Staff and Consultants
Staff / Consultants
Ann Boughtin, MS, MPA
Susan M. Bowler, PhD
Mary Ann Castle
Barry Chaffkin, LCSW
Amanda Estrine, MBA
Henrietta Fishman, LCSW, CADC
Susan Grundberg, LMSW, MPA
Michael Gusmano, PhD
Cristina Jose-Kampfner, PhD, MA
David Kaplan, JD
Brigid Lang, MPA
Deborah A. Lielasus
C. Terence McCormick, MSW, MPA
Frank McCorry, PhD
Lisa Najavits, PhD
Richard Orndoff
Ed Rohs, LCSW
Jan Roth, PhD
Merrill Rotter, MD
John Sheehan, LCSW
Alan E. Siegel, EdD
Hal Smith, MPS, CCHP
Scott Thomas, PhD
Denise Torres, LCSW, CASAC
Nancy Travers
Adele Weiner, PhD, LCSW
ANN BOUGHTIN, MS, MPA
Consultant, Managed Care
Ann Boughtin has many years of experience as a healthcare executive in State government and the for-profit healthcare sector. Her expertise includes Medicaid, managed care, program development, project management and large scale implementation efforts, change management, and strategic planning.
SUSAN M. BOWLER, PhD
Consultant, Child Welfare
Susan Bowler has extensive experience in policy/program development and implementation in State child welfare, juvenile justice and children’s mental health agency. She was the Project Director and Principal Investigator on three Children’s Mental Health (System of Care) Initiatives targeting children under 21 with serious emotional disturbances.
MARY ANN CASTLE
Consultant, Research and Evaluation
Mary Ann Castle is a social anthropologist with 25 years experience conducting applied research and evaluation (quantitative, qualitative, participatory, self assessment). She also conducts program design/management, strategic planning, grant writing, and technical assistance to a variety of organizations. Her areas of expertise are reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, substance use, and youth. She has worked in Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, India and with diverse communities throughout the U.S.
BARRY CHAFFKIN, LCSW
Consultant, Child Welfare
Barry Chafkin has 20 years of child welfare experience in foster care. He has trained staff in 11 states in topics related to foster care and adoption. Mr. Chafkin is a nationally recognized speaker with a special expertise the developmental issues of teen, and he has extensive experience in both adoption and family reunification.
AMANDA ESTRINE, MBA
Consultant, Program Analyst and Evaluator
Amanda Estrine is a business analyst and evaluator with experience both in the private and public sectors. As a Senior Planner in the private sector she forecasted business and economic conditions and analyzed sales data and economic trends. As a consultant at SAE Ms. Estrine prepares program expense budgets for multi-million dollar health programs, analyzes client staffing patterns and activity levels to project revenue and operational deviation, and analyzes and interprets program/patient data to assess program outcomes.
HENRIETTA FISHMAN, LCSW, CADC
Consultant, Mental Health and Homeless Veterans
Henrietta Fishman has had over 35 years experience in the public and private sectors as an administrator, consultant and program developer in mental health, substance abuse and homeless veterans programs. As Network Manager of the VA residential treatment, homeless and vocational rehabilitation programs in southern New York and New Jersey, she had a major role in developing “Operation Home,” a model program to divert homeless veterans in New York City from streets and shelters into housing.
SUSAN GRUNDBERG, LMSW, MPA
Consultant, Child Welfare
Susan Grundberg has twenty years of experience relating to residential care, foster care placement issues and technology initiatives. She has worked in management, direct service, program development, policy analysis, advocacy, and systems development and implementation in the major urban child welfare systems of Chicago and New York City. Currently a foster care parent of two teens who spent a combined total of 14 years in residential care, Susan has significant personal and professional insight regarding the needs of such families.
MICHAEL GUSMANO, PhD
Consultant, Health Policy and Researcher
Michael Gusmano is a Research Scholar at the Hastings Center. He was formerly an Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center. Dr. Gusmano’s research interests include health policy, comparative welfare state analysis, and the political representation of the poor in public policy debates.
CRISTINA JOSE-KAMPFNER, PhD, MA
Consultant, Sexual Abuse and Trauma
Dr. Jose-Kampfner is Professor of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University. Her expertise includes the treatment of sexually abused children and their families; a broad array of research with special interests in incarcerated women and the effects on their children; and the relationship between domestic violence and substance abuse.
