Tiffany Liska, MA     Program Director 

I have worked in a variety of human service settings over the past 23 years, providing support to those with a disability across their lifespan. I started working with the PPASS program in 2015, with my initial position being a coordinator in the Mason City (Cerro Gordo County) area. Since my start in 2015, my career with this program has led me to the position of clinical team leader, assistant director, and most recently program director. One aspect of PPASS that I love and keeps me engaged in the program is the partnerships we build with the teams we are supporting. This relationship expands past the day-to-day meetings and helps to create a bond that stands the test of time. The impact PPASS has, improves not only the person serves life but impacts the professionals providing the support to those with ID/DD as well. It is our goal at PPASS to build capacity through empathy and understanding for those with challenging behavioral health concerns, which impacts the entire system of support through education.

    Olivia Ayers, LPC, LMHC       Clinical Director 

I am Olivia Ayers; PPASS Clinical Director. Before coming to PPASS, I worked in direct support as I obtained my master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and began providing therapeutic services with an emphasis on trauma and attachment. I then supervised mental health programs related to adolescents in the justice system, adolescents in state care, and emergency mobile crisis response.  I have worked with PPASS since November 2019 and have been immersed in supporting individuals with Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled (IDD) as well as their system of support through positive psychology and a biopsychosocial lens. One thing I love about PPASS is that we are continually learning. Once we have learned more, we can do better. PPASS offers so many training opportunities and uses the system members, observations, and even crises as an opportunity to learn more about the individuals we serve and adjust to support them better.

Morgan Dettbarn, MSW

Assistant Program Director 

Hello! My name is Morgan Dettbarn and I am the Assistant Program Director for PPASS. I earned my Masters in Social Work through the University of Oklahoma and have worked in multiple different settings with differing populations throughout my social work career. My favorite part about the support that PPASS provides is most definitely the systems work. I enjoy building genuine connections with others and offering “oxygen” any chance I get. A fun fact about me, I live on a farm with many different farm animals, including peacocks!

Paige Smith, BA 

IRSH Program Director 

I have been working in the psychology field for about 6 years now. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Psychology all while having a newborn! I knew that I wanted to do something within the psychology field ever since I was in high school but just was not sure how or where I fit in within the field. I started out by becoming a direct support staff member working with adults. I then became a Behavioral Health Specialist who worked with children. I did that for about a year and realized that even though I loved children I really wanted to go back to working with adults. I then became a Service Coordinator and did that for almost two years. I loved that job but felt as if there were something more out there for me. I then began working hand in hand with I-Start with the company I was previously employed for. I began to realize that I-Start helps so many and in a way that was really making a difference. I met a lot of the amazing team members of START and watched/worked with them and then decided that this was something that I wanted to do.