Dr. Brian Fuchs
Dr. Brian Fuchs, our founder, has had a diverse career at the intersection of clinical care, systems leadership, and innovation in behavioral health service delivery. A leader in mental health and substance use disorder treatment services for individuals with serious mental illness and justice involvement, Dr. Fuchs most recently served as Senior Psychiatrist at Rikers Island, where he has overseen the psychiatric treatment for thousands of individuals, including at the Rose M. Singer Center, the only women’s jail on the island. Providing leadership, supervision, and collaboration with interdisciplinary teams have been essential aspects of his role.
From 2021 to 2024, Dr. Fuchs applied his expertise on a broad scale as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, supporting regional and national provider systems, as well as state and federal governments, in expanding and improving behavioral health services. At McKinsey, Dr. Fuchs leveraged advanced analytics, financial modeling, and his clinical expertise to design programs and ensure the sustainability of high-quality service offerings.
Prior to his time at McKinsey, Dr. Fuchs served as a faculty member at Columbia University, where he led the medical center’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program. In this role, he oversaw an interdisciplinary team of over 40 psychiatrists and other healthcare professionals, including nurse practitioners, psychiatry residents, case managers, peer counselors, and social workers. His team was responsible for assessing, stabilizing, and treating individuals with psychiatric emergencies such as active psychosis and violent behavioral disturbances, as well as coordinating their post-discharge care and services.
Dr. Fuchs earned his MD from Harvard Medical School and completed his psychiatry residency at Mount Sinai. He holds an MPH in Healthcare Policy and Management from Columbia University, an MBA from New York University, and a BA in Economics from Harvard College. Born and raised in Queens, Dr. Fuchs has dedicated his career to advancing the health, dignity, and wellbeing of New York’s most vulnerable.
Senator Anna M. Kaplan
Anna M. Kaplan is a former New York State Senator and a child refugee from Tabriz, Iran. At just 13 years old, her parents made the difficult decision to send her on her own to the U.S. for safety. Two years later, she was granted political asylum and later became a U.S. citizen. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Stern College for Women at Yeshiva University and law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
After settling in Long Island, Senator Kaplan immersed herself in public service, beginning with her election to the Library Board, then to the Board of Zoning Appeals, and in 2011 as Councilwoman for North Hempstead, the fifth-largest town in the U.S. In this role, she expanded access to quality, affordable housing, strengthened tenant protections, led public park renovations, and increased funding for children’s afterschool programs. And when the Town Clerk refused to perform same-sex marriages following New York’s legalization, Senator Kaplan stepped in and officiated the first ceremonies herself, cementing her reputation as an unwavering ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.
As a State Senator and Chair of the Committee on Commerce, Economic Development, and Small Business, Senator Kaplan was instrumental in supporting businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, securing $800 million to establish New York’s Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program. Beyond economic recovery, Senator Kaplan advanced policies that strengthened housing security, public safety, and social justice.
Recognizing the connection between housing, mental health, and substance use recovery, Senator Kaplan championed initiatives that provided pathways to long-term stability and reintegration, funding critical support programs and backing community initiatives such as the Thrive Recovery Centers, established in response to the opioid epidemic, and The Safe Center, a dedicated provider of legal and support services for survivors of domestic violence.
Dr. Traci Davis-Taylor
Dr. Traci Davis-Taylor, a Doctor of Social Work, brings decades of leadership experience working with justice-involved populations, including more than 15 years at Albion Correctional Facility, where she served as a Senior Social Worker. During her tenure, she provided and oversaw mental health services to women with serious mental illness and substance use disorders, led interdisciplinary teams, supervised staff and interns, coordinated complex discharge planning, and developed trauma-informed and responsive programing. She also directed mental health services within a 200-bed disciplinary housing unit, leading daily crisis assessments and strengthening the facility’s approach to stabilization and recovery.
