Kathleen Spina MHROD
Senior Director of Human Resources MHROD
Senior Director of Human Resources MHROD
Kathleen brings a wealth of experience in building strong, people-first workplaces while keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes. Throughout her career, she has helped organizations support their teams, enhance culture, and drive operational excellence. Most recently, she served as VP of Employee Relations at Cinemark, where she supported a large, multi-state workforce. She understands how to balance the needs of clients, teammates, and the bigger mission—which makes her a fantastic fit for Muir Wood.
As we continue our work to strengthen our culture, enhance the teammate experience, and refine our people processes, Kathleen’s leadership will be instrumental in ensuring Muir Wood remains not only a leader in adolescent behavioral health but also a truly great place to work.
In her new role, Kathleen will be leading our HR team and working closely with the Muir Wood staff to create a place where teammates feel valued, supported, and set up for success.
Beyond her professional expertise, Kathleen is a people person through and through. She lives in Novato with her husband, and she and her three daughters share a passion for healthcare and helping others. Outside of work, she loves staying active outdoors and spending time with family.
Who We Are
Muir Wood treats primary mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders with equal clinical depth. Our approach is mental health-first, trauma-informed throughout, and grounded in nationally recognized expertise in adolescent substance use treatment.
Every program is designed exclusively for teens, with specialized environments for those needing an even greater level of psychiatric, trauma, or clinical support — like our Penngrove campus for girls, and our upcoming Sonoma Mountain campus for boys (Fall '26).
Mental Health First
Every program treats primary MH — anxiety, depression, trauma, mood — as the core clinical focus.
Trauma-Informed Lens
Every staff interaction, not just therapy, is filtered through a trauma lens. It is our operating principle, not a modality.
Integrated SUD Expertise
Substance use is treated alongside mental health throughout all programs, not in a separate track.
Adolescent Specialists
Every clinician, psychiatrist, nurse, and educator works exclusively with teens ages 12–17.
We Treat the Whole Teen
Nothing is treated in isolation, because nothing exists in isolation.
Every teen arrives with behaviors that developed for a reason — ways of coping with or adapting to emotional pain. Our role is to understand what's driving those patterns and build healthier, more sustainable ways of regulating and coping.
Mental Health
Trauma Informed
Emotional Functioning
Family Systems
Why Specialized Programming Matters
Many teens benefit from environments designed around shared clinical presentations and needs.
Greater Peer Alignment
Shared clinical presentations create more cohesive, therapeutically relevant group dynamics.
Individualized Treatment
Approaches tailored to the specific developmental and psychiatric profile of each population.
Improved Emotional Safety
Environments designed to reduce threat, increase predictability, and foster genuine connection.
Clinically Relevant Groups
Group therapy dynamics mirror real-world experiences of teens with similar presentations.
Lower-Stimulation Environments
Sensory and environmental design calibrated to the needs of highly activated or sensitive teens.
Enhanced Psychiatric Support
Specialized staff training and clinical protocols matched to the population's complexity.