This is a staff list for Growth Extended in Van Nuys and Los Angeles, CA
(we are working to acquire the complete records for ALL years)
We advise current and/or former staff to report any abuses you may have witnessed while working at Growth Extended. For information on your rights and how to take action, visit www.heal-online.org/blowthewhistle.htm. If you were fired or forced to resign because you opposed any illegal and/or unethical practices at Growth Extended, you have the right to take action.
If you were harmed (family or survivor) by Growth Extended, please contact [email protected] if you remember the long-term employees and from which years. This will help! Also, if you recognize any of these staff as having worked at another program, please send in any information about their past or present employment at other facilities and/or cults.
HEAL is currently investigating Growth Extended.
Name |
Unit/Position |
Additional Information |
Hiruy Gessesse (MD) | Medical Director | Gessesse has been licensed to practice medicine in California since 2007. His license # is: A 101106 and you can file a complaint against him here: https://www.breeze.ca.gov/datamart/complaint.do?applicationId=1 (Choose medical board from menu) |
Jonathan Bach (LMFT) | Clinical Services Mgr. | Bach appears to be a licensed marriage and family therapist since 2011. His license # is: 50320 and you can file a complaint against him here: https://www.breeze.ca.gov/datamart/complaint.do?applicationId=1 (choose California board of behavioral sciences from menu) |
Suji Lee (MFTI) | Primary Therapist | Lee appears to now be a licensed marriage and family therapist though at time and on the current (March, 2019) Growth Extended website it shows Lee is an intern (MFTI) and not fully licensed. So, we found now Lee is fully licensed though the employer claims otherwise on their site. And, that license # is: 108607, however the new name is Suji Lee Akhtar and there was a name change so it may be a different person and if so, Suji Lee of Growth Extended holds no licenses. If Suji Lee Akhtar is the correct Suji Lee working at Growth Extended, you can file complaints here: https://www.breeze.ca.gov/datamart/complaint.do?applicationId=1 (choose California board of behavioral sciences from menu) |
Sandra Fetherolf (MFTI) | Group Therapy | Fetherolf is licensed solely as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and has been since 2014 in California. The license # is: 78854. You can file complaints here: https://www.breeze.ca.gov/datamart/complaint.do?applicationId=1 (choose California board of behavioral sciences from menu) |
Jeanette Vazquez | Medical Assistant | If the spelling of the first and last name are correct (and that was what was provided by Growth Extended), then Jeanette Vazquez is no a licensed medical assistant/physician's assistant/nurse/etc in California. So, this would suggest false advertizing regarding qualifications of staff. Source: https://search.dca.ca.gov/ |
Richard Garcia (CMA) | Medical Assistant | There are too many "Richard Garcia"s with various professional licenses and disciplinary actions for HEAL to effectively identify the one working for Growth Extended without further information like a middle name and/or specific license type to verify. If you have that information, let us know. |
Lauren Schmitt | Lead Dietician | It does not appear that dieticians are required to be licensed in California. |
Brooke Horn DeKofsy | Dietician | It does not appear that dieticians are required to be licensed in California. |
Laura Kellingsworth | Director of Operations | Adult Program |
Daniel Avila (LMFT) | Program Manager | The only licensed marriage and family therapist named Daniel Avila is Daniel Paul Avila and his license # is: 84769. You can file complaints here: https://www.breeze.ca.gov/datamart/complaint.do?applicationId=1 (choose California board of behavioral sciences from menu) |
(Growth Extended, like many other programs in this industry, keeps a "tight lid" on any specific information regarding their staff, qualifications, and practices. Please contact us with the names of any staff of which you have firsthand knowledge or experience. Thank you for your help.) | ||
THE TRUTH: |
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HEAL received a request from a family to investigate this facility in April, 2018 and it is an ongoing process. This is where we are at with the investigation right now and if you have additional information on this facility, please let us know. You can e-mail [email protected] with additional information for us on this program. | ||
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