Building on her leadership and service at Albion, Dr. Davis-Taylor has most recently brought her clinical expertise to Rikers Island, working with women experiencing serious mental illness, substance use disorders, homelessness, and other complex behavioral health challenges. Working daily in high-acuity environments has deepened her understanding of the clinical, emotional, and systemic barriers women face when preparing for reentry, and reinforced her belief that housing, paired with integrated care, is essential for lasting recovery. Beyond her corrections-based work, Dr. Davis-Taylor previously served as a Medical Social Worker at both Phelps and Highland Hospitals in Upstate New York, supporting patients in the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, and Labor and Delivery.
Dr. Davis-Taylor earned her Doctor of Social Work degree at the University of Alabama, where her capstone project focused on implementing culturally responsive Cognitive Behavioral Interventions to reduce recidivism among Black and Brown communities, work that reflects her lifelong commitment to equity, clinical excellence, and community healing, and that she is now bringing to life with Tropez by building a recovery-focused program where individuals reentering society can rebuild their lives with dignity, stability, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Mr. Vivek Sreekumar
Mr. Vivek Sreekumar’s career as a Re-Entry and Transition Social Worker has centered on expanding access to care, housing, and dignity for people navigating the criminal legal system. At Tropez, he leads our efforts to ensure that resident voice and lived experience shape every layer of the program, from frontline services to organizational learning.
At Rikers Island, Mr. Sreekumar has worked tirelessly to support individuals with serious mental illness and substance use disorders, helping them navigate critical transitions and access the resources needed for stability and recovery: developing discharge plans, submitting supportive housing applications, and coordinating directly with ACT teams and outpatient providers, among other responsibilities. His work bridges the gap between institutional care and community-based treatment, promoting continuity, strengthening engagement, and improving outcomes for people returning home from jail.
Before entering clinical practice, Mr. Sreekumar worked in public policy as a legislative aide to New York City Council Member Stephen Levin. In that role, he partnered with organizations such as The Fortune Society and Bronx Defenders to write and pass legislation supporting justice-involved New Yorkers. He also provided direct constituent services, helping people access unemployment benefits, Medicaid, and other essential supports.
Mr. Sreekumar earned his Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and his Master of Social Work from Fordham University. His graduate training focused on trauma-informed care for young adults in East New York with histories of system involvement, supporting them in building stability and reconnecting with critical resources. Beyond his professional work, he remains active in grassroots mutual aid and community organizing across New York, particularly in efforts focused on housing equity and neighborhood-based support networks.
Dr. Daniel Linhares
Through his experience and commitment to mental health, and in his role as a professor and physician at Columbia University Medical Center, Dr. Daniel Linhares has advanced both the field of psychiatry and the well-being of the communities he serves. At Columbia, Dr. Linhares has worked clinically in emergency psychiatry as well as in consultation-liaison psychiatry, providing psychiatric evaluation and care for patients hospitalized on medical and surgical units, many of whom are medically complex and acutely ill.
Dr. Linhares has also served as Medical Director of ENGAGE at the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, where he has led implementation efforts and staff training, overseeing an interdisciplinary team of social workers, peer counselors, and other professionals; this initiative focuses on improving the identification of mental illness and addressing social determinants of health across a range of service settings.
Leveraging his background in community and public health, including international experience and deep engagement with New York’s Latino communities, Dr. Linhares has made a meaningful impact across the full behavioral health care continuum: in outpatient, residential, inpatient, and emergency settings. And building on these experiences, his academic research has been published and presented at both national and international conferences, including in Japan and the Netherlands. Dr. Linhares has also contributed his expertise as a psychiatric consultant to NBC News, covering topics ranging from substance use in the LGBT community to the psychological implications of HIV prevention.
Dr. Linhares is double board-certified in psychosomatic medicine and adult psychiatry. He completed his fellowship in Psychosomatic Medicine at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s-Roosevelt and trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the New York Medical College Psychoanalytic Institute. He obtained his MD from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and completed his residency in psychiatry at New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center.
Mr. Sigmaur Hewitt
Mr. Sigmaur Hewitt is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner whose career reflects a deep commitment to integrated, whole-person care across medical and behavioral health settings. His work has spanned some of New York’s most complex clinical environments, including inpatient psychiatry, emergency departments, and pulmonary care units at institutions such as Kings County Hospital, Northwell Health, and NYU Winthrop. Most recently, Mr. Hewitt has served on Rikers Island as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, providing care to individuals with the most acute mental health needs in specialized residential treatment settings.
