About Robert A. Pascal Youth and Family Services, Inc.
Since 1968, Robert A. Pascal Youth & Family Services, Inc. (RAPYFS) has provided mental health counseling services for children, adolescents and families residing in Anne Arundel and surrounding counties in Maryland. the agency was founded as the first Youth Service Bureau in Maryland and later expanded services to meet the needs of children, youth and families. With perseverance and community support, funding was secured through local, state and federal grants. Today, local and state grants as well as reliance on donations now fund RAPYFS's work. A professional team of staff strive to make services available on all levels.
Today, RAPYFS is a leading, comprehensive, outpatient, mental health organization treating children, adolescents and families. Master’s level counselors and interns specialize in contemporary issues facing youth and families today. The outpatient facility is located in Severna Park, Maryland.
RAPYFS Staff
Adel O'Rourke, LCSW-C - Executive Director
Adel began her tenure with RAPYFS (formerly Harundale Youth and Family Services Center) in 1982 as a family therapist. After several years of working with adolescents and their families, she started the first women’s group at the agency. She enjoyed the group experience and began to discuss the idea of other potential group interventions. Along with another colleague, Adel started a recovery group for adolescents that was ongoing and lasted for several years. When the executive director announced she was leaving, Adel decided to interview for the position and has served as executive director ever since.
In addition to being the executive director of the facility, Adel continues to work with play and family therapy. She says she finds that her background as a therapist helps her relate to the rest of her team. "In my 'new' role as executive director, I find that coming from a background as a therapist helps me relate to the staff that are employed by me.
I have been there. I understand the rewards and frustrations of their work. It also helps me to try harder in my role to make their environment the best it can be."
When asked about taking RAPYFS into the community, she said, "There is nothing more rewarding than talking to someone about our agency who 'gets it' and then becomes interested enough to help in some way, whether it be donations, volunteering, becoming a board member or just a 'Thank you' once in a while to the staff for all the wonderful work they do."
Carol Gibson - Office Manager
Carol came to RAPYFS in 2001 after 10 years with the Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services and Family Preservation. In addition to making sure the office runs smoothly, she's often the first face our clients see when they come through the door. "From answering calls, to greeting clients, I see and hear first-hand some of the struggles that families deal with when they come to our agency. Whether it is the parents of young children coping with a divorce or teenagers who are caught in the legal system, they come through the door with a myriad of problems looking stressed out and overwhelmed.... I see the families walk in the door every day, and I'm certain this agency is making a difference. I feel honored to be surrounded by such excellent, caring and qualified staff as the therapists who work with these families. I'm glad to be part of all the good work being done here at RAPYFS."
Shauna M. Rykiel, LCSW-C, LCADC - Clinical Director
Shauna received a master of social work degree with a clinical concentration and specialization in mental health from University of Maryland, Baltimore, a bachelor of arts in social work with a minor in psychology from Salisbury State University, and an associate of applied sciences degree in human services from Anne Arundel Community College.
She is a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C) by the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners and aLicensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) by the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists.
Shauna started at RAPYFS as a therapist, moving on to field supervisor and is now our clinical director. She says "I fell in love with the agency when I came to interview as it had almost everything I dreamed about while in school. The agency sees children, adolescents and adults and provides play therapy, individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy and groups all in one location." Shauna often co-facilitates our Spirit of Anger, Cage Your Rage, and Adolescent Substance-Awareness Groups. In addition, Shauna supervises our graduate-level intern staff, conducts individual and family counseling for a few adults and adolescents and is working on starting an Adult DUI/DWI group.
About working with at RAPYFS she says, "We are some of the few people who can say we are there when people have that 'a-ha' moment and are able to watch people make positive changes in their lives. It is truly amazing, and I feel special to be able to be a witness to it when it happens. I enjoy the fact we are able to educate people so they can often make more educated choices in their lives. I also get the privilege to watch and be a part of the growth throughout the academic year with the master-level interns and that too is absolutely amazing."
Lindsey Presti, LCPC - Therapist
Lindsey received her BA in 1994 from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She went on to receive her MS in counseling in 2004 from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.
Lindsey started with RAPYFS in September 2003 as an intern while earning a master of science in Counseling at The Johns Hopkins University. She completed her internship in the end of 2004 and in the spring of 2005 she came back to work at RAPYFS as a part-time therapist.
Currently she works with individuals, families and provides play therapy to children. She also works with the Cage Your Rage program at the agency and in local schools.
Here's what she says about working at RAPYFS: "I have had the opportunity to work with many different people of all ages ranging from four years old to 70 years old. This agency is extremely supportive of the therapists and the ideas we bring to the table to help expand services and strengthen our ability to serve the community. My role as a therapist at RAPYFS has been significant in facilitating the adolescent anger-management groups at high schools in Anne Arundel County. I have had the pleasure of being part of this program that brings services directly to a population of kids who might not otherwise have access to the program and can greatly benefit from participating in it."
Talya Bradford, LCPC - Therapist
Talya earned her bachelor of science in psychology from University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She went on to earn her
master of science in clinical community counseling and her post-master's certificate in clinical community counseling from The Johns Hopkins University. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC).
Talya continues the tradition of interns finding a permanent home with RAPYFS. "After my internship was over, I applied for a full-time position as a therapist. I interviewed for the position and was quite excited to find out that I was able to be paid as a full-time therapist. As a therapist at RAPYFS, I have enjoyed the experience I have received with my clients as well as the training I have participated in to learn new techniques and knowledge to help myself grow as a therapist and to help my clients. I have been fortunate enough to work with Lindsey Presti as a co-facilitator for the Cage Your Rage program at RAPYFS as well as at North County High School. That experience has been most rewarding.
