2023 Speakers - Conference Site

Michelle L. Malkin, JD, PhD

Michelle Malkin, JD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at East Carolina University. She received a Bachelor's degree in sociology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, a Juris Doctorate degree from Northeastern University School of Law, and her Master's and Doctorate degrees in criminal justice from Michigan State University. Dr. Malkin's research interests include a focus on problem gambling and gambling-motivated crime. In 2018, she received a research fellowship for her research on women and gambling-motivated crime from the Center for Gaming Studies at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her dissertation on the Problem Gambling, General Strain Theory and Gender received the 2022 Dr. Durand Jacobs Dissertation Award from the National Council on Problem Gambling. She is currently conducting a research evaluation of the Clark County (NV) Gambling Treatment Diversion Court.

Email Adress: malkinm20@ecu.edu

George Mladenetz, Clinical Consultant-Addictions, M.Ed., LCADC, ICGC-II 2

George Mladenetz has worked in the addictions and mental health fields for over 40 years. George possesses a Master’s degree in Counseling from The College of NJ. He has been licensed as a Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor since 2005 and is an International Certified Gambling Counselor-II. George has realized that stigma is often seen as a barrier keeping individuals from seeking treatment and also negatively impacts the family/loved ones of disordered gamblers. In his “Tips & Topics” newsletter, Dr. David Mee-Lee published articles written by George regarding stigma, gambling disorder and language of recovery. George has spoken nationally on these topics. He retired from the Council on Compulsive Gambling of NJ in 2020 after 6 years of service. George remains active in the field of gambling disorder as a clinical consultant, trainer and writer. He is a member of the National Council on Problem Gambling and serves as a board member for the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board.

Email Adress:tasha6464@verizon.net

Bea Aikens

Bea Aikens is the Founder of the non-profit organization Lanie’s Hope, named after her sister Lanie who died by suicide due to a gambling disorder. Bea’s desire to change hearts and minds is reflected in Lanie’s Hope’s mission to “humanize and illuminate the disease of compulsive gambling.” Prior to moving to Virginia in 2021, she served as the Community Engagement representative for the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling - focused extensively on advocacy work in the community and engaging the recovery community in advocacy work. Her work focuses extensively on the impact of gambling disorder on individuals, families and the community; raising awareness of gambling disorder as a public health issue meriting treatment, community resources, understanding and compassion. She is a certified Peer Recovery and Support Specialist and an IGCCB Certified Clergy Gambling Spiritual Outreach Specialist . Bea notes her highest callings are her recovery, advocating for those impacted by gambling disorder and addiction, and her faith. It is through this lens that she views everything she is involved in today.

Email Adress: bea@lanieshope.org

Allison Weingarten, LMSW

Allison supports the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences Worker Training Program, focusing on training workers, supervisors and employers on preventing addiction and supporting workers in recovery in the workplace. Allison is a co-founding member of the NYS Coalition to Prevent Addiction and Support Recovery in Employment (PARSE). She previously served as Director of Policy for Friends of Recovery-New York. Allison is a trained social worker and has experience in the NYS legislature and State Government. Most importantly, she is the proud mama of her spunky 3 year old, Linda.

Email Adress: aweingarten@michaeldbaker.com

Cathy Saresky, LCSW-R, CASAC-G

Cathy has been in private practice for over 30 years, specializing in the treatment of trauma and addictive disorders. Cathy graduated from Boston College School of Social Work and subsequently obtained her Trauma Treatment Certification from the University of Buffalo. Cathy worked for Catholic Family Center in Rochester New York for over 35 years, finishing her career as Vice President for Clinical Innovation. Over her years at Catholic Family Center (CFC), Cathy provided a range of direct clinical treatment, clinical supervision for staff and management and administrative oversight of outpatient and residential treatment programs and staff. Cathy was responsible for the development of the Co-occurring SUD and Mental Health Treatment as well as a Gambling Treatment Program for CFC. Cathy has provided clinical training in a wide array of areas including: Trauma Treatment and Trauma Informed Care, Diagnosis and Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders and Compulsive Gambling Disorder Assessment and Treatment.

Email Adress: csaresky76@gmail.com

Kristen Chalmers

Kristen Chalmers has been a licensed social worker for more than two decades. Kristen worked as an Assistant Professor at Roberts Wesleyan University (RWU) for 11 years. During her tenure at RWU, she taught 17 distinct social work courses and for 22 months she taught social work courses to a cohort of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish women in Brooklyn, NY. Kristen has worked in Occupational Social Work at the University of Rochester for nearly 8 years. Her position includes micro social work, providing supportive counseling to individual patients, as well as mezzo/macro social work, where she delivers occupational health outreach and education. Kristen is passionate about occupational health and wellness and is an active member of the NY State PARSE Coalition (Preventing Addiction and Supporting Recovery in Employment). Kristen also works part-time at a small group psychotherapy practice where she provides individual counseling and EAP services. When she is not working, Kristen loves spending time her husband, their six children, and their two Labrador Retrievers.

