Our Team
Right Turn’s team has extensive professional experience working with people suffering from addiction to drugs or alcohol, as well as mental health issues. In addition, our team members are either amateur or semi-professional artists in one of many diverse areas of creative expression.
Woody Giessmann, LADC-I, CADAC (CEO & Founder)
woody@right-turn.org
Woody is a licensed and certified addiction specialist with 16 years of experience in the substance abuse field. He has a Master’s Certificate in Human Service Management from Suffolk University and a Bachelors Degree in Human Services from the University of Massachusetts/Boston.
Woody is on the Board of Directors for The Massachusetts Organization of Addiction Recovery (MOAR), and is on the Consumer Advisory Board of Directors for The Bureau of Substance Abuse / Department of Public Health. Before Right Turn, he was a counselor for the Cambridge Health Alliance and Hope House (a residential facility in Boston) and The Victory Program. He also served as the Addictions Specialist to establish the Cambridge team for the North Suffolk Mental Health PACT Team.
Complementing his extensive experience in substance abuse treatment is Woody’s 25-year career in the music industry. He was the drummer for the national recording artists The Del Fuegos, Big Dipper, Laurie Geltman, Siedah Garrett, Raven Ford, and The Embarrassment. Woody has worked as a composer scoring many television and film productions, as well as providing musical direction for Off-Broadway theater.
“Over the years, I have lost many friends in the arts and entertainment industry to substance abuse. Excess in the throes of success can be a lethal combination. Maybe my friends and many more like them didn’t know that help was available. Maybe help wasn’t available. But now it is. Right Turn offers hope and help on the road to recovery. I believe in this agency’s mission. I believe in its methodology. And most of all, I believe in the clients we serve.”
Gabrielle “Abby” Dean, LICSW, MPH (Clinical Director)
gabrielle@right-turn.org
Gabrielle is a social worker with nearly 20 years of professional experience. Currently in private practice, she specializes in treating women with addictions and mental health disorders. Her experience includes leadership positions at Heart House (a residential program for opiate-addicted women and their children), Women’s Hope, and Emerson College. With two Master’s degrees from Boston — one in public health and one in social work — Gabrielle is well qualified to develop and manage programs for Right Turn.
Mark Albanese, MD (Medical Director)
Dr. Albanese attended Harvard College and Cornell University Medical College. He completed an internship in medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and a psychiatry residency at Massachusetts Mental Health Center. He is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry.
Before joining Cambridge Health Alliance in September 2002, Dr. Albanese worked for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health for over 12 years. While working for CHA, , he served as unit medical director, residency training director, director of medical education, and associate chief of psychiatry at Tewksbury Hospital. He was also a consultant to several addictions programs affiliated with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Dr. Albanese is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School’s (HMS) Division on Addictions, where he served as Advanced Fellow in Addiction Studies. At CHA, he is Medical Director of Addictions. He is also Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at HMS.
In addition to his clinical, administrative, and teaching work, Dr. Albanese has undertaken research with a major focus on assessment and treatment of dual diagnosis patients. He has studied epidemiology, pharmacology, and group therapy. His most recent area of interest has been DUI.
Laura Kehoe, MD
Laura attended Tufts Medical School and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and is an Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an Assistant in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. She practices Primary Care at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Chelsea Community Health Center. She has been certified to prescribe Suboxone and treating opiate addicted patients since 2003. She also is a medical consultant at Baycove Methadone Clinic in Boston.
Rivkah Lapidus, PhD, LMHC (Psychotherapist and Addiction Specialist)
rivkahlapidus.com
Rivkah is an experienced psychotherapist, as well as visual artist. For 25 years, she has worked with clients from diverse backgrounds in programs ranging from child and family guidance centers, community mental health, to addictions programs, including methadone maintenance and outreach relapse prevention with homeless people. She is familiar with a variety of approaches to understanding addictive behaviors and believes it is important to understand the individual, to be flexible, and to develop the best approach for each person.
She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fielding Graduate University, and a Masters degree in Expressive Therapy from Lesley College Graduate School. Her training also includes a clinical fellowship at the Zinberg Center for Addiction Studies at Harvard Medical School, and a psychology internship at Medfield State Hospital.
