‘Direct, coordinated support’: New East New York Center Improves on Holistic Treatment of Substance Use Disorders

Ms. Casado has worked in compliance for over 15 years. Her compliance work started in the field of research compliance as a non-affiliated member of several university Institutional Review Boards. She created the first Institutional Review Board (IRB) in the South Bronx to empower community residents on ethics and research. She then led the Compliance Department at Urban Health Plan, a major federally qualified health center in the South Bronx, where she was also the Senior Director of Policy. While there Joann worked on ensuring compliance with key regulatory and quality measures and was the point person for the agency’s participation in the 1115 Medicaid waiver work. Joann, most recently, held the top Compliance position at the Children’s Aid Society.

Prior to her compliance work, Joann worked in several NYC non-profits leading programs for people with HIV/AIDS, and in the field of reproductive health working with women and parenting people. She also worked for a pharmaceutical company developing health literacy material for medicines to address cardiovascular disease.

Joann holds a bachelor’s degree from City College, a Juris Doctor from New York Law School, and a Master of Law in healthcare law and policy from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University.

She lives in the Bronx, with her husband, and three children.

Dr. Glen Davis, joined ICL from Janian Medical Care, an affiliate of the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS), a not-for-profit human services agency that provides psychiatric services to people with lived experience of homelessness in New York City. 

At Janian-CUCS, Dr. Davis provided mental health care across a range of programs, including permanent supportive housing, shelter and safe havens, homeless street outreach teams, Assertive Community Treatment, and Intensive Mobile Treatment.

For the past six years, Dr. Davis has served as Medical Director for Education & Training at Janian-CUCS, directing all professional development activities for clinicians at the agency and assisting with design and implementation of psychiatric services in 70 social services programs across New York City. He has also served as Director of the Opioid Overdose Prevention Program at Janian-CUCS, overseeing agency-wide education on overdose response, naloxone distribution, and other grant-funded harm reduction initiatives.

Dr. Davis graduated from Hamilton College and earned his M.D. from Cornell University – Weill Medical College where he was awarded the Richard N. Kohl Prize for excellence in psychiatry. He completed residency training in general psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance of Harvard Medical School and Mount Sinai Medical Center.  A graduate of the Columbia Public Psychiatry Fellowship, Dr. Davis pursued additional training in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at New York University Medical Center and Addiction Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, where he is on voluntary faculty in the Department of Psychiatry.  He has served on committees as a member of the American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, and World Psychiatric Association.  Dr. Davis has been a co-investigator of research studies funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, authoring peer-reviewed journal articles on the epidemiology of psychiatric and substance use disorders in sub-Saharan Africa.

Prior to medical school, Dr. Davis served for three years as a community health education volunteer with the United States Peace Corps in Burkina Faso (West Africa).  He serves on the Board of Directors of World Connect, Inc., which funds grassroots, locally-led development projects in 20+ countries across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

Dr. Davis has spent his career supporting people with behavioral health challenges on their recovery journeys. He shares ICL’s bedrock principles — to be trauma-informed and person-centered — and has a track record of fostering learning across human services organizations.

Rosita Marinez joined ICL from Fountain House, a not-for-profit agency providing housing services to people living with serious mental illnesses.

Rosita is a proactive and driven leader with twenty years of experience growing teams, enhancing professional development, and improving job performance.  She is a problem solver who incorporates innovative systems for result-driven outcomes.  Recently, Rosita was responsible for a housing portfolio that included community residences, senior housing, transitional housing, Treatment Apartment Program (TAP), scatter-site programs as well as managing the Clubhouse model.

Aaron is a non-profit technology, quality assurance and operations executive with 25 years of experience providing strategic leadership to align an organization’s staff support services with its mission.

In his most recent position as Chief Information & Quality Officer at Project Renewal, he oversaw the Information Technology, Program Evaluation & Quality Assurance, and Security departments. He led Project Renewal’s migration to an infrastructure-as-a-service model using Microsoft Azure, created a data warehouse that merges client data from all systems to produce analytics and reporting, managed the migration to a new behavioral health EHR, and implemented a multi-layer security architecture that resulted in no breaches or data compromise events during his tenure.

