McClendon Center is the leading community resource for individuals with mental illness living in Washington, DC.
We currently have two locations — our Day Program and administrative offices are located on New York Avenue NW, and our Core Services Agency is located on K Street.
1629 K Street NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20006
Day Program and Administrative Offices
1313 New York Ave NW
Fifth Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Core Services Agency
1629 K Street NW
Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20006
Core Services
(202) 745-0073
Day Program
(202) 737-6191
General Inquiries:
info@mcclendoncenter.org
Medical Records:
records@mcclendoncenter.org
Day Program Referrals:
DayProgramReferrals@mcclendoncenter.org
Karl Hoffman was appointed Board Chair of the McClendon Center in 2025. He brings decades of experience in investment advising and financial leadership, and currently serves as President of The Pursuit, Inc., based in Washington, DC.
Karl holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and a BA in Government from Georgetown University.
Dawn Abel joined the Society for Science as Chief Advancement Officer in 2023, bringing over two decades of expertise in transformative resource development. A visionary nonprofit executive, Dawn specializes in building diversified fundraising engines that bridge the gap between individual donors, foundations, and corporate philanthropy. Her leadership has consistently resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in support for mission-critical science initiatives.
Before joining the Society, Dawn was the Deputy Director of Advancement for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where she catalyzed the $150 million Our Shared Future campaign. Her previous leadership roles include Director of Development for the National Academy of Medicine and Director of Community Relations and Foundations for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, where she transitioned grant-making programs into strategic, impact-focused powerhouses.
Dawn’s unique perspective is rooted in an early career in engineering, which informs her disciplined, data-driven approach to nonprofit leadership. She holds an M.A. in Management from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Donna Calderone is a financial consultant working for Beckway. She specializes in financial organization transformation and procurement best practices. She has worked in public and private finance with time spent working for the government as well as in government consulting with Accenture Federal Services. She enjoys the intersection between data and strategy and is passionate about public economics.
Donna graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Finance from Drexel University and her Master’s Degree in Public Policy from American University.
Outside of her professional pursuits, Donna teaches yoga, enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with friends at new restaurants.
Yajie Li, MD, MS
CareFirst, Chief Care Delivery Officer
Yajie Li, MD, MS, is a leader trained in preventive medicine and health policy with over 15 years experience in payer and provider systems. Currently, as Chief Care Delivery Officer for Medicaid and Medicare programs at CareFirst, she’s deeply involved in value-based care, social health drivers, care transformation and provider partnership. Driven by personal experience, Yajie is passionate about self-care and providing social and behavioral support to others. Yajie connects with McClendon Center due to its emphasis on art therapy and its compassionate approach to patient engagement. Yajie takes pride in her heritage as an immigrant, coming to further her study at Carnegie Mellon University in her 20s after graduating from West China School of Medicine, a tertiary teaching hospital with 4000+ beds. She has lived in the DC area for over 13 years, and outside of healthcare, she is a proud mom and an avid Latin dancer/instructor.
Denesia D. Rodgers
Guidehouse
Manager, Public Health Sector
Denesia is a passionate healthcare project management consultant with over ten years of supporting federal and state-level clients and over thirteen years managing projects within the healthcare space. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Tufts University School of Medicine, she brings experience in program and project management, operations, client management, change management, process improvement, and public health research. Her keen interest in improving the delivery of health care and eagerness to acquire more tools to effectively administer change in the health care system draws her to continually find ways to push the needle in health care forward.
Outside of work, Denesia is a children’s book author and certified yoga and pilates teacher, spreading the practice and love of yoga and pilates to various communities.
Amy is a dedicated Physician Assistant with over 15 years of experience in family medicine, serving the Northern Virginia and greater Washington, DC area. She currently practices at Inova Health, where she brings a particular passion for integrating mental health care into primary care settings. Her clinical career spans work at Vienna Family Medicine, La Clinica Familiar de Arlington, and CSPC, reflecting a longstanding commitment to accessible, patient-centered care across diverse communities.
Before entering medicine, Amy built a distinguished career in public service as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State, where she focused on human rights, democratization, and humanitarian and disaster preparedness. That work was grounded in a strong academic foundation — she holds an MA in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University, where she was nominated as a Presidential Management Fellow, and a BA in Sociology/Anthropology and Political Science from Southwestern University, which included study abroad in Chile. These experiences deepened her understanding of the social and structural forces that shape health and well-being across communities.
A proud 25+ year member of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church — where the McClendon Center was founded — Amy is deeply invested in the intersection of faith, community, and social justice. She is committed to partnering with the church to advance mental health outreach across Washington, DC, and views the McClendon Center as a vital expression of that mission.
Neil started his career at PwC in the Assurance Practice, where his primary focus was on audits of publicly traded companies. In 2015, he left PwC to join Lasership, Inc as its Corporate Controller. After helping guide Lasership through a Private Equity recapitalization, Neil joined CIBT, Inc in 2018 as its Global Corporate Controller. With over fifteen years of experience in finance and accounting, he founded his own CFO and Controller Advisory Services firm, NH Consulting, Inc.
Neil received his BS in Business Administration and Accounting from Christopher Newport University and his Masters in Accounting from the College of William and Mary. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner. In addition, he is currently enrolled at the University of Maryland obtaining a Masters in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics.
