Kelly Ramnarine PgC

Program Coordinator
She/Her/Hers

Kelly Ramnarine is a community organizer with a background in psychology and primatology. She is a certified SafeZone trainer and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. Kelly is passionate about minority inclusion and social support systems as a means of building psychological resilience. Since 2018, Kelly has focused her efforts on creating inclusive, intersectional events and spaces for the LGBTQ+ population of Southern California and is excited to bring that experience and energy to The Help Group’s Kaleidoscope team.

Bryan Scheihing, LMFT 108543

Lead Therapist/Training Director
He/Him/His

Bryan came to The Help Group in 2018 to assist in the development of the Kaleidoscope Program while providing Outpatient therapy. Bryan helped to build the program with the vision of increasing affirming support to LGBTQ+ adolescents and young adults within The Help Group as well as in the surrounding community. Bryan is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who provides individual, group, and family therapy support as well as educational workshops to promote positive support of LGBTQ+ individuals in multiple systems. He has dedicated his professional life to helping provide affirmative support to members of the LGBTQ+ community by promoting awareness, acceptance, empowerment, and equality while also helping individuals realize their potential and achieve their goals.

Laurie Stephens, Ph.D. PSY1852

Senior Director of Autism and LGBTQ+ Programs
She/Her/Hers

Dr. Laurie Stephens is a developmental psychologist who has been working with children, teens, and young adults on the autism spectrum for nearly 30 years. She currently serves as The Help Group’s Senior Director of Autism and LGBTQ+ Programs.  Dr. Stephens previously served as the Director of Autism Spectrum Disorder Programs with The Help Group for 12 years. While working with her ASD clients, Dr. Stephens became extremely interested in the overlap between transgender and gender queer identifications and folks on the spectrum, as many of her clients began to share their authentic selves to her. Dr. Stephens oversees all of Kaleidoscope’s programming and events, and has been instrumental in establishing a specialized diagnostic clinic for LGBTQ+ children, teens, and young adults who may suspect they have an autism spectrum disorder.

Jamie Barstein, Ph.D. PSY3170

Clinical Psychologist
She/Her/Hers

Dr. Barstein is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialization in the assessment and treatment of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While she was trained as a child and adolescent psychologist, Dr. Barstein is well-versed in working with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities across the lifespan. Dr. Barstein has received extensive training in multidisciplinary and evidence-based assessment and treatment through her doctoral program at Northwestern University, doctoral internship at JFK Partners – the University of Colorado’s Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program, and finally her post-doctoral fellowship at The Help Group and UCLA’s Semel Institute. Dr. Barstein was brought on to Kaleidoscope’s team given her interest and experience in working with adolescents and young adults with ASD who are transgender, non-binary, and/or exploring their gender identity. She currently sees clients for individual therapy in addition to conducting diagnostic evaluations in our specialty clinic.

Jeri Rochman, JD, MS 

Program Director
She/Her/Hers

Jeri is an Ally and the very proud mother of a wonderful gay son. Her allyship is expressed through her commitment to providing Kaleidoscope’s programs and services to LGBTQ+ children, teens, young adults, their families, caregivers and allies. Jeri began her career as a Los Angeles County Public Defender and became involved in the field of education when her now adult children started school. In addition to her law degree, Jeri holds a Masters Degree in Counseling, she is a National Board Certified Counselor, Certified Parent Educator and Trained Crisis Counselor. Her goal is to support neurodivergent and neurotypical LGBTQ+ youth to find success in their academics, fulfillment in their vocations, and health and happiness in their personal relationships.

Joseph Porter

Joseph has worked as the LAUSD School District Magnet Coordinator since 2002. In 2018, Joseph created SAGE, the Social and Gender Equality Magnet program at Milikin Middle School in Sherman Oaks.

Julie Nony

Julie is a 26 year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department. In 2015, Julie was named the Senior Lead Officer/Community Engagement Officer and she is now dedicating her full attention to a citywide community relations team committed to relationship building and ongoing working groups with the Los Angeles LGBTQIA+ community and other diverse communities. She believes that if we can bring people together in dialogue, we can prevent an “us vs them” mentality because we are all in this together.

Cleo German

Cleo is a resident of the San Fernando Valley as well as one of the first transgender professors at UC Santa Barbara, where she is currently a Professor of Psychology and Brain Science, in addition to being the Co-Chair of the JEDI Committee (Justice, Equity, Diversion, Inclusion). In addition, she is a member of the zombie-pop band, Alright Alright, which has been rockin’ Southern California venues since 2008.

Jessica Oami

Jessica is the proud parent of transgender daughter. She is also the Director of Transforming Families, a Los Angeles-based family support group creating a positive environment for children, adolescents, and their families to explore issues of gender identity.

Caroline Menjivar

Caroline served in the United States Marine Corps for seven years where she held leadership roles in training military platoons. She holds an EMT License as well as a Masters of Social Welfare from UCLA. Caroline is now the East Valley Area Representative for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office

Juan-Carlos Zuberbuhler, MD, MSMEd

Juan-Carlos is a board-certified psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Curriculum Development at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, LGBTQIA+ focus.

JR Small, AMFT

JR is a passionate and motivated therapist committed to providing trauma-informed, strength-based, person-centered, and culturally responsive psychotherapy in Spanish and English. They are a transgender youth support leader and Program Developer at Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles.

Jen Gruskoff

Jen has worked in television for over 20 years as a writer.  In 2016, Jen founded the Girls Soccer Network, as a hub for fans, players, and anyone who supports girl’s soccer across the globe. As the GSN Editor in Chief, Jen provides daily original content and curated stories across social media platforms. Jen and her wife Jeje are the proud parents of a non-binary college junior.

Luckie Alexander

Luckie as a passionate advocate and founder of Invisible Men, aa organization focused on uplifting and building community among trans men and nonbinary transmasculine folks centered on people of color. Luckie is an important connector across LGBTQI community groups and organizations and a steadfast advocate for transmasculine people and trans parents. You may also know Luckie as:

• a member of Gender Justice Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Transgender Advisory Council; AND
• a proud member & Historian of Brown Boi Project; AND
• an HIV Commissioner and a community advisory board member for UCLA’s Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services ; AND
• a recipient of the Lou Sullivan Award for his work centered around transmasculine individuals in the HIV/AIDS arena; AND
• 2018 Mr. Quest, a community advocacy award with APAIT.

Luckie is a crucial voice in health education and organizing, trans justice, and the movement for black lives. In 2019, he was the Assistant Strategy Director for the historic 2019 National Trans Visibility March. In 2020, he was the designer of the “ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER” art installation on Hollywood Blvd.