Speakers for the next NCAD will be announced in early 2019. Below are speakers from 2018.
Jack Abel
Jack Abel MDiv, MBA
Senior Director of Spiritual Care
Caron Treatment Centers
Rev. Jack Abel, MDiv, MBA is senior director of spiritual care for Caron Treatment Centers. In this role, Abel leads Caron’s integrated spiritual care team and represents Caron on the subject of spirituality in addiction and other behavioral health care. Co-founder and current president of Spiritual Care Addiction Treatment Professionals, Abel also serves in a volunteer role as CFO of the Center for Spiritual Care and Pastoral Formation. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary and has pursued advanced studies at Catholic University and The New Seminary. An ordained interfaith minister with past service as an endorsed substance abuse chaplain and pastor in the United Methodist Church, he is the principal presider for Caron’s weekly chapel service. He is also a member in good standing of the North American Academy of Liturgy and A World Alliance of Interfaith Clergy.

Aijaz Ahmed
Aijaz Ahmed MD
Associate Professor of Medicine Medical Director – Liver Transplant Program
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine

Claudia Black
Claudia Black MSW, PhD
Dr. Claudia Black
Claudia Black is the recipient of numerous national awards including the 2014 Father Joseph C. Martin Professional Excellence Award, the NAADAC 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Washington School of Social Work, the 2010 Conway Hunter Award for excellence in the field of addictions and the 2012 Robert Rehmar Addiction Professional Award. She has been a keynote speaker on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., as well as on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada. Her workshops have been presented to a wide range of audiences including military academies, prison systems, medical schools and mental health and addiction programs. Black has extensive multi-cultural experiences working with agencies and audiences in Japan, Brazil, Australia, Scotland, Iceland, Germany, England and Canada. She is the author of: It Will Never Happen To Me, Changing Course, My Dad Loves Me, My Dad Has A Disease, Repeat After Me, Relapse Toolkit, A Hole in the Sidewalk, Depression Strategies, Straight Talk, Family Strategies, Anger Strategies, Deceived: Facing Sexual Betrayal, Lies and Secrets, The Truth Begins With You, Intimate Treason and her most recent book, Unspoken Legacy.

Kenneth Blum
Kenneth Blum BSc, MSc, PhD, DHL
Chairman of Board and Chief Scientific Officer
Geneus Health, LLC
In 1995 Kenneth Blum retired from the University of Texas Health Science Center to enter the world of business and biotechnology. Blum continues to publish research articles and books and is actively pursuing numerous patents in the field of molecular genetics and nutrition. He is an active scientific director of the Path Medical Foundation. His concept of “reward deficiency syndrome” is being embraced in science and is part of the DSM-5. He serves as Editor in Chief of The Journal of Reward Deficiency Syndrome & Addictive Sciences and is currently serving on 12 other editorial boards. Additionally, he teaches at the department of psychiatry and McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida College of Medicine, at the University of Vermont Center for Clinical and Translational Science and at the department of psychiatry for the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Blum also has been named honorary lifetime full professor in the department of psychology at Eötvös Loránd University, located in Budapest, Hungary. He currently serves as neuroscience advisor for Dominion Diagnostics.

Art Bowler
Art Bowler PsyD
Private Practice
Dr. Art Bowler, Psy.D
Art Bowler, PsyD, is an expert in trauma and substance abuse treatment. He has worked in treatment facilities for addictive disorders related to drugs, alcohol and food. Bowler was the addictive behaviors specialist at AIDS Project Los Angeles and works in private practice in Los Angeles, California.

Angie Bryan
Angie Bryan MA, MEd, MFT
Recovery Program Manager
UC Santa Barbara
Angie Bryan, MEd, MA, MFT, is a counselor, recovery specialist, and recovery program manager for the Alcohol &Drug Program at University of California, Santa Barbara, where she provides individual and group therapy. Bryan founded the Gauchos for Recovery program in 2012 and has been involved with the collegiate recovery movement both in the UC system and nationally.

Osvaldo Cabral
Osvaldo Cabral MA, LPC, LAC
Director of Operations
New Health Pain Treatment Center
Ozzie Cabral has worked in addictions and mental health since 2002. Areas of expertise include dialectical behavior therapy, skills training and treating dually diagnosed clients. Additional areas of specialization include aggression replacement training, cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-focused therapies and co-occurring disorders. His experience spans a range of treatment settings including residential and outpatient treatment facilities, domestic violence and sex offender clinics, and community mental health centers. Cabral, along with Bari Platter, published a comprehensive curriculum with Hazelden Publishing, focusing on the integration of dialectical behavior therapy with 12-Step philosophy. In addition, he founded and operates Song of the Wolf Healing Center, a wolf and wolf-hybrid rescue located in Bailey, Colorado.

