Heather began her journey of sobriety in 2009, a turning point that not only transformed her life but ignited a deep passion for helping others find recovery. Her lived experience laid the foundation for a meaningful and multifaceted career in the field of substance use treatment.

Over the years, Heather has served in many roles within treatment centers, including behavioral health technician, patient relations coordinator and therapist. Each position allowed her to build a comprehensive understanding of patient care and the recovery process from multiple perspectives. While she found great fulfillment in these roles, Heather felt called to expand her impact and pursued a new path in nursing.

Heather now serves as nursing supervisor at Pinelands, where she combines her clinical ability, personal experience, and leadership skills to support both staff and clients. She is deeply committed to empowering nurses, elevating standards of care, and creating a supportive environment for both patients and professionals in recovery-focused treatment settings.

Stephanie is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) with over a decade of experience in both clinical- and school-based therapeutic settings. She began her work in the counseling field in 2014 after earning her master’s degree in counseling from Rowan University. In 2015, Stephanie expanded her expertise by completing certification as a student assistance coordinator at Stockton University. She then dedicated six years to substance use prevention and intervention within school systems, where she worked closely with students, families and educational staff to foster healthy, supportive environments.

Stephanie received her LPC in 2022 and is expected to obtain her LCADC in 2025 to further expand her ability to serve individuals with complex mental health and substance use needs. She has a strong passion for working in residential treatment settings, where she provides intensive, trauma-informed care to individuals in the early stages of recovery. Her work in these environments reflects her deep commitment to helping others reclaim their lives.

In long-term recovery herself, Stephanie brings a deeply personal and empathetic perspective to her practice. Her lived experience enhances her ability to connect with patients and guide them through their own recovery and mental health journeys.

Daniel is the Director of Nursing at Pinelands Recovery Center of Medford. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from DeSales University in 2013. With numerous years of nursing experience, Daniel initially worked in oncology before discovering his passion for mental health and addiction medicine. In 2018, he began working in an inpatient psychiatric hospital, where he provided direct care to patients with serious mental health disorders. Daniel’s leadership abilities were quickly recognized, leading him to roles in nursing management and leadership. As the project leader for a multi-hospital electronic medical record implementation, he eventually became the Director of Informatics and Education. In this previous role, Daniel gained extensive experience across various aspects of hospital operations. He now leverages this knowledge to support and guide his colleagues, fostering staff growth, improvement, and confidence.

Stephanie received her bachelor’s degree as a psychology major from Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey. She continued to complete a master’s degree at Rutgers University in Social Work and graduated from the Addictions Counselor Training (ACT) Program. Stephanie is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor (LCADC). 

Stephanie has experience in multiple substance use and mental health settings. She has experience working in different levels of care such as long-term residential, short-term residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient and methadone maintenance inpatient as well as outpatient. Stephanie utilizes a variety of therapeutic modalities to help patients achieve stability, the ability to function without substances and develop hope. She offers a firm but warm and caring approach that emphasizes her knowledge, passion and dedication to help others. 

Courtney earned her Master of Social Work degree from West Chester University, and Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Binghamton University.  Courtney is passionate about prioritizing a relational approach to help her patients feel supported in their recovery.  She utilizes a strengths-based, holistic lens to understand her patients and their greater circumstances, as well as Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) techniques.  As a certified and experienced yoga instructor, Courtney integrates mindfulness and spiritual principles to help her patients achieve stability, and identify tools for building a fulfilling life without substances.

Nikki has been working in the recovery and mental health field since 2014. She got her start working as a counselor at an outpatient methadone clinic. Since then, she received her M.S. in Community & Trauma Counseling with a concentration in Addiction Recovery from Thomas Jefferson University. She also worked as a counselor intern in outpatient mental health before being hired as a Primary Therapist at Pinelands Recovery Center. Nikki adjusts her counseling focus based on her individual client’s needs but uses a combination of trauma-informed CBT, motivational interviewing, and the integration of spiritual values. She strives for her clients to feel supported in their recovery and confident that they can achieve anything they put their mind to.

Robert has been affiliated with Pinelands since 2014. He started in operations, gaining experience as a lead resident manager and a skilled recovery coach. Robert transitioned to the clinical department, becoming a counselor intern, spending two years in case management. Upon completion of his internship, Robert spent the next three years as a primary therapist. In 2022, he was promoted to the Adult Program clinical supervisor. Robert has experience providing services in a variety of settings, throughout the full continuum of care. Robert encourages each patient to tap into their own resilience through a strength-based approach, utilizing motivational enhancement, family counseling, cognitive restructuring and trauma–informed experiential methodology. As a supervisor, Robert aims to guide his team with a strong emphasis on transparency, collaboration and empowerment. Robert is a certified alcohol and drug counselor and a certified experiential specialist, with a degree in social work from Rowan College of South Jersey. Robert is honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the personal development of our staff, our patients and their loved ones.  

Samantha started with Pinelands Recovery Center of Medford in August 2016 as a resident manager and was quickly promoted to a recovery mentor. Through her dedication and hard work, she transitioned to case manager for the newly opened residential program in April 2018 where her passion continued to grow. Samantha began working with families providing support and resources as the family wellness coordinator. She has since transitioned to a primary therapist in the Young Adult Residential program and obtained her CADC in 2022. Samantha enjoys helping patients address personal issues and improving their interpersonal relationships in early recovery. 

Amanda is a CADC and has been working in the medical and recovery field since 2015. She started off as a patient service representative at the University of Pennsylvania, then pursued further professional growth at Harbor Village Detox in Miami and Addiction Treatment Services International in Galloway. She found her passion in working with recovering addicts. Being in recovery herself, she is able to identify with and have compassion for others on their journey to recovery. Amanda is a graduate of human services at Atlantic Cape Community College and is currently enrolled at Rutgers School of Social Work.   

Monica has been working in the substance use treatment field since 2014. Prior to being hired at Pinelands Recovery Center of Medford in February of 2020, Monica worked in various roles in her career. She later pursued her peer recovery specialist certification in NJ to better be able to service those seeking recovery. After a year of working as a tech, Monica was promoted to the role of recovery coach and served the Young Adult Program for a year before pursuing the role of case manager. She is now looking to attend school to further her education and obtain a CADC in NJ. Being a woman in recovery herself, Monica understands the disease of addiction and is always looking for new and inventive ways to help others.