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Our Team
Gretchen
B/Bianca Gutierrez
Youth Outreach Coordinator
925-692-0090 x709
B/Bianca Gutierrez (elle/they ella/she). They’re HELLA proud to be first gen chicanx, nonbinary, queer. They are majoring in Sociology to then transfer to a University to continue studying and absorbing all the knowledge in sociology, social work and social justice. Their career and life end goals are just to absorb as much knowledge as possible, escuchar todas las historias de nuestra gente, absorb knowledge spread knowledge a whole cycle of never ending learning and teaching in whatever way that ends up looking for them.
Carol Osmer Newhouse, LCSW
Clinical Supervisor
925-692-0090 x724
Carol (she/her Pronouns) identifies as Lesbian and Queer, and. comes to Rainbow with over 30 years of clinical experience. She has worked as a Therapist in Private Practice and in agency settings as Program Director, Training Director, and Clinical Director of a community based Mental Health Agencies. Currently Carol provides Clinical Supervision of Psychology students, and therapists in training for Licensure: Clinical Social workers, Licensed Professional Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists. She has worked in this capacity at John F. Kennedy University, Pacific Center for Human Growth, and Rainbow Community Center. Carol assists therapists in finding their clinical confidence, expertise, and particular skill in working with the LGBT+ community, and other marginalized populations. She works from a place of authenticity, presence and mutual empowerment.
Christopher Holden
Older Adults Program Manager
925-692-0090 x713
Christopher received his Bachelor of Science at Boston’s Northeastern University and an addition graphic arts degree at Epping Forest College, London, England. His most recent work experience was as a Program Coordinator for 140+ disabled/formerly homeless seniors in a supportive housing setting. Prior to that, Christopher lived in Zurich, Switzerland for 7 years and traveled extensively through Europe and Asia and taught English in Dharamsala, India.
Correen "Cori" Johnson
Co-Executive Director & Director of Youth Housing & Trainer
925-692-0090 x721
Correen “Cori” Johnson (she/they) has come into their role as the Director of Youth Housing with over 7 years of experience in non profit housing and youth program development with a focus on social emotional curriculum as well as motivational interviewing. Growing up a part of BIPOC and LGBTQ, Cori has the hope of continuing to serve and develop nuanced approaches to meet the wide range of obstacles our houseless youth are facing in the intersectionalities of LGBTQ community. In their free time, Cori can be found covered in paint as she creates art and runs a small business.
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Ginger Jule-Frost, LMFT
Clinical Supervisor
925-692-0090 x710
Ginger (she/her pronouns) is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who provided clinical services at Rainbow from 2014-2018, first as an MFT intern, then moving on to become Lead Clinician and School-Based Services Coordinator before taking a full time position with Contra Costa County Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health. Out of commitment to this community and to the work of this agency, she has returned to Rainbow offering support for the counseling team as a clinical supervisor. She hopes to empower newer clinicians to find their groove, increase their skills and confidence, and to empower the clients they serve. Identifying as queer herself, Ginger has focused her clinical experience within the LGBTQIA+ community, with particular concentration on transgender and gender expansive people. She recognizes the privilege in which she is situated in many respects as a Cis-White woman, and is a fierce advocate for social justice and human rights. Issues of diversity, intersectionality and social equity have always been of concern to Ginger, who strives to approach her role(s) with a culturally humble and trauma-informed lens. She has spent many years working with and advocating for youth, beginning in her previous career in Special Education, and places special emphasis on helping survivors of trauma and abuse. Ginger approaches her work with a collaborative spirit, from a perspective of resilience, strength and growth, and with respect for the powerful role of human connection. She views her own journey as one in progress and remains open to growth and learning. Ginger’s free time is spent with her beloved partner of almost 30 years and friends, appreciating nature, music and the arts. She is an animal lover, creative spirit, and activist.
Gretchen Bringas
Data Manager
925-692-0090 x6
Gretchen (her/she as she's brown and sweet) was born in the South Bay to immigrant parents and raised in the East Bay by a single one. Growing up as a third culture individual she has navigated between her Ancestral culture and the North American culture like a swirled soft-serve ice cream cone. Beautiful in theory, but messy in reality. Luckily, the flavor of life inspires her to continue to craft and sample, whoever she becomes in this world.
Fueled by years of retail experience within a spectrum of communities, Gretchen was compelled to get her MA in Communication Studies with a focus on Intercultural Communication. She hopes to bring her experience and knowledge to RCC, but more importantly learn from those she will meet while with the organization.
Jorge "JC" Chamorro
Co-Executive Director
Jorge "JC" Chamorro (he/him/él pronouns) Identifies as Pansexual.
