Patricia Costales, LCSW is the Executive Director of The Guidance Center. Patricia earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Occidental College, where she was a member of the Psi Chi Honors Society, and completed her Masters of Social Work degree at the University of Southern California in 1992. She began her career in mental health as a clinician, developing a particular expertise in the areas of child sexual abuse treatment and in crisis assessment and intervention of children and families post-abduction. She served for many years as the lead clinician on the Los Angeles County Child Abduction Task Force, and retains a particular interest today in teaching and presenting on issues related to child trauma, clinical ethics and political advocacy as it relates to mental health. In addition to her leadership role with The Guidance Center, Patricia is also an adjunct professor at the School of Social Welfare at UCLA, where she teaches a graduate course on public policy and mental health.

Prior to joining The Guidance Center, Patricia served as the Vice President of Clinical Operations at Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center, where she was responsible for the oversight of services to more than 44,000 clients. She also chaired the Compliance Committee and the Quality Improvement Committee, reinforcing her experience in providing quality services that are ethical, effective and community-based.

Patricia is a member of the California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies, the Association of Community Human Services Agencies and the National Association of Social Workers. She is also a mother of young twin sons, and a volunteer at their school and in the community.

Robin Kincaid is the Administrative Director for The Guidance Center. Robin is responsible for Human Resources, Safety and Risk Management, Information Technology, Facility Management, and Administrative Support for the Center. She also oversees Business Administration which includes management of complex Department of Mental Health and Health Services contracts, licensing, certification and compliance issues. In addition, Robin oversees the implementation of the Center's agency-wide electronic clinical records software program. She joined The Guidance Center in 1994 to help the agency during a period of growth and transition. Prior to joining the Center, Robin advised start-up managed care behavioral health companies in the areas of administration, human resources law, credentialing/provider relations, and oversaw the development of guidelines and policies/procedures in a wide range of areas. She also worked as a contractor with the Economy and Efficiency Commission which assesses and provides recommendations on the functions and competence of various county departments to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with dual concentrations in Human Services Management and Human Resources Management.

A fundraiser with more than 15 years experience, Lorraine Lyou joined The Guidance Center as Development Director in July 2008.

Before joining The Guidance Center, Lorraine served for eight years as Development Director for Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center. Prior to that, she was Development Director for the California League of Conservation Voters, an environmental lobbying organization. Lorraine spent two years as Development Associate for Rock the Vote, a non-profit dedicated to helping young people participate in the political process and previously held fundraising positions at the University of San Francisco, the Scripps Research Institute, the La Jolla Playhouse and the Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Science Center. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from San Diego State University in Communicative Disorders in 1989.

With a family member who struggles with mental illness, Lorraine has experienced first-hand the stigma, shame, and challenges associated with psychological disorders. Her non-profit expertise and personal experiences serve as the foundation for the passion and commitment she brings to her job with The Guidance Center.

Lorraine is a board member of the Wiseburn Education Foundation, which raises funds to enhance educational programs within the Wiseburn School District. She lives in the South Bay with her husband and three young children.

Sue Sundareson, Psy.D. is The Guidance Center’s Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance and Director of Psychology Training. Dr. Sundareson received her doctorate in Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 1994 and was licensed in the State of California in 1996. She began her employment at The Guidance Center in December 2000. She was hired as a Psychology Supervisor for the agency’s pre-doctoral psychology interns and psychology staff. Her position soon expanded to include quality assurance as well as the Director of Training responsibilities for The Guidance Center’s American Psychological Association accredited Pre-Doctoral Psychology Program.

Dr. Sundareson has committed herself to working with the underserved for over 20 years. She began working with the underserved as an undergraduate in Dayton, Ohio where she worked with adults with several mental health problems in a partial hospitalization setting. Following her move to California, she focused on her work with children with mental health problems, first as a clinician and clinical supervisor and then as manager of a child and adult mental health program.

In her position, Dr. Sundareson continues to supervise psychology staff and has expanded the agency’s Professional Conduct and Practice Department (formerly the Quality Assurance Department) in preparation for The Guidance Center’s Electronic Health Record System.

Tiffany Rodriguez joined The Guidance Center in April 2005 as the Clinical Programs Director, for which she is responsible for all clinical programs at each of the Center's six sites. She received her B.A. in psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1989 and a M.S. in psychology from California State University at Long Beach in 1991 She has over 18 years of clinical experience working in community mental health and has 10 years direct clinical service experience with adult populations, children and families. Tiffany's experience includes working with intensive populations, at risk populations, as well as those with co-occurring disorders from a broad range of diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Prior to becoming Clinical Programs Director, Tiffany served as Program Director for Portals where she managed several programs. She also held several key positions at Tri-City Mental Health Center. She lives in the Los Angeles area with her beautiful daughter, a dog named Brownie and about 5 plants.

Teddy joined The Guidance Center in October 2006. He brings more than twenty years of Controller and CFO experience and proficiency with him to the Center. His financial expertise includes both public companies and privately held businesses in the for profit sector. Teddy’s experience spans over many fields including the manufacturing, construction, employment, and education industries. He has worked with a myriad of companies through complex financial situations, compliance issues, internal controlling and operation efficiency challenges to achieve operational profitability and financial viability. Teddy is a graduate of California State University, Northridge, with Bachelor of Science degree in Business Statistics.