Professional Staff

Directors

Raun D. Melmed, MD
Medical Director

---

Michel Ann Wilds
Executive Director

---

Developmental Pediatricians

Agnes Bilog, MD
Developmental Pediatrician

Dr. Agnes Bilog is a developmental/behavioral pediatrician who completed her residency training in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (affiliate of the Medical College of Wisconsin) in 1996. She pursued her fellowship training in developmental pediatrics at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in... (click here to continue reading)

---

Shabana Jessani, MD
Developmental Pediatrician

Dr. Shabana Jessani is a developmental/behavioral pediatrician who joined the Melmed Center in 2004. She completed a fellowship in developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Schneider Children's Hospital, a division of North Shore Long Island Jewish Medical Center, in New York. Her residency training... (click here to continue reading)

---

Anna DeOcampo, MD
Developmental Pediatrician

Dr. Anna DeOcampo is a board certified developmental/behavioral pediatrician who came to the Melmed Center after 5 years of subspecialty practice at the Greenville Hospital, University Medical Center, located in Greenville, South Carolina. During her practice she had teaching responsibilities as... (click here to continue reading)

---

Charissa Pe Benito, MD
Developmental Pediatrician

Dr. Charissa PeBenito is a developmental/ behavioral pediatrician who completed her residency training in pediatrics at the Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center New York in 2000. She completed her fellowship training in Developmental Pediatrics at the New York University School of Medicine in 2003. She is... (click here to continue reading)

---

Raun D. Melmed, MD
Developmental Pediatrician & 
Medical Director

Dr. Raun Melmed, medical director of the Melmed Center and a developmental and behavioral pediatrician, founded Developmental Pediatric Associates, now known as the Melmed Center in 1989. He is a co-founder and the medical director of the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center. A native of South Africa, he... (click here to continue reading)

---

Johanna Domer, MD
Pediatrician

Dr. Johanna Domer is a general pediatrician who completed her residency training in 2001 at St. Joseph's Hospital. She received additional training in developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the Arizona Child Study Center until 2003. She enjoys working with children with various developmental issues, including... (click here to continue reading)

---

Kathleen Shefner, MD, FAAP
Pediatrician

Dr. Kathleen Shefner is a Board Certified Pediatrician who completed her residency at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. She was in private pediatric practice initially in Arcadia, CA for 15 years, then in Syracuse, NY for 12 years before relocating here in Arizona at Melmed Center. (click here to continue reading)

---

Victoria Sheppard, MD
Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrician

 
Dr. Victoria Sheppard-LaBrecque is a Board Certified Developmental/ Behavioral Pediatrician who joined the Melmed Center in July of 2018.  She has been a Developmental/ Behavioral Pediatrician since 1997, after completing her fellowship at University of Massachusetts at Worchester.   (click here to continue reading)

---

Nurse Practitioners

Jane Privateer, RN, MSN, PsyNP
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner 

Jane Privateer, the clinical director of the Melmed Center and a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, has been with the Melmed Center since 1998. She specializes in care of both children and adults. She brings over 16 years of experience working with children in developmental pediatric, psychiatric, and rehabilitation settings. Her multiple strengths include a strong clinical and...(click here to continue reading)

---

Chris Peluso, DNP, MHNP-BC
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Dr. Chris Peluso is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, specializing in the care of both children and adults. He has many years of experience with a wide range of psychiatric illnesses. He has been a psychiatric nurse for more than 22 years and remains passionate about his profession and the care he provides for his patients...(click here to continue reading)

---

Kim Leight, MS, PsyNp
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Kim Leight is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, specializing in the care of both children and adults. She has been working with patients and their families for nineteen years in a variety of psychiatric and developmental settings. Kim enjoys taking on a team approach to develop the best treatment plan for each individual patient. She feels strongly that a healthy lifestyle is an important  ...(click here to continue reading)

---

Occupational Therapists

Craig Ciuk, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Craig Ciuk has been an occupational therapist at the Melmed Center since 2001. He is originally from Michigan and received his degree from Saginaw Valley State University.

When working with children, his focus of treatment is on neurodevelopmental and...(click here to continue reading)

---

Psychologists

Kristin Abbate, MA, PsyD
Psychologist

Dr. Kristin Abbate joined the Melmed Center in 2011. She received her Bachelors degree in Psychology and Sociology from Tulane University. She completed both her Masters degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, as well as a Doctoral degree in Clinical...(click here to continue reading)

---

Janet Chao, EdD
Psychologist

Dr. Janet Chao has been with the Melmed Center since 1995. She brings over twenty-five years experience from employment in public schools, clinics, and private practice. She is originally from the Chicago area and attended University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She received a Masters...(click here to continue reading) 

---

Joel Hanania, PhD
Psychologist

Dr. Hanania received his Doctoral degree in School Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  He interned at North Carolina Memorial Hospital, a diagnostic facility specializing in the early diagnosis of low incidence developmental disabilities.  He has been...
​(click here to continue reading)

---

Julie Weston, PhD
Psychologist

Dr. Julie Weston received her Masters degree and Doctorate at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2006. She completed her internship and fellowship training at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Hospital specializing in both child...(click here to continue reading)

---

Educational Advocate

Nutritional Therapy

Ricki Light, MEd
Educational Advocate

Ricki Light is the Director of Education at the Melmed Center and has worked with the practice since 2000. Ricki has her Masters degree in Educational Counseling and School Administration. She has over twenty- five years of special and general education teaching experience and worked as an Inclusion Facilitator... (click here to continue reading)

---

Jan Katzen, AMI, CFP, CN
Nutritional Therapist & Educator

Jan Katzen studied nutrition and health under   the tutelage of the Director of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition at the London Metropolitan University.   She interned with the founder of Foresight Preconceptual Care and has served on the advisory boards of the Mother and Child Foundation (UK), the Montessori Education for Autism Foundation (UK), and ePap Nutritionals in South Africa. (click here to continue reading...) 

---

Coaches

Erinn Juliano, MS, CPT, RBT
Administrative Assistant
Support For Life Care Coach
Certified Personal Trainer
ABA Program Manager

Erinn Juliano has been with the Melmed Center since 2004. She earned her Bachelor degree from Grand Canyon University in Athletic Training, with a minor in Coaching. She went on and received her Masters degree in Exercise Science with an emphasis in Fitness and Wellness. She is also a NASM Certified Personal Trainer specializing in Weight Loss. Erinn is responsible for the coordination of care for patients involved in the Support For Life program, ABA Program Manager and is also our Administrative Assistant, and trainer to all new employees.

---