Before his time at Project Renewal, Aaron served in various management roles at Partners International, an IT consulting firm focused on the non-profit, human services sector. He served as the lead consultant on large multi-year IT projects for American Red Cross, Restoring Family Links, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, The United States Library of Congress Congressional Office for International Leadership, and Special Olympics, among others.

Aaron is both personally and professionally committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion work. He has volunteered for organizations focused on gender, race, and class equity and remains active in those efforts in his community.

Richard Anemone joined ICL in November 2019 to oversee the management and operations of ICL’s IDD division that includes 12 small group residences funded by the New York State Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). Richard has more than 30 years’ experience in the mental health field working in various agencies in New York City and on Long island. He has worked with both adults and children with intellectual developmental disorders as well as psychiatric disorders in residential and day treatment programs, school settings, clinics and hospitals. He understands the complexities of serving this population having begun his career as a direct support, working his way up as both an administrator and clinician.

Richard has a Master’s degree in psychology and licensed as a mental health counselor in New York State. In his private practice on Long island, Richard provides counseling as well as training, presentations and technical support to individuals, families, groups and organizations.

Jerry Ramos oversees ICL’s Integrated Care division that includes outpatient treatment programs, care coordination, young adult and family housing, outreach and case management, supported employment and the East New York Health Hub. He was promoted to this position in 2019 to provide oversight to ICL’s newly opened Health Hub and to expand integrated care to more effectively address physical and behavioral health issues throughout the agency.

Jerry works in collaboration with five vice-presidents to ensure the effective delivery of a cluster of treatment and support services to individuals, families and children with mental health challenges or at risk of being homeless including the agency’s renowned Family Resource Center. He came to ICL in 2015 after more than 19 years at FEGS (Federation Employment & Guidance Service). He last served as Associate Vice-President for Behavioral Health Residential, New Initiatives and Homeless, overseeing residential programs for people with serious mental illness, substance abuse and chronic health conditions and special employment programs for these populations.

Prior to FEGS, he worked for the New York City Department of Homeless Services and its Human Resources Administration, Adult Services Division. Jerry has a Masters in Social work from Hunter College and certifications in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Recovery and Smoking Cessation, and Special Investigations, among others. Jerry grew up in Puerto Rico. He moved to New York City in 1982 and speaking no English at the time, got his first job as a dishwasher at a Bronx hospital.

Tekscape was the lead service provider strengthening ICL’s cyber infrastructure when ransomware threatened the organization’s ability to serve clients. Tekscape enabled us to quickly move into the Cloud and launch a robust remote working program. The pandemic hit soon after, making the remote program essential to those staff working almost fully remotely and to clients who never experienced an interruption of their care. We celebrate Tekscape for their dedication to our work and as a thought partner for all of ICL’s cyber-based needs.

Jerry Ramos oversees ICL’s Integrated Care division that includes outpatient treatment programs, care coordination, young adult and family housing, outreach and case management, supported employment and the East New York Health Hub. He was promoted to this position in 2019 to provide oversight to ICL’s newly opened Health Hub and to expand integrated care to more effectively address physical and behavioral health issues throughout the agency.

Jerry works in collaboration with five vice-presidents to ensure the effective delivery of a cluster of treatment and support services to individuals, families and children with mental health challenges or at risk of being homeless including the agency’s renowned Family Resource Center. He came to ICL in 2015 after more than 19 years at FEGS (Federation Employment & Guidance Service). He last served as Associate Vice-President for Behavioral Health Residential, New Initiatives and Homeless, overseeing residential programs for people with serious mental illness, substance abuse and chronic health conditions and special employment programs for these populations.

Prior to FEGS, he worked for the New York City Department of Homeless Services and its Human Resources Administration, Adult Services Division. Jerry has a Masters in Social work from Hunter College and certifications in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Recovery and Smoking Cessation, and Special Investigations, among others. Jerry grew up in Puerto Rico. He moved to New York City in 1982 and speaking no English at the time, got his first job as a dishwasher at a Bronx hospital.

Richard Anemone joined ICL in November 2019 to oversee the management and operations of ICL’s IDD division that includes 12 small group residences funded by the New York State Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). Richard has more than 30 years’ experience in the mental health field working in various agencies in New York City and on Long island. He has worked with both adults and children with intellectual developmental disorders as well as psychiatric disorders in residential and day treatment programs, school settings, clinics and hospitals. He understands the complexities of serving this population having begun his career as a direct support, working his way up as both an administrator and clinician.

