The IEG Team
Our team of experienced and caring Coaches, Case Managers, and Peer Mentors are dedicated to helping our clients reach their goals. While many have Master's level degrees, all team members have extensive experience and training in mental health.
IEG also collaborates with a wide network of trusted and experienced psychiatrists, therapists, IOPs, and other treatment providers in order to provide a complete support team for you and your loved ones.
Adam Sholder
Founder/Executive Director
Adam Sholder has been working in education for the past three decades. He has developed numerous programs throughout his career for at-risk youth and young adults living with mental health conditions. In 2004, Adam created Insight Enrichment Group, providing the highest quality individualized and integrated psychosocial support for teens and adults of all ages living with mental health conditions. IEG established their Peer Mentoring Program in 2010, and in 2018 IEG opened their independent living program, LaunchPad Living. In 2020, Adam and his team of Peer Mentors established the non-profit organization, A Gap In The Forest.
Rachel Roessler
Coach/Case Manager
Rachel began working in community mental health over a decade ago, assisting those with dually diagnosed with mental disabilities and a mental health condition live independently in their communities. For the past 8 years Rachel has worked as a coach and case manager for Insight Enrichment Group. She has worked closely with IEG clients, their families, and their clinicians providing psychosocial support and independent living skills. When not working with our clients helping them achieve their personal, vocational, and educational goals, she’s working on her own goals and interests, including photography, furthering her education, and traveling the world.
Kate Shantar
Coach/Case Manager
Kate joined IEG in 2022 and serves as a coach and as the medication manager at Launch Pad. Kate has a bachelor’s of arts degree from San Francisco State University and subsequently served in the United States Peace Corps as a tertiary teacher. She spent several years working with children with special needs before pursuing the calling to become a nurse. Kate graduated with honors from Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in 2015, and has served as a nurse in psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and in allergy and immunology at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. She is currently completing her psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner licensure at Drexel University.
Mara Gold
SF Program Director/Case Manager & Coach
San Fransisco
Mara received her Bachelors in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Building her passion for community service and her interest in governmental affairs, Mara has worked for a U.S. Congressman, County Supervisor, and for various community outreach campaigns. While in these roles, Mara worked with organizations like NAMI, County mental health boards, and underprivileged children's scholastic organizations.
Mara has spent the last five years as a coach for Insight Enrichment Group, using her skills as a Rehabilitation Technician for adults struggling with all issues relating to substance abuse and mental health. She also serves as a Board of Director for A Gap In The Forest, a peer-led nonprofit that expands awareness around mental health, creates community, and destigmatizes mental health.
Mara is from Berkeley, CA and finds calmness at the ocean and happiness in family get-togethers around good food. She is also big Golden State Warrriors and Oakland A's fan!
Joya Italiano
Coach
Joya is currently earning a master’s degree for dual licensure in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) and Professional Clinical Counseling (PCC), and she is an MFT trainee at Hillside Wellness Center in Sherman Oaks. She previously received a Bachelor of Arts from Sarah Lawrence College and spent over a decade performing with her theater company in New York City and Los Angeles. Joya's passion for people led her to make the transition into the helping profession, and she currently works with IEG clients teaching independent living skills, providing accountability and follow-through, and helping to establish meaningful structure in clients' lives.
Rob Altamirano
Coach
Robert Altamirano was born and raised in Los Angeles, and works as a Mental Health Coach at Insight Enrichment Group. He holds a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Sociology from California State University, Long Beach and Master's in Social Work degree from California State University, Long Beach. He has been in the field of Mental Health for 6+ years and has worked with/advocated for marginalized communities that are often underserved, providing psychoeducation, case management, and therapeutic support.
In his free time he enjoys going out to eat with family and friends, dancing the night away, and playing board games. Engaging with our IEG clients is his favorite part of being a mental health coach—building genuine rapport is what he strives for.
Tara Gellman
Administrative Director/Intake
Bio coming soon
LaunchPad Living
LaunchPad Team
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Mireya Alonso - Program Director
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Diana Hernandez - Assistant Program Director
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Erica Ullmann - LaunchPad Coach
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Brittany Moore - LaunchPad Coach
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Joseph Anguiano - LaunchPad Coach
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Kamarr Thomas - LaunchPad Coach
Kate Patel
Coach
Bio coming soon
Erika Brown
Coach/Creative Director
Bio coming soon
Sarah Foreman
Communications/Marketing
Sarah spent several years in Los Angeles until she moved to the PNW in 2021. Sarah is a strong advocate for mental health having served as a peer support group facilitator and leading communications for A Gap in the Forest. She will start her MPH and MSW from OHSU and PSU in Fall 2023.
Additionally she is on Portland Books to Prisoners' core committee working in community outreach and communications. She has two cats, Fred and Maisie who are the apples of her eyes and is a strong proponent of animal welfare.
Lisseth Gutierrez
Coach
Lisseth has been a coach with IEG since 2010. With an educational background in Child Development and Sign Language, she offers a unique aptitude for fostering open communication between herself and our clients. Her ability to provide safe and unbiased companionship for our clients aids in recovery and ultimately propels our clients toward their goals. Lisseth’s focus with clients includes building meaningful structure through social/recreational outings, providing accountability and follow-through, and assisting in areas of self-management and personal care. Her heartfelt approach is highlighted by her inherent patience and bright disposition, all of which strengthen the foundation of IEG and our community.
Joanna Ballard
Office Manager
Bio coming soon
Our Founder and Executive Director
Adam Sholder
Adam Sholder has been working in education for the past three decades. He has developed numerous programs throughout his career for at-risk youth and young adults living with mental health conditions. For the past 25 years, he has been working and collaborating with leading psychiatrists, therapists, and other mental health professionals to further develop alternative and adjunct programs for this underserved and often misunderstood, stigmatized, and marginalized population.
In 2004, Adam created Insight Enrichment Group, providing the highest quality individualized and integrated psychosocial support, life skills education, executive functioning coaching, and case management for teens and adults of all ages living with mental health conditions. Insight Enrichment Group has served hundreds of clients throughout California and North America for nearly two decades. Recognizing the need for meaningful work for many of their clients, IEG established their Peer Mentoring Program in 2010, and in 2018 IEG opened their independent living program, LaunchPad Living. In 2020, Adam and his team of Peer Mentors established the non-profit organization, A Gap In The Forest.
A passionate voice in mental health advocacy and education, Adam also maintains numerous speaking engagements and educational presentations. Recent engagements include speaking at the 2020 Western Recovery Conference, and volunteer teaching at the Neighborhood Youth Association in Venice, CA. His continued collaboration with The National Alliance on Mental Illness includes volunteering as a lead presenter for their “Ending the Silence” program, and facilitating family support groups.
He has presented his seminar, "Failure to Launch at Any Age," to the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), The National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), and will be presenting this summer at the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) International Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.