Shelley Green, MSW, LCSW – Outpatient Therapist

Shelley Green received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology in 2009 from Brevard College and her Master’s in Social Work in 2013 from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.  While pursuing her education, Shelley worked in the elementary school setting, a psychiatric unit, and an intensive outpatient program for patients recently discharged from hospitalization.  She then pursued her NC licensure in clinical social work.  

Shelley has provided mental health services since 2014 and has experience with children and young adults, with particular focus on treating ADHD, ODD, PTSD, anxiety, and depression.  She also has experience with the Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled (I/DD) population and children and young adults on the Autism Spectrum.  

Shelley works from a trauma-informed perspective using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and is working toward certification in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to facilitate healing of emotional distress resulting from traumatic life experiences.

Max McIntosh, MS, EdS, LPC – Senior Trauma Clinician

Max graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Master of Arts and Education Specialist Degree in Marriage and Family/Community Counseling. She has provided therapeutic services to children, adolescents, and families with complex needs for nearly 20 years, in settings ranging from alternative schools to foster care, group homes, outpatient offices, and Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities.   This experience has led to the development of exceptional working relationships with Juvenile Justice, DSS, court systems, and other local agencies.

In 2002, Max began treating families affected by sexual abuse, including victims, non-offending parents, and children and adolescents with sexual behavior problems.  She became a clinical member of the North Carolina Association for the Management and Treatment of Sex Offenders in 2009. That same year, Max was the first Forsyth County clinician rostered in Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with the North Carolina Child Treatment Program.

Max is also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to address trauma.  She relies heavily on Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in her mission to help clients discover their hidden strengths so that children, adolescents, and adults with PTSD, dissociative disorders, anxiety, depression, and disruptive disorders can recover from disturbing life events and create futures full of possibility and promise.

David Miller, LCSW – School Based Therapist

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Social Work, David Miller is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate.

Prior to joining the CHA team in 2019, David worked with clients in various settings, including crisis centers, client homes, and schools.  Using a strengths-based approach, David uses primarily Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) to provide healing therapeutic services to children and families.

Shayla St. James, LCMHCA – School Based Therapist

Shayla St. James is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a B.S. in Psychology in 2013 and obtained a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Winthrop University in 2017.  Prior to joining the CHA family, Shayla served as a School-Based Clinician and Intensive In-Home Team Lead. At CHA, Shayla serves as a School-Based Clinician, providing outpatient therapy to students at elementary, middle, and high school levels within Iredell-Statesville Schools.

Shayla has a deep passion for children and social justice. It brings her great joy to witness children change, grow, develop their talents and character, as well as their own uniqueness and value, and to be a part of that awareness. Shayla takes a strengths-based, solution-focused approach to therapy, helping each individual identify their own goals and unique ways of coping with stress, negative emotions, and implementing healthy behaviors. Shayla’s intention for each student is to walk away feeling more hopeful, seen, heard, and understood.

Emily Riggs, MSW, LCSW – Outpatient Therapist

Emily graduated from University of Central Florida in 2013 with a Bachelors Degree in Social Work and a minor in Psychology.  She earned her Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama in 2014. Emily is currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate pursuing full licensure in North Carolina.

Previously, Emily worked in Pennsylvania as a Behavioral Specialist Consultant/Mobile Therapist, where she provided services mainly to children on the Autism Spectrum. She also gained experience working with children dealing with ADHD, ODD, and trauma. Emily spent a year working with homeless Veterans at Rowan Helping Ministries in Salisbury before taking her current position at Children’s Hope Alliance.

Emily is a strengths-based therapist with a preference toward Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy techniques to help her clients in the Outpatient clinic understand their difficulties and succeed in life.

Jada Williams, MS, LCMHC-A, NCC – Outpatient Therapist

Jada provides individual, family and couples therapy sessions to the Forsyth County clients by using Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. In December of 2019, Jada graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in African American Studies and American Sign Language. On August 5, 2022 she received a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling-Clinical and a certificate in Marriage and Family Counseling from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. During her time in graduate school, she was a participant in the Aggie Behavioral Traineeship Program where she took suicide trainings, trauma- informed trainings and HIPAA training. She believes that the key to developing as an excellent counselor is understanding how to meet the clients where they are. That could mean understanding their emotional, physical and mental abilities, but more importantly culturally. Understanding cultural differences is key to reaching a wide range of clients. In her free time, Jada enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, watching YouTube videos and learning about natural hair care products.

Matt Weisner, LCSW – Senior Clinician of School-Based Therapy

Matt is the Senior Clinician of School-Based Therapy Services for Children’s Hope Alliance. He has the privilege of leading a team of therapists who coordinate with Iredell-Statesville Schools Student Services to bring outpatient therapy to students at many of the schools across the district. This partnership with ISS was created to enhance opportunities for mental health services for students that may have challenges accessing them in a different setting.

