WHO WE ARE
The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Child & Family Service provides confidential, high-quality behavioral healthcare services and case management resources at low to no-cost and without long wait times to veterans, their families, and the families of Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserves, including spouse or partner, children, parents, siblings, caregivers, and others.
Services are available regardless of discharge status, role while in uniform, combat experience, ability to pay or insurance.
The Cohen Clinic at Child & Family Service is part of Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a national network of nonprofit mental health care clinics for post-9/11 veterans and military families. CVN works to strengthen mental health outcomes with personalized, evidence-based treatments and complement existing support. Our vision is to ensure that every veteran and family member is able to obtain access to high-quality, effective care that enables them to lead fulfilling and productive lives. CVN is a registered 501c3 Private Foundation.
WHO WE SERVE
Veterans
Veterans who have served in the United States Armed Services, including the National Guard and Reserves, with a focus on post-9/11 veterans. Care is available regardless of discharge status, role while in uniform, combat experience, ability to pay or insurance.
Military Families
Family members of post-9/11 veterans and service members, including spouse or partner, children, parents, siblings, caregivers and others.
Service Members
Service members of the United States Armed Services and National Guard and Reserves, regardless of activation status. Active duty service members require a TRICARE referral. Referral is required prior to being seen for individual therapy or medication management, but no referral is necessary for couples or family therapy. Service members can obtain this referral from their military treatment facility (primary care clinic or mental health clinic). Our clinicians will not communicate with commanders/supervisors.
MEET OUR TEAM
Lead Clinician
Air Force Reservist and Military Spouse
Tatiana is the lead clinician at the Cohen Clinic. As the Lead Licensed Clinician, she is the liaison to the Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) Central Office Clinical Programs team. She supports the clinic director through the provision of supervision, case consultation, and mentoring. Prior to joining the Cohen Clinic, she worked at the Desmond Doss Health Clinic at Schofield Barracks from 2016 to 2019. As a technician, she gained the knowledge and experience of working with soldiers in Embedded Behavior Health, as well as the Intensive Outpatient Program.
In 2004, Tatiana joined the Air Force Reserve as an Aerospace Medical Technician. Throughout her medical career she has deployed to Kuwait (2007) and provided contingent medical support in Germany (2009). During her deployment to Kuwait, she gained a deep understanding of the impact combat has on our service members’ mental health. In Germany, with an influx of service members from all locations of the area of responsibility (AOR), it further solidified her experience with the impact of combat on our service members.
Both tours helped launch her career that originally started out in the medical field. She pursued the mental health field with the goal of being able to make a greater impact in the lives of the people she helped. In 2013, Tatiana enrolled at Chaminade University in the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program with an emphasis in mental health.
Tatiana received her master’s degree in counseling psychology in 2016 and is a licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Hawaiʻi. She is also certified by the National Board of Certified Counselors as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC).
Clinician
Navy Veteran
Maurice Andrea is a military veteran who understands the complex stressors that military service can cause. Maurice completed his master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Chaminade University. He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with five years of counseling experience across a variety of treatment settings that include: inpatient acute mental health, community based mental health services, couples’ enrichment groups, and various psychoeducational services. Maurice serves adolescents, adults, couples, families, and groups.
Maurice’s approach is well-rounded, and he uses aspects of Motivational Interviewing, Psychoeducation, Gestalt Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral, and Systems Theories to help clients of all ages. A holistic approach is used to bring greater awareness of the connections and interactions that people share, while exploring how these interactions shape and define people’s mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. His theory is that through greater understanding of how we touch others and how others touch our lives, we can learn to improve our connections and create positive change.
Outreach Manager
Military Spouse
Annisa is the Outreach Manager for the Cohen Clinic at CFS. She fosters relationships with community partners across Hawaiʻi to reach the military & veteran population statewide. She is a military spouse to a Hawaii Army National Guardsman, who was a former Army active duty soldier. Familiar with the hardships transitions bring to military families, she dedicates her outreach efforts to ensure military families in Hawaiʻi are aware of the access they have to receive care from the Cohen Clinic. Annisa began her work at the clinic in the front desk role, helping families navigate the intake process to enroll in a therapy program.
Annisa has nearly 8 years of experience in the public relations, media, and communication field, which includes her work as a TV reporter and producer in Missouri at NBC-affiliate KOMU 8 News. Prior to moving to Hawaiʻi, she worked as the Indonesian Representative for the Missouri School of Journalism, building partnerships between the school and media related organizations and journalism schools in Indonesia. During her final year in graduate school, she worked at public relations office, CLS Strategies, in Washington D.C. as a digital marketing intern.
