Over 20 Years Of Facilitating Individualized, Evidence-Based Treatments

What Sets Our Practice Apart?

At Solstice Behavioral Health & Consulting, we are committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate, and individualized care to the individuals and families we serve within a nurturing and collaborative environment.

By staying above the curve and setting the highest standards of care, we support our patients emotionally through this life-long journey through shared learning and the coordination of care.

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Ready To Meet The Executive Director & Founder?

Dr. Solandy Forte is a licensed clinical social worker and a doctoral-level board-certified behavior analyst licensed in CT and MA 
with over 20 years of experience.

Promoting Client Independence Through Enhanced Learning Opportunities

A Team-Based Mindset Centered Around Your Child's Specific Learning Needs

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Our licensed clinical social worker specializes in working with children and families. She partners with the behavior analytic team to develop a treatment plan for individual and family therapy with goals that are centered on the needs of the individual child and family. The focus of therapy is to empower the individual or family to identify and evaluate strategies for achieving their personal goals. Our approach is goal-oriented and solution-focused in order to achieve the best outcomes.

Licensed Behavior Analysts

Our Masters-level Board Certified Behavior Analysts have extensive experience in working with children with Autism and implementing evidence-based interventions across various settings including public and private schools, home, community, and center-based programs.  The expertise they bring to the table translates to providing a robust training program for our 1:1 staff and designing individualized treatment for the children and families we serve.

Registered Behavior Technicians

Our behavior technicians are the skilled staff that provide 1:1 direct care to our clients.  These individuals complete a training program that prepares them to obtain their credential as a Registered Behavior Technician.  The training program involves the completion of a 40-hour didactic course, on-the-floor training on-site, and a competency assessment to prove that they have the skills necessary to implement effective treatment. We strive to provide all of our staff with training opportunities that will help enrich the learning opportunities afforded to our clients.

Sarah Wislocki

Clinical Coordinator

Licensed Behavior Analyst – CT

Sarah Wislocki is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst licensed in the state of Connecticut. She joins us with 17 years of experience in the field of ABA, autism, assistive technology, and trauma informed ABA approaches. Sarah was first introduced to the field of applied behavior analysis while studying for her undergraduate degree in child psychology at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU). She graduated into an immediate position as an ABA therapist for an agency serving school districts throughout Connecticut. While gaining experience working with children with autism and with challenging behavior repertoires, Sarah pursued her master’s degree at the University of Louisville (Kentucky) with a focus on Autism and Assistive Technology. Sarah then completed the BCBA coursework at Florida Institute of Technology and subsequently went on to successfully become certified as a BCBA.

Over the past 17 years, Sarah worked her way to from ABA therapist to clinical coordinator and eventually helping to establish cutting edge programs in public schools to students with comorbid diagnosis including complex trauma histories. She has also provided clinical ABA services to individuals through the Department of Developmental disabilities in their homes and communities. These programs have served students in their homes and schools who otherwise may have require a specialized school placement. She has conducted assessments and trainings for to staff and families on ABA principles and the techniques of trauma informed ABA approach. Collaboration with families, teachers, and therapeutic services has formed the backbone of Sarah’s ABA consultative approach. She consults parents and caregivers, school and educational teams, medical providers and therapeutic service providers to bring together a comprehensive treatment to most benefit all learners and families.

Darlene Sanner

Intake Coordinator

Darlene Sanner is as on the Parent Engagement Team as the Intake Coordinator for Solstice Behavioral Health and Consulting. She is certified in Medical Billing and Coding and holds a Business Management degree. Darlene has 18 years of experience in medical insurance, billing, office management and patient/parent engagement. She has served as intake coordinator specific to Behavioral Health more recently and is well versed in ABA services in coordination with medical insurance.

Darlene has a passion for helping families through the intake process and connecting with them on a compassionate level and helping families to reach the ultimate goal for the best possible care for their loved ones. Her expertise in medical insurance and her knowledge of billing and coding combined with her ability to connect with families to determine each one’s specific individual needs helps to alleviate the intake process and the unknowns many families face when initiating treatment.

Beatriz Preter

Licensed Clinical Social Worker 

Beatriz Preter is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 15 years of experience focusing her work primarily on improving the lives of children and families.  She graduated from the University of Connecticut with her bachelor’s in human services and Fordham University with her master’s in social work.  She is passionate about enhancing the connections and interactions that parents have with their children. 

 

Ms. Preter has served her community while working in various roles including having worked at the Child Guidance Center and Norwalk Community Health Center.  She is currently a Nurture Specialist at Columbia University.  In this capacity, she supports the Connecticut CLC Preschool Family Nurture Intervention (FNI) program where she not only recruits families to participate in intervention but also delivers the intervention within her community.  She has worked in-person with families to enhance the connections with the child and mother.  In response to the pandemic, Ms. Preter participated in the planning and development of procedures necessary to implement the intervention via videoconference. 

