Each year, Breining Institute awards the Excellence in Supervision Award (ESA) to recognize alcohol and other drug (AOD) and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and education programs that have demonstrated ongoing commitment to standards of excellence in clinical supervision. The ESA Application is free, and awards are made twice a year.
We are pleased to recognize the individuals and agencies named below as the most recent recipients of the nationally-awarded Excellence in Supervision Award (ESA), which join the group of distinguished ESA recipients from Alaska, California, Florida, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington D.C.
ESA Award Recipients: NOVEMBER 2015
Cindy Engel, M-RAS, LCSW
Clinical Program Manager
Brand New Day / Truxtun Psychiatric Medical Group
Cindy Engel earned her Master of Social Work (MSW) from California State University, Bakersfield, is a Breining Institute-certified Masters Level – Registered Addiction Specialist (M-RAS), and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Ms. Engel has served as Clinical Program Manager for Brand New Day / Truxtun Psychiatric Medical Group for six years.
Ms. Engel has eighteen years experience in the field of working with adolescents, families and adults suffering from addiction, grief / loss, codependency, PTSD and eating disorders, and in her role at Truxtun, she oversees interns’ clinical experiential hours, provider relations, collaboration with the local County government, as well as individual psychotherapy.
Since 2000, Brand New Day has been providing services under a Medicare Contract to the Severely & Persistently Mentally Ill (SPMI) population, with about 60% of its members have a co-occurring substance abuse diagnoses, and provides care to over 3,000 members.
Brand New Day / Truxtun Psychiatric Medical Group operations and staff are located in California, and include Cindy Engel, LCSW, FSAP, EMDR Trained, M-RAS; Daniela Perez, Lifecoach; Nastasia Santoyo MFT Intern, Lifecoach, RASi; Erika Martin, Receptionist, Activities Coordinator; Wendy Clason, Masters student intern, Lifecoach; Jeff Davis, CEO, Universal Healthcare Brand New Day; Neil Kitchen, BS, Lifecoach; Debra Martin, MS, MFT Intern, RASi, Lifecoach; Dr. Robert Myers, Clinical Psychologist, Vice President, Behavioral Health Brand New Day; Isabel Alaniz, Lifecoach.
Truxtun provides a supportive environment providing evidence-based care to not only treat its clients’ mental illness and substance abuse conditions, but to also provide skills training and incentives to enable its members to attain a sustainable level of wellness that then leads to successful integration within their communities.
In order to attain its recognized level of success, Truxtun relies on a well trained, dedicated professional staff including AOD counselors. Its counselors use their clinical skills as well as their compassion and persistence to help members in making responsible choices and taking the steps to recover from their mental illness as well as their alcohol and/or drug dependence. Truxtun management believes that professional supervision is a key component to equipping and guiding the treatment team members to use their skills and personal commitment to facilitate growth and change.
Mickey Kay Troxell, RAS, CATC II, CEAC II
Executive Director
Pegasus ECT
Mickey Kay Troxell has earned the Registered Addiction Specialist (RAS) Credential from Breining Institute; the Certified Addictions Treatment Counselor Level II (CATC II) from California Association for Alcohol / Drug Educators (CAADE); and the Certified Equine Assisted Counselor II (CEAC II) credentials from the National Association of Certified Professionals of Equine Therapy (NACPET).
With over twenty years experience in the profession of addiction counseling, Ms. Troxell has provided Addiction Counseling specializing in Women’s Issues, Fears, and Spirituality as they relate to addiction, as well as Equine Assisted Counseling to Treatment Centers, individuals, groups and families, and has expressed that the Excellence in Supervision Award recognition is an “honor bestowed upon our organization held in high regard.”
Pegasus operations and staff are located in California and Tennessee, and include Mickey Kay Troxell, RAS, CATC II, CEAC II, Chief Executive Officer; David J. Pugh, CGRS, Senior Vice-President of Operations; TeJay Brune, BA, CEACA, Program Director, Behavioral Health Professional Associate; Kara Weinraub, CES, Perelli Natural Horsemanship Trainer; Janel Gunter, CES, CEACA, Equine Specialist / Behavioral Health Professional Associate ; Melissa Clay, BA, Equine Specialist, Executive Assistant; Kim Clifton, Equine Specialist; Jessica Mathon, LMFT, Equine Specialist / Mental Health Professional; Jennifer Schilling, LPCC, Mental Health Professional; Robyn LeAnn, CES II, CEACA, Director of Equine Services / Behavioral Health Professional Associate; Deborah Levine, LCSW, Clinical Director, Equine Specialist / Mental Health Professional; and Cori M. Charm, LMFT, CEAT, Mental Health Professional.