Her educational background is in journalism, with a Master of Arts in TV broadcast from the University of Missouri, Columbia – School of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in communication from University of Maryland, College Park.
Clinic Director
Military Spouse/Family Member
Janet Covington is the director of the Cohen Clinic. As former Lead Licensed Clinician, she has been at the clinic since June 2020 and was part of the team that opened the clinic in September 2020.
Janet possesses 15-years of clinical experience providing evidence-based treatment to individuals, couples, and families and over 25-years of supervisory, administrative, and managerial expertise working within non-profit and for-profit organizations. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), and a National Certified Counselor (NCC).
Janet’s clinical background includes serving as the Psychological Health Coordinator with the Hawaii Army National Guard, working as a Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC) with the Joint Forces Support Assistance Program (JFSAP), and as a MFLC assigned to active duty installations, as well as elementary and middle schools identified as having a large military student population. She also was a behavioral health specialist with the Department of Education at Leilehua High School in Wahiawa.
Janet’s administrative experience includes working as the development director of Hawaiʻi’s largest animal welfare organization and as the executive director of what was then the state’s largest multi-cultural festival. She served in leadership positions within the travel and marketing/public relations industries.
Janet has a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Chaminade University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. She is a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the Hawaiian Islands Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and the Hawaiʻi Psychological Association.
She brings a deep understanding of military culture to the role, as the daughter of a retired Army soldier, spouse of a former Airman, and has even more family members in other branches of service.
Front Desk/Receptionist
Military Spouse
Kristle is the Front Desk for the Cohen Clinic at CFS. She works at the clinic in the front desk role, helpingindividuals andtheir families schedule/reschedule appointments. Review referrals received, makephone calls, and create profiles for new members.Kristle previously worked as an accounting specialist at a case management agency where she workedfor over 6 years.She has6 years experience with billing to various insurances,knowledge of accounts receivable,andaccounts payables.She has an Associate Degree in Accounting, graduated in 2015 at Leeward Community College.She is a spouse of a Hawaii National Guardsman. Military runs in her family.She has a brother in theHawaii National Guardand a youngersister in the US Army, who is currentlystationed in Colorado.Hercousins are in the service as well.Being part of the Cohen Clinic is a very good opportunity. Kristle is passionate to help militaryservicemembersand their families to receive good customer service and connect them to the servicesthey need to thrive.
Clinical Intern
Navy Veteran and Military Spouse
Kelsey Farrell is a U.S. Navy Veteran and clinical intern for the Cohen Clinic. She is also a military spouse to a U.S. Navy Diver. Her experience serving as active duty and being a military spouse brings great insight to the unique difficulties military families face. She provides services to veterans, active-duty service members, and their families in a couples and family setting.
Kelsey was born and raised in Burrillville, Rhode Island. She enlisted in the Navy at 20 and served her first tour in San Diego. She spent her last 2 years stationed in Gaeta, Italy, where she worked as the ship’s barber. Working as a navy barber helped her recognize her passion for psychology and social behavior. Kelsey earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southern New Hampshire University. Shortly after graduating she was accepted into Chaminade University’s Master of Science in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) Program. She is on the Marriage and Family Therapy track and is projected to graduate May 2022.
Some of Kelsey’s favorite theories and modalities are Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Contextual Family Therapy, Attachment theory, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT).
Clinician
Air Force Veteran
Joseph Francisco is a clinician at the Cohen Clinic. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a United States Air Force Veteran with over 10 years of experience in the discipline of Mental Health. Throughout his career, he has experience working with veterans and military family members and is fully aware of the challenges they encounter.
Joseph has over 10 years of experience working with the families of youth and adolescents with mental health diagnoses both in community mental health and inpatient psychiatric/residential treatment facilities. He has been trained in non-violent crisis intervention techniques and has successfully deescalated clients.
Joseph’s graduate level social work education and military experience has afforded him the opportunity to learn and practice skills related to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques. He is familiar with systems theory and trained in Structural Family Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD treatment. He looks forward to continuing the work that he does in serving the veterans and their families here in Hawai’i.
Clinician
Marine Corps Veteran/Hawaii Army National Guard Veteran
Joe is a clinician at the Cohen Clinic, joining the team in February 2021. Joe worked with active duty soldiers and their families as an embedded Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC) with a battalion that consisted of over 800 service members. Joe is a Marine Corps veteran who served for five years after graduating from high school. After serving in the Marine Corps, he then enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard where he served for 3 years while attending college.
