BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Meet our team! Our Board of Directors are committed to expanding mental health resource access to Central Texans.
Melissa Bentley, Past President
Melissa has a BA in Psychology from UT Austin and Masters of Arts in Counseling from St. Edwards University, became a Licensed Professional Counselor, and is certified in Perinatal Mental Health. Melissa has pursued her passion for supporting those impacted by Perinatal Mental Health challenges for over a decade, and in addition to her work with PPHA, manages the Postpartum Support International Coordinator Program. Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband, 2 teenage sons and their adorable dog.
Allison Waage,
President
Allison is a Registered Nurse, and received a Master of Science in Maternal Health Nursing and Bachelor of Science Biology from The University of Texas at Austin. Allison has over a decade of experience as a maternal health nurse. Her career started in clinical triage in obstetrics and gynecology and as a postpartum home visit nurse. She has worked at the state level as a maternal health subject matter expert with a focus on maternal mortality prevention efforts and most recently transitioned to focusing on her volunteer work and home life. She brings lived experience as a mother that experienced postpartum anxiety and depression and as a person living with mental illness. In her free time, Allison enjoys spending time with her two awesome kids and husband. She enjoys playing soccer and cheering on Austin FC. She enjoys gardening and hopes someday to own and run her own homestead!
Beth Thomas, Director of Programs
Beth earned her Masters of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin. Though her early career focused on HIV and Kidney Transplant, she found her passion for working with moms when she experienced postpartum anxiety after the birth of her daughter. She has volunteered with PPHA for 11 years, and is a private practice therapist specializing in the perinatal period and also with chronic illness. When not working, Beth loves DIY projects, gardening, hiking, traveling, and embarrassing her teen.
Tori Tanner, Director of Communications, Director of Education
Tori received her BS in Public Health, Health Sciences. She earned her Master of Public Health, Healthcare Administration from the University of Arizona. Tori has spent the last several years working to improve health education, particularly with mothers and children, at various clinics and non-profit organizations, including the City of Austin WIC program. When she’s not busy chasing around her two fun, little kids, she loves traveling with her husband, reading, and baking.
Sarina Jones,
Director of Community Outreach
Sarina graduated from the School of Social Work at the University of Texas- Austin and is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), is a member of Postpartum Support International, and has completed the PSI and 2020 Mom Professional Maternal Mental Health Certificate Training. In addition to her role as Director of Community Outreach for PPHA, Sarina is the Family Services Specialist at a local nonprofit early childhood education center where she has developed the Creating Resilient, Attached, Supported Homes (CRASH) program. She works with families from the prenatal period through the first two years of life to help increase family resilience and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) and decrease the instances and impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) so that children are able to reach their full potential. When she isn't talking all things birth, babies, and breastfeeding, Sarina can be found camping with her family, gardening, wrangling her small children at local parks and trails, or staying up far too late reading a psychological thriller.
Lacey Castilleja Fisher, Clinical Director
Lacey Castilleja Fisher is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, and a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Clinician and founded Open Heart Counseling of Austin PLLC, a small group practice in southwest Austin, Texas. Lacey, and the therapists she works with, provide counseling services to children and adults that have experienced trauma. Lacey also specializes in the effects of trauma in the perinatal period. Lacey became passionate about working with parents that struggle with PMHD’s, specifically PTSD, after her own experience of becoming a mother and experiencing trauma after her newborn was unexpectedly admitted to the NICU. This led to Lacey learning as much as she could about perinatal trauma, pregnancy and infant loss, NICU trauma and fertility struggles.
Vickie Schafer, Treasurer
Vickie Schafer completed her PhD at The University of Texas at Austin in 2002, defending her dissertation just a month before her daughter was born. She is a Licensed Psychologist in Private Practice, specializing in supporting those who are trying to have children and are managing infertility, assisted reproduction, third party reproduction (donor egg/sperm, donor embryo, gestational surrogacy), and pregnancy/infant loss. Dr. Schafer also supports individuals through pregnancy and in the postpartum period, as they manage adjustment to parenthood, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, ADHD, and other mental health challenges. She is currently an elected member of the Executive committee of the Mental Health Professional Group (MHPG) in the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.