Since Talya joined the agency full time, she has been working as a therapist with both the Cage Your Rage program and with individual play therapy. When asked about working at RAPYFS, she says, "I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to see a variety of clients in my position as a therapist. In addition, having several colleagues available to bounce ideas off of is important to me."
Jennifer Marie Steier, LCSW-C - Therapist
Jennifer graduated cum laude from St. Mary College of Maryland in 1993 with a bachelor of art in biology.
In 2001, she completed her master in social work from University of Maryland, Baltimore. During graduate school, she did her first-year internship with Community Residence, a case management agency. She then did a year internship at the Veteran Administration Hospital in Baltimore. She became a Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW) in 2001 and a Licensed Certified Social Worker - Clinical (LCSW-C) in 2003.
Jennifer began working at RAPYFS in August of 2007 after working for six years at University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). While employed at UMMC, she worked with an interdisciplinary team on both the geriatric and pediatric units. At RAPYFS, she works mostly with individuals and families to help them to function better at home, work, school or in the community. She has also run a middle school, anger-management group.
As an LCSW-C, part of Jennifer's role and responsibility is supervising the agency’s interns. Before pursuing a master degree in social work, she was a teacher at a community college and has always enjoyed teaching and mentoring. Jennifer says, "I think the energy and excitement the interns bring to the agency is wonderful."
Jennifer is involved in the Cage Your Rage program, individual and family therapy, and is working toward finishing her play therapy training. In describing how she feels about her role here at RAPYFS, she said, "I love to see the positive changes people are able to make in their lives. Whether it is a nine year old who starts doing better in school because she is now able to manage her temper or a 48-year-old woman who is able to better deal with her son's misbehavior."
Vanessa L. Knoll, LGPC - Therapist
Vanessa holds a bachelor of science from James Madison University and both her master of science and her post-graduate certificate from The Johns Hopkins University. She is a Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC), holds a post-masters certificate in spiritual and existential counseling and is a play therapist.
Vanessa began her time at RAPYFS as an intern in 2004 while she was still a graduate student at Johns Hopkins. During this year, she saw individual adolescent clients and
co-facilitated a Go Grrrls Group for female sixth graders at Old Mill Middle South. In April of 2006, Vanessa returned to RAPYFS as a part-time therapist
working with play therapy clients, adolescents and adults in individual therapy. In the spring of 2007, she worked with an adolescent anger-management group for seventh and eighth graders at Old Mill Middle South. In the summer of 2007, she
co-facilitated an adult anger-management group at RAPYFS. From April 2006
through February 2008, Vanessa updated and maintained the database of new
referrals for the agency.
These days Vanessa works with adult and adolescent anger management, individual, adolescent, and adults, and individual play therapy. About working with clients and her fellow therapists at RAPYFS, she says, "I
thoroughly enjoy working with the staff and different clientele of RAPYFS.
The agency provides a wide opportunity of experiences working with
individuals, groups, families, couples and young children in play therapy. I am thrilled to be part of a dynamic and enthusiastic group of therapists, office personnel, and interns who are dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of local community members."
Graduate-Student Interns
The agency is very proud of our qualified staff, which include second-year, master-level students. Every academic year at least four students from various universities join the agency to help it succeed in its mission and work toward its vision. We have provided educational opportunities for social work students from The Catholic University of America and University of Maryland, Baltimore, counseling/psychology students from The Johns Hopkins University and Towson University, and pastoral counseling students from Loyola College. The agency enjoys having these students every year and watching them grow as therapists throughout their journeys.
Laurie Warnke LGPC - Child Therapist
Laurie earned her bachelor of science from Purdue University where she majored in Psychology and minored in Child Development & Family Studies and Law & Society. She then moved to Maryland to complete a master’s program in Clinical Community Counseling at Johns Hopkins University. In 2009, Laurie completed a post-master’s specialization in Counseling At-Risk Youth. She is currently a Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor in the state of Maryland.
Laurie also initially started at RAPYFS as a graduate level intern. During that time she focused primarily on treating young children. She was trained in child-centered play therapy and found she was successful at reaching our younger clients. She returned to RAPYFS on a part time basis to provide services to troubled youth. Currently, she is beginning a program here at RAPYFS that will focus on treating abused and traumatized children as young as 3 and as old as 10. Laurie enjoys incorporating art, sand and music into her therapy and has found it to be very helpful with children.
“I am overjoyed to be returning to RAPYFS! My amazing colleagues provide such a warm, accepting and supportive environment and it allows me to be the best therapist I can be. I am also very excited about starting a new program that focuses on helping children that are dealing with a wide variety of traumas. Unfortunately, I think children and their thoughts and feelings are often overlooked or minimized. I take great pride in being an advocate for these children and in helping them overcome the issues they are unfairly dealt. The best part of my job is seeing a child make progress in their life and knowing that I helped empower them to be better able to handle future hardships. Although this does not happen every day, the days that is does are just amazing and worth the hard work!”
RAPYFS Board of Directors
President: Robert Widmer
Vice President: Bryan Meinken
Norman Townsend
Donald Barnes
Heather Hook
Derek Fink
Allen Flinchum
Erik Schuh |
