To schedule an appointment with any of our providers, please call 773-388-1600.

Alexandra (Alex) Backis, LSW
PATH Case Manager 

Education and Training
Degree:  MSW 
Major/Concentration:   
School:  Washington University in St. Louis 

Degree:  BA 
Major/Concentration:  Feminist Studies 
School:  Stanford University 

Professional History
Teen Living Programs, Outreach Worker

Certifications
LSW  

Specialty/Interests: Adolescents, HIV/AIDS, Clinical case management 

Allison Burque
Ryan White/DRS Case Manager

Education and Training
Degree: Masters in Social Service Administration (MSW equivalent)
Major/Concentration: Violence Prevention
School: University of  Chicago- School of Social Service Administration
 
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Major/Concentration: Sociology/Women's Studies
School: University of Chicago

Professional History
Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, Prevention Specialist
Center on Halsted, Mental Health Intern
YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, Project Manager
 
Certifications
Certified Rape Crisis Counselor
Certified Ryan White/DRS Case Manager

Specialty/Interests: Anti-violence organizing, Self-care

Kelly Cook-Ginn 
RW/DRS Program Coordinator

Education and Training
Degree: MA
Major/Concentration: Cities, Culture and Social Change
School: King's College, London

Degree: BA
Major/Concentration: Sociology/Anthropology
School: Lake Forest College, Illinois

Professional History
Teen Living Programs, Youth Development Specialist II & I
Center on Halsted, National AIDS Fund AmeriCorps Chicago Member

Certifications
LGBTQ Clinical Training Certificate from Live Oak

Specialty/Interests: Safer sex and sexual health, homelessness and housing, youth work, LGBTQ issues, harm reduction

Jessica Dubuar   
PATH Program Coordinator 

Education and Training
Degree: MA - In Progress   
Major/Concentration: Clinical Psychology 
School: Argosy University  

Degree:  BS 
Major/Concentration:  Psychology 
School:  University of Pittsburgh 

Professional History
Howard Brown Health Center - PATH Program , Case Manager
Pilsen Little Village Community Mental Health Center HOLAA Program, DRS Case Manager 
Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, Case Management Intern 

Mark Hartfield     
Care Coordinator Specialist AAWA (AGING AS WE ARE)

Education and Training
Degree: Associate 
Major/Concentration:  Public Health 
School: Chicago State University
 
Professional History
Howard Brown Health Center, Case Manager 
Howard Brown Health Center, Facilitator-C-Talk
Howard Brown Health Center, Recruitment and Retention-Research 
 
Certifications
Treatment Advocate- Black AIDS Institute 
Public Health Boot Camp- AIDS Foundation/DePaul University 
 
Specialty/Interests: CBGMC (Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus) 

Becky Heine
093 Outreach Worker- Linkage to Care Case Manager 

Education and Training
Degree: BA
Major/Concentration: Sociology/Anthropology
School: Illinois Wesleyan University

Professional History
Howard Brown Health Center, PATH Case Manager
The Night Ministry, Youth Outreach Worker
Campaign for Better Transit, Community Organizer
 
Specialty/Interests: Harm Reduction, Reducing power differentials using an assets base model

Cindy Ibarra
Youth Case Manager/Resource Advocate

Education and Training
Degree: BA
Major/Concentration: Latin American/Latino Studies
School: University of Illinois at Chicago
 
Professional History  
Young Women's Empowerment Project (YWEP), Staff - Communications Coordinator
Public Allies/Roseland Allies, Social Justice/Evaluation Coordinator
Colectivo Pro Derechos de la Niñez, Guadalajara, Mexico, Popular Education Facilitator/Street Outreach Worker 
Reproductive Justice Movement Organizer

Certifications
Harm Reduction Trained Facilitator (HRTC-Chicago)
Young Women's Empowerment Project Outreach Worker
Crisis Intervention- Alternative Healing with Trauma Survivors
 