Matt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology and his master’s degree in social work. Matt obtained his clinical social work license in 2015.

Matt has experience working with individuals and families in a variety of settings, including psychiatric hospitalization, child welfare, elementary, middle, and high schools. Over the years, Matt has specialized in community based therapy, supporting children and families through adverse experiences as a result of intense trauma. Matt has been trained in and facilitated Evidence-Based Programs (EPBs), including Triple P Parenting, Strengthening Families Program, and Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress.

As a parent of two school-age children, Matt appreciates and celebrates the unique strengths that all children possess. It is the strengths of the youth that he engages to enhance resilience through adverse periods. Using a variety of approaches from mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Matt supports clients with developing skills that match their strengths and values to promote their fulfillment. He has used these techniques to support children, youth, parents, and couples impacted by mood disorders, anxiety, hyperactivity, executive function disorders, defiance, conduct disorders, chronic stress, and trauma to enhance their well-being and relationships. He is thrilled to be involved in the process of supporting education and bringing opportunities to increase grit and resilience that is vital for youth to develop into successful adults!

Sheri Coarsey, MA/EdS, LCMHC, LSC, NCC – School-Based Therapist

Sheri attended ​Gardner Webb University and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Human Services. She stayed at Gardner Webb and received a Master of Arts in Education with a Specialty in Mental Health Counseling.  She has additional training in the areas of trauma-informed schools, expressive arts therapy, and autism.  Prior to joining the CHA team, Sheri practiced her craft as a School Counselor and Behavior Specialist in public schools. In addition to providing clinical services to students there, she provided training to staff regarding individualized, differentiated instruction strategies for special population students.

At CHA, Sheri serves as a school-based therapist for Iredell-Statesville Schools. Sheri believes it has always been her calling to help people, and she greets her clients with unconditional positive regard. It is her belief that all humans are worthy of unconditional love and acceptance, and they are capable of change. With extensive experience working with children and adolescents with dual diagnosis, Sheri incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), expressive arts therapy, trauma-sensitive yoga, mindfulness practice, and a wealth of other intervention strategies to cater to the needs of her clients. Sheri also has a therapy dog, Prissy, who enjoys sharing unconditional love and acceptance to all!

Diamond James, MSW, LCSWA – School-Based Therapist

Diamond James is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studying Sociology, Management and Society and minored in Social and Economic Justice. Diamond obtained a Masters of Social Work with a Nonprofit Management Graduate Certificate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Prior to working at CHA, Diamond worked in an outpatient setting providing support to marginalized communities with reduced accessibility to mental health services.

She is now a school-based therapist serving Iredell-Statesville Schools. Diamond is passionate about helping to dismantle stigma connected to mental health and providing a safe space for children and teens to transform their ways of thinking. Diamond is interested in finding ways to make mental health services creative and include the arts into the support she provides.

Hannah St. John, MSW, LCSWA – School-Based Therapist

Hannah graduated with a Bachelors in Social Work in 2017 and a Masters in Social Work in 2020 from Appalachian State University. She is currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate and is working to obtain full licensure. Prior to working at Children’s Hope Alliance, Hannah worked at DSS to help children and families of abuse, neglect or dependency.

Hannah is a school-based therapist at Children’s Hope Alliance, primarily working with children in elementary and middle school. She utilizes a strengths-based approach when working with children and families, focusing on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI). Hannah’s mission is to help children and families overcome their obstacles and find hope and healing in moving forward.

Alex Holchin, MSW, LCSW-A – School-Based Therapist

Alex is a school-based therapist in Wilkes County. She completed her bachelors degree in social work at Western Carolina University, where she also went on to complete my Masters in Social Work. Alex is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate.

During her MSW internship, Alex collaborated with physical therapy students at WCU to introduce social work services to their student-run physical therapy clinic that provides services free of charge to the community in WNC. Alex says she has “a passion to help the community and serve them to the best of my ability,” and she is thrilled to begin working with clients in Wilkes County Schools.

Anna Paulin, LCSWA – School-Based Therapist

Anna Paulin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate and passionate School-Based Therapist serving Iredell-Statesville Schools. Anna graduated from Stony Brook University in 2015 with her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and from Binghamton University in 2022 with her Master’s in Social Work.

Anna has a deep love for working alongside youth to build an empowering environment for them to grow and thrive in as they uncover who they are and what drives them. Before joining CHA, Anna worked in daycare, assisted research on intersectionality and age-related prejudice, volunteered as a crisis counselor, and interned as a school-based therapist. These experiences largely inform Anna’s approach to therapy being strengths-based, client-driven, and filled with lots of opportunities for expression through art, play, and activities.

Anna uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing (MI) to guide her work with youth while remaining flexible to their unique strengths, needs, and wishes for therapy. In her free time, Anna loves to crochet, bake, and take pictures on her film camera.