About us
"Our mission is to transform the lives of youth while co-creating healthier communities and lifelong partnerships through the provision of quality programs based on the individual emotional, social, spiritual, and education needs of each child."
Access Granted Now challenges the impact that external factors such as human trafficking and, or self-destructive activities have on our youth by offering a supportive family environment. With a strong team of therapists, community affiliates, educators, and administrators, Access granted Now strives to eliminate negative and destructive environments through education, self-management, interpersonal skill building, and interaction with a variety of mentors and positive role models. Our programs promote ideals such as graduating from high school, entrepreneurship or pursing a college degree, and becoming a contributing member of society.
our Staff
President/Executive Director
Ebony King presents with over 20 years of accreditation, and academic accomplishment in the healthcare, behavioral health, and post-secondary education domains. Prior to working in the service industry, Ebony has served in various academic leadership roles to include VP of Academic Excellence for Medtech College, Director of Programmatic Accreditation, and Assistant Director of Nursing Programs for Accreditation and New Program Development at Kaplan Higher Education Corporation. Her life story and work with youth through group homes and volunteering for various youth organizations has driven her passion to commit to mentoring youth and ensuring there are resources for every child.
​
Ebony serves as president for the Jr. Titans Cheer association designed to mentor adolescent girls through the sideline and competition cheer. She has served as governance council member for local schools and as the superintendent council chair for the largest Georgia County. Ebony has spent over 20 years mentoring at risk teenagers and serves as a Life Strategist to many women. Ebony is a Registered Nurse, Certified Surgical Technologist, and has additional degrees in legal studies and education. In her spare time, Ebony works closely with her daughter to promote LOGO (Love Overcomes Great Opposition), a youth led company designed to stand against bullying of any form and reinforces the power of love over adversity.
Carmen Ruiz has over 15 years in the human services industry. Carmen's most recent assignments include serving for the Children's Home Society as a Family Support Worker and also as an Administrator for the Debary Sunshine Academy. Carmen has an MS in Organizational Leadership, Child Development Specialist Certificate, a B.A. in Social Services and is also a Certified Medical Assistant. Carmen's success is a testament to the possibilities that having adequate support while in the foster care/group home system can provide. She plans to continue to commit her life to serving in her passion of working with at risk girls and helping to be the light that they need to see in order to be successful regardless of their environments.
Program Director
Diana Cannon is a comprehensive academic professional with ten years of experience built on a strong record of education administration, instructional design, regulatory compliance, and academic accomplishment in the post-secondary education domains. Diana has a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership. In addition to her work in higher education, she has served for over seven years as a Director of Regional Programs for Girls, Inc. where she had the honor of developing and managing an after-school Math and English program for at risk youth in the Urban Housing Communities, YMCAs, and the Atlanta Public School System. Diana has successfully conducted training for community partners in supporting programs geared towards adolescent pregnancy. She also managed evaluators and developed measurable outcomes for statistical data needed to implement and improve other female centric at risk programs.
Lead Youth Counselor/Assistant Executive Director
Denise Thompson-Shearer has served as a Psychometrician at Crescent Therapy & Assessment for the last two years. She holds a Masters in Education Psychology and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in School Psychology with a concentration minor in Neuropsychology. Denise's relationship with Crescent Therapy & Assessment began as an intern approximately one year under the supervision of Dr. Raena Baptiste-Boles Psy.D. She was invited to be a part of this flourishing practice over the past year and has work predominantly from the Daytona and Orange City locations.
​
Denise has earned her Masters in Education Psychology from Argosy University Sarasota, and is presently pursuing a Doctoral Psy.D at Capella University. Her concentration is predominantly psychological assessments in order to identify learning and mental disabilities for children and adults with a focus on assisting in making a determination for therapeutic and/or academic support.
Youth Counselor/Psychometrician