2023 Conference Program Book

Kathleen Ethier Director, CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health

Dr. Kathleen Ethier is a social psychologist and the Director of CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health in the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. She has served as a leader at CDC in adolescent health as well as other capacities since 1999. Prior to joining CDC, Dr. Ethier spent six years on the research faculty at Yale University studying HIV, STDs, and unplanned pregnancy prevention among women and adolescents. Her research has primarily focused on psychosocial, behavioral, and environmental factors related to adolescent mental and physical health. Dr. Ethier earned her PhD in social psychology from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Jeff Foote, PhD Co-Founder of the Center for Motivation and Change (CMC) and President of CMC: Foundation for Change

Jeff Foote, PhD, is Co-Founder of the Center for Motivation and Change (CMC) in Manhattan, as well as CMC: Berkshires and CMC: Foundation for Change. Dr. Foote is a nationally recognized clinical research scientist who has received federal grant funding for his work on motivational treatment approaches and addiction treatment research, focused on the implementation of evidence-based treatments. Dr. Foote was also psychologist for the New York Mets for 11 years, and continues in sports psychology as an independent performance consultant to professional athletes. Before co-founding CMC in 2003, Dr. Foote was the Deputy Director of the Division of Alcohol Treatment and Research at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in NYC, as well as Senior Research Associate at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) in NYC. Dr. Foote also served as Chief of the Smithers Addiction Treatment and Research Center as well as Director of Evaluation and Research between 1994 and 2001. He is co-author of the award-winning book Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change , a practical guide for families dealing with addiction and substance problems in a loved one, based on principles of Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT). He is also a contributor to two workbooks combining strategies from CRAFT and Motivational Interviewing: The Parent’s 20 Minute Guide and The Partner’s 20 Minute Guide, which offer specific tools and practice in evidence-based strategies for helping a loved one change.

Nicole Gastala, MD Medical Director. Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Division of the Illinois Department of Human Services

Nicole Gastala, MD. is board certified in Family and Addiction Medicine. She graduated from Loyola Stritch School of Medicine and completed her Family Medicine residency at University of Iowa. She has developed and expanded MAR by mentoring prescribers, precepting residents, and training clinicians Illinois. She has also focused on the development of a walk-in integrated behavioral health, addiction, and primary care programs within her FQHC system at UI Health Mile Square Health Centers. In January 2021, Dr Gastala joined the Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Division of IDHS as the medical director. 32