Who We Are

Otieno Okatch, M.A.

Christina Buth-Okatch, B.A.

Winfred Narh, MBA

Arnold Hernadez, M.A.

Gloria Gallegos

At PALS Inc. we pair each participant in our programs with the most appropriate direct support professional to create unique support plan with each participant's best interests in mind.

Mr. Okatch serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PALS, Inc. Within the field of intellectual disabilities, he has over 20 years of experience. Previously, has he attended the University of California, Santa Barbara for his undergraduate education. Furthering his education, Mr. Okatch attended the University of California, Los Angeles where he graduated with a Masters of Arts. He continued his education at the Pepperdine University; where he earned a Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology. Once completing college, Mr. Okatch served as a Therapist for adolescents in foster care settings and as a behavior consultant. He managed residential, adult day care programs, and now he is directing PALS since its founding. Mr. Okatch has extensive experience in conducting functional assessment, formulating behavioral support plans/protocols, and providing behavior modification training for parents, and for staff in a variety of work settings.

Ms. Buth-Okatch serves as the Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of PALS, Inc. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University at Long Beach (CSULB). Christina has over 9 years of experiences in providing services for adults and children with intellectual disabilities in academic, residential, and work-site settings. In the past, Ms. Buth-Okatch participated in research projects with local government agencies to identify students with a low academic performance in public schools. She implemented and monitored new learning strategies to improve students academic performances. In addition, Ms. Buth-Okatch has insight in developing effective business model and organization structures for any work environment. She had over 15 plus years in managing small enterprise (i.e., donut shop, food market, fast food chain) to government agencies.

Winfred Narh serves as the Program Director for PALS Endeavours and PALS Endeavours Annex behavior management day programs in Hawthorne, CA. Mr. Narh earned his Bachelors of Art in Sociology from University of California, Santa Barbara. Following his degree he worked as a Residential Counselor who provided treatment, guidance, and in-dept living skills for adults with disabilities. He continued his education and received a Masters of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Mr. Narh has worked as a Job Developer for the Goodwill to help people obtain jobs. In continuation with his efforts to help this population, he was a Counselor at the Harbor Regional Center for 8 years. With the array of experiences Mr. Narh has working with this population, he is a great contribution to PALS Inc.

Gloria Gallegos is an experienced Program Director with nearly two decades experience in the field of intellectual disabilities and is a skilled certified trainer in both emergency intervention techniques thru the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), and First Aid/CPR.

PALS Inc. began providing services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in 1999 with an emphasis on therapeutic supports for people with a history of mental health challenges, trauma and/or challenging behaviors. Our assessment and treatment approaches are rooted in behavioral psychology and trauma informed tools to assist us in developing a positive behavior support plan. At the core of our philosophy is the knowledge that the adults we support are the subjects of their own experience, and getting to know them is a critical aspect of of our success. Our motto is "...Because behavior modification begins with a smile" and it directs us to the fundamental acknowledgement that behavior change begins with the first small step: a smile is a great place to start!

P.A.L.S Case Notes Collection

Mission Statement

PALS Inc. Management Team