Eric Reyes, LCSW, volunteer therapist with A Home Within and BPIC graduate. This photo was taken by Michael Papias, one of our partners at Journey House, as part of a collaborative project exhibiting the healing power of music.
Our Building Practice in Community Program (BPIC) is a structured professional development program that reflects our tradition of leveraging relationships to create a sense of belonging for both clients and providers. The goal of BPIC is to sustain the commitment to incorporate social justice across clinical interventions for the current and former foster youth AHW serves. To address our client’s persistent requests for culturally concordant mental health services, BPIC supports the retention of early-career therapists from underrepresented backgrounds by providing a sustained attention to participants’ professional development.
In exchange for participants’ commitment to providing pro-bono therapy to a current or former foster youth through A Home Within, BPIC offers:
- Continuing education credits
- Assistance in obtaining licensure
- Peer resources
- Professional development supports
At this point in my career, I am speaking up because it has to be about our humanity and love. Apathy can no longer be an option in response to all the trauma that youth in foster care experience.
– AHW Therapist
Interested in joining BPIC as a clinical supervisor, clinician, mentor, or consultation group leader?
Email Candice Simonds, Chief Program Officer: candice@ahomewithin.org
Advisory Committee
Dr. Jordyn Trockman, PsyD
Los Angeles, California
Jordyn founded Psychologists of Color, Inc. during the summer of 2020 out of a desire to "do more" to support the fight for racial justice and equality. Among other activities, she facilitates a virtual group coaching program to help psychologists prepare for the psychology licensing exam, the Examination for Professional Practice is Psychology (most commonly referred to as the "EPPP").
Mariana Nogueira De Andrade, LCSW
Davis, California
Founder and Executive Director of Cultural Connections Therapy, Mariana was raised in Brazil and Spain and opened her practice to address “what is often lost in translation” in the American healing process. Mariana speaks Spanish, French, English, and Portuguese fluently and helps families from the Latin diaspora navigate the challenges of acculturation.
Kevin Kebede-Berhanu, LMFT
Portland, Oregon
Kevin’s clinical practice includes a systemic perspective of therapy which centers on the significance of context and interaction in development of problems and their resolution. In addition to operating a private practice serving the needs of interracial adoptive and foster families, Kevin has provided leadership to A Home Within by facilitating a BIPOC consultation group since 2020.
Nichole Jones, LMSW
Battle Creek, Michigan
Nichole has her Doctorate in New Testament from Fuller Seminary and is trained in numerous evidenced-based modalities. She has been a community-based provider for families involved in Child Welfare and the Juvenile Justice systems. Nichole’s clinical posture invites those she serves and clinicians to engage in faith-based interventions to support healing and resiliency at any point in the stages of development.
Candice Simonds, LCSW, LISW-S
San Diego, California
Candice is the Chief Program Officer at A Home Within and oversees the strategic plan to advance the organization’s initiatives. Additionally, she brings experience working in a variety of clinical settings and is currently operating Simonds Counseling, a private practice which is dedicated to compassionately discovering new possibilities and modalities to respond to psychosocial stress related to multi-ethnic cultural identity. Candice is licensed to practice in Califonia & Ohio.
Dr. Tiffany Loggins, PsyD
San Francisco, California
Dr. Loggins is a licensed clinical psychologist, author, and wellness speaker in San Francisco. She is a provider for Kaiser Permanente. She has contributed to the body of knowledge related to the prevalence of black women with eating disorders and culturally responsive interventions to provide holistic treatment.
At a Glance
BPIC provides mentorship and professional development for therapists from underrepresented backgrounds
Annually, 30-40 early career therapists enroll and graduate
Enrolled therapists are placed in cohorts of 10