Dr. Brian Fuchs is a Senior Psychiatrist at Rikers Island and an expert in treating patients with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, homelessness, and justice involvement. From 2021 to 2024, he also worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, supporting regional and national provider systems, as well as state and federal governments, in expanding and improving behavioral health services. He leveraged advanced analytics, financial modeling, and his clinical expertise to design programs and ensure the sustainability of high-quality service offerings.

Since 2014, Dr. Fuchs has worked as a psychiatrist at Rikers Island, where he currently oversees all psychiatric care at the Rose M. Singer Center, the only women's facility on the island. Approximately 90% of the more than 500 residents receive behavioral health services under his supervision, highlighting the significant needs of the justice-involved population. Previously, Dr. Fuchs served as a psychiatrist on the PACE and CAPS units, residential houses for the most severely ill patients on the island, all of whom have serious mental illness, with most also struggling with co-occurring substance use disorders. Providing leadership, supervision, and collaboration with interdisciplinary teams are essential aspects of his role.

From 2016 through 2021, Dr. Fuchs was a faculty member at Columbia University, where he led clinical operations at Columbia’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program. In this role, he oversaw an interdisciplinary team of over 40 psychiatrists and other healthcare professionals, including nurse practitioners, psychiatry residents, case managers, peer counselors, and social workers. His team was responsible for assessing, stabilizing, and treating individuals with psychiatric emergencies such as active psychosis and violent behavioral disturbances, as well as coordinating their post-discharge care and services.

Dr. Fuchs earned his MD from Harvard Medical School and completed his psychiatry residency at Mount Sinai. He holds an MPH in Healthcare Policy and Management from Columbia University, an MBA from New York University, and a BA in Economics from Harvard College. Born and raised in Queens, Dr. Fuchs has dedicated his career to advancing the health, dignity, and wellbeing of New York’s most vulnerable.

Anna M. Kaplan is a former New York State Senator and a child refugee from Tabriz, Iran. At just 13 years old, her parents made the difficult decision to send her on her own to the U.S. for safety. Two years later, she was granted political asylum and later became a U.S. citizen. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Stern College for Women at Yeshiva University and law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

After settling in Great Neck with her family, Senator Kaplan immersed herself in public service, beginning with her election to the Library Board, then to the Board of Zoning Appeals, and in 2011 as Councilwoman for North Hempstead, the fifth-largest town in the U.S. In this role, she expanded access to quality, affordable housing, strengthened tenant protections, led public park renovations, and increased funding for children’s afterschool programs. When the Town Clerk refused to perform same-sex marriages following New York’s legalization, Senator Kaplan stepped in and officiated the ceremonies herself, cementing her reputation as an unwavering ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.

In 2018, Senator Kaplan made history as the first former refugee – and the first Iranian-American – to be elected to the New York State Senate. As a State Senator and Chair of the Committee on Commerce, Economic Development, and Small Business, she was instrumental in supporting businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, securing $800 million to establish New York’s Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program.

Beyond economic recovery, Senator Kaplan advanced policies that strengthened housing security, public safety, and social justice. Recognizing the connection between housing, mental health, and substance use recovery, she championed initiatives that provided pathways to long-term stability and reintegration, securing funding for critical support programs and backing community initiatives such as the Thrive Recovery Centers, established in response to the opioid epidemic, and The Safe Center, a dedicated provider of legal and support services for survivors of domestic violence. With Tropez Health, Senator Kaplan is continuing her lifelong commitment to building stronger, safer communities by expanding access to housing, recovery, and opportunity for those who need it most.

Dr. Traci Davis-Taylor, a Doctor of Social Work, brings decades of leadership experience working with justice-involved populations, including more than 15 years at Albion Correctional Facility, where she served as a Senior Social Worker. During her tenure, she provided and oversaw mental health services to women with serious mental illness and substance use disorders, led interdisciplinary teams, supervised staff and interns, coordinated complex discharge planning, and developed trauma-informed programs. She also directed mental health services within a 200-bed disciplinary housing unit, leading daily crisis assessments and strengthening the facility’s approach to stabilization and recovery.