Jorge "JC" immigrated to the United States from Nicaragua as a child. He was raised, went to school, got married, and had his kids in the Mission. During his high school and early college years, he worked for many nonprofit organizations, including Instituto Familiar De La Raza, Horizons Unlimited, and Mission Neighborhood Health Center.
For the last 20 years, Jorge has proudly served the LGBTQ+ community as the owner and head promoter for JC Events, producing music and nightlife events throughout Northern California and serving as the HIV Prevention Manager at Rainbow.
Jorge also serves as the Pride in the Plaza Committee Chair.
Dana Johnson
Jonathan
Lukan (He/Him/They pronouns) is a conscientious pansexual Trans* masculine identified individual. He was born and raised in Contra Costa County until he transferred from community college to San José State University for a B.A. in Psychology, and later returned to San José State for a M.S. in Clinical Psychology. Lukan is passionate about affordable, accessible, and expansive mental health care of LGBTQIA+ youth, adults, families, and couples, with special interest in providing mental health access to transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals. When not working, Lukan enjoys multiple artistic outlets (drawing, sculpting, sewing), hiking, astrophotography, and sleeping!
Nicole (she/her) began her journey at Rainbow when she was providing HIV testing in 2015 through her position at Contra Costa County Public Health HIV & STD Dept. While working in public health, she pursued her master’s degree in social work with a focus on community mental health at Cal State East Bay, learning under Rainbow’s former Director, Ben Barr. During her program, Nicole transitioned into one of Rainbow’s MSW interns providing counseling and case management, leading the Women’s HIV support group, and completing her capstone and final project around women’s programming at Rainbow. Nicole has dreams of growing Rainbow's clinical team, expanding therapeutic services to foster community and continue building on our beautiful representation for 2SLGBTQIA+ therapists and clients. Nicole is a queer, latina who is deeply committed and passionate about building LGBTQIA+ community, human rights, advocacy, health equity, social justice, and empowerment. In her free time, Nicole enjoys spending time with her kids, anything Frida Kahlo, books, plants, thrift stores, reading, music and dancing.
Parisa Zamanian
Associate Clinician/Youth Program Manager & Trainer
925-692-0090 x707
Parisa is a non-binary, mixed race queer from the Bay Area. They grew up attending LGBTQ+ youth groups in the South Bay, which inspired a continued commitment to social justice and healing work in the LGBTQ+ community. Parisa has experience working with college access nonprofits for low-income, first-generation students, as well as experience in school social work and mental health care for LGBTQ+ youth and adults. They graduated with a Masters' in Social Work from UC Berkeley and have a Master of Arts in Women’s History form Sarah Lawrence College, where they focused primarily on gender and sexuality studies. Parisa believes in the power of baking and cooking as healing tools for individuals and communities and is working on integrating these into their activist and mental health practices.
Rae Messer, ASW
Associate Clinician & Training and Education Manager
925-692-0090 x712
Rae is excited to serve the LGBTQIA+ community in Contra Costa County, where she grew up. Rae got her Masters of Social Work at Hunter University in New York, and is committed to supporting the mental health of LGBTQIA+ youth, adults, and families, including gender-expansive folx. Rae offers individual, couples and family counseling, as well as supports the Parents of Trans and Gender Nonconforming Children's Group. When Rae is not working, she enjoys sunshine, dancing, and dad jokes.
Shanthi Guruswamy (she/her) graduated with her BA in Psychology with a dual minor in Asian American Studies and French from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She graduated with honors with an MA in Counseling from Saint Mary's College of California in 2023. Currently, she is an AMFT/APCC in the East Bay Area and is on the layout editing staff of the Asian American Psychological Association Newsletter. Her clinical goal is to provide holistic care for her clients to feel empowered and motivated to take control of their lives. In her free time, Shanthi loves going to concerts, spending time with her dogs, and painting.
Trista Vieira (she/her) is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. She has a background working in community mental health providing accessible therapy regardless of income in the Bay Area. She identifies as multiracial with Japanese, Mexican, Portuguese and Irish ancestry. Her approach to therapy is holistic with a liberation psychology focus, providing space for critical consciousness of historical, socioeconomic, cultural and political contexts as well as the ways those factors shape our internal and external worlds. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a Minor in Human Development at Washington State University. Then went on to get her Masters of Arts in Holistic Counseling with a specialization in trauma-informed care from John F. Kennedy School of Psychology. When not working, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, running with her dog, playing video games, knitting, reading and being in nature.
Parisa Zamanian
Rae Messer
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