Here 2 Help Team

Meet members of the Here 2 Help Team, a coalition of local Trumbull resources whose objectives are to promote healing among suicide loss survivors.


Trumbull supports survivors of suicide loss.

Here 2 Help Logo (PNG)

Gillian Anderson

Gillian Anderson is a passionate fundraiser with over 30 years experience for a 'good cause'.  She has been an advocate for youth and young adult mental health and suicide prevention for the past few years after losing her beautiful daughter Abby to suicide at the age of 15 due to clinical depression.

She went on to form My Friend Abby, a non-profit organization created in the spirit of Abby, and her heartbreak and loss have driven her to make a difference. My Friend Abby's mission is to  "empower youth and young adults to actively create peer to peer connections through grants that improve mental and emotional health." My Friend Abby gives grants to youth and young adults who are willing to take action and make a difference in the arena of mental health, mental illness and suicide prevention--and this revolution can’t come soon enough.

Other

  • Awarded the Susan L. Davis Leadership Award, which is given to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and impact on improving the health and welfare of the region and its residents, from the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, Connecticut.
  • Current Leader of the Family Readiness Group (FRG) for the 169th RTI for the Connecticut National Guard in Niantic, Connecticut. FRG is an officially command-sponsored organization of Family members, volunteers, and Soldiers belonging to a unit, that together provide an avenue of mutual support and assistance, and a network of communications among the Family members, the chain of command, and community resources.
  • Member of TPAUD Trumbull's Prevention Partnership
  • Mental Health First Aid
  • Youth Mental Health First Aid
  • Past board member of the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County

Katie Baker

Katie is a local pediatrician in private practice. She has been serving Trumbull for 20 years. Katie has 3 children in local schools ranging from 12-18 years old who are students at Jane Ryan School, Madison Middle School, Christian Heritage School, and Notre Dame of Fairfield HS. She has also been an active coach in our community. 

Katie's training is general pediatrics, with special interest in adolescent health and emotional wellness. Her husband, Liam, is a longtime member of the Long Hill Fire Department. She has volunteered with TPAUD and is happy to make contributions to this group.

Robin Bieber

Robin Bieber has more than thirty years of experience in the mental health field. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, with a M.A. in Applied Clinical Psychology and a M.S. in Marriage in Family Therapy. Robin has counseled people with a variety of issues including, developmental disabilities, trauma, grief and loss, family violence, school phobia and truancy, physical and sexual abuse, victim advocacy, adolescent development, parenting, suicide survivors, depression, anxiety and other mental health diagnoses.

She has participated in research for the American Psychiatric Association in developing the DSM-5 and in their current research in Qualitative Measurements.

Robin has a passion for Teen leadership development and has created two outdoor adventure based leadership programs; The Wildflower Adventure Group and the Teen Adventure Group. She has also served as  a Program Facilitator and Board Member with Sisters Under Sail. Sisters under Sail is the only all female crewed Tall ship training vessel in the world.

Robin is a current staff member with The Mary J. Sherlach Counseling Center. The Center is the Town of Trumbull Youth Service Bureau. As such the agency provides counseling services, including individual, marital, family, substance use and Support Groups. The Center also provides services for truancy, positive youth development and a Juvenile Review Board.

Deacon Tim Bolton, MA, BCC

Tim has been a Deacon in the Diocese of Bridgeport since 2006. He was assigned to St. James Roman Catholic Church in Stratford from 2006-2014 and has been assigned to the St. Vincent's Medical Center since 2011.

  • 1 Unit Clinical Pastoral Education, SVMC
  • 3-Units Clinical Pastoral Education, Bridgeport Hospital
  • Board Certified Chaplain, National Association of Catholic Chaplains, 2015-present
  • Certified Spiritual Director, Fairfield University, Dolan Iganatian Spirituality Center, Fairfield University 2017

Carolyn Butler

Carolyn is a school psychologist employed by Trumbull Public Schools. She is currently assigned full time to Madison Middle School and previously worked at Booth Hill Elementary (1.5 years), Hillcrest Middle School (5 years), and Trumbull High School (5 years). She was the School Psychologists and Social Workers Department Chair for 8 years before the position was eliminated due to budget cuts. 

