About Us

Meet some of the Riverside TeleCare team:

Melissa King, MA

Melissa takes a solution-focused approach and works with youth and adults through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Lindenwood University and her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health with a concentration in Forensic and Correctional Counseling at William James College. Before joining Riverside, Melissa worked with youth, incarcerated adults, and homeless veterans – she is a Marine Corps veteran herself.  In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and loved ones.

Ivana Lucero, LICSW, MSW, M.Ed, BC-TMH

Ivana Lucero is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Board-Certified Telemental Health Provider with a Master of Social Work from Simmons College, a Master of Education from Lesley University, and a Bachelor of Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ivana’s clinical experience has primarily been with adults in outpatient mental health settings. Her clinical interests include trauma, social justice and oppression, intersectional identity exploration, and supporting the needs of individuals who identify as BIPOC and LGBTQIA+. She also focuses on adjustment difficulties such as environmental stressors, life transitions, health stressors, chronic pain, grief, and loss. Ivana draws on traditions of narrative and relational therapies and is committed to culturally humble, trauma-informed, and identity-affirming care.

Lisa Walker, MA LMHC, BC-TMH

Program Manager

Lisa is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and is Board-Certified – TeleMental Health (BC-TMH) with 18 years of experience in the field. She earned her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling, with a specialization in Expressive Therapies from Lesley University. Before joining Riverside TeleCare, Lisa primarily worked with adults in community mental health, elder services, and crisis response. Lisa takes a humanistic approach: she looks to match best practices to the preferences and learning style of the person, although often pulling from CBT, mindfulness, and trauma-informed approaches. She believes in people’s potential and ability to thrive in a life of their choosing. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and cooking.

 Kara Blake, LICSW

Kara Blake is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker specializing in working with people living with HIV, the LGBTQIA+ community, and people who use drugs. Kara also has a passion for supporting other helping professionals. They believe in a harm reduction approach, that the client is the expert in their own life, that all change is incremental, and overcoming stigma, shame and trauma are often the first steps to change. With their Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University, Kara incorporates techniques from motivational interviewing, CBT, relational therapy, and somatic interventions into their practice. Additionally, Kara enjoys listening to and playing music, watching scary movies, and their houseplant collection.

Natasha Roman, MA

Natasha has a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling from Salve Regina University and over 10 years of experience working with children, teens, and adults. Before coming to Riverside, Natasha was an ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) tutor at the elementary level. Much of her clinical work has been with adults in community mental health settings, and she has also worked with children and youth in intensive foster care as a clinical supervisor. She has facilitated support groups for parents and guardians and a wellness group for women living with mental health and substance use challenges. Natasha’s approach is client-centered, often using Motivational Interviewing, CBT, and Solution-Focused therapies. In her free time, she is an avid reader and snowboarder who enjoys time with her family and taking her dog to the beach.

Kelly M. Ayala-Vargas, MSW, BCTP-II

Kelly earned a Master’s in social work with a specialization in clinical practice from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico and is a Board-Certified Telehealth Professional (BCTP-II). Her clinical experience encompasses outpatient and In-Home Therapy (CBHI-IHT) settings with children, teenagers, and adults. As a Latina and Spanish speaker, Kelly connects with the Hispanic community and culture through Riverside. Her clinical approach integrates Client-Centered Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Holistic techniques, with a central focus on mindfulness. She believes in the significance of internal awareness and present-moment living to enhance the mind-body-spirit connection. Kelly cherishes time with her family playing board games and watching movies, traveling, and hiking.

Ashley Pierre, MA

Ashley has a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Eastern Nazarene College. Her clinical experience includes pre-teens, teens, adults, couples, and group therapy. She has worked with clients in settings including outpatient centers, a partial hospitalization program, and a Community Behavioral Health Center (CBHC). Ashley’s client-centered approach draws on elements from evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Behavioral Activation, and Prolonged Exposure. In her free time, she enjoys thrifting, nostalgic TV and film, and creating playlists.

Ryan Rivard, MA LMHC

Program Director

Ryan Rivard is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with 10+ years in the field. He earned his degree from Boston College’s Master’s in Counseling Psychology program in 2011, where he is now an adjunct instructor teaching and providing supervision for graduate students entering the field. Ryan has provided a broad range of clinical services as a therapist, supervisor, and manager in a variety of mental health settings. He has worked for many years as a therapist in outpatient mental health and substance use treatment providing counseling to a broad range of adults, teens, and children, and is currently the program director of Riverside’s outpatient center located in Lynnfield. He is excited about the possibilities that telehealth offers to increase access to treatment and looks forward to ensuring that those served by Riverside TeleCare receive exceptional care as they would in any in-person setting!

Brandi Ditch

Assistant Vice President of Behavioral Health Services

Brandi is Assistant Vice President of Behavioral Health Services at Riverside Community Care.  In partnership with other Riverside departments, she is responsible for implementing a variety of systems and specialties within the Behavioral Health division including trainings on exposure therapy and suicide prevention.  A Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), Brandi has been with Riverside for her entire career and has worked with residential services, home-based family therapy, and outpatient therapy.  Brandi’s true passion is working with children. Outside of Riverside, Brandi loves watching her sons play sports – especially baseball – and opens her home to foster children.