Our Admin Team
Riley Gerlach
he/him
Client Care Coordinator
Hey there! My name is Riley Gerlach. I am the client care coordinator here at Protea Wellness. My role is multifaceted, but the majority of my responsibilities revolve around assisting clients and clinicians getting connected with one another.
I'm the one who makes sure that the client onboarding process goes smoothly for all parties involved and that there is a positive start to the therapeutic relationship. I also assist clinicians with waitlist management and connecting them with any resources in or outside the practice that they may need for their clients.
In between those key components I also help with front end office management tasks and whatever else I can manage to help with. I know I play a fairly minor role in assisting people through the therapeutic process, but it brings me joy to be any part of assisting people in finding the support that they need. This is especially true because of the fantastic providers and services that you will find here at Protea.
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I've come to Protea from the background of service coordination and counseling. I have a bachelor's degree in rehabilitation counseling with the majority of my coursework focusing on service coordination for underserved populations. I worked with folks across the non-profit and social service sector throughout my years in a coordination and administrative capacity.
I've found a special connection with Protea, though, because I'm passionate about using my skill set to continue to help serve LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized communities. Being a member of several marginalized communities myself I understand how difficult, yet important, it can be to find any kind of support through our medical and mental health systems. So I hope to do my small part in making that process easier for folks as they approach us.
Although I'm not a clinician, I thought it would be helpful for folks to know that I identify as trans, queer, neurodivergent, disabled on multiple levels and I'm also polyam and kink aware. I share this so that folks can know that I have had exposure to and have knowledge of those communities on some level. So if others come to us from those communities and they need to disclose details, these are not things that I'm unfamiliar with. In fact they will only help me to better match you with clinicians and/or resources that you need in your efforts to find support.
My hope is to be a welcoming introduction to and guide around Protea Wellness. So please feel free to approach me with any questions about our clinicians, processes or the practice in general and I'll be happy to help. If I don't know the answer chances are I know the person that does and I love being able to make those connections. When I'm not working, I'm usually watching TV and movies, researching random topics of interest, and just generally being a cat dad.
Kasey Grant
she/her
Billing Specialist
Kasey is our biller here at Protea Wellness. She is the one who checks clients' insurance benefits, collects all payments for services and deals with the pains of insurance companies. Without her we could never take insurance, so we are so grateful for the upbeat positivity she brings to Protea and the great care she gives to our clients!
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From Kasey:
My name is Kasey Grant and I've been in the medical billing field for 17 years. I've had lots of experience with billing for different specialties - chiropractic, sleep medicine, physical therapy, sports medicine and podiatry. Each and every specialty has widened my knowledge of medical billing and has helped me get where I am today. I would say my favorite part of working in this field is being able to help people with their accounts and insurance questions. I really enjoy getting to speak with the clients throughout the day!!!
When I'm not working, I enjoy spending time with my family. My husband and I have 2 sons, they are 5 and 4 so they keep us VERY busy!!! We also have 2 dogs, Rocky and Layla. We live in Arlington on 5 acres so we spend lots of time outside. We are super close with our families so we are always on the go with family get-togethers! When I do get some time to myself I really enjoy working out and going out with my friends.
Josie Rigelman
she/her
Billing Assistant
Josie assists Kasey in doing our billing!
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From Josie:
Hi, My name is Josie Rigelman! I am a current medical coding student. I should have the course completed within the next couple of months! I finished the medical billing program through AAPC and I am excited to be an assistant biller for Protea!
Before pursuing medical Billing and Coding, I completed two years at Skagit Valley College. I am currently pregnant with my first child, a baby girl named Mallory! My husband and I (and our cat) enjoy spending time with family, road trips, camping, and basically anything outdoors!education about neurodivergence, both to learn about my needs as an autistic adult and to better support my family, friends, clients, and colleagues.
Koji Tohmon
he/they
Practice Manager
Koji helps keep our group running and our staff supported!
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From Koji:
Hello! My name is Koji Tohmon, and I’m the practice manager here at Protea. My job is to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that our staff is well taken care of. Although my role is not client-facing, I see myself supporting our clients by supporting the staff that supports clients!
I’m a 1.5-generation Japanese immigrant, born in Japan and raised in the United States. This experience, as well as moving around in the U.S. and studying abroad in Korea, has shaped my multicultural lens and appreciation for different perspectives.
I studied business at the undergraduate level and minored in education. After working as a tax consultant in Los Angeles for two years, I realized that I wanted to help people more directly through my career, and chose to shift to psychology. I went back to school and graduated with a Master’s degree in research psychology with a focus on cross-cultural psychology while volunteering as a crisis line phone counselor. It is my goal in life to spread kindness with empathy and active listening, especially in LGBTQIA2+ and BIPOC communities.
I came to Protea with experience from other mental health clinics where I juggled general admin, client care coordinator, scheduler, and billing manager roles. My favorite part about working at private practice clinics is being surrounded by empathetic and social justice-oriented coworkers, so this role at Protea balances my skills, values, and passions.
Some of my many hobbies include kendo (a Japanese martial art), coffee, reading, and photography. When I’m not working or engaging in one of my hobbies, I’m probably trying my best not to pick up another hobby.