MONTE NIDO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Amanda Smith is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. She is currently the Regional Director of Clinical Operations for Monte Nido Walden Virtual Programs and the director of ARFID Programming. She received her Bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Lasell College and her Master's of Social Science Administration from Case Western Reserve University.
She started her career with Monte Nido Walden in 2010 as an inpatient clinician. Throughout her career she has held various roles in all levels of care and currently oversees general and specialty care provided in virtual ambulatory programs.
When not providing care, Amanda can be found training and competing in taekwondo along with her son.
Job Titles:
- Regional Director of Virtual Programs
Amanda Soden is the Regional Director of Virtual Programs for Monte Nido. She oversees virtual day treatment programming at partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient levels of care across 28 states. She started at Monte Nido as the Clinical Director of Monte Nido Portland Day Treatment in Oregon before transitioning to virtual programming. She has been supervising virtual eating disorder treatment since March of 2020.
Amanda has an MA in Clinical Mental Health from George Fox University and received specialized eating disorder training through The Center for Body Trust®. Prior to becoming a therapist, she worked in the legal and hospitality fields. Amanda is committed to providing eating disorder treatment from a weight-inclusive, social justice lens and is passionate about treatment access for underserved populations.
Amanda had the privilege of being born in Nairobi, Kenya and growing up in Eastern and Southern African and the Middle East. She enjoys international travel, fostering puppies through the local humane society, and is ridiculously excited about women's soccer.
Job Titles:
- Chief People Officer
- Executive
Brandie Kalinowski is the Chief People Officer at Monte Nido. She and her team focus on recruiting, engaging, and retaining a highly skilled and motivated workforce in support of Monte Nido's mission. Monte Nido's People team - including HR Operations, Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, and Learning & Development - also ensures the company's people strategies are fair, competitive, inclusive, and innovative to support and drive both employee development and company growth.
Prior to joining Monte Nido, Brandie held human resources and talent leadership roles across various companies and industries. As both a consultant and in-house leader, she's worked with national and multinational companies in the publicly traded, private, government, and non-profit spaces - across the US, Europe, and Asia. Most recently, she was Chief People Officer for Advantia Health, a physician practice platform innovating in the women's healthcare space with a focus on integrated ObGyn, primary care, and mental health and wellness.
Brandie has a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her MBA from George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Cassie McLean is the Chief Executive Officer at Monte Nido, a leading provider of eating disorder treatment that offers a supportive system of care through inpatient, residential, day treatment, and virtual programs. In this work, she and her team are committed to helping people on their journey of recovery through inclusive competent care - helping them to get well and stay well.
Prior to her work with Monte Nido, Cassie was Group Vice President of Operations with DaVita Kidney Care, an operating division of DaVita Inc, a Fortune 500 company. There she oversaw operations and growth of a $1 billion service line. Early in her career, Cassie worked with Accenture Consulting and as a hospital administrator at New York University School of Medicine. She holds a bachelor's in biology from Colorado College and a master's in public administration with a focus in healthcare finance from New York University.
When not at work, she and her husband are busy raising three daughters to be confident in who they are.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Nursing
Chris King is Vice President of Nursing at Monte Nido, overseeing nursing across all programs. Chris has a decade of experience in behavioral health, including inpatient, residential, and outpatient programs. His recent roles have included Director of Nursing Behavioral Health Service Line and Chief Nursing Officer for a Fortune 500 company.
Chris has a passion for mental health and addiction and a strong commitment to quality and compliance. Chris serves on the Peer Committee for the Oklahoma Board of Nursing that monitors nurses with addiction through recovery to return to practice. He is part of the Oklahoma Organization for Nurse Executives, American Nurses Association, American College of Healthcare Executives, and Sooner Healthcare Executives. Chris received his master's degree in nursing administration from Oklahoma City University.
Chris is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and high-performing work environment. He is also committed to furthering his expertise by pursuing a degree as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.
Job Titles:
- Regional Director of Clinical Services for the New York Region
Colleen is the Regional Director of Clinical Services for the New York Region. Colleen started her eating disorder career in 2012 while obtaining her Masters degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Simmons College in Boston, MA. She knew from an early age that she wanted to work in the field after seeing loved ones & friends struggle with eating disorders. Colleen helped to open Monte Nido River Towns in 2014 & felt a strong connection to Monte Nido's mission & values. Over the years, Colleen has worked in clinical positions on site, in the admissions department & held various operational positions. She is passionate about supporting her team & advocating for clients & their support system.
Colleen is a new Mom so she enjoys chasing after her little one & taking weekend naps. She also loves watching New England sports & being at the beach.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director at Monte Nido Walden
Curtis Garry is the Executive Director at Monte Nido Walden. He oversees the operations at their 83 bed Dedham facility, offering inpatient and residential services. He has been with Monte Nido Walden for over a decade and uses his positive attitude and collaborative approach to inspire his teams at Dedham.
Curtis graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Business with a focus in Healthcare Management. More recently, Curtis graduated from Framingham State University with a Master of Healthcare Administration. Before joining Monte Nido Walden, he worked in the Quality Department at Franciscan Children's. They offer family-focused care for children with different special health care needs, but Curtis was always drawn to the behavioral health units and has been passionate about helping this population ever since.
When not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, and son, finding new restaurants with his wife, and spending time on the golf course with friends.
Job Titles:
- Director of Clinical Integrity
Job Titles:
- Regional Director of Clinical Operations
Kimberly Wick is the Regional Director of Clinical Operations at Monte Nido, overseeing Walden's In-Person clinics in MA and CT, as well as Monte Nido's Laurel Hill residential program. She joined Monte Nido Walden in 2014 where she has held clinical and leadership roles.
As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 15 years of behavioral health experience in various settings including state prison systems and emergency rooms, she brings her strong belief that everyone, everywhere, is deserving of care.
She received her Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Miami University and her Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Boston College.
Outside of work, Kimberly enjoys exploring the world, near and far, with her family.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice President of Nursing at Monte Nido Walden
Kristin O'Brien holds the position of Assistant Vice President of Nursing at Monte Nido Walden, where she oversees all nursing operations in the Inpatient and Residential programs the Dedham facility. With nearly four years of dedicated service at Monte Nido Walden and a 14-year career in Behavioral Health, Kristin exemplifies a steadfast commitment to fostering a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration. Her leadership is characterized by a holistic approach to patient care, ensuring that all team members work cohesively to address the complex needs of their patient population.
In addition to her role at Monte Nido Walden, Kristin contributes to the nursing community's academic and professional growth. She is an active member of the Nursing Advisory Board at Laboure College and imparts her extensive knowledge and experience as an adjunct professor at both Laboure College and Quincy College. Kristin's academic credentials include a nursing degree from Laboure College and a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on Administration and Management from Aspen University. Beyond her professional achievements, Kristin cherishes spending quality time with her family and friends and has a passion for cooking, which she finds both therapeutic and rewarding.
Job Titles:
- Executive / Clinical: National
Job Titles:
- Regional Director of Central and Florida Clinical Services / Learn More