Building on her work at Albion, Dr. Davis-Taylor now delivers clinical services at Rikers Island, supporting incarcerated women with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, histories of homelessness, and other complex behavioral health needs. Working daily in high-acuity environments has deepened her understanding of the clinical, emotional, and systemic barriers women face when preparing for reentry, and reinforced her belief that transitional housing, paired with integrated care, is essential for lasting recovery.

Beyond her corrections-based work, Dr. Davis-Taylor has served as a Medical Social Worker at Highland Hospital in Rochester, supporting patients in the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, and Labor and Delivery. Her strong relationships across Monroe County’s behavioral health and medical networks have helped residents access a full continuum of care, including primary care, specialty services, and mental health support through University of Rochester’s hospital system and affiliated clinics.

Dr. Davis-Taylor earned her Doctor of Social Work degree at the University of Alabama, where her capstone project focused on implementing culturally responsive Cognitive Behavioral Interventions to reduce recidivism among Black and Brown communities, work that reflects her lifelong commitment to equity, clinical excellence, and community healing, and that she is now bringing to life with Tropez Health by building a recovery-focused program where individuals reentering society can rebuild their lives with dignity, stability, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Mr. Vivek Sreekumar is a Re-Entry and Transition Social Worker at Rikers Island whose career has centered on expanding access to care, housing, and dignity for people navigating the criminal legal system. At Tropez Health, he leads our efforts to ensure that resident voice and lived experience shape every layer of the program, from frontline services to organizational learning.

At Rikers, he works tirelessly to support individuals with serious mental illness and substance use disorders, helping them navigate critical transitions and access the resources needed for stability and recovery, developing discharge plans, submitting supportive housing applications, and coordinating directly with ACT teams and outpatient providers, among other responsibilities. His work bridges the gap between institutional care and community-based treatment, promoting continuity, strengthening engagement, and improving outcomes for people returning home from jail.

Before entering clinical practice, Mr. Sreekumar worked in public policy as a legislative aide to New York City Council Member Stephen Levin. In that role, he partnered with organizations such as The Fortune Society and Bronx Defenders to write and pass legislation supporting justice-involved New Yorkers. He also provided direct constituent services, helping people access unemployment benefits, Medicaid, and other essential supports.

Mr. Sreekumar earned his Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and his Master of Social Work from Fordham University, graduating with a near-perfect GPA and induction into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. His graduate training focused on trauma-informed care for young adults in East New York with histories of system involvement—supporting them in building stability and reconnecting with critical resources. Beyond his professional roles, he remains active in grassroots mutual aid and community organizing across New York, particularly in efforts focused on housing equity and neighborhood-based support networks.

At Tropez, Mr. Sreekumar leads a range of resident engagement strategies to ensure that those we serve are heard, and that their experiences directly shape how we design, deliver, and evolve our care.

Through his experience and commitment to mental health, Dr. Daniel Linhares continues to make meaningful contributions to the field of psychiatry and the well-being of the communities he serves. In his role as a professor and clinician at Columbia University Medical Center, he works as an emergency psychiatrist and provides psychiatric consultations across various medical specialties. Additionally, Dr. Linhares serves as a Medical Director at ENGAGE at the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene. In this capacity, he leads staff training and implementation, overseeing an interdisciplinary team of social workers, peer counselors, and other professionals. This initiative focuses on enhancing the identification of mental illness and other social determinants of health within residential treatment facilities, shelters, and community centers. Dr. Linhares’ team delivers evidence-based interventions and supports at-risk individuals in coordinating and accessing long-term comprehensive services.

With a robust background in community and public health, including extensive international experience and deep expertise in New York’s Latino communities, Dr. Linhares has applied his knowledge as a psychiatrist across the full spectrum of behavioral health care, working in outpatient clinics, inpatient settings, and emergency rooms. These diverse experiences have given him a profound understanding of public psychiatry and specialized care for chronically homeless individuals with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and justice involvement.

His academic research has been published and presented at both national and international conferences, including in Japan and the Netherlands. Dr. Linhares has also contributed his expertise as a psychiatric consultant to NBC News, covering topics ranging from substance use in the LGBT community to the psychological implications of HIV prevention.

Dr. Linhares is double board-certified in psychosomatic medicine and adult psychiatry. He completed his fellowship in Psychosomatic Medicine at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s-Roosevelt and trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the New York Medical College Psychoanalytic Institute. He obtained his MD from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and completed his residency in psychiatry at New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center.