Ashley Ordway (at front) in her free time.
JACK Mental Health Advocacy has undergone significant changes over the past year. After President and founder Kim Vincenty took a leave of absence to address heath issues, board member Ashley Ordway M.Ed./Ed.S LMHC stepped in as Acting President. Under her leadership, JACK has continued its signature Plant a Camp Program, while launching new initiatives. We spoke with Ashley to learn more about her and her plans for JACK in the coming months.
Jackmha: Tell us about yourself, please.
Ashley Ordway: I own a private practice in Gainesville, Florida, called Magnolia Behavioral Health, along with Dr. Lacey Lazaro. We specialize in OCD and anxiety related disorders across the lifespan. I’m also certified in PTIC (parent-child interaction therapy), and in SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions). I really enjoy working with patients and their families to help them achieve their goals and live life more according to their values.
JACKmha: Are you strictly outpatient therapy?
Ashley Ordway: Yes, we’re outpatient. We are mostly virtual, but local clients may request to meet in person to do offset exposures. Our practice has free group support for adult patients in our practice that takes place twice a month. We also offer IOP (intensive outpatient) when it would benefit the patient.
JACKmha: Tell us about continuing the work of Plant a Camp.
Ashley Ordway: I began my career on the team that started Fear Facers Camp at the University of Florida in 2017 with Dr. Carol Matthew and Dr. Joe McNamara. I was the clinical director until 2023.
Kim visited Fear Facers Camp to see the program firsthand and meet with me and several faculty members. She left extremely impressed with the camp and the University of Florida – Fear Facers Camp was awarded grants from OCD JAX where Kim was president at the time for campers to receive scholarships. Kim and I stayed in touch during the years, and she approached me with this idea on how we could help support therapeutic summer camps across the country.
JACKmha: Plant a Camp is one of JACK’s primary initiatives after Kim Vincenty attended Fear Facers. Tell us about that, please.
Ashley Ordway: Plant a Camp came about to help different universities and clinics across the country increase access to care for children with OCD by providing funding and mentorship to start and run therapeutic summer camps. Starting a summer camp is really time intensive and can be extremely expensive without the right resources. We wanted to give these programs a headstart in being able to serve their community in the way that they need most. Currently, clinics or universities join with their local IOCDF affiliate and send in their camp application. We then work with the clinics each month
to help answer any questions and provide guidance when needed. We have launched 7 camps across the country over the last three years.
Ashley Ordway casting shadows in Copenhagen with the twins.
JACKmha: One of your new initiatives was a research grant?
Ashley Ordway: Yes! research is really important to me. And as a graduate student, it’s hard to get research funding. With this initiative, students get funding and also the experience of applying for grants. Applying in itself is a really important experience and learning curve. We were able to award four grants this cycle. We are so excited to award more next year! Grants were reviewed by an outside scientific advisory board
JACKmha: What do you do in your free time?
Ashley Ordway: I love spending time with my family (my husband and 5-year-old twins) traveling and going to the beach.
Thanks Ashley!
