Our Team

  • Christian Losch, LCSW, LCADCCEO

    Christian has been in the social services field for over 15 years, spending the last 12 years in addiction treatment. He is a graduate of the Rutgers School of Social Work and is dually licensed as a clinical social worker and clinical alcohol and drug counselor. Christian has experience as a primary therapist, program coordinator and clinical director working in detox, residential and outpatient treatment programs serving adolescents, young adults, adults and first responders.

    Christian is an associate member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), a certified substance abuse professional (SAP) by the Department of Transportation, an approved clinical supervisor by the New Jersey Board of Social Workers and an approved Recovery Coach Academy trainer. In his role as CEO, Christian is responsible for all day-to-day operations of the residential and extended care programs at Pinelands.

  • Casey Castronova, LCSW, LCADCClinical Director

    Casey is the clinical director at Pinelands Recovery Center of Medford. She received her Master in Social Work degree from Monmouth University and is a licensed clinical social worker, as well as a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor. Throughout her professional career, Casey has worked in several substance abuse treatment settings. Casey started in the field as a therapist working with adolescents and adults in detox, residential, partial care and intensive outpatient settings. Casey has used a strengths-based approach infused with motivational interviewing in her supervision of the two clinical teams at Pinelands, and works to see that the programs and the staff reach their maximum potential to best serve our clients.

  • Dr. David Gigliotti, DOMedical Director

    Dr. Gigliotti is the medical director at Pinelands Recovery Center in Medford. He is board-certified in family medicine and addiction medicine. He received his license to practice in New Jersey in 1995. Dr. Gigliotti graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency at The University of Medicine and Dentistry School of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Gigliotti has been in private family practice since 1997. Concerned and compelled by the nationwide problem of drug addiction and overdose, Dr. Gigliotti earned Board Certification from the American Board of Addiction Medicine in 2014. As medical director, he provides compassionate care and treats his patients in a holistic approach to better health. He is uniquely qualified to recognize and treat the co-occurring disorders that can lead to treatment success.

  • Lance RussellOperations Director

    Lance is the Operations Director at Pinelands Recovery Center of Medford.  He has a bachelor’s degree from Eastern University in Organizational Management.  Prior to working at Pinelands Recovery Center, Lance worked for many years in residential lending and title insurance, including 13 years as a manager of a title company. He joined Pinelands Recovery Center in 2014 and was integral in overseeing the opening of both Pinelands programs. Through his hard work and a passion for helping people, Lance has acquired the skills and knowledge needed to be an effective leader in a treatment facility.

  • Nicole Melendez, RNDirector of Nursing

    Nicole is the director of nursing at Pinelands Recovery Center of Medford. She obtained her Associate of Science in Nursing from Mercer County Community College in 2008. She is board certified in geriatric medicine. Nicole has been practicing as an RN for 11 years, treating patients with co-occurring disorders while focusing on ensuring that services are always compassionate and individualized. Nicole spent nine years of her nursing career working in the field as a direct care nurse and then went on to nursing management within Princeton Healthcare System. She worked in all areas of the hospital but spent most of her time in the intensive care unit and behavioral health emergency room setting. In 2016 and 2017, she spent time as a travel nurse in south Florida where she worked in Miami and Delray Beach. There she found her passion for helping patients who were struggling with addiction and concurrent medical and mental health issues. As director of nursing, Nicole provides leadership and direction to the nursing and medical staff. Nicole is responsible for planning, organizing and directing all functions of the nursing department, as well as coordinating care for her patients. Nicole is a strong advocate for her patients and always assures their needs are being met by the treatment team at Pinelands.

  • Jay FanelliRegional Director of Clinical Outreach
  • Christina CongdonDirector of Admissions
  • Matthew Ruble, MDChief Medical Officer

    Dr. Matthew Ruble is the Chief Medical Officer of Discovery Behavioral Health. Dr. Ruble has a deep passion for advancing the behavioral health industry through training, publication, innovation, payer relations and collaboration. He spent 20 years of his career working with the Cambridge Health Alliance, a health system affiliated with Harvard Medical School, responsible for training clinicians, residents and medical staff in core evidence-based practices including:
    • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
    • Psychiatric curriculum development
    • Research
    • Publications
    • Speaking nationally on evidence-based practices
    • Integrated behavioral and physical health care delivery
    As Lead Medical Director overseeing Clinical Behavioral Health Strategy and Operations for Humana, he was part of the team that reviewed and advised on all behavioral health technology innovations for investment and implementation. His expertise spans consistent delivery of innovative and value-based, industry-leading, and integrated behavioral health programs and services.
    Dr. Ruble earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. From there, he attended the Carver School of Medicine at the University of Iowa, earning his Doctor of Medicine degree. He then attended Harvard Medical School in Boston to intern at the Department of Medicine and became a resident at the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Ruble became Chief Resident of the Psychopharmacology at Cambridge Health Alliance as well as a physician educator at the Academy at Harvard Medical School.

  • Athena HeplerOperations Supervisor

    Athena was one of the first resident managers hired at our Extended Care Program. Through her hard work, she is now supervising all day-to-day operations in the same program. Athena has been working in the field for over five years. Athena is a certified CPR/first aid instructor and a peer recovery specialist. Athena has been sober since 2012 and has found that helping other people is her life calling.

  • Kristi Collins, MSN, APN, FPMHNP-BCPsychiatric Nurse Practitioner

    Kristi is the psychiatric nurse practitioner at Pinelands Recovery Center of Medford residential level of care. Kristi obtained her BSN from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 2001 and went on to work as a cardiac nurse, nursing manager and nursing instructor on telemetry/ICU/CCU units. In 2007, she obtained her Master of Science in Nursing and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner License from Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey, and obtained board certification as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Most of Kristi’s work as an APN has been functioning as a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health in Princeton, New Jersey, an inpatient mental health setting, working with the following patient populations and specialties: young adult detox, adult co-occurring/dual-diagnosis, adult medical detox, adult addiction recovery, first responder treatment services and adult acute psychiatric. She also functioned as a psychiatric APN at Penn Medicine Princeton House Outpatient PHP/IOP location in Hamilton, New Jersey, on an adult unit working with young adult/adult psychiatric and young adult/adult co-occurring/dual diagnosis population. Kristi started working at Pinelands Recovery Center in 2018. She consistently dedicates her time at Pineland’s to truly understanding her patients’ needs and advocating for her patients within the clinical team.