About Us

The Arts & Wellness Program

The Arts & Wellness Program is an innovation project, prescribing the “Arts as Medicine”.

Following a standard Arts on Prescription model, and based in the Social Determinants of Health, The Arts & Wellness Program connects clients to active and receptive arts education and creative experiences – addressing their specific mental health needs and increasing equitable access to Trauma Informed arts & cultural activities.

Program Mission

The Arts & Wellness Program offers individualized Trauma Informed and Social Emotional Learning Arts-based recovery support for individuals with mental illness, and/or experiencing issues related to surviving or witnessing trauma.

By establishing a tested, data-informed framework for community sourced, arts-based interventions, The Arts & Wellness Program will increase points of access to Trauma Informed and Social Emotional Learning Arts education and creative activities for transitional-age youth throughout Ventura County, with significant potential for integration into existing Ventura County systems of care.

Meet the Team

Nicole Taylor

Founding Director • Arts & Wellness Coach •
Program Concept, Development, & Management

  • Nicole Taylor, operatic soprano and master teaching artist, is a senior Arts Envoy for the U.S. Department of State & Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs. Founder & CEO of Creativity Through Music Consulting, LLC specialized in cultural diplomacy, arts & health, arts-infused community outreach, arts education and advocacy, cross-sector partnerships, creativity training for corporations and cultural events. Director of Ventura County Behavioral Health's new Arts & Wellness Program, funded at $1 million dollars. Director of the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Artists In Schools program, 2023/24 California Creative Corps Artist-in-Residence with the County of Ventura Office of &Culture. Female leads include: Le Nozze de Figaro, Les Dialogues des Carmelites, Die Fledermaus, Cunning Little Vixen, The Turn of the Screw, and Porgy & Bess. World premieres include: the Suite for Peace by Kenny Burrell; in a tribute concert featuring B.B. King and Stevie Wonder; Sir Paul McCartney’s oratorio Ecce Cor Meum at Carnegie Hall; and Eliott Goldenthal’s opera Grendel directed by Julie Taymor. Performances with San Francisco Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Sarasota Opera, Lincoln Center Festival, and the Mostly Mozart Festival.

Arts & Wellness Community Network Artist • Curriculum Design • Stakeholder Asset Mapping • Onboarding Workflows

Cory Hills

  • Multi-percussionist, composer, and Grammy award-winning artist Cory Hills thrives on breaking down musical barriers through creative, interdisciplinary projects.

    Hills is the creator of Percussive Storytelling, a multidisciplinary arts program that brings classical music and storytelling to children in low-income communities. Since 2008, Hills has presented Percussive Storytelling over 1,400 times to more than 300,000 children in ten countries. Hills has released two award-winning albums and three children’s books. Through Percussive Storytelling, Hills was named as the inaugural Gretsch Fellow in Children’s Music at the Fred Rogers Institute, as well as a recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship through the California Arts Commission.

    As part of AWP, Hills is excited to examine, curate, and connect different artists and organizations to youth in need of the arts.

    Hills has a wife, two kids, two poodles, and seven chickens.

Ellie Barakat

UI/UX Design • Arts & Wellness Program App Development • Program Workflows • Graphics Planning

  • Ellie Barakat is the Staff User Experience Designer for The Arts & Wellness Program, specializing in product design and branding. With over 15 years of experience as a designer, she has worked across the ed tech and biomedical industries crafting intuitive, engaging digital experiences that balance functionality with aesthetic appeal. Ellie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Arts and Sciences from San Diego State University and a Certification in User Experience and Customer-Centered Design from California State University, Fullerton. Beyond her digital work, Ellie is also a ceramicist, exploring form, texture, and craftsmanship through clay.

Arts & Wellness Coach • Design Consulting • Arts in Health Consulting • Remote Arts Prescription Design

Kat Pineda

  • Katrina Pineda (AKA: Kat) is a certified Health & Wellness Coach specializing in helping people play for their wellbeing through the business she founded, Playtronus LLC. She is a professional designer, multimedia artist, arts in health professional, researcher, and consultant. She has her MA in Arts in Medicine from the University of Florida (2018) and BFA in Multimedia Art from CSU, Chico (2010). Kat's been part of various efforts at the intersection of arts & health for over a decade, ranging from leading volunteer opportunities for coworkers and facilitating arts workshops to coaching, conducting evaluations, researching, and hosting networking events. Additionally, she has a decade of experience in UI/UX design, research, and management of young children’s EdTech products.

    Dancing, photography, hiking, live music, reading, designing graphic tees, ukulele strumming, lake time, and playing pickleball are some of her favorite past-times. She also enjoys spending time with her husband, three cats, family, and friends.