It has been the goal at Pegasus ECT (Experiential Counseling Techniques) to provide an inter-operational environment which meets high standards in the area of supervision. Steps Ms. Troxell has taken to attain this goal include: regular communication between all staff members, by providing quarterly in-person or tele-conference meetings, daily email and telephone communication to de-brief following each session, yearly training on: ethics, referral, crisis intervention, client safety and education on current empirical studies and findings in the field of addictions treatment. Each professional within the Pegasus organization is required to hold current knowledge, skills and abilities to effectively perform their role as a mental health professional / addictions treatment provider. With the ever-changing environment of the treatment field, Ms. Troxell maintains an opinion that it is continually important to seek ways to improve supervision and support professional growth.
In the specialized arena in which Pegasus ECT operates its experiential counseling sessions with the assistance of horses, Ms. Troxell additionally provides supervision maintaining knowledge on animal studies and the use of horses in a therapeutic setting. Pegasus staff consists of many professionals, and each presents a unique set of skills acquired by participating in continued learning opportunities. Training programs completed by Pegasus staff include Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA), Intervention Training, experiential supervision activities for increasing self-awareness, and specialized Pegasus Equine Assisted Counseling Level 1 & 2 Training events.
Recent ESA Award Recipients
MAY 2015
Gail Echeverria, RAS II, CSC
Clinical Supervisor
Broadway Treatment Center
Lori Carter-Runyon, RAS II, CSC, MATC, FAC, CCDS, CATC
Executive Director
Hilltop Recovery Services
Don Faris, RAS, CSC, CATC
Clinical Director
Impact Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center
Thurman Chambers
Executive Director
Panama City Rescue Mission
Annalisa Mitchell, M-RAS, CSC, FAC, CCDS, CATC
DUI Counselor
Sun Street Centers
2014
Lori Phelps, PsyD
Executive Director
California Association for Alcohol / Drug Educators
Jessica Apfel, PsyD, RAS
Director of Clinical Training
Anka Behavoiral Health, Inc.
Rev. Dale Hartman, CSC, CCDS
Director of Programs
Modesto Gospel Mission
Cherri E. Neal-Kneel, MCA, CSC
Director
A Neal-Kneeling Solution
Sunny Langley, RAS, CSC, CCDS
Executive Director
Pacific Harbor Treatment
James R. Nicolis, RAS III
Milieu Supervisor
Wolfe Center
2013
Kevin E. Gibson, RAS, CSC, FAC
Program Manager
Comprehensive Addiction Programs, Inc.
Darwin Neidlinger, M-RAS, CSC
Supervising Behavioral Health Specialist
Riverside County Department of Mental Health
Shelby E. Riley, RAS II, CSC, CWTS, CCDS
Director of Training and Program Development
San Joaquin Safety Council
Jennifer Carvalho
Executive Director
Skyway House
Tisha Aronsen, RAS, CSC
Senior Coordinator
Sober Community School
Almustapheal Al-Kahlil-Bey, M-RAS, MCA
Clinical Director
Gospel Rescue Ministries
Brian Jackson, Dr.AD
Clinical Director / Supervisor
Greenfield Center
Ronald Austin, MS, MFT
Clinical Director
Healthy Partnerships, Inc.
Kenneth R. Seeley, RAS
Founder
Intervention 911
Olga Skarlato, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Total Family Support Clinic
2012
Ricky Lee Briggs, M-RAS, CSC
Discipleship Recovery Director
Cityteam International
John Fulan, M-RAS
Clinical Supervisor
Mental Health Systems
Mary Hubbard, M-RAS, CSC
Owner
MARSTE Training Services
Marita Ann Lawler, M-RAS, CSC
Owner
Lawler Consulting LLC
Aretha M. Thompson, CSC
Manager, DUI Program
Sun Street Centers
Alan L. Daniel, CSC
Clinical Supervisor
Urban Alternative Solutions
Merna Leisure-Eppick, CSC
President and CEO
Sigma House of Springfield
Rev. Jasper W. Hemphill, CSC
Director of Operations
Olive Hill CEDC
Teri Kerns, CSC
Director
OHS Driving Under the Influence Programs
Liz McClatchy
Executive Director
Safety Center, Inc.