Jerry Cotter, CADAC, NCAC-II, LPN (Addiction Specialist)
Jerry has been in the addiction field for over 35 years. He obtained his nursing license at Boston City Hospital School of Practical Nursing. In 1972, he was instrumental in opening one of the first addiction units at Beth Israel Hospital in New York City. Over the years, he worked at Bellevue Hospital in New York in the Neurology Department, and at St. Vincent’s Hospital in the Medical Surgical Unit assisting with the medical needs of substance users from the Bowery. He specializes in addiction treatment and all phases of recovery needs.
Susan Shaw, LICSW, LADC-I (Psychotherapist and Addiction Specialist)
Susan obtained her Masters degree from Simmons College School of Social Work in Boston, MA. Her clinical experience includes working in a methadone program, women’s residential substance abuse programs, and directing an Assertive Community Treatment program. She currently works for a private Assertive Community Treatment team and manages her own psychotherapy practice at Right Turn, Inc. Her specialties include addictions, depression, anxiety, family of origin issues, stress related to life transitions, and major mental illness. Her work compassionately engages adults and adolescents in individual, couples, and family therapy with an emphasis on reaching one’s creative potential. She uses Supportive, Psychodynamic, Humanistic, and Cognitive Behavioral therapies.
Susan also volunteers at the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill as a Family-to-Family teacher. In addition, she is a poet, writer, painter, and plays the guitar.
Virginia Bradley Hines, PA. MA, LMHC
Virginia’s early training in the western medical model at The Johns Hopkins University School of Health Services laid the foundation for her work with patients over the past 31 years. As a physician assistant, she has worked in a variety of medical settings, including pediatrics, college health, internal medicine, inner-city STI clinics and, geriatric research at Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry.
She also has a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from Lesley University, which included extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, as well as Psychodynamic, Rogerian, and other well-researched modalities. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Virginia draws upon those theoretical models and her medical experience, as well as a mindfulness practice informed by Buddhist and Christian teachings. She recognizes the whole person – body, mind, and spirit.
Virginia offers a safe place to those who wish to explore life’s challenges, including addictions to substances, eating problems, relationship conflicts, separations, loss, job changes, medical illness and mid- and later-life transitions.
Julianne DeAngelis, LADC-I, CADAC-II (Addiction Specialist)
Julie’s career in the treatment of substance use and dual diagnosis disorders started in the 80’s. She has worked in a variety of clinical and community organization settings with a particular interest in education and prevention. Her skills and insights have been enhanced over the years by working along side some of the most knowledgeable professionals in the field. Julie is an advocate of treating the whole system - biological, psychological, social, and spiritual - to include the family and others of significance in the substance users life. A Reiki practitioner and Tai Chi novice, Julie has an interest in promoting a greater understanding of complimentary and integrated approaches to well being and recovery.
Felix Treitler, LICSW (Addiction Specialist and Life Coach)
Felix completed his undergraduate work at Clark University, Magna Cum Laude, as a Psychology major. He graduated with a Master’s Degree from Simmons College School of Social Work. Currently, he works with Tenacity, Inc., where he teaches life skills and literacy using the sport of Tennis (he is a USPTA Certified Tennis Instructor). Felix is also an actor, having appeared in print ads, videos, commercials, television, and films. He is a member of the Arlington-based Improv Troupe at True Story Theatre.
Willy Drinkwater, LADC-I, CADAC II (Addiction Specialist)
Willy has over 17 years of experience as an Addiction Specialist at facilities across the greater Boston area; including CASPAR in Somerville, Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, Arbour-HRI in Brookline, and his current work with Cambridge Health Alliance. He specializes in motivational/educational presentations to the dual-diagnosed patients. In addition, Willy provides education and support for the families and friends of the patients.
Willy is a listed speaker for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Drug, Alcohol & Stress Issues), and Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance with its local chapter being MDDA at McLean Hospital in Belmont. Prior to entering the field of mental health, Willy was a stand-up comedian and comedy writer/voice talent for the “Big Mattress” morning show on WBCN-FM in Boston.
Elena Pellegrino, LMHC (Individual & Marriage Counseling)
Elena is a licensed mental health counselor focusing on couples, family, adolescence, and trauma. Elena received her Masters in Arts in 2002 and has been in private practice since 2004. For more on Elena, please visit http://elenapellegrino.tripod.com.
Board of Directors
David McDonnell – President
Tim O’Connor – Treasurer
Dorothy “Dot” Dwyer – Clerk
Gary Hofstetter
George Grey Jr.
Woody Giessmann
Marjie Alonso
Matthew Berlin
Simon Kirke
Bruce Mittman