Joe developed his passion for helping others while working with children with autism spectrum disorders during the early years of the Felix Consent Decree. He worked with this population for over 7 years in various environments, including school, home, and community settings. He collaborated with school administrators, teachers, speech therapists, support services, psychologists, psychiatrists, and parents to collaborate on the children’s needs and goals.
Joe transitioned to working with adults with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) as a community-based case manager with North Shore Mental Health for over 12 years prior to earning a master’s degree in counseling psychology at Chaminade University.
He became Licensed Mental Health Counselor in December of 2018 and holds both the National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) certifications through the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). Joe utilizes the Gottman Method, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), CBTC and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to help veterans, active duty service members, and their families improve their quality of life.
Joe lives in the Waipahu area with his partner. His hobby is photography; specifically, nature scenery while going on hikes.
Military Family Member
The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Child & Family Service
As alicensed marriage and family therapistat theclinic,Kumaiprovides counseling toveterans, servicemembers of allbranches, and anyone they consider a family member.Shereceived herBachelor’s of Arts degree in Psychology from University of Denver, Colorado and herMaster of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University-Salt Lake City, Utah.Previous work experiences include providingIn-home therapy to children, adolescents and adults andtheir families dealing with issues related to Autism Spectrum Disorder and working in preschool programproviding ABA services and skills training. She also haddone work at a residential treatment center foradolescents dealing with substance abuse-individuals providing group and family therapy. She’s alsoworked in a school environment with students who are dealing with emotional, behavioral, and socialchallenges. She collaborates and educates teachers and parents to effectively work with students.Kumai has a number of family members serving in the Army and Air Force. She enjoys providing hopeand a safe place for others, the opportunity to help facilitate change, and excited to work with militaryindividuals and families, especially couples. She was raised on the north shore of O’ahu in Kahuku, and ishappy and grateful to be back in home in Hawaii.
Intake Coordinator
Military Spouse
Hanna Sabey is one of the clinic’s Intake Coordinator. Her role is to conduct the intake interviews for prospective clients, assessing their needs, and connecting them to the appropriate clinician. Prior to this position, Hanna started at the clinic as the Resource Concierge (also known as the Case Manager) for the clinic in August 2020.
Prior to being one the clinics Intake Coordinators and Resource Concierge, Hanna brought four years of working with service members and their families with the Hawaii Army National Guard. She was also an MSW Intern for Children’s Alliance of Hawaii. Hanna has worked as a Substitute Teacher for the Hawaii Department of Education in the Leeward Community as well as a Family Support Worker at Child and Family Service in the beginning of her Social Service career.
Hanna is an aspiring Social Worker who holds nearly 12 years of social service experience in various organizations. She is very passionate about working with children and their families. Hanna hopes to one day have a career that helps support women in their various transitions in life.
Hanna is a Master of Social Work Candidate at University of Southern California but holds a Bachelor of Science in Family and Human Development degree from Arizona State University. In addition, Hanna currently serves as a Family Readiness Group (FRG) Leader for her husband’s unit, for Hawaii Army National Guard.
Intake Coordinator
Army Veteran
Earl Lau is the intake coordinator for the Cohen Clinic. He conducts the intake interviews for all prospective incoming clients, assessing their needs and connecting them with the appropriate clinician. He is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who has worked as a case manager and supervisor serving clients with serious and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI) and doing substance abuse counseling for individuals and groups. He has worked with the military as a Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC).
Prior to joining the Cohen Clinic team, Earl managed a private practice, where he worked primarily with individuals and couples. Earl is an Army veteran. He was an active duty soldier, a former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. Earl has a Bachelor of Arts in human services from Hawaiʻi Pacific University and a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University.