Richard has a Master’s degree in psychology and licensed as a mental health counselor in New York State. In his private practice on Long island, Richard provides counseling as well as training, presentations and technical support to individuals, families, groups and organizations.

Jeanine Costley provides clinical and administrative oversight for eight clinical programs including transitional shelters and community-based services for homeless or formerly homeless adults and families. All programs support clients transitioning from homelessness to independence through integrated mental and physical health services, trauma-informed and recovery- orientated services, with an intensive case management component. She began at ICL in 2011 as clinical director of Tillary Street Women’ shelter; in 2020, Jeanine oversaw the opening of ICL’s fourth and fifth shelters.

Prior to coming to ICL, Jeanine was a psychotherapist at Brooklyn Center for Psychotherapy; psychosocial coordinator at Doctors without Borders; and Clinical Director of Sanctuary for Families. She has worked with Safe Horizon, the Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation, and Urban Resource Institute Domestic Violence Shelter. Jeanine received a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work from New York University in 2018, her MSW from Columbia University School of Social Work, and Post Graduate Certificates in Fundamentals of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) and Advanced Trauma Studies and Treatment from Adelphi University and in Advanced Clinical Practice from New York University.

Jeanine is invited frequently as a trainer and guest lecturer on subjects including trauma-informed care for homeless women of color at NYU and Columbia University. At the 2018 Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Conference in Albany, she presented on “Mental and Physical Health Disparities in Communities of Color.”

Dr. Victoria Pham is a double-boarded physician who implements mission-driven improvements and evidence-based integrated care at the population level. In her experience at Change Healthcare, she collaborated with nearly 300 payer organizations and 5,000 hospital systems to solve systemic issues, particularly through utilization management, care coordination, claim analysis, behavioral health technology, and consulting engagements.

In addition, she is also currently an Assistant Professor at Columbia University, a consultant to the Office of Mental Health of New York State, and a peer reviewer at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Dr. Pham is board certified in Child &Adolescent Psychiatry and General Adult Psychiatry. She holds a medical degree from the Western University of Health Sciences and an MBA from Yale University.

After obtaining a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from Peking University, Hao Wang received a PhD from MIT and an MPA from Harvard University. He served as Vice President of the Research Foundation for the State University of New York, the country’s largest university-related research foundation and Chief Information Officer of SUNY, its largest comprehensive university system.

Hao was partner/managing director of Accenture, responsible for their healthcare practice in Greater China. He served as deputy commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health and was group vice president of Kingmed Diagnostics (Guangzhou), one of the most successful private healthcare enterprises in China. Hao helped draft the industry standard for Personal Health Records for the US health insurance industry. He was an adjunct professor and director of mental health informatics at Columbia University.

Robert Gonzalez oversees services for clients across more than 1,500 apartments. He joined ICL in June 2021 from Acacia Network, where he served as Vice President for Transitional Housing, overseeing the day-to-day operations of all NYC Department of Homeless Services contracts and an annual revenue of approximately $111,000,000. In this role, Robert was responsible for more than 1,500 family and 900 single housing units over more than a dozen contracts, as well as providing temporary services for almost 700 individuals across six commercial hotels in Queens.

Robert’s commitment to serving the people of New York over a stellar 19-year career in the public sector was never more evident than in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, when he worked tirelessly to help lead the effort to find housing for more than 20,000 people and their pets affected by the storm. Robert has received several leadership awards and been instrumental in helping the city monitor and track program performance across the entire shelter system.

Robert is fluent in Spanish, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Empire State College.

Twiggy Rodriguez has more than twenty years of operational and executive management experience in healthcare. Most recently, she oversaw Total Quality Management for the Public Health Management Corporation, responsible for 350 programs in healthcare, social services, case management, and education, including the Public Health campus at Cedar, formerly known as Mercy Hospital in Philadelphia. Previously, Twiggy was Vice President of Primary Care at Acacia Network in the Bronx, where she used her long experience in integrated care delivery to address health disparities among the 16,000 FQHC patients in the areas of primary care, behavioral health, HIV/HEP C clinics, Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT), health home and care coordination.   