Specialty/Interests: Harm Reduction, Youth Work with Street-based LGBTQ youth, Anti-Violence-based Youth Leadership Development/Organizing

Michael McFadden, LCSW
Director of Social Services

Education and Training
Degree: MSW
Major/Concentration: Mental Health
School: Loyola University, Chicago

Degree: BA
Major/Concentration: Theology
School: Loyola University, Chicago

Professional History
Howard Brown Health Center, Case Manager
Test Positive Aware Network, Drop-in Counselor
Center on Halsted, Mental Health Intern
Anti-Violence Project, Crisis Hotline Volunteer
Infant Welfare Society, Mental Health Intern
Boys Hope Girls Hope of Illinois, Lead Residential Counselor
Food and Friends (Washington, DC), Volunteer Coordinator 

Certifications
40 Hour DV Certification from Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network
Public Health Boot Camp from AIDS Foundation/Depaul University 
LGBTQ Clinical Training Certificate from Live Oak

Specialty/Interests: HIV/AIDS, Anti-Violence, Transgender Health, Trauma, Harm Reduction, Sexual Health, LGBTQ Identity Development 

Julio Maldonado
Treatment Advocate / Latino Health Specialist

Education and Training
Degree: BA
Major/Concentration: Tourism & Hospitality
School: Universidad de San Martín de Porres / Lima – Perú
 
Professional History
Chicago Lakeshore Hospital. Mental Health Counselor
AID FOR AIDS International (New York, NY) New York Immigrant AIDS Link, Program Coordinator
New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City Prevention Planning Group Member
 
Certifications
Organizer/Facilitator Peer Educational Trainings on Primary, Secondary and Tertiary HIV Prevention
Pre/Post HIV Test Counselor
HIV Therapy Counselor

Specialty/Interests: HIV/AIDS/STI Prevention, Latino Wellness, Immigrant population issues

Gilberto Soberanis
PATH Case Manager

Education and Training
Degree: BA (in progress)                                
Major/Concentration: Psychology/Sociology
School: Truman College/UIC
 
Professional History
Howard Brown Health Center, Health Educator
Howard Brown Health Center, Research Assistant

Specialty/Interests: HIV/AIDS, Latino Health/Wellness

Michelle Valente, M.Ed. 
DRS / RW Case Manager

Education and Training
Degree: Master of Education
Major/Concentration:  Human Services and Community Counseling
School: DePaul University

Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Major/Concentration: Art History and French
School: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Professional History
Rape Victim Advocates, Sexual Assault Counselor

Certifications
56-Hour Sexual Assault Certification
LGBTQ Clinical Training Certificate from Live Oak
LPC (in Progress)

Specialty/Interests: Trauma

Jeffery Weber, LCSW 
Ryan White/ DRS Case Manager 

Education and Training
Degree:  MSW 
Major/Concentration:  Mental Health 
School:  Jane Addams College of Social Work/ UIC 

Degree: B.A. 
Major/Concentration: English 
School: Hunter College- City College of New York 

Degree: A.A.S 
Major/Concentration: Marketing and Advertising
School: Fasion Institute of Technology- State University of New York 

Professional History
Bethesda Homes and Services, Job Coach/ Program Associate
Freelance Publicist
Ruffo Press Office as Publicist 

Certifications
LCSW
LGBTQ Clinical Training Certificate from Live Oak

Specialty/Interests: LGBTQ community issues in Aging, HIV Prevention and Substance Use, Gay Men and relationships 

Lindsay Wolff, LCSW
Ryan White/ DRS Case Manager 

Education and Training
Degree:  MSW 
Major/Concentration:  Mental Health 
School:  Jane Addams College of Social Work/ UIC       

Degree: BA 
Major/Concentration: Social Work 
School: University of Iowa

Professional History
Franciscan Outreach Association, Case Manager

Certifications
LCSW

Specialty/Interests: HIV/AIDS; Sexual health; homelessness; survivors of sexual abuse; sexual abuse prevention