Melanie Stargell is a Licensed Therapist and the Founder of Anchored Counseling & Consulting, a mental health practice that specializes in and focuses on utilizing expressive arts to explore and process thoughts and feelings, reduce anxiety, and increase self-confidence. She also has interests in the intersections between psychology and the criminal justice system and has several years of experience working with justice-involved populations through the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections and the Prince George’s County Mental Health and Adult Drug Courts.
Melanie is a proud graduate of two Historically Black Colleges and Universities, obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Texas Southern University and a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Bowie State University. Melanie also has a Masters Degree in Forensic and Legal Psychology from Marymount University.
Outside of her professional pursuits, Melanie enjoys yoga, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Alex Korobkin is a Senior Associate with JLL in Washington, DC, where he specializes in tenant representation. Alex works with his clients to develop strategies that are designed to align their real estate facilities and operational strategies with their overall business objectives. His clients range from small non-profits to large corporations. Alex joined the McClendon Center’s Board of Directors in 2022 to honor his passion for mental health and the community. In his spare time, he does standup comedy, roots for the DC sports teams and can be found trying out the newest local restaurants. He resides in Bethesda, MD with his wife, Mel, and his dog, Louie. Alex has a BA in Corporate Communication from College of Charleston.
Dr. Allen is a proven clinician who brings significant experience advocating for vulnerable and at-risk populations in Washington, DC, Egypt, and his native England.
He joined McClendon Center after completing his psychiatry residency at Georgetown University Hospital, where he served as Chief Resident. He attended the University of Sussex for his undergraduate studies and received his medical degree from St. George’s, University of London.
As Medical Director, Dr. Allen is responsible for the psychiatric health and wellness of McClendon Center’s clients, the Center’s assessment and prescribing processes, and is the ultimate clinical decision maker for the agency. He also provides direct services for the Center’s clients, supervises all psychiatry staff members, and is the agency’s administrative representative for psychiatry.
Dr. Allen is dedicated to providing high-quality mental health treatment to the communities he serves, with an understanding of the role trauma often plays in people’s experiences. He understands that recovery starts with the whole person and is best achieved when done in partnership, meeting the individual’s goals.
Dr. He is board-certified in adult psychiatry and addictions medicine. She is passionate about providing quality and accessible mental health care while considering each patient’s concerns, values, and life circumstances. She received a Medical Doctor’s degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center and completed her psychiatry residency at George Washington University Hospital in DC. During her residency at GW, she had the opportunity to provide services and work with the team and patients at McClendon Center, and is thrilled she can continue to contribute to the organization.
Beth is an accomplished quality improvement and compliance professional with over 10 years of experience in practice administration. She joins the McClendon Center directly from the Chevy Chase, Maryland-based Washington Behavioral Medicine Associates, where she was responsible for overseeing administrative processes that helped ensure high-quality client experiences.
Prior to WBMA, Beth served as the operations manager for a federally-qualified health center that served the homeless in Southern California. There, her contributions led to the organization being awarded federal funding to address primary care and behavioral medicine integration.
Beth holds a master’s degree in public administration from California Baptist University and her bachelor’s from Cal State Fullerton.
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Shawn joined McClendon Center in November 2020 as the Human Resources Director. Previously, she held the position as the Human Resources Director at a correctional facility. Her experience includes working in various industries throughout her career as a Human Resource Director/Manager. Shawn holds a master’s degree in Human Resource Development from Bowie State University. She enjoys gaining new knowledge and experiences.
Sheandinita Dyson is a highly-engaged, respected, and effective people leader who understands the McClendon Center, its mission, its people and operations inside and out.
Dyson, who has ascended the leadership ranks since joining the Center over a decade ago, has extensive compliance and management experience across the behavioral healthcare industry. She originally joined the McClendon Center in February 2008, beginning her tenure as a Community Support Specialist, before quickly assuming a supervisory role as Team Leader.
Prior to her previous and most recent role as Senior Director and Chief of Staff, her management portfolio included compliance and training, as well as a six-month period serving as the Center’s Interim Executive Director from January-July 2021.
Dyson is a proud alumna of Howard University. She resides in Clinton, Maryland with her three daughters.
Caitlin Apo is the Director of Clinical Services at McClendon Center, a five star Washington DC community mental health agency. She manages community outreach teams to serve adults diagnosed with complicated mental health needs by utilizing innovative approaches to care. In addition, she has promoted various community partnerships to coordinate services for complex medical, psychiatric, and substance abuse recovery programming. Lastly, her belief that every person deserves unique and individualized comprehensive care has led to improved healthcare access in low income communities.
Michael Burt serves as Chief Operating Officer at McClendon Center.
In this role, Michael is responsible for strengthening existing services, leading key strategic initiatives, and supporting the CEO in developing strategies and with day-to-day management of organizational operations.
Michael joined the Center as a Team Leader in March 2009, before assuming a dual role with additional responsibilities as its Director of Quality Improvement in April 2014. Among the many highlights of his tenure, Michael has played an instrumental role in leading McClendon Center through its Joint Commission accreditation processes in 2017 and 2021. Michael was promoted to his current role in 2022.
Michael earned a Master’s degree in Counseling from Bowie State University and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Frostburg State University.