Administration
Sarah Cavallaro
Executive Director
In 1999, Sarah graduated from Prescott College with a BA in Wilderness Therapy and received a Master’s of Business Administration from Colorado State University in 2005. She worked at Red Top Meadows as a Childcare Worker from 2001-2003 and then for the Van Vleck House creating after school programs for children in the community. Sarah left her work with TYFS in 2004 to work as a Grant Writer for Teton County. She returned to TYFS to serve on the Board of Directors from 2007-2011. Sarah assumed a position as the Director of Operations in the Fall of 2011 and transitioned to the role of Executive Director in 2019. Sarah is married with 2 children.
scavallaro@tyfs.org
Chris Moll
M.S.W, LCSW, Director of Licensing and Accreditation/ Hirschfield Center
Chris has worked with Teton Youth & Family Services since 1991 serving youth in just about every capacity the agency offers. Prior to becoming the director of the Hirschfield Center, Chris worked as the Clinical Director of Red Top Meadows. He has recently become our Director of Liecensing and Accreditation for all of TYFS. He received his Master’s Degree in Social Work from San Jose State University in San Jose, California.
cmoll@tyfs.org
Martina Hansen
Director of Operations and Finance
In 2002, Martina graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in Health Education and Promotion with an emphasis in Emergency Medical Services. Martina’s love for the outdoors moved her back to Jackson after college, where she immediately started working in the accounting field. She would do health education jobs on the side to get her fill of helping people. In 2006 Martina started working at Teton Science Schools and the love for nonprofits grew. She continued doing accounting work, but also was able to help many people along the way. When she had the opportunity to work at Teton Youth and Family Services, she jumped at the opportunity. She is excited to be apart of a great team! The love of the outdoors brought Martina to Bondurant which is where she resides. She is married and has two dogs.
mhansen@tyfs.org
Kilee Amborski
Assistant Director of Operations and Finance
Kilee was born and raised in Jackson. She went to college at Northwest Junior College in 2002 where she also played volleyball and then went on to Montana State University from 2003-2006 where she studied Elementary Education. Kilee returned to Jackson where she volunteered as a victim’s advocate for Community Safety Network while working at the hospital and Coaching Volleyball at Jackson Hole High School. She then decided to follow her passion of working with children and started working at Red Top Meadows as the program administrator. She has been with Teton Youth & Family Services since 2008. Kilee loves the outdoors, is married and has 3 beautiful children.
kamborski@tyfs.org
Hirschfield Center
Margaret Brigham
Clinical Therapist
Margaret holds a Master’s degree in Counseling from Webster University in Geneva, Switzerland. She works with children, adolescents, families, and individuals providing therapy and family advocacy support. She currently lives in Jackson with her husband and three children.
Cheyenne Syvertson
LCSW, Family Advocate/ Therapist
Cheyenne holds a Master’s degree in Social Work specializing in Clinical Mental Health. Cheyenne serves as a family advocate and also provides therapy to children, adolescents, and families. csyvertson@tyfs.org
Dan Oas
Juvenile Diversion Program Coordinator, Circuit Court Liason
Daniel is from Manchester, NH, and attended St. Lawrence University and graduated with a B.A in English Writing and Fine Arts. He moved to Jackson in 2000 to pursue is love for fly fishing and has worked for Teton Youth Family Services since 2008.
doas@tyfs.org
Cassidy Creel
Diversion Officer and Family Advocate
Cassidy grew up in a small town in Oregon on the Deschutes River. She graduated from the University of Montana in 2015 with a BS in Athletic Training. After graduation she moved to Jackson, where she was lucky enough to combine her passion for working with children and love for the outdoors by running the Jackson Hole Leadership Program. She’s happy to be transitioning into her full time position with TYFS.