Twiggy has also held key leadership roles at Mobile Health Management, a leading provider of occupational health serving more than 250,000 clients annually, and Columbia University’s Student Health Services.  As a consultant, she has provided business, content development, health promotion, and Electronic Health Record optimization for a variety of clients, including Union Community Health Center and the Embassy of Ecuador.

Twiggy’s experience with accreditation and regulatory organizations includes the Joint Commission, Council of Accreditation (COA), Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) certification and sustainability activities as well as HRSA regulations, Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP), and NCQA standards. She holds a BA in Liberal Arts from the Instituto Tecnologico Superior de Estudios de Television (ITV), specialized in Healthcare Delivery at Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program, studied Business Analytics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Aresty Institute of Executive Education, and is a candidate of the Executive Business Excellence program at Berkeley University.

Nikant Ohri joined ICL in 2013 as Associate Chief Financial Officer. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Albany. He is responsible for the management and performance of the financial, human resources, payroll, purchasing and entitlements departments and brings over 15 years of nonprofit experience to the agency.

Brandi R. Horton is a seasoned C-Suite leader with expertise in organizational advancement initiatives, development operations, and strategic internal systems development. In October 2022, she will join ICL’s executive team as Chief Development and External Affairs Officer.

In her current role, Brandi serves as Chief of Staff, Head of Operations and interim Head of Development at Children’s Health Fund. She joined Children’s Health Fund in March of 2018 as Senior Director of Individual Giving, was promoted to Associate Vice President of Individual Giving & Development Operations in 2019, and was appointed Chief of Staff & Head of Operations in 2020.

In her primary role as Chief of Staff, Brandi serves as the strategic advisor to the CEO and point of contact between top management and key organization stakeholders. Brandi is instrumental in planning and directing operational initiatives that support Children’s Health Fund’s mission to improve the health and wellbeing of children and families who live in the most marginalized communities across the United States.

Over the course of Brandi’s fifteen year tenure in nonprofit management, she has established herself as a trusted leader and partner among key stakeholders and teams established to enhance fundraising pipelines. Through effective stewardship program implementation, intentional targeted outreach, and carefully curated development activities, Brandi has engaged and cultivated ambassadors, major donors, and supporters to build long-standing relationships proven to yield a continuum of growth.

Brandi’s successful execution of strategic development initiatives made her the ideal candidate to partner with the CEO to lead, plan, and direct strategic operational objectives in alignment with CHF’s core mission and values.

Prior to joining Children’s Health Fund, Brandi held a myriad of leadership roles with esteemed like-organizations, including Young Adult Institute (YAI), Center for Anti-Violence Education (CAE), and The Edge (Formerly known as SASF), and founded her own consulting firm where she designed and implemented cutting-edge fundraising strategies.

Some of Brandi’s most notable accomplishments include closing a seven-figure gift from a lapsed donor, recruiting a national spokesperson to help an organization execute their first million-dollar gala, and reinvigorating Advisory Boards. Brandi’s passion, innovative approach, and expertise are highly respected across the industry and awarded her a special invitation to the invite-only Forbes Nonprofit Council.

Brandi holds a bachelor’s degree in applied sciences from the University of Pittsburgh and a certification in Executive leadership from Yale University, School of Management. When she is not in the office, Brandi enjoys keeping up on the latest news and trends in organizational development and spending time with friends and family.

Jody Rudin has over two decades of experience in the social services sector, working with nonprofits and in government. Before joining ICL, Rudin was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Project Renewal, where she led over 1,000 employees, administered a $120 million budget and oversaw a 15 percent increase in revenue. Prior to her work at Project Renewal, Rudin was Executive Vice President and COO at Damian Family Health Centers, where she led day-to-day operations for a multi-site health center network with 15 locations across the five boroughs. Rudin also had a distinguished 12-year career at the New York City Department of Homeless Services, culminating in serving as Deputy Commissioner, during which time she directed 500 employees and 150 contracted programs. Through her inclusive approach, the agency was able to help place more than 4,000 chronically homeless people into permanent housing, among other accomplishments.

Rudin began her career in public service as a legislative aide to Council Member Christine Quinn, then worked for Housing Works, an HIV and housing services organization. She is a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta and has a Master’s in Public Administration from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.