Formative to his career were the years he spent providing behavioral health services in supportive housing, where he delivered comprehensive care through psychiatric evaluations, medication management, therapy, and collaboration across providers and systems to ensure seamless continuity of treatment and enduring community support networks. During this time, he worked with individuals navigating homelessness, co-occurring serious mental illness, substance use disorders, complex medical conditions, and community reentry. These experiences deepened his understanding of the dynamic relationship between psychiatric illness, physical health, and social determinants of well-being, and reinforced his conviction that integrated care is essential for lasting recovery.
Mr. Robert Shimonov
Mr. Robert Shimonov is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner whose clinical work focuses on psychopharmacology and the treatment of serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. Across residential and outpatient settings, he provides comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and evidence-based medication management, emphasizing careful diagnostic assessment and individualized pharmacologic treatment. Working closely with therapists, case managers, and primary care providers, he oversees clinical collaboration across disciplines to support coordinated care and continuity of treatment as individuals transition between institutional settings and the community, including those navigating reentry following justice system involvement.
A central focus of his clinical practice is the thoughtful application of advanced psychopharmacology to support psychiatric stabilization and long-term recovery. He maintains a strong interest in the evolving science of psychiatric medication development and regularly follows emerging clinical trial research and new therapeutic discoveries. By staying closely engaged with the scientific literature, he integrates current evidence into clinical decision-making and tailors medication strategies to the complex needs of individuals with serious mental illness, recognizing that effective treatment is a critical foundation for housing stability, engagement in services, and successful community reintegration.
His professional path reflects a longstanding commitment to learning and clinical advancement. He began his healthcare career as a dental hygienist before pursuing nursing in order to deepen his medical training and expand his role in patient care. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and later completed his Master of Science in Nursing as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Pace University’s Lienhard School of Nursing, graduating summa cum laude.
As an immigrant to the United States from Uzbekistan, Mr. Shimonov brings to his work a lived appreciation for resilience, cultural understanding, and the importance of stable community support. Fluent in Russian, Hebrew, and English, he provides culturally responsive care to diverse populations and remains deeply committed to supporting our residents as they work toward stability, recovery, and successful community reintegration.
Ms. Gibsy Lino
Ms. Gibsy Lino is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Advanced Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor whose career has focused on serving individuals and families impacted by trauma, system involvement, and behavioral health disparities. Born in Honduras and fluent in Spanish and English, Ms. Lino strengthens engagement and trust among communities that have historically faced barriers to high-quality mental health and substance use treatment. Her clinical approach integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and trauma-informed therapeutic interventions, within a structured and recovery-oriented framework.
At Rikers Island, Ms. Lino has provided individual psychotherapy and group treatment to adults housed primarily on PACE units, which serve the most psychiatrically vulnerable individuals on the island, most living with persistent psychotic disorders, co-occurring substance use disorders, and histories of homelessness. Her work emphasizes continuity of care and the central role of housing and community-based services in sustaining long-term recovery.
Ms. Lino has also worked across residential and community-based programs serving court-involved adolescents and young adults. In residential treatment and transition-focused initiatives, she has provided crisis intervention, individual counseling, and group facilitation while coordinating referrals to housing, employment, and healthcare services. She also served as a Victim Services Therapist at Alternatives to Living in Violent Environments at Children’s Aid, delivering trauma-focused therapy and safety planning to survivors of violence, many navigating housing instability and system involvement.
Committed to strengthening the next generation of providers, Ms. Lino teaches, supervises, and mentors social work students and early-career clinicians. She holds a Master of Social Work from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and a Bachelor of Social Work from Lehman College. Outside of her clinical work, Ms. Lino is a creative and accomplished home chef who celebrates her Honduran heritage through cooking, viewing food as another way to foster connection, culture, and care within community.
