The Bridge to Care Fund makes sure cost never stands between Vermonters and the mental health care they need. By providing direct grants to clients and registered counselors, the Fund expands access for under and uninsured residents now while strengthening Vermont’s mental health workforce for the long-term. Rooted in Vermont’s tradition of community resilience and mutual aid, this bridge ensures that even as healthcare systems falter and subsidies fall, our neighbors have somewhere to turn and our counseling workforce has the support to grow.
History
In 2025, a board member and counsellor heard growing concerns from both her clients and counsellor supervisees about what the impending loss of Medicaid subsidies and rising insurance premiums would do to both their client’s progress and their careers in mental health. Rather than sit back and despair, she jumped into action and sparked The Bridge to Care Fund.
In an already stretched mental healthcare system, and at a time when we all need mental resilience more than ever, the board could not simply watch while neighbors lost access to help and a generation of counsellors was lost. Becoming this bridge together is our hope in action. It is doing, not just saying. It’s coming together as one Vermont versus falling apart alone. Until one day this bridge is more than just a bridge of care, it’s our land.
Board of Directors
Kathleen Landry, LCMHC — Founder & Board Chair
Kathleen Landry, MA, LCMHC, is a counselor, clinical supervisor, educator, and founder of OpenGate, a private practice management training program that supports both prelicensed and licensed clinicians. She has been in private practice since 2008 and brings many years of experience in education, counseling, supervision, and workforce development. Kathleen has a strong background in entrepreneurship, organizational development, administration, and leadership, and she is the founding member of Bridge to Care Fund — a project inspired by her work with early-career therapists navigating financial and systemic barriers to entering the field. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education, a master’s degree in counseling, and an endorsement in clinical supervision. Outside of her professional work, Kathleen is an avid dog lover and cross-country skier who enjoys community-building and creating spaces where people feel supported and connected.
June Van Houten, LCMHC — Treasurer
June is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with a master’s degree in psychology and has been serving clients for almost 10 years. She was the Director of Marketing and Development for a small VT nonprofit for 6 years, overseeing grant writing and fundraising, and helping to develop and implement innovative programs in VT communities. At the core of her approach is her training as an educator and her earlier career teaching high school social studies, and running employment programs for under-resources teens in rural VT. June combines her deep knowledge of issues Vermonters face, educational approach, non-profit chops, love of Vermont, and commitment to improving communities and lives to her work on the Bridge to Care board. In her free time you can find her going for long swims with loons in wild lakes or hanging with friends at live music.
Ann Wallingford, LCMHC — Secretary
Ann is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor practicing since 2017, specializing in complex trauma, chronic illness, and grief. Guided by compassion, collaboration, and a deep respect for human resilience, she brings both clinical insight and systems-level thinking to the board. With a 16-year background in tech as a Director of Project Development, Ann supports Bridge to Care through strong organizational infrastructure, transparency, and problem-solving, while helping ensure programs remain both clinically grounded and operationally strong. A lifelong classical pianist, she is currently energized by learning jazz piano, and she loves to ski, laugh, and spend time with her dogs.
Lynette Wong — Marketing & Branding Specialist
Lynette Wong is an award-winning Brand Strategist with 12 years of integrated marketing, strategic planning and growth-for-good expertise. She was the youngest-ever Head of Strategy at creative agency Ogilvy New York and a Global Consulting Principal leading their Brand & Business Innovation Practice worldwide. She now runs her own growth consultancy in Vermont: New Suns Brand Consulting. She’s helped companies like Verizon, Samsung, Google and Hilton to sharpen their product positionings, craft strategic messaging, launch persuasive campaigns and drive critical relevance of their brand with new generations, while also founding insect farm Protenga producing alternative sustainable protein and NGOs that fight social inequality through education. She is where people champion meets business savvy; emotional storytelling drives tangible outcomes and she loves using her skills to leave the world a better place. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature, Sociology and Cambridge Certificate of Sustainability Leadership. She loves rock-climbing high and scuba-diving down deep aka. she stays optimistic under pressure and thanks the mental health industry for all its help navigating tough decisions and moments in life.
Leah Sophrin, MS, CCC-SLP — Board Member
Leah is a Speech-Language Pathologist and committed advocate for equitable access to supportive health services. She brings cross-disciplinary understanding of care systems and community needs, helping to guide the fund’s statewide mission.
Bridge To Care Fund, inc. 