Van Vleck House
Jeremy Silcox
LCSW, Director of Van Vleck House
Jeremy is from Shelburne, VT, he attended the University of Vermont and graduated with a BA in French in 1992. He then attended the University of Wyoming where he earned his MSW in 2001. He moved to Jackson in 1992 and has worked for TYFS since 1993.
jsilcox@tyfs.org
Arty Polo
Group Home Manager
Arty has a B.A. from the University of Southwestern LA. He previously worked in wilderness programs and in residential treatment. He has worked at the Van Vleck House since 2002. artypolo@tyfs.org
Matia Wilson
Therapist
Matia is originally from Vermont where she received B.As in Psychology and Anthropology and began her work with youth in the field of Special Education. She moved to Jackson in 2012 to work as the Head Wrangler at a local dude ranch and explore the mountains. Moving to Laramie, WY she attended the University of Wyoming for her Master of Social Work. While at the UW she worked with student veterans and undergraduates through the University’s counseling center and focused her degree on clinical practice and community outreach. Matia moved back to Jackson to pursue her passion of working with young adults and teens, aiming to take a systemic approach to therapeutic interventions. mwilson@tyfs.org
Patty Schengber
JH Leadership Program Coordinator
Patty grew up in the Tidewater region on the eastern coast of Virginia. After graduating from college in Virginia she moved west to work on a local dude ranch in Grand Teton National Park before moving into the town of Jackson. Patty is so thankful to have found TYFS and JHLP as they combine her love for the outdoors, working with kids and experiential education. She worked as a JH Leadership counselor during the summer of 2020 and is excited to continue her involvement with JHLP and TYFS as Program Coordinator for JHLP.
Youth Counselors
Hailing from all corners of the country, Van Vleck Child Care Staff are tasked with the daily care and supervision of our residents. Each of these individuals excels at building relationships with our clients and creating a safe and predictable environment. Creating this environment requires establishing healthy boundaries, reinforcing choices and behaviors through the use of natural and logical consequences, helping residents develop internal self-control by highlighting new growth and change as well as engaging in enriching activities. Child Care Staff undergo 30 hours per year of in-service training on topics including:
- Professional ethics and conduct
- Strengths-Based, Solution Focused and Competency-Based treatment approaches
- Understanding the effects of trauma on child development
- Right Response system of crisis management
- Emergency procedures
- Medication management
- Suicide Prevention
- Adolescent development
Red Top Meadows
Tom Concannon
LMFT, Director of Red Top Meadows
Tom received a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy in 1988, and came to Red Top to work for the next ten years. Tom went to graduate school at Pacific Lutheran University, earning a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2002. After graduating he worked in community mental health in Seattle and Tacoma Washington for four years. Tom returned to Jackson to be the therapist at The Van Vleck House. After eight years in this position Tom became the Director at Red Top Meadows in January 2015.
tconcannon@tyfs.org
Erin Silcox
MA Curriculum & Instruction, Literacy Endorsement, Principal Certificate, BS Middle Level Education, Director of Education
Erin’s background working with at-risk youth began at an inner city job training program for adjudicated youth in Boston. Following graduation from the University of Vermont with a BS in Middle Level Education, Erin moved to Wyoming and continued her work with at-risk youth at the Van Vleck House group home and then as a math/science teacher at Red Top Meadows. Bringing meaning and passion to educating disadvantaged students is her most prominent goal. To this end, she is currently researching the intersection of literacy instruction and trauma while working on her Ph.D. in Literacy Education through the University of Wyoming.
esilcox@tyfs.org
Ted Nichols
BA, St. Lawrence University, Wilderness/ Program Director
Ted has been working within the field of experiential education in various capacities since 2006. Joining the Red Top staff in 2012, he worked as child care and wilderness field staff before assuming his current position. Ted has experienced, lead and learned from every aspect of the Red Top wilderness experience. The positive effects and skills that can be gained by traveling in small groups through the mountains has been made evident through these trips. He is thrilled to provide excellent wilderness and residential programs for youth at Red Top Meadows.
tnichols@tyfs.org
Child Care Staff
Red Top child care staff are active in all components of the program. They supervise daily living as well as work in the school and on wilderness trips. They receive 80 hours of annual training and regular direct supervision. Topics covered annually include but are not limited to:
- Professional ethics and conduct
- Solution based treatment approaches
- Understanding effects of trauma on child development
- Right Response system of crisis management
- Emergency procedures
- Wilderness education curriculum
- Wilderness First aid and CPR refreshers
- Medication policies and procedures
- Crisis management and suicide prevention
- Parenting and childcare skills