Prior to her employment with Trumbull, Carolyn worked as School Psychologist in the Ansonia Public Schools where her experience ranged from early intervention-preschool through middle school. 

When her children were young, she volunteered as Girl Scout Leader and Cub Scout Leader. Carolyn enjoys engaging in personal interests for self-care, especially pitching horseshoes in league.

Kathy Champion

Kathy has 10 years of experience as a network news producer with ABC News in New York. Kathy worked in network radio and television, and was nominated for an Edward R. Murrow award for my "Road to the White House" series. She won a Peabody Award for her coverage of the 9/11/2001 tragedy.

Kathy is currently volunteer with the First Selectman offering communication expertise. She helped create the new website, drafts press releases, produces videos, and offers consulting on image and branding.

She is a past board member of YMCA and IMPACT Trumbull and current board member of Broadway Method Academy.

Leigh Goodman

Chief Leigh Goodman is the Director of Emergency Medical Services for the Town of Trumbull. She is a licensed, practicing CT Paramedic, CT EMS-Instructor, & American Heart Association CPR, ACLS & PALS Instructor. Chief Goodman oversees the delivery of prehospital, patient focused care to the community, and all TEMS PACE clinical and community education programs. With almost 30 years of experience as an educator, she combines her passion for emergency medical services and education to deliver innovative curriculum to local, regional and national healthcare professionals. 

Chief Goodman serves on the executive for board for the Southwest EMS Council, and the Southwest Regional Communications Center. She is a member of multiple CT Advisory Boards, including CEMSAB Legislative Committee, CEMSAB Health & Wellness Committee and the Southwest Regional Suicide Advisory Board. Previously Chief Goodman has taught elementary school students, and children with special needs. She has experience as a childbirth educator, lactation specialist, public speaker & disaster relief medical response team specialist.

Aside from her love of medicine and science, she is the proud mother of 4 children and multiple pets, and enjoys travel, volunteering and staying active.

Tim Hare

Tim has been the Pastor at the Trumbull Congregational Church since June of 2014. Prior to coming to Trumbull he served United Methodist congregations in Shelton, Barkhamsted, and New Canaan.  

In addition to working within the congregations where he has served, he has been a volunteer emergency on-call chaplain for Griffin Hospital for many years. Beyond a counseling course while at Yale Divinity School, he also spent two years studying Gestalt pastoral care. He serves on TPAUD (Trumbull's local prevention council) as well as the town's Long Term Recovery Committee.

Holly Mullins-Hart

Holly serves as Vice President of Cyril F. Mullins Funeral Home Inc where she is a third generation funeral director. She holds a Master's of Business Administration from the University of Bridgeport, Bachelor of Science from Fordham University, and is a graduate of the New England Institute of Mortuary Science. Holly is a member of Connecticut Funeral Director's Association (CFDA) and a member of National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). She has been a licensed funeral director since 1987.

Raymond Kingsbury

Raymond is am a 7-12 CT state certified educator in Social Studies with a MA in Secondary Education/ Social Studies from Fairfield University. He is an American Red Cross certified CPR and Lifeguarding Instructor and the Assistant Beach Director at Pinewood Lake in Trumbull.

Theresa Massa

Officer Theresa Massa has 18 1/2 years with Trumbull Police Department. Officer Massa holds a college degree with specialized training as a First Responder, School Resource Officer (Elementary, Middle and High School), Sexual Assault Investigator, Communications Officer, Crisis Intervention Officer (CIT), Community Policing Officer, Bike Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, and Peer Support Team Officer.

William Mecca, LCSW, LADC

Bill has been a social worker for over 25 years with experience in community mental health, substance abuse, employee assistance and the public schools. He currently is a school social worker at Trumbull High School where he primarily services students in Alternative Education. He also is a per diem clinical social worker for Yale-New Haven's Psychiatric Emergency Services and a clinical associate for Paymer Associates in Trumbull. He is licensed as a clinical social worker, certified as a school social worker, licensed as an alcohol and drug counselor, certified public school administrator and certified in critical incident stress management.

Bill holds a Masters of Social Work degree from New York University and is currently a first year Doctorate of Social Work student at Southern Connecticut State University.