Email Adress: kristen_chalmers@urmc.rochester.edu

Heather A. Chapman, Ph.D. ICGCII BACC

Dr. Heather Chapman is a clinical psychologist, an International Certified Gambling Counselor and Board Certified Clinical Consultant for the National Council on Problem Gambling, and member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. She's Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University, Deputy Director of the Veterans Addiction Recovery Center and Director of the Gambling Treatment Program at the Cleveland VA Medical Center, the leader of gambling treatment, research, training and consultation for the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense. Her research interests include the relationship of gambling behavior with trauma, suicidality, and treatment engagement and retention.

Email Adress: heather.chapman@va.gov

Craig W. Johnson, LMHC, CASAC-G

Craig W. Johnson LMHC, CASAC-G, is currently the COO of Health Homes and New Initiatives at Huther Doyle Memorial Institute in Rochester. Craig had previously developed and managed a recognized and effective treatment program in the local jail setting, and has served as a consultant to Probation Departments and Mental Health agencies. Prior to his work in corrections, Craig served as the Clinical Director at Park Ridge Chemical Dependency overseeing seven outpatient programs, an inpatient CD treatment program, two Community Residences as well as community outreach. He has taught at a number of universities and operates a private practice, Mind Evolution Mental Health Counseling, PLLC, in Rochester specializing in the treatment of cannabis use disorders, gambling and gaming disorders. Craig has been working with individuals and families with gambling concerns for over 12 years. He also serves on a number of boards, coordinating committees and community consortia. Craig is an experienced and respected trainer on issues related to substance use, gambling, mental health and criminal justice involvement. He has taught literally thousands of counselors and impactors about substance use, co-occurring disorders, criminal justice clients and techniques for effective helping strategies.

Email Adress: mindevolutionny@hotmail.com

Theresa M. Knorr, CARC RCP

THERESA KNORR, CARC RCP Director of Recovery Education & Training Friends of Recovery – New York Creator of Tai Chi for Recovery Theresa is an adopted person, family member in recovery, family member of loss, and works her own process addiction and mental health (relinquishment trauma) recovery program. She obtained her OBC in January 2020 and reunited with biological family members shortly thereafter. Theresa has over 30 years of professional experience in counseling, coaching and case management, primarily in addiction treatment and recovery. As a former Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) in New York and CADAC in Arizona, Theresa has been a clinician, a clinical supervisor and program director. She is now a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach (CARC) and CCAR designated Recovery Coach Professional (RCP). Theresa has been teaching, training & developing curriculum focused on wellness, self-care, and personal growth for more than 20 years. She has volunteered in the community teaching meditation, tai chi and esoteric psychology for over 20 years and has co-facilitated the Adoptee Paths to Recovery mutual support group for NAAP with David B. Bohl for over a year.

Email Adress: tknorr@for-ny.org

Dr. Vivien Wen Li Anthony

Vivien Wen Li Anthony is an associate professor of School of Social Work and the Scientific Director of Video Gaming and eSports of Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University. Dr. Anthony’s research centers on problematic technology use as a type of behavioral addiction, with a focus on video gaming disorder, problematic Internet/smartphone use, and other problematic behaviors related to technology use. Specifically, her research explores the etiology and risk mechanisms of problematic technology use, develops and validates measures for these problems, and develops and evaluates interventions (e.g., mindfulness-based intervention, cognitive-behavioral therapy) that can ameliorate these problems among adolescents and young adults. She currently studies an emerging area – the nexus of video gaming and gambling (e.g., loot boxes, social casino games, eSports gambling). She has disseminated her research through more than 30 academic journal articles and book chapters, and many national and international conference presentations.

Email Adress: wanthony@ssw.rutgers.edu

Sean Leonardo Knowles, BA(Hons), MD, MSc(Math & Stat), MSc (Imm Infect Dis)

