PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Jennifer Pierce, MS, AMFT/APCC

Jennifer Pierce earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from California State University Fullerton. After graduating, she started working as a milieu counselor with Center for Discovery in the Mental Health Division in 2014. In 2015 Jennifer returned to California State University Fullerton to complete her Master of Science degree in Counseling. During her Master’s traineeship, she also began working in a non-profit mental health agency where she provided individual, family, and group therapy for the LGBTQIA community. She is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and is also working toward licensure as a Professional Clinical Counselor.

Jennifer practices from a person-centered and relational-cultural approach, but also incorporates DBT and CBT. Jennifer is passionate about working with adolescents and diverse communities and has made a commitment to advocating for mental health and human rights. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and her cats, reading, watching documentaries, and listening to music.

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Jennifer Alford, MS, RD

Jennifer Alford is the dietitian at Center For Discovery La Habra RTC treating adolescents and families impacted by eating disorders. Jennifer is a registered dietitian and earned her MS in nutritional science from Cal State Long Beach and BS in Social Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. While completing her nutrition education, she worked as a diet tech for Center for Discovery.

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT

Barbara Lucas, MD

Dr. Lucas has been a member of the Center For Discovery’s treatment team since 2001. Dr. Lucas serves as a pediatrician specializing in eating disorders and clinical genetics. Following a chief residency at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), Dr. Lucas completed a fellowship in clinical genetics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She completed her undergraduate training at Brigham Young University, her medical school training at the University of Arkansas, and her residency at the University of California at Irvine, Long Beach Memorial and CHOC.

MILIEU MANAGER

Whitney Rodgers, BA

Whitney Rodgers attended Chapman University and graduated in 2016 with her BA in Psychology. She joined the Discovery team in June 2017 as a counselor, and then transitioned to the Milieu Manager position in December 2017. She also served as the Education Liaison for the facility. Whitney volunteered with Child Abuse Services Team (CAST) from 2016-2017, and also taught dance for over 10 years

NURSE ADMINISTRATOR

Danielle Anderson, RN

Danielle Anderson has been with Center For Discovery since 2003. She served as Director of Nursing for the first 14 years with the organization, and then transitioned to the role of Nurse Administrator for the La Habra facility. Danielle attended California State University Long Beach and graduated with her BSN in 1994.

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Melissa Ward, MS, AMFT

Melissa earned an Associates of Arts degree in Behavioral and Social Sciences from College of the Redwoods in 2012, and a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Psychology from Humboldt State University (HSU) in 2015. In 2013, while attending HSU, Melissa started working as a part-time advocate for the North Coast Rape Crisis Team. In 2016, Melissa attended California State University, Fullerton, where she earned her Master’s of Science degree in Counseling in 2019. While working on her Masters degree, Melissa completed her practicum traineeship at Western Youth Services, where she worked with a diverse clientele of kids, teens, young adults, and families in individual, group, and family therapy. Currently, Melissa is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist.

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Janna Price, MS, ASW

Janna received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Chapman University and her MSW in 2019 from UCLA. Upon pursuing her Master’s in Social Welfare, Janna spent the last ten years working in various child development centers as an administrator and an educator. Throughout this time she was also an active advocate for spreading eating disorders and mental health awareness. Working and collaborating with many children and families has been extremely rewarding and she looks forward to working with the many families and adolescents served at Discovery. Janna values humor and creativity and incorporates these qualities into her practice. In addition to her educational and professional background, she has many hobbies such as singing in a band, painting, gardening, hiking, playing with her dog, and spending time with loved ones.