DAVID KAPLAN, JD
Consultant, Underserved Populations and At-Risk Youth
David Kaplan has over 20 years of executive level nonprofit experience, specializing in the creation, development, funding, and assessment of programs that meet the needs of at-risk and under-served populations. He has raised over $35 million in funding from foundations, individuals, corporations, and government agencies. Mr. Kaplan served as Development Director and Chief Operating Officer at Greenwich Village Youth Council and was the Executive Director at the YMCA of Greater New York. Mr. Kaplan has an intimate familiarity with both the history and latest developments in delinquency diversion, children's services and foster care, drug prevention, and homeless/runaway teens and young adults.
BRIGID LANG, MPA
Consultant, Fundraising
Brigid Lang, an organizational development and fund-raising professional, has expertise in infrastructure analysis, development, and implementation, research, fund-raising, volunteer program development, budgeting, and administration. Ms. Lang has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years, with a variety of community-based and advocacy organizations.
DEBORAH A. LIELASUS
Consultant, Grantwriter
Deborah A. Lielasus has been working in the nonprofit fields of management and fundraising for more than twenty years. As a consultant grantwriter, she has specific expertise in planning, research, writing, budgeting, reviewing, and readiness. Ms. Lielasus has written thousands of successful government, foundation, and corporate grant proposals over the course of her career for organizations and agencies whose missions include civil legal aid, housing, homelessness, health, immigration, youth development, domestic violence, mental health, environment, child welfare, financial literacy, and the arts.
C. TERENCE MCCORMICK, MSW, MPA
Mental Health/Criminal Justice Consultant
Terence McCormick has extensive experience in police-mental health relations, design and implementation of jail diversion programs, jail mental health services, and reentry planning services for inmates with mental illness. Mr. McCormick believes that evidence based practices and consumer and family involvement in planning and implementation are essential.
FRANK MCCORRY, PhD
Consultant
Dr. McCorry has worked in the field of substance abuse prevention and treatment for over 35 years. His most recent assignments have focused on clinical policy and practice improvement issues, particularly in the areas of public health, co-occurring mental health and addictive disorders and managed care. He has represented OASAS on a joint initiative with the Office of Mental Health on co-occurring disorders, which is based on the “New York Model”, a conceptual paradigm for the treatment of persons with co-occurring disorders and has served as principal investigator for numerous research projects related to his areas of interest. Dr. McCorry is Chair of the Washington Circle Group, a SAMHSA-sponsored initiative to develop substance abuse performance measures for use in managed care and public sector settings, co-Chair of the National Quality Forum’s Voluntary Census Standards, and an Editorial Board Member of Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. Dr. McCorry received his doctorate in Counseling and Human Services from St. John’s University.
LISA NAJAVITS, PhD
Consultant, Trauma Treatment
Lisa Najavits developed “Seeking Safety”, a cognitive behavioral approach to the treatment of trauma, which is an evidence-based practice. She provides expert knowledge in clinical psychology, including cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma treatment; addiction treatment; and psychotherapy research on treatment of addiction and substance use disorders.
RICHARD ORNDOFF
Consultant, Managed Care
Richard Orndoff has senior executive level experience in behavioral managed care with emphasis on Medicaid “carve out” and “carve in” programs. He has extensive experience with State government at virtually all levels, including administrative, planning, direct operations, legislative relations, and budgeting.
ED ROHS, LCSW
Consultant, Monitoring and Regulatory Review
Ed Rohs has many years’ experience in oversight monitoring and regulatory review on both the state (OMH) and local governmental (NYCDHMH, HHC, ACS) levels. In this role he has assisted providers to develop foster care prevention programs, mental health programs, and mental health housing initiatives. In addition, he also has many years of child welfare experience working with SED adolescents ages 13-19 in both group homes and institutional settings.
JAN ROTH, PhD
Consultant, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Jan Roth worked at the Metro New York Developmental Disabilities Services Office for twenty one years, providing capacity building for paraprofessional staff, developing positive behavior support programs, and coordinating residential habilitation plans.
