Our Team includes Administrative and Leadership staff, and 40 Intervention therapists
Administrative Team
Colleen Sisk, BCBA®, Owner / Executive Director
Welcome to Syringa, my second home! I have proudly been the Owner and Director of Syringa Family Partnership LLC since 2008 but I have been working in the field of developmental disabilities in North Idaho for 20 years. I was born and raised in Montana and Alaska where I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I then moved to Idaho with my husband Al in 2002. I began doing Intensive Behavior Intervention where I started a life-long career advocating for and working with individuals with developmental disabilities. My daughter Caroline was born in 2008 at the same time I opened Syringa. She is a joy! We love to vacation, go camping and be outdoors in beautiful North Idaho.
I wanted to pursue a higher education to better support my employees and increase our quality of therapy, so I obtained my Master’s degree in Special Education from Ball State University with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism from Ball State University in 2017. I completed my supervision requirements and am now a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. I have been an active member in the Idaho Association of Community Providers for the past 20 years and was a member of the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities for a 10 year lifetime term. It is my lifelong goal to continue to advocate for others and teach them the power of advocating for themselves.
Kathleen Howard, BCBA® / Clinical Director
I’m Kathleen and I have worked at Syringa since March 2015. I was born and raised in upstate New York. In 2011, I received my Bachelor's Degree in Childhood Education from the University of New York at Oswego. During my student teaching experience, I was placed in a 5th grade inclusion classroom. There, I discovered my passion for working with children with developmental disabilities. After graduation, I was a nanny, which brought me to Idaho in 2014.
I received a Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis with an Emphasis in Autism at Ball State University in December 2018. In July 2023, I became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Syringa has also provided me the opportunity to be formally trained in Picture Exchange Communication (PECS) and I love being able to help children find their voice!
When I’m not at Syringa, I spend my time with my husband, our three children, and our dogs. We enjoy spending time outdoors and traveling. Fitness is an important aspect of our lives and we love to complete Spartan races as a family.
Lana Stroud, Human Resource Director / Billing Specialist
I have proudly been working at Syringa since August of 2009 - and still loving what I do. I am the Human Resource Director and I run our Inspired Child Preschool in Post Falls. I am also an active member in the Idaho Association of Community Providers. The best part of my job is seeing our staff and kids on a daily basis. I love the work we do here at Syringa and it makes my job rewarding, seeing the daily successes!
I grew up in Montana and Alaska. I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from the University of Alaska Anchorage, and moved to San Diego, California right after to join my husband and high school sweetheart who proudly served in the United States Marine Corps. When I'm not working, I enjoy spending time with my husband, our two children and our two dogs.
Dorothy Williams, Administrative Assistant - Hayden/Post Falls
I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, our little family of 3 moved to Portland, Oregon in 2007 and grew to 5, then we landed here in Coeur d'Alene in 2013! I have been working at Syringa since 2016 and provide administrative support for the company including our wonderful team of Clinical Supervisors and therapists. I love being able to support such a dedicated, hardworking group of people and seeing children thrive.
After my two youngest children started receiving services the amount of progress that was made amazed me and I wanted to learn more. After diving into the special needs community and educating myself about services, I realized my passion is working with families to connect them to community supports and develop relationships with their schools and providers in the community. I have gone to several trainings through Idaho Parents Unlimited and attended their Parent Leadership Development program in 2018 to further develop my advocacy knowledge and skills. It makes me proud to work for such a dedicated company like Syringa and love being able to support our hardworking staff so they can continue providing quality therapy to the kids and families in our community.
Kay Dowers, Scheduling Coordinator - Hayden
I have been joyfully working at Syringa since the beginning of 2020. I grew up in Spokane, WA where I graduated from Whitworth University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2019. During a study abroad program in Tanzania teaching kids English, I decided that I wanted to work with children and help them find their voice. Shortly afterwards, I moved to Idaho and began working at Syringa as an Intervention Specialist.
While still providing therapy, I wanted to learn more about the business side of Syringa and pursued the role of Scheduling Coordinator. Within this role Syringa has provided me the opportunity to work closely with all our therapist and the families we provide services to. I love waking up and coming to work every day, knowing Syringa is making a difference for the children in our community!
When I’m not working, you’d find me spending time with my husband and our two labs watching a good movie or playing card games.
“We all have different gifts, so we all have different ways of telling the world who we are.”
—- Fred Rogers
Leadership Team
Tanya Currie, BCBA® / Lead Clinical Supervisor - Bonners Ferry
Hello, my name is Tanya. I have been employed at the Bonners Ferry branch of Syringa Family Partnership, LLC since 2010. As my lifetime home, Bonners Ferry and its surrounding area holds a special place in my heart. My introduction to the services Syringa provids to its families and our community was my driving force in seeking further education and becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in Communication Disorders from Utah University in 2019 and my Master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2023.
My years of working at Syringa has given me the privilege of seeing the great love between the children and the families that we serve. I’ve had the joy of witnessing small accomplishments lead to great achievements in the children and young adults' lives. I look forward to remaining as a support to the children and their families as they work towards their goals.
I love spending time with family and friends. As empty nesters, my husband and I enjoy taking walks and hikes, kayaking, camping, and watching our favorite shows. Most of all, we love spending time with our daughter, son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons whenever possible. During my personal time, I make paper crafts, sew, and study topics of interest.
