Certified Trainers

Carol Ackley, LADC, retired executive director of River Ridge Treatment Center (2000-2015), developed and implemented gender responsive, trauma-informed, co-occurring treatment services in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area. She created and supervised outpatient and residential substance abuse treatment for adults and educational services for adolescents and adults. Full bio.

Eileen M. Russo, MA, LADC is a licensed addiction counselor, a certified clinical supervisor, and an advanced certified addiction/co-occurring disorders (AADC) professional who has worked in the addiction and mental health field for the past thirty-seven years. Ms. Russo is a professor and program coordinator for the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Counselor program with Gateway Community College, New Haven, CT.  For the past seventeen years, she has served as a trainer/consultant with the CT Women’s Consortium for the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services’ Trauma Initiative. Ms. Russo has co-authored articles on the integration of trauma-specific services into substance abuse treatment and is a co-author of the curriculum Healing Trauma: A Brief Intervention for Women by Dr. Stephanie Covington. Full bio.

Gina Fedock, PhD, MSW, is an assistant professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. Dr. Fedock’s foundation is in trauma-informed, evidence-based, best practices for women involved in the criminal justice system. She continues to do research on strategies for improving women’s outcomes by implementing gender-responsive and trauma-informed practices and policies. Full bio.

Candice Norcott, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist.  She completed her graduate education at the University of Connecticut and her pre- and postdoctoral training at Yale University.  Dr. Norcott speaks internationally on issues related to trauma, gender, and race.. Full bio.

Tammy Rothschild is a private consultant who specializes in gender-responsive and trauma-informed programming for women and girls. She has spent over 15 years doing research in best practices, program development, and program assessment, in addition to providing training and curriculum development. Ms. Rothschild co-developed TIER (Trauma Informed Effective Reinforcement) Model, a trauma-informed behavior motivation system that provides a strategic approach to assist women and adolescent girls and boys to develop cognitive, emotional, and behavioral awareness and to support the development and exhibition of positive, safe, and pro-social behaviors. Full bio.

Rick Dauer, LADC, has been a chemical-health professional for more than 35 years, with experience in residential, outpatient, and jail-based treatment settings. He recently left his long-term position as the Clinical Director for River Ridge Treatment Centers and is currently working as an independent behavioral health consultant and trainer. Rick is a co-author (with Dr. Stephanie Covington and Dan Griffin) of Helping Men Recover, the first trauma-informed treatment curriculum for men (2011). Full bio.

Shane Pugh is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor who currently works with clients in Minneapolis, MN. Shane is a national trainer who facilitates trainings for clinicians, therapists, corrections officers, and community members to work with issues related to substance use, trauma, and identity. He has gained substantial experience working with various populations including men, women, LGBTQ+, multicultural communities, those without housing, and people with more complex mental health. Full bio.

Amy Joy Myers, LCSW | IMH-E® is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Haven, Connecticut. Throughout her 25+ year career, Amy has worked with adults with intellectual and development disabilities, adults with HIV/AIDS, parents with substance use disorders, and women in carceral settings. Presently, Amy is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Social Work at the Yale Child Study Center where she is a senior consultant for the Family-Based Recovery (FBR) Model. FBR integrates an attachment-based parent-child therapeutic approach with contingency management substance use treatment, trauma informed psychotherapy and case management services.  Full bio.

Christina M. Villatoro (nee Cicero), MS, is currently the Program Director for a transitional, independent living facility for adolescent females in the care of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. Ms. Villatoro received her BA from the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT, and her MS at the University of New Haven. Full bio.