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STAFF
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Jack Bernstein: President/CEO
Jack Bernstein is the President and CEO
of Cri-Help, Inc., a residential/outpatient substance abuse
treatment program for adults (ages 18 and over), with facilities in
North Hollywood and East Los Angeles, California.
Mr. Bernstein is also the Chief Operating Officer of I-ADARP, Inc., located in the San Fernando Valley, California, which provides outpatient substance abuse programs for adults and youth (aged 12 to 20) and specialized services for youth involved with the juvenile justice system. Mr. Bernstein is a member of the Board of Directors of the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives (CAADPE) and has more than 3 decades of experience in the addiction treatment and program administration field.
JackB@cri-help.org |
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Marlene Nadel: Director of Client Services
Ms. Nadel was raised in Los Angeles, California. She entered the Cri-Help program as a client in its infancy in July of 1971. She has been employed at Cri-Help Inc., for over 30 years.
Ms. Nadel received her CAADAC certification in 1989, and went on to complete the Course work in the Master of Psychology program at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, California, in 1997. Ms. Nadel chose Pacific Oaks College because of their strong Mission Statement which focused on social justice, respect for diversity and the valuing of the uniqueness of each person. Ms. Nadel has also received extensive training in Neuro Linguistic Programming, which she has found to be invaluable in her work at The Center. Ms. Nadel has found her work at Cri-Help to be challenging and rewarding. "I believe we are successful with Chemically Dependent population because we, the staff, strive for excellence, as evidenced by the level of commitment to grow personally and professionally."
MarleneN@cri-help.org |
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Kathy Kjeldgaard, : Nurse
Kathy Kjeldgaard was born in San Diego, CA, raised in the San Fernando Valley, and wanted to become a nurse since she was 4 years old. Her desire solidified with 3 years of volunteer work at a local hospital, and she became a licensed nurse in 1979. Kathy immediately started her professional career, caring for oncology patients on the Hope Unit at Encino Hospital. In the next several years, she also worked on the Immuno-Supressed Unit (ISU) at Sherman Oaks Hospital, and acquired additional experience in medical/surgical nursing and orthopedics.
Kathy has worked at Cri-Help as the program nurse since 1986. She also managed to work full time in acute care detox and dual diagnosis treatment at Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital, accumulating 12 years of experience in that setting. In the late 90’s, Kathy was asked to spearhead the opening the residential detoxification unit at Cri-Help, a 15 bed unit that she continues to manage today. In addition, she remains the program nurse for Cri-Help.
Kathy is an Associate member of the American Psychiatric Nurse’s Association. She is very involved with the American Red Cross as a nurse in Disaster Health Services and DSHR, which require assignments in an area of disaster. In that volunteer capacity Kathy spent 2 weeks in Florida in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Charlie in 2004.
In 1985, with the intervention of the Superior Court Kathy began a long-term residential stay at Cri-Help. It was the turning point in her life, resulting in a continued recovery from addiction, real happiness, and a shift in her nursing career to helping other addicts on the road to recovery. Kathy’s philosophy is that all addicts have already suffered, and that each needs a safe, loving, comfortable and supportive environment in which to begin making the transition from despair to hope.
Kathy loves nature, her mountain cabin, fishing, family, assorted pets, and above all, making a difference.
KathyK@cri-help.org |
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Bruce Jamison: Manager of Agency Development
Before joining Cri-Help, Bruce served for nine years as the Executive Director of a housing corporation located in the greater Washington DC metropolitan area. During his tenure he directed that organization’s expansion of services from 15 emergency shelter/transitional housing beds to a total of 196 beds; and developed a sustaining donor base to support these expanded housing services. Bruce began his twelve year experience in the non-profit arena as a residential manager in a transitional home for mentally impaired adults and worked for a year in jail ministry, before which he had trained to be an electronics engineer and was very involved in the early development of satellite communication and navigation systems. Throughout a nearly thirty year career he served in both key technical and management leadership positions.
Bruce says that although he could not imagine enjoying his engineering profession any more than he did, there is no comparison in his mind to the rewards that come from the opportunity to serve others.
BruceJ@cri-help.org |
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Ed Ward:
Senior Intake Specialist
Bio, Coming Soon!
EdW@cri-help.org
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Marco Pardo, MA, MAPS: Spirituality/Grief Counselor
Marco Pardo was born in Bogota, Colombia, and was raised in Los Angeles. He graduated from Marquette University in 1972. Marco first got involved with the work of recovery in 1978 as part of his studies for his Masters Degree in Counseling and Guidance. In the 1980's and 90's, Marco pursued his interest in spiritual practice and studies by doing pastoral work and acquiring his Masters Degree in Pastoral Theology. He has lived and worked in Niagara Falls, Chicago, Orlando, and Houston.
In 1997, Marco returned to Los Angeles, and was asked to start a group at Cri-Help to help the clients resolve concerns in spirituality that were obstacles to their recovery. In October, 2004, Marco began working full-time with Cri-Help as the Spirituality/Grief Counselor, developing services in both of these much-needed recovery-related areas. He participates in the Treatment Team and provides staff training on issues of Cultural Sensitivity, Professional Ethics, Spirituality in Recovery, and Grief in Recovery.
