Real-world expertise. Practical, people-first solutions.

At Philos Therapeutic, we offer consultation services rooted in decades of hands-on leadership, direct care, and program development across the behavioral health field. Our approach is collaborative, trauma-informed, and grounded in what actually works—in real systems, with real people.

Our team brings a combined 35+ years of experience in behavioral health, with complementary clinical and operational expertise across the full continuum of care.

Jess Montoya, RN, brings over 20 years of nursing experience rooted in direct patient care, operational leadership, and a genuine commitment to serving some of the most vulnerable populations in the behavioral health system. He has worked with skilled nursing facilities to strengthen and expand their behavioral health programming, led residential homes for individuals with developmental disabilities with the kind of hands-on, person-centered care that shapes culture from the ground up, and served as Interim Director of Nursing in settings where his focus was improving patient outcomes and stabilizing program operations. His clinical depth and operational range are a rare combination, and they are grounded in something even more fundamental: a servant leadership philosophy and an unwavering dedication to quality mental health care for those who need it most.

Christin Montoya, LCSW, contributes 17 years of experience spanning frontline direct care, program development, and senior operational leadership. Her career has included building and overseeing Crisis Residential Programs, Mobile Crisis Units, Children’s Crisis Intervention Programs, Adult Crisis Stabilization Programs, Inpatient Psychiatric Health Facilities, Mental Health Rehabilitation Centers, Full Service Partnerships, and Telehealth Only Early Intervention Programs. She has served in roles ranging from Direct Care Support Staff to Regional Director of Operations. She brings a servant leadership philosophy to every engagement, with a deep commitment to operational efficiency, cost-effective program design, and the belief that investing in people is what makes systems work.

🔧 Areas of Expertise

🏥 Operations & Program Design

We work alongside your team to:

• Streamline clinical workflows Assess existing clinical workflows to identify inefficiencies, redundancies, and gaps, and redesign processes that support both compliance and quality care without burdening frontline staff.
• Build or revise programs from the ground up Design new programs or restructure existing ones with a clear eye toward clinical integrity, operational sustainability, and alignment with county and funder expectations, from staffing models and documentation systems to program philosophy and culture.
• Improve cross-team communication and handoff systems Evaluate how information moves across teams, shifts, and levels of care, and develop practical communication and handoff protocols that reduce errors, improve continuity, and support staff accountability.
• County Partnership & Relationship Development Build and strengthen relationships with county behavioral health departments, funders, and community partners from a place of genuine connection and established trust. With existing relationships across Stanislaus and Merced County behavioral health systems, we help organizations navigate the relational landscape of public behavioral health, identifying the right entry points, facilitating meaningful introductions, and positioning your program as a credible, mission-aligned partner long before any formal procurement process begins.
• Navigate audits, licensing, and survey readiness (CARF, DHCS, Medi-Cal) Prepare programs for audits, licensing reviews, and accreditation surveys with a structured, experience-informed approach, including policy review, staff preparation, documentation audits, and corrective action planning when needed.

👥 Staff Development & Training

We offer expertise in:

• Coaching Supervisors and Front-Line Leaders Provide individualized coaching and structured support for the supervisors and leaders who hold programs together day to day. Drawing on a servant leadership philosophy, we help clinical supervisors grow their confidence, sharpen their skills, and build the kind of presence that earns trust from the teams they lead.
• Building Sustainable Training Models Design and implement training programs that go beyond one-time orientations, creating repeatable, scalable learning systems that build staff competency, support compliance, and reflect the real-world demands of behavioral health work. Rooted in over three decades of combined experience, our training models are practical, evidence-informed, and built to outlast our involvement.
• Supporting Onboarding and Retention Develop onboarding experiences that set staff up for success from day one, reducing early turnover and building the kind of organizational loyalty that keeps good people in hard jobs. We help programs identify what is driving staff out the door and design systems that address the root causes, not just the symptoms.
• Designing Therapeutic, Team-Based Care Cultures Shape the internal culture of your program to reflect the values it was built on. We work alongside leadership and frontline staff to create environments where therapeutic care is not just a clinical standard but a shared way of operating, where teams communicate well, support one another, and stay connected to the people they serve.

🌱 Culture Change and Toxic Culture Recovery

We believe that the culture inside a program shapes the care it delivers. When staff feel unseen, unsupported, or afraid to speak up, that experience finds its way into every client interaction. Our organizational culture work helps teams build the internal conditions that make excellent, sustainable care possible.

Our consulting services also include:

• Creating Environments of Trust and Transparency Lay the foundation for a workplace culture where staff feel safe to speak up, take ownership, and show up fully for the people they serve. We work with organizational leadership to identify the patterns, practices, and unspoken norms that either build or erode trust, and to replace them with structures that make transparency a daily practice rather than an aspirational value.
• Replacing Blame Culture with Accountability and Reflection Help teams move away from reactive, blame-driven responses to mistakes and toward a culture of genuine accountability and shared learning. We introduce frameworks that allow staff and leaders to examine what went wrong, understand contributing factors, and make meaningful changes without sacrificing the psychological safety that high-functioning teams depend on.
• Supporting Vulnerable Leadership and Team-Wide Buy-In Coach leaders to lead with honesty and humility, modeling the kind of vulnerability that invites trust rather than undermining authority. We help organizations move through change, conflict, and uncertainty in ways that bring teams along rather than leaving them behind, building the buy-in that makes real culture shift possible.
• Facilitating Structured Conversations to Repair Fractured Teams Guide teams through difficult, necessary conversations with care and intention. Whether a team is navigating unresolved conflict, recovering from leadership transitions, or simply struggling to communicate across differences, we create structured spaces for honest dialogue, mutual understanding, and a shared path forward.

🫱🏻‍🫲🏾 Who We Work With

We work with behavioral health organizations across the public and private sector, including:

• Behavioral Health Agencies
• Crisis Stabilization Units and Mobile Crisis Response Teams
• Community Clinics and Residential Programs
• Schools and Student Support Services
• Leadership Teams navigating growth, change, or transition
• Front-line Supervisors building their confidence and leadership voice

📅 How to Get Started

Schedule a free 30-minute consultation to explore your organization’s needs.

Complete this Inquiry Form to connect
📧 Email us: admin@philostherapeutic.com
📞 Call: (209) 259-3851

Let’s create a healthier and more effective workplace together.