Deni Carise
Deni Carise PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Recovery Centers of America
Deni Carise is a clinical psychologist and has been part of the recovery community for over 30 years. She is currently the chief clinical officer of Recovery Centers of America (RCA), and helped raise $350 million for this start-up company. Previously, she held leadership positions at CRC Health Group, Sierra Tucson, Phoenix House, and was a National Institutes of Health-funded scientist. Carise has published over 100 articles, books and chapters and has been an adjunct clinical professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. She has worked internationally with treatment providers in Nigeria, Mexico, Thailand, Egypt, Greece, Singapore, Brazil and China to develop national systems of clinical treatment delivery.

Stefanie Carnes, PhD, LMFT, CSAT-S
Stefanie Carnes, PhD, LMFT, CSAT-S
CEO
International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals
Stefanie Carnes is the president of the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals, and a senior fellow for Meadows Behavioral Healthcare, where she works with sexually addicted clients and their families. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy-approved supervisor. Carnes is also a certified sex addiction therapist and supervisor. She is the author of numerous publications including, “Mending a Shattered Heart: A Guide for Partners of Sex Addicts,” “Facing Heartbreak: Steps to Recovery for Partners of Sex Addicts,” and “Facing Addiction: Starting Recovery from Alcohol and Drugs.

John Clapp
John Clapp PhD
Professor and Executive Vice Dean,
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California
JOHN D. CLAPP is a professor and executive vice dean of the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. Clapp is known internationally for his research and translational work in the field of alcohol problem prevention. A fellow in the American Academy of Health Behavior, Clapp is currently studying the system dynamics of drinking events with a team of engineers and computer scientists with the goal of developing “smart” real-time prevention applications. He has published more than 100 journal articles, with his work appearing in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Addiction, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, among numerous other top research journals. Clapp has been awarded more than $32 million in grants and contracts (NIAAA, NIDA, U.S. Department of Education, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation) and has been principal investigator on over 20 funded projects. Clapp was the founding co-editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research. As a leader in the prevention of alcohol-related problems experienced by college students, he served six years as the director of the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery. He also served on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention National Advisory Council. Clapp’s work and expertise has been featured in numerous international media outlets, with coverage in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Daily Telegraph, ABC National News, among numerous others.

Stacy Cohen
Stacy Cohen
Associate Medical Director for Substance Use Disorders
Mental Health Center at Cedars Sinai

Nicole Corbin
Nicole Corbin LPC
Addiction Treatment, Recovery and Prevention Services Manager
Oregon Health Authority
Nicole Corbin, LPC, is in her 25th year in the behavioral health specialty. Nicole has served in many roles in the treatment, prevention and policy worlds including: mental health, gambling and substance use disorder treatment for children, families and adults; training and supervision of clinicians seeking certification and licensure; clinical and administrative oversight of behavioral health programs; and prevention education and outreach. Additionally, she served as program manager for Oregon's Adult Behavioral Health Services before moving into her current role overseeing all addiction related programs for the state.

Ben Cort
Ben Cort
Author, Consultant
Ben Cort, a person in recovery, left a position as a human resource director for an S&P 500 firm to help start the Colorado nonprofit Phoenix Multisport. He then joined the drug policy conversation at the national level in 2012 to craft an awareness campaign and was appointed to the board of directors of Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) and NALGAP (the National Association of Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender Treatment Providers and their Allies). A frequent speaker, Cort’s first book, “Weed, Inc.: The Truth About the Pot Lobby, THC, and the Commercial Marijuana Industry,” was released in September 2017. He moved on from his position with the University of Colorado Hospital in 2017 to focus on marijuana education and addiction consulting services.

Gina Crowley
Gina Crowley CRADC, MRSS-P, MARS
Substance Use Disorders Counselor
FCC Behavioral Health
Gina Crowley has worked at FCC Behavioral Health in Cape Girardeau for 4 years. After 32 years of active addiction and coming to FCC Behavioral Health as a client, Ms. Crowley has maintained her sobriety for 6 years. Returning to FCC Behavioral Health, Ms. Crowley began her career in substance use disorder treatment as a Treatment Technician, working with the women in a residential setting. Ms. Crowley moved to classroom instructor and then her current position as a full-time Substance Use Disorders Counselor. Working with the Missouri Credentialing Board, Ms. Crowley has received her MRSS-P, CRADC, and MARS certifications. Ms. Crowley now teaches MRSS-P classes, is active in Alcoholics Anonymous groups, and a leader of Celebrate Recovery.