Jill Covell

MFA, AFT

Arts & Wellness Coach • Marketing & PR • Arts Prescription Design

  • Jill Covell is a dedicated artist with over 25 years of experience in mixed media. She holds a BA in Painting and Drawing from UCLA and an MFA in Installation Art from Claremont Graduate School. Her artistic journey has taken her across California, where her work has been exhibited in numerous galleries, showcasing her talent and passion for art.

    In addition to her artistic practice, Jill blends mindful and guided meditation techniques to help others visualize their healing process through art. She developed the Calm Art program, which brings creative expression to local high schools and cancer support groups throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties. With a focus on innovation and expression, Jill continues to inspire others through her unique creations while empowering them on their personal healing journeys.

Arts & Wellness Coach • Administrative Liaison for Music Matterz Music Therapy Practice • Arts Prescription Design

Mineli Arakelian

  • Mineli Arakelian is representing Music Matterz Inc. Music Matterz Inc. is a music therapy family practice specializing in neurologic music therapy, committed to providing the highest quality of care in music therapy, music and creative arts services, and music education possible. Domain areas include motor and language, social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral therapies.

Eddy Jimenez

Arts & Wellness Coach • Arts Prescription Design

  • Eduardo Jimenez, Eddy, was born in a small village in Oaxaca, Mexico called Teotitlan del Valle, famously known for its rugs.Eddy grew up in Moorpark, California. He constantly visited Oaxaca and learned how to weave. Upon graduating High School, he served a two-year mission in Mozambique, and Swaziland Africa. Eddy attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where he worked full time in administration at a private school. He was fortunate to work with special needs and trauma students. He participates in farmers markets throughout Ventura County showcasing rugs and other crafts from Oaxaca. He is excited to be at MICOP and work with such amazing individuals. He knows all the great things MICOP does for the community and wants to contribute to that in any way he can.

Kate Webb Berk

Arts & Wellness Coach • Remote Arts Prescription Design

  • Kate is a professional dancer and instructor whose work focuses on the intersection of arts and health. During her ten-year career with Ohio Contemporary Ballet, she performed, choreographed, taught, and led community-based initiatives in arts and social prescribing.

    Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Kate discovered dance through a public school outreach program and went on to train with Richmond Ballet. She earned a B.S. in Dance and Arts Administration from Butler University.

    Kate has designed and facilitated movement-based wellness programs for diverse populations, including older adults and children. She also teaches private and group classes focused on alignment, mobility, and joy in movement.

    Outside of work, Kate enjoys traveling, attempting new physical challenges, consuming chocolate, coffee, and veggies, and spending time with her loved ones—especially her husband and dog.

Maria Mayo

Arts & Wellness Coach • Program Documentation • Arts Prescription Design

  • Maria de Jesus Mayo is a Mexican-American mixed media artist born and raised in Oxnard, CA. Her work explores Latinidad, belonging, and Indegenous & Black femme perspectives. Her personal pieces evoke fragility, vulnerability, and evoking intimacy through the lens and creative process of storytelling. Her passion in film began at the age of 17 when she documented her summer trips to Mexico with her mother. She is an alumni of the The New School’s Documentary Media Studies program. Her first first short, La Lupita premiered at 2019 Doc NYC Festival. She recently completed the Social Documentation M.F.A. Program at UC Santa Cruz where she finalized her short, "simi", a modern meditation on the complexities of motherhood.

Arts & Wellness Community Network Artist • ADA Compliance • Translation • Program Documentation

Arcelia Martinez

  • I’ve been a filmmaker since 2011 and am currently training in the Arts and Wellness Program as a Health and Wellness Artist. I’ve worked with youth and teens in after-school programs and teen centers throughout Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema, Television, and Arts, along with several associate degrees, including one in Social and Behavioral Sciences. When I’m not writing or producing films, you can find me dancing ballroom styles or speaking at public events—although my dog, Fox, would rather I stay home with him or take him along for the ride!

Sonja Busum

Administrative Assistant • Billing & Accounts

  • Sonja Busum possesses over three decades of administrative assistant experience, bringing a comprehensive skillset and extensive knowledge applicable to diverse office settings. With over two decades of experience in the non-profit sector, she has served as a Community Liaison, Community Organizer, and Community Outreach Coordinator. Additionally, she has provided Leadership Training to residents in the Palmdale and Lancaster areas. Ms. Busum holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Project Management and a Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing. She has served on the Yes2Kids Board of Directors for ten years and currently holds the position of Vice President of the Terrific Kidz Inc Board. for over 15 years. Her interests include listening to live music, attending local museum, and exploring different cultures