The Board of Directors
The Board of Directors consists of appointees who have been carefully selected based on their
experience, medical specialty, and diversity. The Board meets monthly to review important issues and guide HAVEN’s growth and sustainability.
Officers:
Thomas Calnon, DDS—President
Stephen Carrabba, BS—Vice President
Janet Kozakiewicz, MS, PharmD, FASHP—Treasurer
Linda Evanko, MS—Secretary
Members:
Michael Ivy, MD
Sara Kerin, DMD
Stephanie McGuire, MS, APRN, NP-BC
Danielle Morgan, MSN, ANP, CNS, APRN-BC
Donald Mullen, VMD
Elizabeth Roessler, PA-C
Roy Sasenaraine, MBA
Judy Thompson, CRNA, APRN, DNAP
Theresa Vander Vennet, BSN, JD
The Oversight Committee
The Oversight Committee consists of three members selected by the Department of Public Health, one member selected the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and three members selected by HAVEN. All members must have experience in mental health and/or substance use disorders. The Oversight Committee is an essential element of the enabling statute and meets four times per year.
Members:
Diana Congdon, APRN
Julienne Giard, LCSW
Alfred Herzog, MD
Ismene Petrakis, MD
Rajesh Tampi, MD
Kathleen Boulware, RN
The Medical Review Committee
The Medical Review Committees are multidisciplinary bodies reflecting the multiple professions HAVEN serves. The second Wednesday evening of each month a medical review committee convenes to determine eligibility, terms and conditions for participation, status, compliance, and fitness to practice. The committee members will review readiness to assume responsibilities of narcotic access within scope of practice duties, grant approval for HAVEN to support reinstatement of DCP/DEA privileges, or revise contract terms. The Medical Review Committee may also find after careful review that HAVEN’s services are not required.
Reports and other records are deidentified, so committee members cannot identify the individuals seeking HAVEN’s support. The terms and conditions determined by the medical review committee become the health accountability contract entered into between the participant and HAVEN. If a professional disagrees with the Medical Review Committee determination, the professional may request that the Medical Review Committee reconsider. The professional may request review by the Oversight Committee. The Oversight Committee cannot override a Medical Review Committee decision, but the Medical Review Committee may reconsider a determination at the suggestion of the Oversight Committee. The professional may also elect to explore his or her option to work directly with the Department.
If there is a past or pending disciplinary action, felony conviction, or allegation of patient harm, the Medical Review Committee makes recommendations to the Department of Public Health and the Department will determine whether the professional is eligible to work with HAVEN.
The Medical Review Committee Members
Due to the sensitive and difficult decisions the medical review committee members must resolve, the identities of the Medical Review Committee members are kept confidential.
Our sincere appreciation is extended to the dedicated members who donate their time to help their colleagues face challenges with dignity and respect.
HAVEN Office Staff
Mariella LaRosa, JD | Chief Executive Officer
Mariella LaRosa, J.D. serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer. Mariella joined HAVEN in 2021. Mariella is a health law attorney, with over 25 years of experience in the representation of health care facilities and individual providers in litigation and regulatory matters. Before becoming an attorney, Mariella was a Physician Assistant who practiced inpatient medicine as part of a 12-member physician assistant team at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. Mariella brings a depth of knowledge and experience in both the legal and medical arenas, which experience includes successful representation of non-profit organizations and non-profit board service.
Douglas Olson, MD | Medical Director
Douglas Olson, MD, serves as Medical Director. Dr. Olson joined HAVEN in 2021. Dr. Olson brings a strong collaborative approach to HAVEN’s team of clinicians and a passion for our mission of supporting the health, well-being and effectiveness of licensed health care providers in Connecticut. Dr. Olson is an experienced clinician and health care administrator, having served, most recently, as the Chief Medical Officer for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program. Dr. Olson has also devoted much of his career to Connecticut’s community health centers, including a position as Vice President for Clinical Affairs at Fair Haven Community Health Center, where he had overall responsibility for quality, clinical operations, and integration. Dr. Olson attended medical school at George Washington University School of Medicine, and obtained his residency training at Yale University. He is board certified in both internal medicine and addiction medicine. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. As Medical Director, Dr. Olson is responsible for the direction and quality of the monitoring and care coordination services provided by HAVEN to its participants.
Sara Paredes, APRN, PMHNP-BC | Associate Program Director
Sara Paredes, PMHNP-BC, serves as Associate Program Director. She is a Board-Certified Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Sara joined HAVEN in 2019. She conducts interventions, oversee support services, and follows ongoing compliance with wellness programs for HAVEN participants. She is a graduate of Yale School of Nursing with a Master of Science in Nursing. Prior to her role at HAVEN, she worked as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and provided medical evaluation and outpatient mental health treatment for adults with substance use disorders.
Vincent McClain, MD | Medical Review Officer
Vincent McClain, M.D. serves as HAVEN’s Medical Review Officer. Dr. McClain is a physician who has achieved the national certification required to act as Medical Review Officer. He is also certified by the American Board of Addition Medicine and the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He generously volunteers his time weekly to review urine drug screen results in order to verify positive results and prepares medical review reports for review.
Matthew Colin | Director of Case Flow
Matthew Colin serves as the Director of Case Flow. Matthew joined HAVEN in 2019. He manages a caseload of participants to ensure they are maintaining compliance with their health and wellness contracts. He is a graduate of Providence College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Global Studies. He has also extensively studied Mandarin Chinese at Brown University and Shanghai University in the Peoples Republic of China.
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Joi Payne | Participant Services Coordinator
Joi Payne serves as Participant Service Coordinator. Joi joined HAVEN in 2022. She manages a caseload of participants to ensure they are maintaining compliance with their health and wellness contracts. She is a graduate of University of Connecticut with a Bachelors of Science in Allied Health Sciences with a concentration in Public Health and a Minor in Psychological Services.
Darien DiValentino | Participant Services Coordinator
Darien DiValentino serves as Participant Service Coordinator. Darien joined HAVEN in 2022. She manages a caseload of participants to ensure they are maintaining compliance with their health and wellness contracts. She is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychological Science. She came to HAVEN after working at Rushford Center as a Community Support Specialist.
Nina Greene| Administrative Services Director
Nina Greene serves as Administrative Services Director. Nina joined HAVEN in 2022. She manages the day-to-day operations of the organization. She holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Performing Arts Management from Brooklyn College and a Bachelors of Arts in Theatre Arts from Clark University. Originally hailing from New York City, she comes to HAVEN with 12 years of experience in theater and non-profit management.
Jana Plasky │ Financial Controller
Jana Plasky joined HAVEN in September 2021 as the Financial Controller. Jana works closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Vice President of Operations, and the HAVEN Board of Directors managing cash flow, budgeting, and expense control procedures. She has accounting and bookkeeping experience in both corporate and small business environments including non-profit. She is a Cum Laude graduate of Post University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.
Administrative Staff
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Sandy Adametz
Receptionist