Administrative Staff

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English, Spanish

Denisse has worked with a variety of social service organizations for the last fifteen years. Denisse was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Orlando in 1996 to start her professional career. She received her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Social Work from the University of Central Florida in 2001 and 2000 respectively. In 2006, she obtained her License as a Clinical Social Worker, and in the same year was named the “Intervention Specialist of the year” by the Center for Drug-Free Living. In 2009, Denisse became a District SAFE Suicide Prevention Counselor for Orange County Public Schools, where she left her mark by contributing significantly to changing OCPS policies to meet state law standards. In her experience with OCPS, Denisse developed the suicide prevention program and reviewed the Baker Act policies for the district, providing suicide prevention training and counseling and serving as a liaison between mental health hospitals, providers, and the school district. In 2012, Denisse decided to follow her dream and create Hispanic Family Counseling, Inc. in July of that year. Today, Denisse provides counseling services to a diverse population of clients and families, as well as serves as the Executive Director for the agency.

For the past few years, Denisse has been an active advocate in the field of suicide prevention. She served as the President of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - Central Florida Chapter - since 2014 until early 2019. Additionally, Denisse is a former adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida, teaching an array of social work classes. Denisse is also registered to supervise Clinical Social Work Interns, and regularly supervises employees while they work towards licensure. 

Denisse's awards and recognitions include being recognized as the Role model of the week by Hispanicspeakout TV (2017), being a finalist of “Mujeres Destacadas” for the Community Leadership Award presented by La Prensa (2017), and being a distinguished panelist in 2017 for the Hispanic American Professional and Business Women's Association Foundation. Also, Denisse was recognized as a Community Honoree by Orange County Public Schools (2016), as an Outstanding Service in the Community presented by Molina (2016) and as Helpers and Healers by UCF (2016). Denisse was awarded with the Social Work Media Award by NASW (2016) and as the “Social Worker of the Year 2015 in Central Florida”; award given by the National Association of Social Workers. UCF selected her as the “Alumni of the year - 2015” to recognize her influence in the Central Florida community. Denisse is also a Hispanic Society of Friendship Honorary Member from Lakeview Middle School, the VIP Woman of the Year of the Circle National Association of Professional Women, and a Continental Who's Who Honored Member. Denisse is a member of several boards, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Central Florida Chapter, Leadership Council National Association of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and The United States Fire Department Reserve Corps.

Denisse loves to travel and to spend time with her husband, family, and friends. She is a founder and has been an active member of Iglesia Cristiana Hispana (Discípulos de Cristo) – North Orlando since 1996. 

English, Spanish

Olga oversees the billing operations and is the liaison between Hispanic Family Counseling, Inc. and insurance companies. As the first HispaFam employee, she holds many key roles that are crucial to the success of the business. Some of the projects that she has been involved with include: developing and implementing the policies and procedures for DME, hospice, and the home care accreditation process. Her background includes experience in the banking field, legal, accounting, and medical offices. She graduated from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.

English, Spanish

Ivelisse was born in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico. She has an associate degree in medical information systems. She graduated from the Medical Sciences Campus, with studies in Health Services Administration. Finally, she obtained a certification in medical billing plans. She has worked in various healthcare institutions, such as the HIMA San Pablo Hospital, Best Option, among others. In 2011, she decided to move with her family to Lake Mary, Florida in order to seek new professional horizons. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She is an active member of the Hispanic Christian Church Disciples of Christ in North Orlando. At Hispanic Family Counseling, she is responsible for billing services, auditing medical records, and also assisting in administrative tasks.

English, Spanish, French

Daniela was born and raised in Cuenca, the third largest city of Ecuador in South America. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a two-year hospitality management track in 2009 from the Pan-American University in Cuenca, Ecuador. In 2015, she earned her master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, United States. During her student career, she received some awards due to her academic merit; a full scholarship for graduate studies, a half-scholarship for undergraduate studies, a medal for being the best graduate, and an honor diploma for being the second-best graduate of her promotion and specialization. 

Daniela has over 10 years of experience in different fields. She has had a variety of positions from Administrative and Financial to Teaching and Hospitality. In 2014, Daniela completed her internship at Hispanic Family Counseling Inc. and has had the opportunity to stay working remotely as the Administrative Assistant since 2015 to date. During her time at HFC, she had had the chance to learn about other areas that she has not explored before like billing and digital media management. She always has been attracted to the healthcare field, that is why she has a strong interest in mental and behavioral health and intends to keep getting as much experience as possible in the field. Daniela feels grateful to be part of Hispafam and her dream is to be able to move back to the United States to continue to develop personally and professionally in the company. 

Daniela’s hidden passion is animals and nature. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family doing outdoor actives as well as working out. Daniela loves the beach. She enjoys baking and creating her own healthy recipes. In the future, she would like to study something related to wellness and fitness.

