STAFF PROFILES

• The President/Founder of the Institute (Ph.D.) has over thirty-five years experience in the field of family therapy, substance use disorders, and adolescent treatment. He is a former faculty member of Northwestern University Medical School - Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Division of Clinical Psychology. He was the first Director of the Drug Dependence Program - Northwestern Institute of Psychiatry, and is a graduate of the Family Institute of Chicago. He has conducted research, published and presented at national and international conferences and is a recognized trainer/ supervisor in the field of adolescent health care, chemical dependency, and family therapy. He provides educational training and administrative services. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award by the Alumni Association of The Family Institute of Chicago at Northwestern University in November, 2004, and has been honored as a "Founder" of Northwestern Institute of Psychiatry.
• The Medical Director (M.D.) is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics with a specialization in pediatric endocrinology. She is the examining physician for adolescents and is in attendance for all staffings and case conferences. She is Co-Chairperson of the Institute's Executive Committee and maintains University and hospital affiliations.
• The Chief Administrative Officer (B.S.N.) is Co-Chairperson of the Institute's Executive Committee and maintains liaison with licensing and accreditation agencies, and JCAHO Quality Assurance Coordinator.
• Consulting Staff Psychiatrists: (M.D./D.O.) Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; certified by the American Board of Adolescent Psychiatry; are graduate Fellows in Child Psychiatry from the University of Colorado Medical School, who provide clinical consultation and medication assessments.
• The Consulting/Training Psychiatrist maintains medical school teaching affiliations and provides inservice consultation, training and collaboration services for clinical staff. He conducts a "grand round" forum on behalf of clients, staff, and agency representatives.
• The Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, B.C., R.X.N., (MS, CNS), provides medication management and clinical consultation services for adolescents, and participates in the weekly care conferences.
• The Primary Therapists are Master's and Doctoral level therapists who represent various clinical disciplines with extensive training and supervision in adolescent and family therapy treatment. Members of the treatment team participate in continuing education, supervisory sessions and in family therapy training.
• Resident Mentors are milieu childcare providers who serve as individual mentors for each adolescent.

The unique family focused model utilized by the multidisciplinary treatment team is essentially a blended family focused approach which integrates principles from but is not limited to: Strategic and Structural family therapy, the MRI brief therapy approach, Problem Centered Family Therapy, the Milan approach / and use of paradoxical and encounter group interventions for milieu applications.