Melissa McGarry

Melissa has nearly 20 years of experience working in substance abuse prevention, mental health promotion, and public health. Working as a consultant from 2001-10, Melissa developed expertise in program evaluation, strategic planning, needs assessment, and grant-writing services working with local non-profits, municipalities, and state agencies. 

Since 2010, Melissa has served as the Project Director for TPAUD, Trumbull's Prevention Partnership, a local prevention coalition that strives to prevent underage substance use and promote social and emotional wellness through education, outreach, enforcement, and public policy. Melissa lives in Westport with her husband and three teen/young adult children.

Dr. Cornelia Morris, PhD, LADC

Dr. Cornelia Morris is a current staff member with the Mary J. Sherlach Counseling Center and has over five years of experience working for the Town of Trumbull. The Center serves as the Town of Trumbull Youth Service Bureau, an agency that provides counseling services, including individual, marital, family, substance use, and various support groups. The Center also provides services for truancy, positive youth development, and a Juvenile Review Board.

Dr. Morris has over 15 years of experience in trauma, mental health, and substance abuse. She created the Vaping Cessation Program for Youth, Smoking Cessation Program for Adults, Suicide Loss Support Group, Postvention Committee, Grief and Loss Support Group, and "Walk and Talk Group with Dr. Morris" at the Trumbull Senior Center. She is very involved with the Trumbull community and the community at large. 

Dr. Morris' clinical background includes sexual trauma, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, adolescent development, parenting suicide survivors, depression, anxiety and all other mental health diagnoses.

Steven Paymer, MSW

Steven Paymer has been at the forefront of drug and alcohol testing and monitoring on a national level for the last 16 years. He is the founder and president of Paymer Associates, LLC, and National Drug Testing Compliance and Management Co., LLC. The two companies are full service drug and alcohol testing and monitoring firms. The founding principle of his company is to bring testing and monitoring to the masses, in a compassionate, professional, and non-judgmental manner. He has testified as an expert witness in over 100 cases in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and North Carolina, and has presented on the topic across the country and internationally. Steven has spent most of the last twenty years working in the field of substance abuse prevention and treatment, in one form, or another. 

He received his Masters in Social Work, with a clinical concentration, from Fordham University, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Prior to opening his company in 2006, he worked as a community advocate for adolescent substance abuse prevention and treatment, and as a school social worker. 

He has also served as a Board Member for Homes with Hope in Westport, CT, and the CT Chapter of the National Association of Social Worker. He has lived in Trumbull, CT, along with his two teenage daughters and his wife, Shannon, since 2002.

Kim Siemon, RN

Kim is currently a School Nurse @ Trumbull High School. She has previous experience in Cardiovascular, Emergency and Hospice & Palliative nursing. She is a former EMT with the Southport Fire Department and a former Psychiatric Technician at Silver Hill Hospital, specializing in detox/dual-diagnosis and adolescent inpatient treatment with additional experience in caring for individuals with acute psychiatric conditions with active SI/HI.

Kim also possess a certificate in Behavioral Healthcare Specialist from Housatonic Community College and am trained in motivational interviewing and DBT.

Vicki Tesoro

Vicki is a committed public servant and volunteer who has lived in Trumbull for over 27 years with her husband Tom and their two daughters.

A champion of public education, Vicki served on the PTSA for many years, where she developed an innovative teen drug and alcohol prevention program at Trumbull High School that has been used as a model in other towns.

Prior to being elected First Selectman, Vicki served on the Town Council representing District 3 and was a member of the Board of Finance. She has decades of experience as a fiduciary and individual tax consultant associated with prominent law firms in the area. She has settled multimillion dollar estates, working with banks, financial institutions, and attorneys, as well as federal and state tax agencies.

Through years of service to the Town of Trumbull, Vicki entered the First Selectman's office with a solid understanding of the issues facing our community and strong working relationships with Town department heads and administrators in our school system. She is a strong advocate for senior tax relief and expansion of programming for our seniors.

As First Selectman, Vicki is committed to using her knowledge, passion, and experience to improve and enhance this wonderful town. Her vision for Trumbull is positive, transparent, and inclusive.