Meet the Team

Allison “Alli” Jimenez

Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder, LMHC, NCC

Allison “Alli” Jimenez is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and College Professor with over 15 years of experience in human services and nonprofit leadership. Specializing in trauma, crisis intervention, and community partnerships, she is dedicated to breaking generational cycles of trauma through counseling, prevention, education, advocacy, and public speaking. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience as a former therapy client, Alli takes an integrative, holistic approach that focuses on identifying root causes and expanding access to mental health care without barriers or stigma.

She is recognized for building and sustaining comprehensive, community-based programs, including diversion initiatives for at-risk youth, mentoring programs for teen and young mothers, perinatal substance use treatment services, Narcan distribution efforts, family support groups, and suicide prevention initiatives. Through executive leadership, strategic partnerships, and grant writing, she has helped secure and sustain over $5 million in funding. Alli holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Palm Beach Atlantic University (Summa Cum Laude), a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Florida International University (Magna Cum Laude), and an Associate Degree in Human Services from Palm Beach State College.

Heather Howard

Chief Strategy Officer, Co-Founder, Ph.D, LICSW, LCSW-QS

Dr. Heather Howard is a nationally recognized leader in behavioral health, maternal wellness, and trauma-informed care, with more than 20 years of experience advancing person-centered, evidence-based systems. Her work focuses on substance use disorders among pregnant and parenting women, emphasizing health empowerment, shared decision-making, and stigma reduction through interprofessional collaboration. She has authored over 34 peer-reviewed publications, secured more than $500,000 in competitive state and federal grants, and is a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences.

A leading voice in Florida’s behavioral health and peer-recovery ecosystem, Dr. Howard developed the trauma-informed care training module for the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative’s Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Initiative and served as a co-investigator on the SAMHSA State Opioid Response Grant at Florida Atlantic University. She has led and evaluated high-impact initiatives, including the development of Casa Flores, a residential treatment program for perinatal women, health equity interventions for Black non-Hispanic pregnant women, and Department of Justice-funded research on housing and peer support for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Dr. Howard serves as a Graduate Faculty Affiliate in FAU’s Phyllis & Harvey Sandler School of Social Work and College of Medicine. Her leadership philosophy centers on trauma-informed systems, collaborative care, and the belief that recovery is possible when stigma is replaced with support and science guides service delivery.

Sandra Diaz

Registered Clinical Social Work Intern

Sandra Diaz earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Florida Atlantic University and is a Registered Clinical Social Work Intern pursuing licensure. Raised in a low-income Hispanic community, she learned resilience, perseverance, and the impact of systemic barriers firsthand. Witnessing the effects of substance use on individuals and families shaped her deep empathy and commitment to serving those facing trauma, adversity, and unmet needs.

As a therapist, Sandra brings compassion, humility, and cultural sensitivity to her work. She is passionate about supporting individuals navigating trauma, family conflict, substance use, and socioeconomic challenges, creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients feel seen and respected. She walks alongside those she serves as they rediscover their strengths, rebuild hope, and move toward meaningful, lasting change.

“Crecí en una familia de bajos recursos dentro de una comunidad hispana, donde viví de cerca los efectos del uso de sustancias y la falta de apoyo. Estas experiencias despertaron en mí la pasión por ayudar a otros a reconstruir su propósito y estabilidad. Hoy, como terapeuta, me dedico a acompañar a las personas en su proceso de sanación con compasión, respeto y esperanza.”

Manny John Gonzalez

Psychotherapist, Ph.D., LCSW-QS

Dr. González is a licensed psychotherapist with 39 years of clinical experience in community mental health and private practice. He works with individuals navigating life transitions, anxiety, grief and loss, depression, adjustment concerns, and relational difficulties, with a particular specialty in supporting men through developmental challenges, intimacy, role demands, and emotional conflict. Grounded in psychodynamic psychotherapy, he believes that understanding the past within the context of the present fosters greater self-awareness, emotional resilience, and more authentic, satisfying relationships. He also integrates an interest in religion and spirituality as they relate to mental health and provides therapy in both English and Spanish.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. González is a tenured Associate Professor and former doctoral program director at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Social Work and Criminal Justice. His scholarship focuses on mental health practice, developmental and psychodynamic theory, Hispanic and immigrant well-being, fatherhood, religiosity, and clinical research. He has published extensively, co-edited books on Hispanic mental health and multicultural family practice, and currently researches biculturalism and subjective mental health among Cubans in Miami. He earned his MSW from New York University and his Ph.D. from Adelphi University.

David DeJesus

Registered Clinical Social Work Intern

I enjoy supporting individuals and families as they navigate transitions, emotional stress, and relational strain. Many clients come to therapy feeling stuck in patterns they don’t fully understand or overwhelmed in their relationships. Rooted in family systems theory, my work focuses on how anxiety, emotional reactivity, and long-standing relational dynamics shape individual functioning and family life. I have experience working with adults and families around family conflict, enmeshment, grief and loss, self-esteem, and identity development, with particular interest in how early family experiences influence present-day relationships.

I take a thoughtful, structured, and compassionate approach, drawing from trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, and systems-based interventions. In both individual and family work, I help slow interactions, increase emotional awareness, and strengthen insight, regulation, and personal responsibility. I prioritize creating a calm, respectful therapeutic space where clients feel supported while also gently challenged to grow and engage differently with themselves and others.