Kim Taylor, Clinical Supervisor / Intervention Specialist - Hayden/Post Falls
I was born and raised in Coeur d' Alene, ID and attended Boise State University for my Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education. I completed three different practicums including the Infant Toddler Program, a developmental preschool classroom, and a first grade general education classroom. My husband and I then moved to North Dakota for two and a half years while he completed his Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
I was lucky enough to begin my journey with Syringa the summer of 2010 while home from college, again in the summer of 2014 while home from North Dakota, and finally when I knew my husband and I would be returning home permanently I returned and have been back since January of 2016! I had always known I would want to return to this amazing workplace and make a difference in the lives of our clients and their families. I am very passionate about Early Intervention and Childhood Development.
When I'm not working, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. My husband and I have two children and we enjoy horseback riding, fishing, hiking, and camping with our dogs.
Richard Justus, BCBA® - Bonners Ferry
I’m Rick Justus, and I’ve lived in the Inland PNW for over 20 years. I began my career providing direct learning and behavior supports to individuals with autism in community and home-based settings in the late 1980’s. I quickly developed a passion to promote positively based supports to those who had historically been treated with little respect or capacity to learn, live and contribute to society. This led me to seek further education, completing a Master’s degree in Special Education at the University of Utah, where I taught in the public education system in Salt Lake City. I went on to provide individualized Applied Behavior Analysis supports in rural Northern California, Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington.
Upon becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, I went on to specialize in developing functional assessments, providing parent and professional training, and implementing person-centered learning and behavior improvement strategies for individuals considered disabled. For the last 11+ years, I served as Program Director for two large ABA clinics in Eastern Washington. I’m excited to use this knowledge and experience to serve Northern Idaho’s more rural communities, who have historically had less access to therapeutic services.
During my free time, I love to spend time with my children and grandchildren and explore in the great outdoors. I garden, woodwork, fish, bike, kayak, RV, and simply revel in the beauty that is Northern Idaho.
Casey Hubbard, BCBA® - Hayden/Post Falls
Heyo! My name is Casey Hubbard. My drive to help children and adults become the best versions of themselves is the reason why I'm here! I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Idaho and my Master's Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis through Ball State University. I absolutely love applying all of my old and new learnings to what I was called to do in this life.
Following my passion, I found myself at Syringa's front door in June 2019 as an Intervention Specialist. Within a few short weeks, I was trusted with the role of Clinical Supervisor in August 2019. In October 2023, I received my Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification and am now a BCBA®. Within this role I have been able to apply my foreknowledge from my background in education and use it as an asset when providing support to all I serve. I notice that even when I am not at the office, I am always working. They say when you love what you do, you are never working and this sentiment resonates with me!
When I am not working at Syringa, I enjoy spending time with my daughter Ember. Ember is a spunky goober who keeps me on my toes! I love to spend time exploring the world with her and watching her learn.
Jocelyn Casper, BCBA® - Hayden/Post Falls
My name is Jocelyn and I was born and raised in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. I received my Bachelor's in Elementary Education at Point Loma Nazarene University where I ran track and cross country for 4.5 years. As much as I loved beautiful San Diego, I missed this place too much! In 2019 I moved back home and began substitute teaching and working as an RBT, which led me to pursue my Master's in Applied Behavior Analysis. Although I am new to the Syringa family, I have worked in this field for nearly 5 years and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in November of 2022. I have always had a passion for working with children and have learned so much throughout my education and experience in this field of work. I absolutely love watching them grow, learn, and develop new skills over time.
When I am not at Syringa, I enjoy spending time with my husband and dog. We love doing anything outdoors but also enjoy relaxing nights at home playing board games or watching the office!
Talaya Posselt, BCBA® - Hayden/Post Falls
Hello, my name is Talaya and I've been working at Syringa since June 2019. I was adopted at a young age and grew up in St. Maries, Idaho. After graduating high school and starting college it took me a couple of years to figure out what I wanted my degree in. I started in General Studies, switched to Social Work, and then ended up getting a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Development.
I had always wanted to work with kids and in June 2018 I accepted an au pair position in Sydney, Australia for a year. When I returned home, I started my job with Syringa and have never looked back. Through Syringa, I found my love for all things ABA and a passion for working 1:1 with children helping to make a difference in their lives. This drove me to go back to school to obtain my Master's Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis with an Emphasis in Autism through Ball State University. In August 2024, I became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA).
When I'm not at Syringa, I love spending time with my husband and our son. We enjoy traveling when we can, hanging out with friends, camping, going to concerts/comedy shows, hunting, watching sports ("Go Phoenix Suns!"), and snowboarding. In my personal time, I enjoy going to the gym, reading books, and bingeing television series.
Miranda Higens, Intervention Specialist/Plan Writer - Hayden/Post Falls
I have happily been working with clients and families at Syringa since February 2020. I grew up in Rathdrum, Idaho and received a Bachelor's in Psychology and Child Development from the University of Idaho in 2021. While working on my Bachelor's I did an internship at Head Start Preschool and realized that I loved working with children! I then began working at Syringa while finishing my Bachelor's and found my passion in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). In 2023 I decided to further my education and began a Master's program in ABA.
In my time with Syringa the most rewarding aspect has been seeing the successes, no matter how big or small, of the children and families that we serve in the community. Watching the children grow and accomplish their goals has been a remarkable experience. It has also been a wonderful experience to cultivate relationships with families and working collaboratively together to better serve the kiddos!
When I'm not at Syringa, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I often spend my free time reading, watching movies, swimming whenever I can, and I enjoy going on walks with my dog!
Cindy McManus, Crisis Prevention Intervention Trainer