Ms. Charlotte Nerayoff
Ms. Charlotte Nerayoff serves as Director of Therapeutic Arts, where she develops and leads evidence-informed expressive arts programming designed to support emotional expression, connection, and therapeutic engagement for our residents. Drawing on drama-informed practice, storytelling, and other expressive arts modalities, Ms. Nerayoff facilitates structured therapeutic programming including creative arts groups, storytelling workshops, improvisational theater exercises, reflective writing groups, music-based sessions, and collaborative performance projects.
This programming complements Tropez’s trauma-informed and responsive care model by creating opportunities for individuals navigating serious mental illness, substance use recovery, and reentry to explore personal narratives, rebuild trust, strengthen social connection, and participate meaningfully in community life. Activities are designed to remain accessible to individuals at different stages of recovery and with varying levels of creative experience, allowing residents to engage comfortably while developing confidence, interpersonal skills, and a greater sense of belonging.
Ms. Nerayoff completed specialized training through Northwell Health and has partnered with the Cohen’s Strong Program at Northwell to design and implement arts-based mental health initiatives incorporating storytelling, creative reflection, and facilitated dialogue. These initiatives use expressive arts approaches to help participants explore personal experiences, deepen emotional awareness, and build resilience within a supportive group environment.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Nerayoff founded a publication dedicated to amplifying authentic student voices and expanding representation through personal storytelling. The initiative created a platform that enabled individuals to explore identity and lived experience while highlighting narrative as a tool for reflection, connection, and community building.
Outside of her professional commitments, Ms. Nerayoff enjoys creative writing, contemporary theater, and music composition, creative pursuits that continue to inform her belief that storytelling and artistic expression can play a meaningful role in healing, helping individuals rebuild confidence, reconnect with others, and participate more fully in the life of their community.
Dr. Brian Fuchs
Know More
From 2021 to 2024, Dr. Fuchs applied his expertise on a broad scale as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, supporting regional and national provider systems, as well as state and federal governments, in expanding and improving behavioral health services. At McKinsey, Dr. Fuchs leveraged advanced analytics, financial modeling, and his clinical expertise to design programs and ensure the sustainability of high-quality service offerings.
Prior to his time at McKinsey, Dr. Fuchs served as a faculty member at Columbia University, where he led the medical center’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program. In this role, he oversaw an interdisciplinary team of over 40 psychiatrists and other healthcare professionals, including nurse practitioners, psychiatry residents, case managers, peer counselors, and social workers. His team was responsible for assessing, stabilizing, and treating individuals with psychiatric emergencies such as active psychosis and violent behavioral disturbances, as well as coordinating their post-discharge care and services.
Dr. Fuchs earned his MD from Harvard Medical School and completed his psychiatry residency at Mount Sinai. He holds an MPH in Healthcare Policy and Management from Columbia University, an MBA from New York University, and a BA in Economics from Harvard College. Born and raised in Queens, Dr. Fuchs has dedicated his career to advancing the health, dignity, and wellbeing of New York’s most vulnerable.
Senator Anna M. Kaplan
Know More
After settling in Long Island, Senator Kaplan immersed herself in public service, beginning with her election to the Library Board, then to the Board of Zoning Appeals, and in 2011 as Councilwoman for North Hempstead, the fifth-largest town in the U.S. In this role, she expanded access to quality, affordable housing, strengthened tenant protections, led public park renovations, and increased funding for children’s afterschool programs. And when the Town Clerk refused to perform same-sex marriages following New York’s legalization, Senator Kaplan stepped in and officiated the first ceremonies herself, cementing her reputation as an unwavering ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Dr. Traci Davis-Taylor
Dr. Traci Davis-Taylor, a Doctor of Social Work, brings decades of leadership experience working with justice-involved populations, including more than 15 years at Albion Correctional Facility, where she served as a Senior Social Worker. During her tenure, she provided and oversaw mental health services to women with serious mental illness and substance use disorders, led interdisciplinary teams, supervised staff and interns, coordinated complex discharge planning, and developed trauma-informed and responsive programing. She also directed mental health services within a 200-bed disciplinary housing unit, leading daily crisis assessments and strengthening the facility’s approach to stabilization and recovery
Know More
Building on her leadership and service at Albion, Dr. Davis-Taylor has most recently brought her clinical expertise to Rikers Island, working with women experiencing serious mental illness, substance use disorders, homelessness, and other complex behavioral health challenges. Working daily in high-acuity environments has deepened her understanding of the clinical, emotional, and systemic barriers women face when preparing for reentry, and reinforced her belief that housing, paired with integrated care, is essential for lasting recovery. Beyond her corrections-based work, Dr. Davis-Taylor previously served as a Medical Social Worker at both Phelps and Highland Hospitals in Upstate New York, supporting patients in the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, and Labor and Delivery.