He enjoys playing and listening to music, traveling with his wife, visiting with family and friends, taking healthy walks, and anything that makes him laugh. As our Spirituality Counselor, Marco writes a daily morning meditation every weekday for the clients whow attend his mornnig sessions. They are designed to provide guidance and a staring point for their day's reflection. If you wish to read these meditations simply click
here.
MarcoP@cri-help.org
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Don Theodore, MFT: CAS EEG/Biofeedback Specialist
Mr. Theodore experience in the addiction treatment field spans over thirty years. Before joining Cri-Help in 1981 as a program coordinator, he worked with University Hospital, Pacific Glenn counselor in a detoxification setting and worked with teenage addicts for three years. While affiliated with Cri-Help, he earned his MFT license (1996), and developed a keen interest in EEG Biofeedback and its potential to enhance chemical dependency treatment outcomes.
Mr. Theodore guided Cri-Help’s involvement in a multi-year research study headed by William Scott on Alpha Theta Biofeedback and its effectiveness in treating chemical dependency. The positive outcomes of this study justified the continuation of EEG Biofeedback as a therapeutic approach at Cri-Help, and Mr. Theodore has expanded its applicability to treat depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, ADD, ADHD, and other conditions. Now an integrated service, Biofeedback has proven significantly valuable to clients, alumni and community members who choose to participate on an outpatient basis.
DonT@cri-help.org
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Heather Edney: Marketing Director
Heather Edney has developed prevention and treatment programs for substance abusers for over 15 years in northern and southern California, focusing on harm reduction and disease prevention for young injection drug users. She has also developed and implemented curricula for educational institutions on drug education and overdose prevention.
Her national and international presentations on intervention strategies for drug users have equipped hundreds of health care workers to more effectively work with their clients and patients. Currently Director of Marketing at a Cri-Help, Inc., Ms. Edney collaborates with both the private sector and managed care providers to link individuals and families with quality treatment options but all her service work passes through the filter of her own personal experience.
Heather explains how her own recovery influences her work, "I would not be alive today if not for another person in recovery reaching out to me. I am determined to do whatever I can to help others so that they can have the same chance at a new life."
HeatherE@cri-help.org |
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Coming Soon: Director of Outpatient
Services, Pfleger Center
Coming Soon.
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Richard Block: Director of Outpatient
Services, Socorro Center
Richard Block has worked with Cri-Help since 1991, and is currently the Coordinator of Outpatient Services at Cri-Help’s Socorro. Before this time, he gained experience as an assistant supervisor at two hospitals in the San Fernando Valley. Mr. Block holds an Associates of Arts degree in addiction studies, and became certified as a drug abuse counselor in 1989. About Cri-Help, Richard says “It is very rewarding to know that in some small way, you have helped to make the world a better place…that is what Cri-Help is all about”.
RichardB@cri-help.org |
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 Wallace
Reid CSAC: Detox Admissions Coordinator
Born, raised and educated in Baltimore, Maryland, Wallace attended Morgan State University.
He moved to California in 1993 and was Cri-Help's Criminal Justice Caseworker in 1995. Since then, he has been the homeless community liaison as the Outreach Intake Specialist and facilitated admissions for female inmates at California’s Institute for Women (CIW). Shortly after Cri-Help, Inc. opened it’s 15 bed detox, Wallace became the Detox Admissions Coordinator. As a member of CADDTP, his dedication to this organization is a direct result of Cri-Help, Inc.’s commitment to provide quality care for chemically dependent individuals and their families.
Simply put, Wallace believes in Cri-Help’s vision.
WallaceR@cri-help.org |
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Danny Jenkins: Grant Developer
Mr. Jenkins has worked in the addiction treatment field since 1987 in program and grant development. He has designed and initiated health-related prevention and treatment programs for people living with HIV and youth populations which are still recognized and replicated as effective, cost efficient and compassionate service models.
Born in Chicago and raised in West Los Angeles, Mr. Jenkins studied theater, foreign language and adult education before devoting his time to non-profit development efforts. With the University of Southern California, he designed and delivered training curricula for thousands of counselors, nurses and other health providers on addiction recognition and intervention. Mr. Jenkins is proud to have co-founded Los Angeles County’s HIV-Drug and Alcohol Task Force, served on the L.A. City AIDS Coordinator’s Advisory Board, and to have been recognized for volunteer efforts by L.A. Shanti. "The most satisfying part of my work is seeing the awakening that occurs within someone who is beginning to realize the freedom they can experience through recovery."
DannyJ@cri-help.org |
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Oscar Morales: Network Administrator
As Cri-Help’s Network Administrator, Mr. Morales designs and maintains all Cri-Help’s facilities’ networks, provides computer support including application and network resources. He has enjoyed his association with Cri-Help since 2003. "I believe that Cri-Help is a place of open doors, opportunities and miracles."
OscarM@cri-help.org
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