Clinician
Army Reservist
The Steven A. CohenMilitary Family Clinic at Child & Family Service
Jonathan is a licensed MFT providing evidence-based treatment for active-duty members, their family-members, and veterans.He has aBachelor of Psychology from the University of Maryland, Certificate of Substance andAddictions Studies from University of Hawaii, West Oahu. He received his Master’s in Marriage andFamily Therapy from Northcentral University with credits from Argosy University.While on Active-Duty service, he has been on two deployments, served overseas in Korea and Germany,and instructed numerous Strong Bond Events, relapse prevention classes, and suicideintervention/prevention briefings. Once off Active-Duty, he worked as GPD case manager at US VETS-Barbers Point assisting homelessness veterans transition off the streets into permanent housing. He hasalso worked at Honolulu Community Action Program (HCAP) at the Kumuhonua Transitional LivingCenter as an Assistant Program Manager assisting homelessness individuals obtain employment andpermanent housing while providing counseling for those going through crisis and/or needed an ear totalk to.He is from small military family. His mother is a retired Army-officerand served as a registered nurse.His brother served in the Air Force as an enlisted in the communications field. He is currently in theArmy Reserves as a Religious Affairs NCO and served several years on Active-Duty for the Army in thesame position.He has worked in the mental health field for the past 25 years in the Army and in the Civilian sector. Hisspecialty within the mental health field is addiction recovery, primarily with individuals with substanceabuse issues, although he has worked withindividuals with behavioral addiction issues. He has alsoworked with family members of addicted individuals to assist them in their recovery process.
Clinician
Military Family Member
Amanda Maehara is a clinician at the Cohen Clinic. She provides counseling services to veterans, active-duty service members, and their families in the individual, couple, and family therapy settings. Amanda utilizes a trauma-informed care approach and evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI) to assist clients with improving their quality of life.
Born and raised in Hawaiʻi, Amanda earned her undergraduate degree from Scripps College before becoming a teacher on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. As a teacher, Amanda witnessed the effects of intergenerational trauma on the physical, emotional, and behavioral health of children and their families. Inspired by her experience on the reservation, Amanda earned her Master of Arts in counseling psychology from Boston College with the goal of utilizing her clinical skills to promote resiliency within underserved communities and empower clients to achieve their goals.
Amanda has worked in the mental health counseling profession for the past 10 years with various populations, including middle and high school students, parents and infants, and families involved with Child Welfare Services (CWS). Prior to joining the Cohen Clinic team, she provided group and individual counseling services to homeless veterans to address issues related to PTSD, depression, anxiety, marital conflict, grief, and substance abuse. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and certified by the National Board of Certified Counselors as a National Certified Counselor and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor.
Amanda is dedicated to the Cohen Clinic mission to ensure every veteran, active duty service member, and family member is able to obtain high-quality care that enables them to lead fulfilling and productive lives. As a family member of Army and Marine Corps veterans, she has a personal connection to the military population.
Associate Director of Clinic Operations
Military Spouse
The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Child & Family Service
Alicia Petittis the Associate Director of Clinic Operations for the Cohen Clinic. She oversees the frontdesk, billing, and other business and administrative functions within the clinic. Her number one goal is toprovide an environment that allows the clinical team todo the clinical work our clients need by ensuringthat the administrative team is providing top notch customer service to all clients, visitors, communitypartners, and co-workers.Alicia has over 20 years of customer service experience, including over15 in the healthcare industry.Most recently, Alicia was in the same position for the Cohen Clinic in Washington State.Alicia’s passion for serving the veteran and military community comes through her personal experienceof being an Active Duty Navy spouse. She has supported her spouse and family through fivedeployments and long separations, and countless other “short” training underways. She also served as aCommand Ombudsman for four and a half years, helping to facilitate the connections between themilitary command, command families, and external organizations with programs and resources to assistwith many of the challenges brought on by military life.Alicia has a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Healthcare Managementand is also a Certified Professional Coder.
Military Family Member
The Steven A. Cohen MilitaryFamily Clinic at Child & Family Service
Quentin Rita is aData Analystat the Cohen Clinic.As theData Analyst, heis responsible for the design,implementationand maintenance of electronic data management systems within the scope of theVASSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.He works closely with the Clinic Director and makesrecommendations when analyzing data trends.He collects, complies, tabulates andprepares a variety ofreports related to the program, ensuring the grant requirements for reporting are met with accuracyand within scheduled reporting deadlines.Hewas preciously working as the Case Manager whoprovides services intended to develop communityresources and supports to assist in the areas of employment, housing, education, and healthcare for theveteran and military families we serve. Born and raised in Hawaii, Quentin was raised in an extendedfamily who served in various branches of the military. Service members including grandparents, uncles,aunties, and cousins. Being supports to his hanai siblings through their multiple deployments duringtheir military duty has helped in developing an understanding on the unit stressors experienced by ourservice members.Working in the social service field for 6 years, Quentin provided community-based case managementservices aimed at promoting housing access and housing stability for veterans, families, and non-veterans who experienced homelessness. In this role, Quentin gained experience in working withparticipants experiencing issues with depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance abuse, chronic health issues,and physical disabilities.A graduate of Chaminade University of Honolulu, Quentin earned his Master’s in Counseling Psychologywhile working in the school settings providing individual support services for children with autism andother developmental or behavioral challenges. In this field, Quentin understands the importance that asupport network plays in the overall wellness of individuals and the family as a unit.
