindy was trained in the TEACCH model by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2003 Mindy co authored Everyday Solutions: A Practical Guide for Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. and “Using Visual Support Strategies (VSS) in Inclusive Early Childhood Environments”, In 2008 she was a contributing author to Top Ten Tips: A Survival Guide for Families with Children on the Autism Spectrum.
DANA MURPHY, M.A
Coordinator of Early Childhood Services
Dana holds a BS from C.W. Post in Special and Elementary Education and a MS from St. John’s University in Literacy. She is currently pursuing a second master’s degree from St. John’s University in School Building Leadership.
Dana has been working in the field of special education since 2000, working with students with a variety of developmental delays. Her work with Birch Family Services began in 2001, as a classroom teacher and mentor at the Phyllis L. Susser School for Exceptional Children. While there, she was trained in the TEACCH method of instruction for individuals with autism.
She has been the Coordinator of Early Childhood Services for the past two years. Her current role includes providing classroom consultation and staff development at Birch as well as for public and private schools across the tri-state area.
DANIA MAVROS, M.S.
Coordinator of Early Childhood Services
Dania began working with Birch Family Services in 2006 as the Education Supervisor at Watson Avenue Early Childhood Center. It was during this time that she participated in a study abroad program in Brescia, Italy to study the highly regarded Italian approach to early childhood education, inclusive of the widely acclaimed Reggio Emilia approach that emphasizes the creative and performing arts. Dania joined the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in 2008 as a Coordinator of Early Childhood Services where she provides classroom consultation and staff development for Birch, as well as for public and private schools in New York.
Prior to coming to Watson, Dania worked as a head teacher and mentor in a NAEYC accredited early childhood center in Astoria, Queens for eight years where she was nominated to appear in Who’s Who Among American Teachers as “making a difference in children’s lives”. She received her Masters in Early Childhood Education from St. John’s University in 2005 and is currently pursuing her second Masters in School Building Leadership.
KEVIN WALLACE
OMRDD/TEACCH Training Coordinator
Kevin has a degree in Labor Relations from SUNY Potsdam. He began working with Birch in 2004 in Facilities Management and Community Services departments. In his work, Kevin was responsible for regular facility evaluation to address potential issues at Birch residences and schools. Currently, Kevin is the OMRDD/TEACCH Training Coordinator with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction where he provides training, support and guidance for staff who work with Adolescents and Adults with Autism and other developmental disabilities in vocational or residential setting. Kevin received formal TEACCH training at Division TEACCH, Raleigh TEACCH Center a division of the Medical School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has been trained as a TEACCH facilitator.
Kevin consults with Birch’s residences and provides staff with the framework for creating structured, independent programming for consumers using the TEACCH methodology and provides ongoing staff development and support related to administering, scoring and utilizing the results of the TEACCH Transition Assessment Profile.
ANTHEA VIVONA, M.Phil.,CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Anthea has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist for Birch Family Services Western Queens Early Childhood Center since 1995. In addition, she is the ASHA CEU Coordinator for Birch Family Services, and she provides supervision for graduate field placements. Her clinical expertise is in the area of evaluation and intervention with children with PDD Spectrum Disorders. Ms Vivona is a doctoral candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center, and has research interests in the area of child-directed speech.