Maria W.Admissions/Outreach Coordinator
Graduated from Montclair State University with Family Child Studies with a concentration of Psychology. My work experience has always been primarily in Mental Health and Addiction. Working at St Mary’s Hospital in Passaic, for 5 years in the Inpatient Psychiatric Adolescents unit as a primary counselor as well as working at Straight and Narrow in Paterson, in the Admissions Department and Male Long Term Residential for 4 years as a counselor, has brought me to Social Recovery Center. As an Outreach and Admissions Coordinator, my position is not only to admit clients into the program but also to provide as much support needed for the individual and family prior to admission and throughout their treatment. I have always had a passion for helping others and being able to provide feedback and helpful advice. I want to give the help and the support needed at a very difficult time to anyone struggling with Addiction and Mental Health. I am currently working on obtaining my CADC.
Katey M., BALead Counselor
Katey is a CADC Intern and is also completing her Maters’s Degree in Social Work at Rutgers University, Newark. She currently serves as a member of the Phi Alpha Honor Society for Social Work. She has been working in various positions in the Addiction Treatment field for six years. She takes her passion for helping people and alcohol and drug addiction and applies it to every client. Katey is a client-centered counselor and utilizes many methods of counseling, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Strength Perspective, and Goal Setting. She believes that substance use and the alcoholic lifestyle are lived in isolation, so recovery should occur as a community.
Rebecka G., LCSW, LCADC, CCS, EMDR Therapist Clinical Director
Rebecka is a graduate of Rutgers University with a master’s in Social Work. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Work License, Licensed Clinical Drug and Alcohol Counselor, a Certified Clinical Supervisor, and an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapist. Her previous clinical experience includes working at in-patient and outpatient co-occurring addiction settings for adults. Rebecka brings Mindfulness into both the individual and group setting. She encourages her clients to learn self-compassion and new coping skills in the process of self- recovery. Developing rapport and meeting the client where they are at is a priority in Rebecka’s clinical work. Her empathic approach is grounded in the belief that every client has the ability to stay in recovery with willingness, hard work and support.
Anthony F.Substance Abuse Counselor
Anthony is a CADC intern who started his counseling journey at East Stroudsburg University, graduating with a Science degree in Psychology. He has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings throughout his career, seeing substance abuse from multiple sides of treatment. His empathetic nature and passion for helping others is at the foundation of his approach. Anthony is able to connect with clients in a positive way to promote understanding, growth and healing. Being experienced with group and individual therapy, Anthony uses each environment to help the clients address core issues they encounter during the recovery process. His goal for each client is to find themselves in recovery and create a stable, healthy life they enjoy.
Melissa S. LCADCSubstance Abuse Counselor
Veteran who served in the Army National Guard for 8 years. She began the field of counseling in 2016 after witnessing many of her Army friends and close loved ones struggle with substances and mental health issues. She has worked with a diverse population of clients with co-occurring disorders in jail settings, inpatient and outpatient. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, graduated in 2021 from Pillar College with a Master’s Degree in Counseling and obtained her LCADC. “This is my calling! I am passionate about what I do. Meeting the client’s where they are and addressing their needs is a priority for me. Together, change can happen as long as you are open and willing.”
Francheska C. LAC, NCCCo-occurring Counselor
Francheska is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor who completed her Master’s Degree at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She previously worked as an Inmate Advocate in a county jail providing social service assistance to incarcerated individuals, their families, and legal representatives. Her clinical work has also included working with children and youth who experience problematic sexual behavior by providing them with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Francheska considers herself to have an integrative approach to clients, pulling from a variety of orientations to better meet the client’s needs. “It’s important to meet the client’s where they’re at and use the approach that best works for them.” She focuses on perspective taking, building strengths, solution focused problem solving, and motivating clients to work through the stages of change. Francheska’s client-centered approach to counseling comes from her empathetic understanding and love of helping others overcome their most difficult situations. “I just want to help people be the best versions of themselves!”
