Who We Are
The dedicated staff at the Alice C. Tyler Village of Childhelp are committed to ensuring that the Childhelp mission and philosophy are at the heart of every day’s work with our children. Without their patience, passion, perseverance and determination, none of this would be possible.
Chris Ruble, Executive Director
Mr. Ruble received his bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Ferrum College and completed master’s level course work in Management and Leadership prior to beginning his over 20 years of experience working in the behavioral healthcare field. He has progressive leadership experience that includes duties served as Director of Business Development, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Director. With working both in the public and private sectors, Mr. Ruble brought with him both hands-on and operational level experience to the Village when he arrived over 4 years ago. In addition to dedicating his life to the prevention, treatment, and advocacy of the population he serves, Mr. Ruble spends his spare time with his family enjoying outdoor activities, hiking, playing music, weight lifting, and is an avid lover of German Shepherds.
Our Leadership
Dr. Deborah Mack graduated from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1978 with an inter-disciplinary degree in Nursing, Studio Art & Psychology. She attended graduate studies for a Master’s in Art Therapy at George Washington University and worked as an Art Therapist with psychiatrically ill children for 5 years. In her love for learning, she then went to the Eastern Virginia Medical School and completed her fellowship at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Prior to coming to Childhelp, Dr. Mack had her own private practice and also had worked with a residential facility for children being treated for substance abuse. In addition, she has managed an Acute Psychiatric unit for children, has been faculty in the Child Psychiatry Department at the University of Virginia and has administered outpatient services on several community services boards. Dr. Mack is married to James Jarrell, MD (a Physician of Internal Medicine and Child Psychiatrist) who also assists with children at the village in Dr. Mack’s absence. She started as a consult and back up to Dr. Camperlengo for the Alice C. Tyler Village of Childhelp in 2002 and took over for the psychiatrist, becoming the full Medical Director, in 2005. Dr. Mack has introduced therapy dogs to the village and in her spare time she is an avid gardener and prepares dogs for the world of therapy by taking them through Basic Obedience, Canine Good Citizenship, and Therapy Dog training.
Medical Director & Psychiatrist
Dr. James Jarrell grew up in Point Pleasant, WV and attended medical school at West Virginia University where he graduated in 1978. He practiced Internal Medicine for ten years before studying psychiatry. He completed his residency in general psychiatry and fellowship in child & adolescent psychiatry at the University of Virginia. Dr. Jarrell has practiced child & adolescent psychiatry for past 21 years.
When not practicing psychiatry, Dr. Jarrell enjoys woodworking, astronomy, and playing the guitar. He lives in rural Virginia with his wife, Dr. Debbie Mack. Together, they enjoy gardening and raising therapy dogs.
Dr. Jarrell is a member of Ravenswood Freewill Baptist Church in Ravenswood, WV. and a proud Eagle Scout.
Psychiatrist
Larry Colby, LPC
Clinical Director
Larry J. Colby is a Licensed Professional Counselor as well as a Licensed Secondary Education Teacher. He completed his Bachelor’s in Secondary Education with a dual major in Speech Communication and Psychology at Eastern Michigan University in 2003. He completed his Master’s in Mental Health Counseling at Walden University in 2013. His counseling internship was completed at a sexual abuse center and a private alternative school.
Mr. Colby began his teaching profession at a career center in Michigan, instructing English to struggling students. He has also taught high school AP English and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) in Puerto Rico; as well as Honors English and inclusion classes in Virginia. Larry has provided educational advocacy and remedial tutoring services. He taught a child, that one school system deemed unable to learn reading skills, how to read in six months using Orton-Gillingham multisensory and Lindamood-Bell Language Learning techniques.
Larry has extensive experience working in residential settings, Intensive In-home Counseling, and outpatient counseling. Larry is a state approved supervisor for LPC licensure. He has provided staff training in verbal de-escalation, communication, and understanding play therapy. Larry has been trained in ABA therapy, Play Therapy, EMDR, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. He has also been trained as a court approved co-parenting trainer. Larry incorporates a trauma focused, biopsychosocial model in developing healing outcomes.
Larry believes that every member of the team is important in achieving positive outcomes. He believes in developing learning communities in order to achieve best practices. He believes that everyone is able to overcome personal barriers and find peace within their lives. He believes in setting aside blame and focusing on relationship building and problem solving. Larry believes that everyone is able to discover Health, Enlightenment, Love, and Prosperity (HELP).
Clinical Director
David Gearhart
Human Resources Business Partner
Clinical Staff
Barry Jacobs
Equine Therapist
Christine Horting
Music Therapist
Madeleine Zenger
Recreational Therapist
Donny Carroll
Therapist
Amber Holmes
Therapist
Christopher Lynn
Therapist
Tim Lewis
Recreational Assistant
Our Facility Accreditation & Licensure
The Alice C. Tyler Village accreditation is official recognition that our organization is guided by internationally recognized service standards and best practices. Accreditation consists of ongoing consultation and in-depth on-site reviews to help our organization achieve the highest quality of care for our customers and demonstrates that our organization has opened its service delivery and business processes to outside scrutiny to improve the quality of our programs for our children. It is a public statement that Childhelp strives to ensure that our services are of the highest possible quality.
