We're Branching Out
Elm Street Placements is thrilled to announce the addition of new departments to its program. We are pleased to introduce you to the specialists who will lead these branches, as well as the newest residential therapeutic services offered by Elm Street Placements.
Lucy Pritzker, MS
Founder and Senior Educational Therapeutic Consultant
Lucy Pritzker is an Educational Consultant and founder of Elm Street Placements, Inc. Her experience advising parents on academic and therapeutic placements for their children brings unparalleled expertise to her book "Crisis Interrupted: A Parents' Guide to Residential Placement for Children, Teens and Young Adults."
Lucy travels extensively to visit and evaluate schools and treatment programs in the USA and beyond. She has a Master's degree in addiction counseling and over 25 years of experience working in educational and therapeutic settings. Lucy is a member of the Independent Educational Consultant Association (IECA) and is a member of the IECA board. She is also on the Board of Trustees at Hampshire Country School. In her free time, Lucy can be found creating art in her stained-glass studio, working in her garden, enjoying her donkeys and horses on her miniature horse farm and spending time with her husband and three children on their sailboat.
Jessica Bellina
Administrative Team
Jess is one of the compassionate people new inquiries speak with when they first call Elm Street Placements. Jess worked in retail management for 13 years and now, when not chasing her two toddlers, she helps with administrative tasks at Elm Street.
Kate Rinaldi
Associate Educational and Therapeutic Consultant
Kate Rinaldi has worked in the public school system as a school psychologist. Katie is adept at administering and interpretting psychological assessments, the IEP process and partnering with parents to implement interventions and identify needed services.
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Katie has immersed herself in the therapeutic residential treatment world and has visited eighty therapeutic progams for children, adolescents, and young adults this year alone! In addition to her onsite visits, Katie keeps her finger on the pulse of the residential therapeutic world through attending national and local conferences. Katie brings her personal experience as a parent of adopted children, who have experienced significant trauma, to her educational consulting work.
Raegan Freeman
Associate Educational and Therapeutic Day School Consultant
Raegan is a seasoned Elm Street Placements employee having been the background support of the firm and is now working with Lucy helping families find the right fit day school placements in New Jersey and New York. Raegan has a degree in English and Early Childhood Education and has worked as a teacher as well as an administrator. Raegan is a teacher at heart and has always had a passion for working with students with special needs and is excited to bring that experience into this new role as a day school educational consultant.
Michael Gilpin
Addiction,Dual Diagnosis, and College Recovery Consultant
Michael Gilpin is a Therapeutic Educational Consultant specializing in adolescent and young adult substance use, addiction and recovery.
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Michael’s career began as a therapeutic wilderness guide. Witnessing the pivotal role therapeutic consultants played in families' lives when he was a guide, Michael was inspired to work as a consultant. Michael combines his personal recovery journey and his professional expertise to work with his clients and his families.
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Elm Street Placements is fortunate to have Michael's compassionate and purposeful approach when collaborating with families.