English, Spanish

Angela is originally from Colombia, South America, but moved to the United States in 1999. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Services Administration. She completed her internship at Hispanic Family Counseling, Inc. and was given the opportunity to stay with the team as the Administrative Assistant. She plans on beginning her Master’s within the next year. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her son, watching movies, working out, and listening to music. 

English, Spanish

Richard was born in Barrio Nuevo, Bayamon, Puerto Rico. He has worked in the health field for over 10 years in administration, finance, billing, and collections creating connections and contracts with various agencies and health insurance plans. He has worked with the Nova Pharmacy in Guaynabo, Hospital Hima in Caguas, and Advanced Infusion Services, which provide hospice services, home care, mobility, pharmacies, and transportation to patients. He graduated from Escuela de Troquelería y Herramentaje de Puerto Rico as a tool and die maker, Liceo de Arte y Technología as a draftsman, and from Cambridge College with an associate degree in Medical Billing. Richard volunteered for many years at the Fondita de Jesus where he worked with the homeless.

English, Spanish

Liza was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. She and her family moved to Florida 11 years ago to look for new professional challenges. She graduated from the Sacred Heart University in Santurce, Puerto Rico, where she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She has worked in Customer Service, Executive of Sales in Airlines like COPA / CONTINENTAL AIRLINES and as Broker of Medical Plans PMC / MMM.  Her passion is to work with customers/clients and it has always been a positive and rewarding experience: "There is no greater religion than service to others, working for the common good is the best creed." She enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Inventing in the kitchen is her therapy and someday she would like to fill her passport by traveling.

English, Spanish

Nancy is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida with a master’s degree in Counseling with a specialization in Mental Health and Marriage and Family therapy from Webster University.  Nancy has experience working with children, teens, adults, and families addressing mental health issues such as, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, ADHD, defiant behaviors (children and teens), grief & loss, and trauma. Her counseling focus has been to help individuals by assisting them reach their fullest potential, offering support, guidance, education, and empowering them to reach their therapeutic or personal goals and be the best version of themselves. Nancy enjoys teaching and is a provider in the state of Florida for the Family Stabilization Course and Premarital Classes.  She’s also a certified Early Intervention Specialist and certified facilitator of the S.T.E.P. parenting program. In addition, she’s a qualified supervisor for registered interns in the area of mental health and marriage and family therapy.

English, Spanish

Roberto was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He obtained his bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. Later, he continued his studies at the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, School of Law, where he obtained his Juris Doctor in 1997. He has worked as a legal assistant for the Hon. Hiram Sánchez Martínez, Judge of the Court of Appeals of Puerto Rico, legal advisor at the Inter-American Hospital of Advanced Medicine (HIMA) in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and in 2002, decided to open his own law office. In his professional practice. Roberto has litigated corporate cases, administrative law, medical malpractice, labor law, and social security (disability), among others. He has represented clients such as HIMA, Corporación Puertorriqueña de Salud, the Department of Transportation and Public Works of Puerto Rico, Highway Authority, and Electric Power Authority, among other government agencies. 

In 2003, he married Ivelisse Aldea, and in 2011, they decided to move with their kids to Florida to look for new professional horizons. Roberto loves spending time with his family and going camping. He is an active member and leader of the Hispanic Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of North Orlando. At Hispanic Family Counseling Inc., Roberto is the legal advisor and also collaborates in other administrative tasks.

English, Spanish

Priscila was born in Puerto Rico and can provide counseling services in either English or Spanish. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida in 2016. She has obtained her Master's degree in Social Work from the same University in 2018. Her goal is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and she is interested in working in the field of mental health. Priscila has experience in working with depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as working with children, adults, and couples.

English, Spanish

Ligia graduated from the University of Central Florida in the spring of 2019 wtih her Bachelor’s in Social Work. She served in the Marine Corps and is a 2-time post 9/11 veteran. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Social Work degree and wants to focus her work on military families and veterans in the Central Florida area. She is a member of the Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society (Nu Pi Chapter) at UCF, and is in the Golden Key International Honour Society. Her passions include volunteering in her church's media team, outreach/feeding the homeless community in Downtown Orlando and spending time with her husband and 3 dogs. 

English, Spanish

Marsha is the Clinical Coordinator at Hispanic Family Counseling. In her position, she provides orientation and clinical trainings to new team members, as well provides clinical support and continuing education for current staff. Marsha oversees interns from a variety of Universities who are pursuing their degrees in the areas of Mental Health, Social Work, Marriage and Families, and Psychology. Marsha also provides direct supervision to interns in their generalist and clinical practice from the School of Social Work at the University of Central Florida. Marsha holds a Masters and Bachelors degree in Social Work, and a Children’s Services Certificate from the University of Central Florida. Marsha is also a Registered Clinical Social Work Intern pursuing her license as a Clinical Social Worker in Florida. Marsha speaks English, Spanish, and some Portuguese, and believes that providing services in ones preferred or native language is essential to ensuring that her clients are comfortable and able to express themselves adequately. Marsha is truly passionate about mental health and serving her community, as well as helping those in need.

