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Joanne Montgomery
Medication-Assisted Treatment & HIV/AIDS
Services Director
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Joanne Montgomery
is the current Director of Medication-Assisted Treatment and HIV/AIDS
Services, a division of Regional Network of Programs, Inc., and a set of
treatment facilities for adults with opiate dependence disorders and/or
HIV/AIDS. Ms. Montgomery has worked in the behavioral health field for
twelve years with adolescents and adults with substance abuse, mental
health and medical issues. She is recognized as a certified addiction
counselor by the Connecticut Certification Board, Inc., and is currently
pursuing certifications in the treatment of co-occurring disorders and
clinical supervision. Ms. Montgomery is intricately involved with
numerous community activities and is currently appointed as co-chair of
the Ryan White Planning Council. In this role, she is responsible for
the oversight of all of the funding for New Haven and Fairfield Counties
targeted for direct care to persons living with HIV/AIDS. Ms.
Montgomery was successful in creating a new and innovative treatment
modality for substance abusers living with HIV/AIDS with her previous
employer. This case management and crisis intervention model was
implemented throughout Fairfield County and assisted many clients in
achieving their goals related to harm reduction and proper medical care.
As Director of Medication-Assisted Treatment, Ms. Montgomery is
committed to enhancing client care through the development of a
‘treatment on demand’ model, having successfully designed and
implemented a 90 minute admission process. This is the first time such
a model has been implemented in the State of Connecticut and recognition
was received by DMHAS for outstanding achievement. She is equally
dedicated to providing sound supervision for the clinical team in order
to strengthen knowledge and clinical skills; thus, providing
cutting-edge high quality services for all clients in need. |
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Jennifer Kolakowski
Residential Services Director |
Jennifer Kolakowski
has worked in the social work profession since 1989. For the past four
years, she has held the position of Program Development Specialist for
Regional Network of Programs, Inc. RNP is a leader in the provision of
substance abuse, mental health and residential services in the Greater
Bridgeport Area. As the Program Development Specialist, Jen has
administrative, clinical, and grant writing responsibilities. Jen has
over 18 years of experience in working with people who are homeless,
living with HIV/AIDS, have psychiatric disorders and/or are chemically
dependent. She was the director of Prospect House Programs, a division
of Regional Network of Programs, Inc, for nine years. Under her
leadership, Prospect House expanded to include both permanent and
transitional housing. In addition, Jennifer implemented a comprehensive,
clinical case management program. In 2001, Jen and Prospect House
programs were recognized for their outstanding work on behalf of the
housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. Jen earned her MSW degree
from Fordham University in 1996. |
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Kevin Kasbarian
Adolescent Prevention and Treatment Services
Director |
Kevin Kasbarian is
currently the Director of Adolescent Prevention & Treatment Services for
Regional Network of Programs, Inc. He has worked in the field of
substance abuse treatment for over fourteen years. Mr. Kasbarian holds
a bachelor of sociology from the State University of New York at
Purchase. He is certified as an Addiction Counselor and a Clinical
Supervisor. He also has been certified by Esocen at the Associate level
to utilize progressive tools of meditation and breathing techniques to
compliment traditional therapeutic treatment services. At this time, he
is a candidate for the Specialty Certification in Co-Occurring
Disorders. Mr. Kasbarian holds primary responsibility for the clinical
and administrative oversight of prevention and intervention services for
adolescent and their families. He has provided direct clinical
counseling services for youth and adults with substance abuse, mental
health and medical disorders as well as clinical supervision of
counseling staff and interns. He has been actively involved in program
planning and implementation of prevention and intervention services in
the traditional office-based setting, school system, and community. Mr.
Kasbarian has participated in clinical research trials set forth by the
National Institute of Drug Abuse including Group-based Contingency
Management for adolescents and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and
Motivational Enhancement Therapy for adults. These innovative protocols
focus on specific techniques to increase engagement, retention, and
overall client outcomes. In addition, he was trained in the formation
and delivery of Smoking Cessation groups for clients with severe
persistent psychiatric disorders and developed a treatment manual for
use with this population, in conjunction with the Stamford Community
Health Center. Notably, Mr. Kasbarian worked collaboratively with
several providers and community officials to implementing a program of
restorative justice for youth known as the Juvenile Review Board. He is
currently an active member of an expert panel which offers formal
reviews of cases and determines treatment recommendations. |
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