Leadership & Board
Executive Leadership
Chief Executive Officer
Kathleen Deschenes. For over 30 years, Kathleen has had a passion for helping people who are homeless, struggling with behavioral health and substance use disorders and those returning to the community from incarceration.
Kathleen received her MSW from NYU and began her career in New York City working on homeless outreach teams, in shelters and on inpatient psychiatric units at Bellevue and Beth Israel hospitals. She then transitioned to residential services working for Urban Pathways and The Postgraduate Center for Mental Health.
In 1998, Kathleen moved to CT and became the Executive Director for Interlude, Inc., an organization serving individuals with chronic and severe mental illness in residential and outreach programs. In 2012, Kathleen merged Interlude with Ability Beyond. She assumed a leadership position overseeing the Interlude programs as well as services for individuals with developmental disabilities and brain injuries. She was also the Director of Quality Assurance for Ability Beyond.
In 2016, Kathleen became the Chief Operating Officer for Gilead Community Services. In 2017, she became the CEO for CT Renaissance, an organization that had provided behavioral health and criminal justice services to adolescents and adults since 1967. CT Renaissance’s outpatient clinics, residential and community programs operate throughout the Waterbury, Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford and New Haven regions.
Throughout her career, Kathleen has also been a field instructor for social work interns from NYU, Columbia, Fordham and Western CT and Southern CT State Universities. She has enjoyed teaching students and is proud to be a Social Worker.
Kathleen strives to provide the best possible services to people in need. She is passionate about her work and about working for CT Renaissance. She has created a team environment where everyone has a voice in the vision of the organization. Her ultimate goal is to provide well-rounded, clinically sound services to the clients served in order for each person to…reclaim their life!
Chief Financial Officer
Denis Shpits. Denis has been in the accounting field for 14 years, focusing on non-profit accounting during his tenure. He has experience in various accounting functions all within the non-profit sector. Non-profits pose a unique set of accounting challenges and additional regulations which he has encountered at his positions.
CT Renaissance provides a unique set of challenges and opportunities that he is happy to be acquainted with in an effort to improve and maintain the accuracy and stability of the organization’s finances. He looks forward to helping the company grow, expand and provide crucial services to the people of Connecticut.
Chief Operating Officer
Dawn Patston. Dawn first joined CT Renaissance as an intern in 2004 and has worked full time at the agency since 2006 in a variety of clinical and administrative roles. She is currently our Chief Operating Officer while her previous positions include Clinical Performance and Outcomes Director, Clinical Auditor and Program Director. She has extensive experience in juvenile programs, strengths-based practices, trauma-informed services, clinical documentation, quality initiatives, compliance, program management, EHR implementation and proposal writing. “CTR has enabled me to pursue meaningful work in support of individuals seeking to make positive changes in their lives – and to do so in a collaborative, creative environment.”
Chief Clinical Officer
Amy Vitale. Amy is CT Renaissance’s Chief Clinical Officer
and currently oversees all clinical services at the agency, including
Outpatient Behavioral Health and Residential Treatment. For more than 20 years, she has worked with adult and adolescent clients with dual diagnosis and mental illness in hospital, IOP/PHP, outpatient and residential settings. She has extensive experience with medication-assisted treatment and is trained in Motivational Interviewing,
MET/CBT and trauma-informed therapies. Ms. Vitale has a Master’s
degree in Counseling and licensure as an LPC and LADC. She joined Connecticut Renaissance in 2020 as the Director of Outpatient Services, she transitioned into the role of Clinical Director in 2021 and in 2024, became the Chief Clinical Officer. She continues to provide direct care in a private practice setting part-time. Ms. Vitale has utilized her extensive experience and expertise to improve outpatient program operations, service provision, clinical acumen, and the quality of client case documentation and reporting.
Board of Directors
Alicia Andrews, President
Marlene De Bellis, LCSW, SCSA, CSW, Vice President
Debbie Clancy, Treasurer/Secretary
Kathryn Arroyo
David Marsh
Felicia McKoy
Antoinette Stephens
Advisory Board Members
Dom Giglio
Marly LeBeau