Marsha has a variety of experience working with adults, adolescents, and children. Her populations of interest include working with young adults and adolescent youth in suicide prevention, trauma, behavioral issues, anger management, domestic violence, eating disorders, child welfare, LGBTQ+, grief & loss, depression, and anxiety. In her experience, she previously worked at a domestic violence shelter for women and children, working with individuals in crisis and providing services to women and families affected by domestic violence and human trafficking. She has previously worked with children in the foster care system and has also provided direct support to students and families as a school social worker for Seminole County Public Schools. Currently, Marsha is providing mental health services as a therapist with HFC as well as a psychiatric hospital in Orlando. 

Spanish

Dinelsa is married and the mother of two wonderful daughters. From Naranjito Puerto Rico, where she lived until 2017, she moved to Orlando, Florida two years ago with her family. She holds a PhD in Philosophy in Systemic Family Therapy, a Master's degree in Systemic Family Therapeutic Counseling completed at Ecotheos International University, Bible College and Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education in General Sciences from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico. A great passion, teaching is one of her greatest skills, being an educator and university professor for 17 years. She has been in the field of Family Therapy and Counseling for 5 years. She has a certification and training in EMDR Therapy for the management of psychological trauma for the care of adults, children and adolescents since 2013. She currently works for Hispanic Family Counseling in Orlando, Florida in the area of ​​Clinical Support and office administration Kissimmee, collaborates in the management of clinical documentation, offers administrative supervision, among other responsibilities. She also works hard to develop the Monthly Bulletin for Hispanic Family Counseling, available to see on the blog!

English, Spanish

Charlene was born in San Juan Puerto Rico. She graduated from the Metropolitan University of San Juan where she obtained her master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources. Charlene worked for almost 19 years for the government of Puerto Rico, 18 years of these for the Municipality of San Juan (County) in the Department of Housing and the Office of Human Resources Administration respectively. She has extensive experience in the areas of Administration, Supervision and Federal Programs. After the passage of Hurricane Maria, Charlene decided to move to the State of Florida like many other Puerto Ricans, looking for new growth opportunities both professionally and personally.

English, Spanish

Karen was born in Aragua, Venezuela. She graduated from The Andes University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition & Dietetics. Karen and her family moved to the United States in February of 2016. Karen provides office support for multiple staff at Hispanic Family Counseling, Inc. Her duties include but are not limited to photocopying, faxing, mail distribution and filing. Karen is grateful to God in giving her the opportunity to service the community and to be a part of Hispanic Family Counseling. She enjoys spending quality time with her family, going to the movie theaters, and cooking.  

English, Spanish

Melodie Rivera, born and raised in Puerto Rico, moved to the city of Orlando, Florida, along with her family at the age of eight. The drastic culture shock led her to become more observant, questioning the driving force behind the actions of others. Her interest in how people think, and act grew, sparking a passion for the field of Psychology. She obtained her Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Central Florida back in December of 2019. During her undergraduate career, she was an active member of multiple psychology research teams in the field of cognitive psychology and learning. Through this experience, she had the opportunity to present research at conferences such as the Student Undergraduate Research Exhibition (SURE) conference at the University of Central Florida. Coming Fall, Melodie plans to further her studies and will be starting her Master’s in Clinical Psychology. She likes to spend her free time serving at her church, where she mentors students in the middle school ministry. Melodie is also assists in the social media department and enjoys making music. Melodie has been part of Hispanic Family Counseling since March 2020. She is assisting in the Targeted Case Management department and coordinating Telehealth Intake appointments.

English, Spanish

Marylena was born in Venezuela and has been living in the U.S. since 2008. She has an A.S. in Business Administration (Fermin Toro College) and graduated in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Her work at Hispanic Family Counseling, Inc. includes attending to clients, making appointments on the schedule, maintaining records, and filing in chronological order. Her greatest motivation at work is the direct relationship with clients because she believes that the basis of learning is through interaction. In addition to working at HispaFam, she is able to improve her English daily, and feels she has been given the opportunity to feel part of a big family. She comes from a family with a Christian base. She enjoys playing with children, and loves doing yoga. She enjoys being part of this great family...Hispanic Family Counseling.

English, Spanish

Vivian was born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. She completed her four years of Bachelor of Psychology at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in 2017. She also participated in several organizations that perform volunteer work, one of them is called Mission Setenta. Then she moved to the United States to continue pursuing her personal and professional development. She will continue her master’s in Education with specialization in guidance and counseling. She feels very proud and happy to be a part of Hispanic Family Counseling, Inc.