Our Team

Dr. Smith comes to Via Hope from a Recovery Community Center in Dallas, Texas where she served as the Associate Director. She has vast experience in higher education administration and secondary education with an unwavering commitment to the highest educational standards in order to support and encourage today’s youth and adults. She is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Intern, a Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, and most recently became a SAMHSA GAINS Center trainer for “How Being Trauma-Informed Improves the Criminal Justice System Responses.” She holds a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Ph.D. in Human Services from Capella University. She is a published author of a book on her true life story titled “Choices.” Her dissertation on support services was chosen for republication by Scholars Press (international dissertation clearing house), in 2014, due to its relevance in societal need for support services. She is a Reentry Advocate based on her own lived experience.

Amanda is a social worker using her clinical field experience and her lived experience with mental health challenges to promote person-centered practices in behavioral health care. Coming from direct social work practice and administrative leadership within the public MH system, she joined Via Hope in 2014, where she now serves as Recovery Institute Manager. In this role, she oversees the development and delivery of organizational change programs, which include statewide initiatives to support the implementation of person-centered planning, peer support services, and trauma-responsive work environments. With a passion for participatory learning methods, Amanda routinely facilitates collaborative learning events both within and outside of Via Hope programs. She has called Austin home since 2000 when she moved from Louisiana to obtain a Master’s degree at UT. Outside of work, you may find Amanda with her family hiking the Barton Creek Greenbelt or enjoying live music.

Maisha Barrett spent most of her life in the New Orleans area. She began her college degree at Loyola New Orleans and finished at St. Edward’s University in Austin. She has spent ten years in the nonprofit sector in fields that address trauma. These include mental health, domestic violence, and sexual violence. She is passionate about education and considers herself a lifelong learner. Her educational background includes music therapy, psychology, women’s studies, and art. She is passionate about social justice, healing, and making the world a better place through all forms of art and expression. She enjoys a good story, keeping her hands busy with art, and long conversations on her porch. She is currently the Training Coordinator at Via Hope.

Bobbi Duncan-Ishcomer (they/them) is a queer, two-spirit, Autistic MHPS and has been with Via Hope since 2016. Prior to their time at Via Hope, they served as the Vice President of OCD Texas and still enjoy occasionally facilitating Austin’s local OCD support group. Bobbi has a degree in Linguistics and Russian Language from The University of Texas at Austin and did their thesis work on Language and Identity in Disability and LGBTQ communities. When not working, Bobbi loves hammock camping with their wife and dogs, turning lumber into furniture, memorizing esoteric geography facts for their trivia team, and playing a half-elf druid/sorcerer in Dungeons & Dragons. Bobbi is currently the Program Specialist at Via Hope. They make the internet work.

Ta’Kisha Nicole Moore, a New York native, graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelors in Sociology. She has been engrossed in peer work for the last 6 years as she has overcome her own mental health battles. Mental Health recovery is near and dear to her heart. She holds the Recovery Support Peer Specialist, Mental Health Peer Specialist, and Peer Specialist Supervisor Texas certifications. Some of her hobbies include embellishing and clothing design, decorating, rug tufting, sewing, baking, candy making, and furniture makeovers. She’s been married for 20 years and has five children.

Nori Hubert holds an AA in Creative Writing from Austin Community College and a BA in English from the University of Texas at Austin. Her adventures in the nonprofit world began as a staff writer for a small music magazine, a content writer for AIDS Services of Austin (now Vivent Health) and, most recently, the founder and co-editor of an independent online zine. She has spent time as a volunteer at Austin State Hospital and has written on topics related to work and bipolar disorder and mental health challenges affecting the LGBTQ+ community. Nori is passionate about dismantling the stigma that exists around persons living with mental health and substance misuse challenges and believes that reclaiming our own narratives sets us free. In addition to her mental health advocacy, Nori is also an active member of the Austin writing and Pagan communities and enjoys reading, collecting tattoos, baking (usually with some kind of edible flower), cross-stitch and singing along to her favorite rock opera soundtracks. She is also the proud pet parent of a Bourke parakeet and three cats who supervise all of her activities.

Miranda joined Via Hope as the Recovery Institute Program Coordinator in 2021. She provides communications support, coordinates activities, and assists with evaluation efforts. She’s deeply committed to peer support, trauma healing, and harm reduction policies and practices. She has a Masters degree in social work from the University of Texas at Austin and, in her free time, she practices krav maga and kickboxing and spoils her rescue dog.

Sara started her career with The Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1978 and retired in 2020.  She worked in the Accounting Department as the manager for 20 years, then started the first Internal Audit Department and worked for another 20 years. Sara had an open-door policy with all staff and enjoyed learning about their areas of the museum—it gave her the opportunity to see wonderful exhibitions and she loved hearing what visitors would say about them!  Now retired, but still working, Sara loves spending time with her children and grandchildren.