Dr. Davis-Taylor earned her Doctor of Social Work degree at the University of Alabama, where her capstone project focused on implementing culturally responsive Cognitive Behavioral Interventions to reduce recidivism among Black and Brown communities, work that reflects her lifelong commitment to equity, clinical excellence, and community healing, and that she is now bringing to life with Tropez by building a recovery-focused program where individuals reentering society can rebuild their lives with dignity, stability, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Mr. Vivek Sreekumar
Mr. Vivek Sreekumar’s career as a Re-Entry and Transition Social Worker has centered on expanding access to care, housing, and dignity for people navigating the criminal legal system. At Tropez, he leads our efforts to ensure that resident voice and lived experience shape every layer of the program, from frontline services to organizational learning
Know More
At Rikers Island, Mr. Sreekumar has worked tirelessly to support individuals with serious mental illness and substance use disorders, helping them navigate critical transitions and access the resources needed for stability and recovery: developing discharge plans, submitting supportive housing applications, and coordinating directly with ACT teams and outpatient providers, among other responsibilities. His work bridges the gap between institutional care and community-based treatment, promoting continuity, strengthening engagement, and improving outcomes for people returning home from jail.
Before entering clinical practice, Mr. Sreekumar worked in public policy as a legislative aide to New York City Council Member Stephen Levin. In that role, he partnered with organizations such as The Fortune Society and Bronx Defenders to write and pass legislation supporting justice-involved New Yorkers. He also provided direct constituent services, helping people access unemployment benefits, Medicaid, and other essential supports.
Mr. Sreekumar earned his Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and his Master of Social Work from Fordham University. His graduate training focused on trauma-informed care for young adults in East New York with histories of system involvement, supporting them in building stability and reconnecting with critical resources. Beyond his professional work, he remains active in grassroots mutual aid and community organizing across New York, particularly in efforts focused on housing equity and neighborhood-based support networks.
Dr. Daniel Linhares
Through his experience and commitment to mental health, and in his role as a professor and physician at Columbia University Medical Center, Dr. Daniel Linhares has advanced both the field of psychiatry and the well-being of the communities he serves. At Columbia, Dr. Linhares has worked clinically in emergency psychiatry as well as in consultation-liaison psychiatry, providing psychiatric evaluation and care for patients hospitalized on medical and surgical units, many of whom are medically complex and acutely ill.
Know More
Dr. Linhares has also served as Medical Director of ENGAGE at the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, where he has led implementation efforts and staff training, overseeing an interdisciplinary team of social workers, peer counselors, and other professionals; this initiative focuses on improving the identification of mental illness and addressing social determinants of health across a range of service settings.
Leveraging his background in community and public health, including international experience and deep engagement with New York’s Latino communities, Dr. Linhares has made a meaningful impact across the full behavioral health care continuum: in outpatient, residential, inpatient, and emergency settings. And building on these experiences, his academic research has been published and presented at both national and international conferences, including in Japan and the Netherlands. Dr. Linhares has also contributed his expertise as a psychiatric consultant to NBC News, covering topics ranging from substance use in the LGBT community to the psychological implications of HIV prevention.
Dr. Linhares is double board-certified in psychosomatic medicine and adult psychiatry. He completed his fellowship in Psychosomatic Medicine at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s-Roosevelt and trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the New York Medical College Psychoanalytic Institute. He obtained his MD from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and completed his residency in psychiatry at New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center.