Robyn Cruze
Robyn Cruze MA
National Recovery Advocate
Eating Recovery Center
Born and raised in Australia, Robyn Cruzes’ first profession was as a successful film, TV and theater actor. With a master's degree in Solo Performance (Acting) from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, today, Robyn utilizes her performance skills across the United States to inspire/motivate others.She is the co-author of Making Peace with Your Plate, and a National Recovery Advocate for Eating Recovery Center (ERC.) She is an educator and writer, covering topics of body image, eating disorder recovery (including comorbidity of substance use) and The Body Conversation and breaking stigma surrounding mental illness. Robyn is a National Recovery Advocate for Eating Recovery Center (ERC.) and ERC’s online Facebook host within two online communities 150K followers): Eating Recovery and Binge Eating Connection. She contributes in numerous publications such as; Refinery29, Yahoo Style, Psychology Today, and The Mighty. Robyn is the co-author of Making Peace with Your Plate, with Espra Andrus, LCSW, and the author of a children's affirmation book Lovely Dreams. She is a popular keynote speaker and educator, covering topics of; body image, eating disorder recovery (including comorbidity of substance use) and aging in an unrealistic body culture.

Matthew Dorman
Matthew Dorman
CEO
Credible Behavioral Health
With more than 30 years’ experience in technology management, operations, finance and investment banking as well as 18 years of political and government understanding and knowledge, Matt Dorman has driven Credible from a start-up with a mission to improve the quality of care in behavioral health to a profitable company with over 375 partner agencies spanning 35 states and D.C., with annual revenues exceeding $30,000,000 and more than 150 staff nationwide. Prior to starting Credible and growing it into a leadership role in the behavioral health enterprise software market, Dorman managed a $40 million e-commerce division for Lockheed Martin. Previously, he worked in the private sector managing turn-arounds and providing investment banking and management consulting. Prior to earning his MBA, Dorman worked in county and state government in Maryland, as well as on Capitol Hill for Senator Paul Sarbanes and for Senator Al Gore’s vice presidential campaign in 1988. He earned his MBA in finance from the University of Maryland and a B.A. in political science from the University of Delaware.

John Driscoll
John Driscoll MBA LADC
Senior Vice President Recovery Services
Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
John Driscoll has worked in the treatment field since 1991 and at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation since 1999. He has served as a counselor, manager and director in recovery services and was named senior vice president of recovery services in 2016. Prior to his time at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Driscoll started and directed a long-term treatment program for women and their children in Chicago. Driscoll is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Northern Michigan University, and attended the clinical psychology graduate program at Marquette University in Milwaukee. In 2008, he also earned an MBA from Hamline University.

Ines Eaton
Ines Eaton MS
Program Manager
Connecticut Department of Children and Families
Ines Eaton, MS, is the program manager for the Connecticut Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) substance use treatment and recovery unit. She joined the department in 1997 working in sexual abuse/high risk treatment and investigation units and later served as the first detention liaison at the Hartford Juvenile Detention Center. She became the supervisor for the DCF court and community liaison, where she worked on interagency coordination efforts for court-involved children as well data dashboards for juvenile justice involved youth. Inés currently works in the clinical and community consultation and support division managing substance abuse programs for youth and caregivers.

David Fawcett, PhD, LCSW
David Fawcett, PhD, LCSW PhD, LCSW
Author,
Private Practice
David Fawcett, PhD, LCSW, is a social worker and sex therapist in Fort Lauderdale specializing in gay men’s health. He is the author of "Lust, Men, and Meth: A Gay Man’s Guide to Sex and Recovery," which explores the intersection of gay men, drug use and high-risk sexual behavior. He has consulted for a variety of diverse projects, including a documentary on chemsex, specialized training curricula and the development of treatment protocols for stimulant misuse among MSM for the European Union. He frequently presents workshops on LGBT health, addiction, HIV and co-occurring disorders both in the United States and internationally, and has served on the Project Coordinating Committee for SAMHSA’s HIV and Mental Health Training and Resource Center. Fawcett has been featured on SAMHSA’s “Road to Recovery” television series. In addition, he frequently provides workshops on aging and mental health issues among long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS and is a trainer for The Reunion Project. He is a regular contributor to a number of journals and websites, writing about HIV, mental health and substance use.

Rebecca Flood
Rebecca Flood MHS, LCDC, NCACII, CIP
President & CEO
Ashley Addiction Treatment
As president and CEO of Ashley Addiction Treatment, Becky Flood is leveraging 40 years of demonstrated expertise in program development, clinical oversight, business development and fiscal management. In previous positions at Seabrook in New Jersey, she oversaw the organization’s residential treatment programs and the planning of specialized treatment for women, adolescents and individuals with co-occurring disorders. While serving as CEO of New Directions for Women, she led the organization in serving women of all ages. Flood earned her master’s degree in human services from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, is a nationally certified drug and alcohol counselor, board registered interventionist, and a licensed certified alcohol and drug counselor. Additionally, she serves as a member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers board, TRIAD Addiction Recovery Services board, and is president and co-founder of the Women’s CEO Global Alliance, a behavioral health roundtable.