Jenn Black, Ed.D., Early Intervention Teacher

Alyssa is an East Coast transplant who has worked as a Family Resource Coordinator with A Step Ahead since May 2017. She has a B.A. in Communications and worked in childcare for over 8 years, working directly with children as well as growing into leadership roles and focusing on program development. She has worked in non-profit for over 5 years and finds it an extremely rewarding calling. She has a passion for working with children and families and enjoys her role as an FRC because she loves being able to work alongside families to support and empower them. In her spare time, Alyssa loves to bake, create DIY projects and travel.

Amber Fessler, Occupational Therapist

Amber graduated from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND and has worked as a pediatric OT for 13 years.  She has been with A Step Ahead Pierce County for one year and loves to help support families and children to be the best they can be.  She has special interests and extended education in sensory processing, vision rehabilitation, vestibular rehabilitation, feeding and reflex integration.  In her spare time, she enjoys camping and fishing with her family, playing with her kids and knitting. TIP: You yourself can often be the best therapeutic tool.  By adjusting your arousal state, or state of being, you can help another person feel more calm and secure or you can wake their body and mind up.  Self-awareness of your own energy level is key to knowing how it can affect others.

Cassandra Fiorina

Hi, I’m Cassandra! I am the team’s Infant Mental Health Therapist. I received my master’s degree from the University of Washington in 2015 with a certificate in infant mental health. I have worked with all ages in the past in a community mental health clinic, but love working with our 0-3 population! Spending time with caregivers and children, brainstorming ideas for challenging behaviors, holding the child’s experience in mind and finding new ways to learn through play are some of my favorite things about my job. I have been trained in various treatment models including Promoting First Relationships, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Play Therapy and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy.

Maurene Kosko, Family Resources Coordinator

Maurene is a Family Resource Coordinator (FRC) with A Step Ahead. Maurene earned her degree in Early Childhood Education and worked as a preschool teacher for over 17 years. She has run and operated her own preschool, had positions as a teacher in Headstart and ECEAP as well as working in Special Education Classrooms for Local area school districts.

Through working with children with special needs and their families, Maurene grew more passionate about this population. One of her main goals is to teach, encourage and support families so that they are able to advocate for their child’s learning and get their needs met.

Transitioning into a role as an FRC was the perfect opportunity for her- she is still able to be involved with children by watching them succeed and grow. In her spare time, she loves to hike, travel and explore, and spend time with her family and friends.

David Pozolinski

I have been practicing as a speech language pathologist assistant for 15 years. I have worked in the public schools and private speech clinics serving ages four through adult with communication challenges. The past 6 years, I have been serving children ages 1-3 in early intervention. My specialty is Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC). We use AAC to assist those with limited verbal communication (e.g. pictures, sign language, devices, etc.). Recently, I received my Infant Mental Health Specialist endorsement from the state of Washington to better serve our children and their families. I gravitated to early intervention for two main reasons: the great progress made by the kiddos at this age and the opportunity to work with the child’s family and caregivers. When I’m not at the office, I enjoy traveling and playing music.

Alyssa Roleke

Alyssa is an East Coast transplant who has worked as a Family Resource Coordinator with A Step Ahead since May 2017. She has a B.A. in Communications and worked in childcare for over 8 years, working directly with children as well as growing into leadership roles and focusing on program development. She has worked in non-profit for over 5 years and finds it an extremely rewarding calling. She has a passion for working with children and families and enjoys her role as an FRC because she loves being able to work alongside families to support and empower them. In her spare time, Alyssa loves to bake, create DIY projects and travel.