Clinician
Military Spouse/Family Member
Jennifer Roberts is a clinician at the Cohen Clinic. Jennifer provides evidence-based treatment to veterans, military members, and their families. As a daughter of a Vietnam veteran and a military spouse herself, Jennifer understands the unique challenges that military members and their families face during and after military service. She has dedicated her career to serving this population.
Before joining the Cohen Clinic team, while her husband was on military orders in Boston, MA, Jennifer served as an intensive in-home family therapist, providing intensive in-home services to individuals, couples, and families while also providing supervision and training to new hire staff.
Prior to Boston, while her husband was on military orders in Puerto Rico, Jennifer volunteered at a U.S. Army high school providing individual and group therapy to military dependents. She also assisted the students in developing strategies to deal with academic, personal, and social challenges that may interfere with the educational process.
After moving to Honolulu, Jennifer served as a school-based behavioral health specialist and school counselor at a local high school providing educational support services to students, individual counseling, parent/family intervention, educational planning, and group therapy. She taught struggling students a variety of skills to help them succeed, such as basic living, social, coping, communication, organization, time management, behavioral, studying, safety in drug and sex education, in both individual therapy/group counseling/therapy settings. She also educated teachers and staff on how to effectively work with their students. Additionally, she facilitated non-violent crisis prevention intervention training to teachers and other staff supports working with students.
Prior to meeting her husband, Jennifer worked in a veteran residential home providing individual and group counseling/therapy to residents struggling with severe mental illness, having co-occurring disabilities along with drug/alcohol dependency that led them into homelessness. She provided residential individual and group counseling/therapy consisting of skill-building activities for independent living, psychoeducation on diagnoses, trauma work, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), art, music, and dance movement therapy, anger management, coping skills, problem-solving, recovery, healthy communication, self-help, self-development, stress management, time management, and more.
Jennifer earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting finance from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Argosy University, Honolulu, and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT).
Case Manager
Military Family Member
Joanne Robinson is the Case Manager at the Cohen Clinic, joining the team in June 2021. In her role, she provides Ongoing support for employment, housing, finances, and education for the veteran and military families we serve. Joanne worked in human services for a non-profit organization as a case manager for nearly 5 years. She helped clients with employment barriers to reach their full potential and become self-sufficient.
She has a medical background with her degree in Medical Assisting and Office Administration. Joanne is currently working on her Bachelor’s in Social Work at Grand Canyon University.
As the daughter of a Marine Corps veteran and many family members in other branches of service, Joanne is very passionate and committed to working with the military and their family members
Clinician
Military Spouse
Melissa Tellez is a clinician at the Cohen Clinic. Her passion for serving military families comes from her experience as a military spouse to an active duty Army soldier. She is also the proud older sister of a Marine. As a trained Licensed Social Worker, she provides counseling services for veterans, active duty service members, and their families. Melissa addresses issues related to PTSD, mood disorders, adjustment disorders, and bereavement counseling. She develops a unique treatment plan that reflects a course of therapeutic intervention that will address the needs identified in the assessment for each client.
Melissa also has experience working closely with the veteran population in Texas as a readjustment counselor. Melissa is a native of Texas, and speaking Spanish has afforded her opportunities to serve the community by providing therapy to non-English speaking clients.
She has provided individual & couples counseling, in addition to leading groups for Combat Vietnam Veterans and a Spouses Support Group. As a military spouse, she has taken her career across the state and has experience working in the human services field in Hawaiʻi, Texas, and Florida.
Melissa has worked with clients in hospice, juveniles in day treatment centers, including families seeking to be re-united. Melissa also has experience in facilitating support groups for those diagnosed with Huntington or Parkinson’s disease. This experience has given her a deep appreciation for supporting others. Melissa earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida.
BLESSING EVENT

COHEN CLINIC AT CHILD & FAMILY SERVICE: Main – About Us – Services – Contact Us

CONTACT US/SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
HOURS:
Monday – Friday, 8am – 6:30pm
Starting November 4th, 2022
Monday – Thursday, 8am – 6:30pm
Friday, 8am – 4:30pm
808.204.4020 or CohenClinic@cfs-hawaii.org