Meet Our Team
Barb Walden
Office Manager
Barb joined Benchmark as Office Manager when Montana operations began in 2018. She enjoys talking w/moms, dads, guardians, foster families, grandmas, and great-grandmas to share how Benchmark helps the families we serve and how we could possibly help their family.
Prior to Benchmark; Barb helped open Maclean Cameron Animal Adoption Center. She is passionate about her cats and dog, and teaching/sharing yoga.
Stephanie Perry
Family Support Specialist & Community Outreach Coordinator
*Comprehensive Certification for Family Support Specialist with the State of Montana
Stephanie has been working with Benchmark for four years, supporting families through early intervention services. Prior to that, she worked in the durable home medical field, supporting and teaching patients how to use medical equipment in their homes. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, and participating in 5K races.
Amanda Christofferson
Family Support Specialist & Community Outreach Coordinator
*Primary Certification for Family Support Specialist with the State of Montana
*ABA, BBA: Project Management/Risk Management, CASA Advocate
Amanda has worked as a Family Support Specialist with Benchmark for 2 years but has been using early intervention as a parent for over a decade. She says early intervention made a lifeline of differences for her children. Amanda is trauma-informed, an advocate for children who have been abused/neglected, an adoptive parent, and a parent to kids with mental health and special needs. She loves to shop and spends a lot of time outdoors and entertaining.
Kara Emery
Family Support Specialist
*Comprehensive Certification for Family Support Specialist with the State of Montana
*Bachelor of Science, Community Health
Kara has been supporting families through early intervention for the past 7 years, 5 years with Benchmark. She previously worked in group homes supporting adults with disabilities. She has volunteered with many non-profit agencies. In her free time, she enjoys hiking/backpacking, skiing, reading books, carpentry, and enjoying time with her daughter and many pets.
Amy Clure
Family Support Specialist
*Comprehensive Certification for Family Support Specialist with the State of Montana
*Bachelor of Arts
Amy has been with Benchmark for five years, supporting families through early intervention services. Prior to joining our team, she worked for the City of Great Falls, and as a teacher for Head Start. She enjoys bowling and spending time with her husband and kids.
Stella Carlson
Family Support Specialist
*Comprehensive Certification for Family Support Specialist with the State of Montana
*Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a Concentration in Special Education
Stella has worked in early intervention for 8 years, the last 5 with Benchmark. Prior to that, she taught special education for 13 years. She enjoys her grandchildren, being the village mom (now grandma), and working in her yard and garden.
Lara Christiaens
Family Support Specialist
*Comprehensive Certification for Family Support Specialist with the State of Montana
*Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a Minor in Nutrition from the University of Pennsylvania
Laura has been in the early intervention field for 12 years, and joined Benchmark 5 years ago. Prior to that, she worked for the State of Montana Child and Family Services Division as a Child Protection Specialist. Her favorite part of being a Family Support Specialist is working alongside families to help their children reach their potential.
Gina Cole, BCBA
Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Family Support Specialist
*Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis
*Primary Certification for Family Support Specialist with the State of Montana
Gina has worked with children with a variety of developmental disabilities for the last ten years. She started her career as a Speech Language Paraprofessional and then became a Speech Language Pathology Assistant in the school setting. She has been working with Benchmark for the last three years. Gina is a board certified behavior analyst and a Family Support Specialist supporting families with early intervention. Her specialty is Autism services and providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy in the home, community, and clinical settings.
Erin Thorsen
Speech-Language Pathologist
*Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech-Language Hearing Association
*Master of Science in Communication Disorders from Eastern Washington University
Erin has worked as a pediatric speech-language pathologist for the last 15 years. She has worked with children in the neonatal intensive care unit, inpatient and outpatient pediatric unit, as part of a developmental behavioral pediatric diagnostic team, and most recently in early intervention through Benchmark. In her free time, she loves to be with family, travel, and spending time outdoors.
Kari Hoover
Regional Program Director
*Comprehensive Certification for Family Support Specialist with the State of Montana
*Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an Emphasis in Reading
Kari served as the Director for Benchmark’s Montana Milestones program and has worked in early intervention for 23 years. She says her career was inspired by growing up with a sister with Cerebral Palsy and seeing the struggles that she has had in her lifetime. Kari has worked as a Family Support Specialist (6 years), a supervisor over an outreach office (12 years), and has been in her current role with Benchmark for 5 years. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family camping and boating, and reading a good book.
Jen Imlay
Family Support Specialist and Family Education and Support Waitlist Intake and Management Coordinator
*Comprehensive Certification for Family Support Specialist with the State of Montana
*Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with an Emphasis in Forensics
Jen began working with Benchmark 5 years ago. Prior to that, she was working at Quality Life Concepts doing similar work. Jen has been working with children and adults with developmental disabilities for the past 27 years. She currently runs her own Special Olympics team in Great Falls.
Darcy McAllister, OT/L
Occupational Therapist
*Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy
Darcy has been an occupational therapist for over 30 years. She joined the Benchmark team in 2021 as a member of the early intervention evaluation team. Darcy has worked in a variety of settings including nursing facilities, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and early intervention. She enjoys the opportunity to meet people in their homes where everyone is comfortable and provide support to children and families as part of an early intervention team.
Megan Young
Family Support Specialist
*Primary Certification for Family Support Specialist with the State of Montana
*Bachelor of Science in Sociology with a Social Work Concentration
Megan has been supporting families with early intervention for a year. Before starting at Benchmark, she did case management for family services and the TANF program. In her free time, she likes to read, bake, and watch her kids in their various activities.
Caitlyn Nash
Family Support Specialist
*Comprehensive Certification for Family Support Specialist with the State of Montana
*Bachelor of Arts in Education from University of Montana, Focused on Elementary and Special Education
Caitlyn grew up with brothers that have disabilities - one has Angelman Syndrome (a significant developmental disability), and the other has severe dyslexia. Her experiences related to them led her to pursue her degree in special education. After graduating from UM-Missoula in 2017, she was an elementary special education teacher before finding Benchmark and starting as a family support specialist in 2021. Her life's passion is working with kids that are a little different, and helping their families navigate the world of neurodivergence and disability. Caitlyn was diagnosed with ADHD at 27 years old and says the understanding of that has changed her entire world. She hopes to help families get answers sooner, rather than later.