Primary Project

Shelley M. Sanyshyn, MS
Co-Director of Primary Project

Shelley M. Sanyshyn received her Master's in Applied Psychology and Quantitative Methods with a specialization in Counseling from the University of Baltimore in 2000. Prior to joining Children's Institute, she served as Associate Director at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, School Mental Health Program. She was licensed as a Clinical Professional Counselor in the state of Maryland.

Since joining Children's Institute in 2008, she has been involved in many aspects of Primary Project operations including consultation, training, national certification, and coordination of New York State programs.

In her new role as Co-Director, this work has expanded to include overall responsibility for the leadership and supervision of program implementation and growth.

Lynn Smith, LMSW
Co-Director of Primary Project

Lynn Smith received her Master's in Social Work from Syracuse University in 1994. Prior to joining Children's Institute, she worked as a social worker for the Baby Love program at the Golisano Children's Hospital, working in a community-based setting helping high risk women access early and ongoing prenatal care as well as securing basic needs for families. In addition, she practiced as a social worker within the University of Rochester Medical Center in Ambulatory Pediatrics, the Emergency Department, and provided assessment and discharge planning for inpatient obstetrics and gynecology patients.

Since joining Children's Institute in 2001, she has been involved with Primary Project at a local, state, and national level providing training, consultation, and program certification. In addition to her work in Primary Project, she has also worked at providing behavioral health consultation in early childhood classrooms, as well as coordinating Coping Power, an evidence-based program for 4th-6th graders in the Rochester City School District.