MERRILL ROTTER, MD
Consultant
Merrill Rotter is a forensic psychiatrist who holds academic positions at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Rotter received his B.A./M.D. from the Boston University Six-Year Combined Liberal Arts Medical Education Program. Trained in clinical psychiatry at Columbia and in forensic psychiatry at Yale, Dr. Rotter leads a program of teaching, research and clinical service for Einstein as well as the New York State Office of Mental Health. Dr. Rotter is Medical Director of EAC/TASC NYC Mental Health Diversion Programs and is Project Director of SPECTRM, a nationally-recognized research, training and treatment program aimed at helping to meet the needs individuals with mental illness who have a history of incarceration. For a longer bio, visit http://www.halsmithforensic.com/aboutrotter.html
JOHN SHEEHAN, LCSW
Consultant, Adolescent and Homeless Programs
John Sheehan has over 25 years’ experience as a Social Worker with underserved populations in New York City. This experience includes designing and managing innovative programs for adolescents and the homeless at Outreach Project, Covenant House, Project Samaritan, and Phoenix House. In recent years, as a VP at Phoenix House, John was a member of the state wide committee which created new adolescent OASAS Medicaid Residential Regulations. John also participated in the design and management of a SAMSHA funded aftercare program for adolescents returning to the community from residential drug treatment. He developed and managed an alternative school in East New York for students with behavioral problems.
ALAN E. SIEGEL, EdD
Consultant, College Mental Health Services
Alan Siegel is Chief of Mental Health Services at MIT and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Siegel has a national reputation as an expert in the prevention of suicide amongst college students. His background is in psychotherapy, including professional and paraprofessional staff training, psycho-diagnosis, trauma treatment, and directing clinical programs for college students.
HAL SMITH, MPS, CCHP
Consultant
Hal is a forensic mental health expert who has worked for four decades exclusively with adult and juvenile forensic mental health populations. Most recently he was Forensic Division Director and Corporate Consultant for Clinical Operations for MHM Services Inc, For the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) he was the CEO of Central NY Psych. Ctr. and oversaw all behavioral health services for the NYS Dept. of Correctional Services. He was OHM's first Director of Forensic Services. Hal has consulted nationally and internationally for behavioral health, criminal justice and judicial departments as well as architectural firms on forensic structural design and alternatives. He has been involved in all aspects of state and federal litigation. www.halsmithforensic.com
SCOTT THOMAS, PhD
Consultant, Implementation and Sustainability
Scott Thomas works in public health and health care. His focus is on program design, implementation, sustainability, and evaluation. He has worked with behavioral health organizations for over 20 years. Scott has also worked with youth agencies, correctional facilities, schools, and government public health agencies. He has extensive experience training medical providers and staff on health behavior change theory and skills. He has coauthored a toolkit on sustaining improved outcomes that is used nationally.
DENISE TORRES, LCSW, CASAC
Consultant, Social Welfare
Denise Torres has over 20 years of direct practice, administration and research experience. She has published work on citizen participation in child welfare and has presented nationally and internationally on building collaborative capacity, integrating performance standards and evidence-based practice in human services, and on improving intercultural competence. Currently, she is working a consultant with the New York City Social Work Education Consortium/James Satterwhite Academy and the Leadership Transformation Group.
NANCY TRAVERS
Consultant, Child Welfare
Nancy Travers was the Deputy Commissioner of Westchester County Department of Social Services for 12 years, where she held full operational and program responsibility for all child welfare programs and the County’s family and single adult shelter systems. She initiated an intensive intervention program to relocate homeless persons with severe mental illness in supportive housing and was the co-investigator on SAMHSA- funded research demonstration grant to test viability of Critical Time Intervention for homeless families.
ADELE WEINER, PhD, LCSW
Consultant, HIV/AIDS and Social Media
With over 30 years of college teaching experience, Dr. Adele Weiner is currently a Professor of Human Services at Metropolitan College of New York, New York City and former Associate Dean of the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University, New York. She has taught in a variety of traditional and non-traditional college settings including programs for adult students, a maximum security prison, and a U.S. military base. She was a research consultant, principal investigator, and evaluator for CDC funded projects with a New York City community-based organization providing HIV/AIDS services to streetwalking sex workers, young MSM of color, and homeless individuals. Her recent research focuses on the use of technology in higher education, assessment of teaching and learning, and accreditation. Her research has resulted in numerous national and international presentations and publications. For a list of selected research presentations and publications please see: draweiner.freeservers.com