Dr. Sean Leonardo Knowles is co-Chief Executive Officer and physician of E-Man-U-Well Medical Center in Nassau, The Bahamas, where he practices general medicine, immunology of infectious diseases, and the treatment of mental health disorders, including substance use and gambling addictions. He is also a physician at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre in the Department of Psychiatry, The Bahamas’ national resource for psychiatric and substance abuse services; he currently works on the Substance Abuse wards as a Registrar. Dr. Knowles is also a gambling addiction specialist, certified by the University of Minnesota Duluth Center for Economic Development and the North American Training Institute (NATI). Dr. Knowles earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Spanish in 1998 from Saint John’s University in Minnesota as a Cum Laude graduate with All-College Honors and earning a Distinction in Biology. He then obtained a Master of Science degree in Mathematics & Statistics from Youngstown State University in Ohio in 2005; he was awarded the Most Outstanding Graduate Student in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics Award. In 2013, Dr. Knowles obtained his medical degree from the University of the West Indies and was presented with The Dr. Mortimer Moxey Most Outstanding Performance in Community Medicine Award. He was also the recipient of a 2016 British Chevening scholarship that allowed him the opportunity to complete a Master of Science Degree in Immunology of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in September 2017. Finally, Dr. Knowles enjoys weightlifting, kickboxing, traveling, relaxing on beaches, watching thriller movies, public speaking, socializing, and mentoring young men in his spare time. He is also an avid lover of dogs and is a “Dad” to Winnie, a Belgian Malinois, and Molly Sue, a mixed Boxer and pit bull. He is married to the former Doretha Strachan; the couple has one daughter, Leylah, his “princess.”

Email Adress: sknowles@emanuelmedicalpractice.com

Brian Hatch

Brian threw away his dreams of being a comedian to spend his nights in casinos. After a 14 year battle with gambling and relapses, he decided to try another way- TALKING about his FEELINGS. In January of 2015 he started the world’s first gambling addiction podcast. Since that time the podcast has grown to over 265 episodes with interviews from the lived experience community, affected others, clinicians, academics, advocates, public health workers, and RG managers. He speaks from the heart about his own recovery and hopes it helps.

Email Adress: Leestreetpod@gmail.com

Venus R. W. Moore

Venus Moore has a Master's in Public Administration from Metropolitan College of New York '2007' and a B.A. in Psychology from College of New Rochelle '2005'. Born in the Bronx and raised in both the Bronx and Harlem, Venus has developed a passion for working with the public. The genesis of her advocacy begins when she had to see her mother who had sickle cell in pain daily and not getting the treatment that she deserved. Venus felt she was speaking for the unheard and the disabled community. Her work passion started at the New Mt. Zion Baptist Church at a very young age when she learned how to become a leader and was later appointed as a Trustee at 14 years of age. Venus has 20 years of experience of working with non-profit organizations and she has had the opportunity to collaborate with The Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. The Pillars Recovery Center, NYPD, TNCAP and other Bronx Coalitions to name a few. She has a background in Youth development, Community development, and Drug Prevention. Venus is also a certified trained facilitator for SAPST and Ethics in Prevention. She is currently the DEI Program Manager for the NYC Problem Gambling Resource Center, and she educates the community on the spectrums of gambling.

Email Adress: vmoore@nycpg.org

Albert Aponte

Albert has been in the behavioral health field for over 15yrs where he was able to obtain CASAC certification, and after semi-retirement due to health issues, decided to become a CRPA to continue helping the population that we serve at a different level.

Albert has 19 years in Recovery. His pathway to recovery was through abstinence-based treatment and MAT. (Methadone). He currently works as a CRPA at the Richard Pruss Wellness Center in the Bronx and is the Supervisor for peer services for the Outpatient clinics at Samaritan Daytop Village.

In addition to his day job, Albert is a board member at FOR-NY (Friends of Recovery-N.Y.), a Chairperson for the Alumni Association of NYS steering Committee, and the co-chair for consumers at the Bronx Council on Alcohol and substance use disorder.

Albert is a part of the BRSS NYS EPICS team, RIT member and the Bronx Opioid Collective Impact Project where we do community outreach twice a week to provide the homeless (MH/SUD) population with daily living needs, harm reduction material, food and information on treatment services available to them and the community.

Scott Meyer

Scott Meyer is a husband of 33 years, father of 5, grandfather son, uncle, godfather, brother, son in law, and friend. The gratitude Scott holds for these titles is deep as Scott relishes in understanding that a Gambling Addiction nearly resulted in the loss of them all. Scott is in sustained recovery for 9 ½ years from a severe gambling addiction which caused significant harm.

Scott is an accountant by trade, a former CPA, and financial advisor. Scott is actively engaged in Peer Recovery services where one-on-one connections allow individuals and their affected others to learn, understand, and provide opportunities to build a foundation for recovery from problematic gambling. Scott is a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate with concentration and dedication in the gambling field.

Scott seeks to forge collaborative relationships in recovery pathways for people affected by problematic gambling. Combining over 30 years’ experience in financial business consulting, 30 years’ experience in youth sport’s coaching, over 12 years’ experience in destructive problematic gambling, and almost 10 years in sustained recovery, Scott offers business acumen, TEAM building, personal lived experiences, and success in recovery. Scott finds his current role the most difficult and the most incredibly rewarding position he has ever held.