Judi's House Staff
Karmen Carter - Executive Director
Karmen joined the staff in June of 2005. She has worked in the nonprofit field for over twenty years and has program and volunteer development experience in the areas of seniors, youth and unemployed women. Additionally, she was the Executive Director of the Rape Assistance and Awareness Program for over seven years. Just before coming to Judi’s House, she spent three years providing coaching and technical assistance to start-up nonprofits, as Director of Programs at The Colorado Nonprofit Development Center. Karmen served as the Co-Chair of the Denver Sexual Assault Interagency Council, Founding Board member of Denver CASA and is currently a Coloado Reach Out and Read board member.Kristen Dolsen - Director of Development
Kristen has been a Judi’s House volunteer since 2007, and officially joined the staff in November of 2008. She spent the last 3 years at The Children’s Hospital Foundation in the Annual Giving department. Prior to moving to Denver, Kristen worked in the development arena for both The Muscular Dystrophy Association and United Way of King County in Seattle.
Judy Becerra, M.S., L.P.C. - Director of Programs
Judy joined the team with more than 20 years experience in the mental health field. The majority of her experience has been running programs working with traumatized children, adolescents and their families in private practice as well as in inpatient and residential treatment settings. Judy has written many articles on parenting and mental health issues relating to children and adolescents. She has also been actively involved in juvenile justice issues, working with the US Department of Justice on developing best practice treatment standards for adolescents. After losing her own child to cancer in 2005, Judy became passionate about helping other families in the healing process.Brook McClintic, Ph.D. – Director of Research (Pro Bono)
Brook has been involved with the development of Judi’s House since it was founded in 2001. She serves as the Research Director, collaborating with Dr. Louise Silvern from the University of Colorado at Boulder on a prospective, longitudinal study on the short- and long-term impact of childhood bereavement and grief support services. As a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in childhood trauma and loss, she has also worked with the staff at Judi’s House to develop the grief curriculum used in Pathfinders groups. Brook has published and presented in the areas of trauma, bereavement, family violence, assessment and therapy, and most of her clinical work has been with children and adults coping with histories of trauma and loss. Jason Stout - Outreach & Education Manager
Although Jason joined the staff in October, 2007 he has been a dedicated Judi’s House volunteer for more than three years. The deaths of his sister, grandmother, and father, by the age of fourteen, drew him to Judi’s House. Prior to joining the team, he spent the last six and half years working for Outward Bound. During his Outward Bound career, he instructed wilderness courses for at-risk teens, coordinated scholarships for low-income youth, and as Rocky Mountain Outreach Manager, facilitated hundreds of presentations and leadership workshops in high schools and colleges throughout the country. Inspired by both organizations he co-pioneered and manages the Judi’s House Outward Bound Wilderness Adventure.Michael Burson, MSW - Grief Counselor
Michael began at Judi's House in September of 2008 and is originally from Evanston IL. He came to Colorado 10 years ago to attend undergraduate school at Colorado College where is received a Bachelors degree in Psychology. Michael then received a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Denver with an emphasis on older adults. Additionally, Michael has worked with a variety of non-profits, most recently Donor Alliance. At a young age Michael’s father died of suicide. Both personally and professionally Michael has worked to understand the grief process and is motivated to share this with others.
Mark Clubb, M.A., L.P.C. - Bilingual Grief Counselor
Mark started with Judi’s House in August 2007. He hails from Dallas, Texas where he worked for the Children’s Advocacy Center. Mark earned his Master’s Degree from the Denver Seminary and has worked internationally in Venezuela and Costa Rica.Melyssa Stout, MSW, LSW - Grief Counselor
Melyssa joined the Judi's House staff in June of 2006. She was trained as a Volunteer Facilitator in 2004, served as a volunteer facilitator for one year and then as a social work intern for another year. Melyssa has a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Denver where her emphasis was high-risk youth, in addition to grief and loss. She obtained a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from the University of Arizona. Melyssa came to Judi’s House after serving as a volunteer/intern for two years at Tu Nidito, a grief and loss organization for children and families, located in Tucson, Arizona. Carolyn McDonald, MSW, LSW - Grief Counselor
Carolyn came to Judi’s House as an intern in August 2003. She joined the team as a full time staff member in July 2004. Prior to this she worked for several years in the Denver non-profit community working with middle school and high school aged children/teens. Carolyn’s brother died at the age of 12 from Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. The experience motivated her to pursue her education in hopes of supporting other grieving children and families. She has her Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Denver where her emphasis was high-risk youth and grief and loss. She obtained a BA in Sociology and Human Services from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. Atsuko Okuzawa, M.S. - Grief Counselor
Atsuko came to this work through her involvement as a member of the research team from the University of Colorado at Boulder that is collaborating with Judi’s House on a longitudinal study of children and grief. She joined the team here in October of 2007. Atsuko grew up in Japan, and came to the United States to pursue her Bachelor and Master’s Degrees at Colorado State University completing these studies with her graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Her passion is to empower grieving children and their families and springs from her own experience of the death of her best friend.Kira Broer - Executive Assistant
Candace Wengert - Administrative Assistant
Candace brings a wealth of experience to her work here at Judi’s House that spans many area of the private sector including the food and hospitality industry, and the parcel and freight delivery business to name a few. This is her first work in the nonprofit arena and she brings her eye for detail and collaborative spirit to the house and all those who come to it.