 

She is a bi-lingual interventionist and a Certified English-Spanish translator.

Lauren DePetris

Licensed Behavior Analyst – CT

Lauren DePetris is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst licensed in Connecticut. She joins us with 10 years of experience in the field of ABA, autism, and Organizational Behavior Management. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Bryant University, Lauren worked at a residential school providing ABA therapy to teenaged individuals significantly impacted by ASD, specifically focusing on the reduction of significant maladaptive behavior. In 2014 Lauren moved to Nashoba Learning Group (NLG), working in the Adult Program. As Lauren pursued her Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis she took on more clinical responsibility in the organization, and ultimately moved into an administrative position. In 2016 Lauren created the Recruiting department at NLG and began focusing on Organizational Behavior Management, specifically staff evaluations and new staff orientation. NLG was formative on shaping Lauren as a clinician, specifically emphasizing the importance of evidence-based treatments and collaboration across disciplines.

Tannis Neal

Licensed Behavior Analyst – CT

Tannis Neal is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst licensed in the state of Connecticut. She joins us with six years of experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and autism. Her experience with the autistic population spans beyond that of the clinical setting as she has two siblings with ASD. 

Tannis was first introduced to the field of ABA during her undergraduate degree program in Psychology at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. She went on to pursue her Masters in ABA at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut during which she worked as an in-home ABA Therapist throughout the state of Connecticut and later on worked as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) at Milestones Behavioral Services for three years.

Danielle Schwartz

Licensed Behavior Analyst – CT

Danielle Schwartz is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) licensed in Connecticut. She joins Solstice Behavioral Health & Consulting (SBHC), with over 7 years of experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Special Education, and Autism. Her experience with the Autism community spans beyond clinical and educational settings as she has a sister on the autism spectrum. After graduating from University of Hartford with a dual degree in Elementary and Special Education, Danielle was introduced to the world of ABA while working in a special education classroom in Fairfield, Connecticut. After working in various roles within special education for three years and expanding her knowledge of field, Danielle decided to pursue her Masters in ABA at Northeastern University. Danielle started working for a company as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and provided services within a center-based, home and school settings. Since becoming a BCBA, Danielle has worked in a center-based setting and is exciting to expand her areas of expertise to school consultation and home programming at SBHC.

Sydney Fornal

Behavior Technician

Katherine Samonek

Behavior Technician

Rockel Samas

Behavior Technician

Kiarra Santiago

Behavior Technician

Isabella Hodson

Behavior Technician

Christina Lewis

Behavior Technician

Join The Solstice Team!

Join our dynamic team of highly trained professionals and lead to making an impact of the lives we serve.  Our Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT) are mentored by experts in the field of Autism including master and doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analysts to provide high-quality treatment. 

We train, coach, and mentor staff to work with children, families, and community providers in an effort to promote behavioral change and emotional well-being. 

Sydney Fornal is a Registered Behavior Technician at Solstice Behavioral Health & Consulting (SBHC). Sydney has her Bachelors degree in Psychology and Associates degree in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire in 2019. Before joining SBHC, Sydney worked in two early intervention clinics as a behavior technician and in an elementary school as a dual special education and general education substitute teacher. She enjoys coordinating daily academic/cognitive, communication, and social activities for the Sunrise Center for Early Learners at SBHC, as well as providing behavioral support and direct instruction to children utilizing the principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) to increase each child’s cognitive, functional, pro-social skills and daily living skills.

Katherine Samonek is a Registered Behavior Technician in the Sunrise Center for Early Learners at Solstice Behavioral Health & Consulting (SBHC). She provides Applied Behavior Analysis treatment alongside Licensed Behavior Analysts to promote adaptive, social/behavioral, and daily living skills. Katherine is currently finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a concentration in Behavioral Neuroscience from Fairfield University in May 2023. Before joining SBHC Katherine worked as an assistant to college student development and guidance to support their educational and social transition. She also has worked babysitting children around her local area of Monroe, CT.

Her professional interests include research in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depressive and Anxiety Disorders, and Schizoaffective Disorders. Her long-term educational and career goals include pursuing a doctorate degree in Clinical Neuropsychology.

Christina Lewis is a Behavior Technician in the Sunrise Center for Early Learners at Solstice Behavioral Health & Consulting (SBHC).  Christina is currently working towards earning her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Western Connecticut State University and anticipates graduating in May of 2023.  Christina plans to continue her education by gaining a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling .  She has experience with children in many different environments promoting educational and social development.