Team
The individuals who make up Turning Point from leadership to case managers, resident coordinators, program managers, volunteers and the multi-disciplinary team of passionate and highly accomplished clinicians at Center for Change are dedicated to providing a safe, secure, substance–free and loving environment for all of our residents.
David Vieau
President & C.E.O.
David’s extensive business background combined with his personal story of recovery led to the founding of Turning Point in 2003. Under his direction, Turning Point has evolved into a nationally recognized program for young men. He has pioneered innovative approaches and developed programs specifically for young men that have changed the way the industry approaches transitional living.
His educational background includes a Liberal Arts education from Harvard University. In addition to spending most of his career in the non-profit world, his professional experience also includes a variety of leadership roles with start-up organizations and educational institutions.
He enjoys spending time with his five year old daughter Alexis, is an aspiring musician, and an avid golfer.
Albert Samaras
Vice President
Al is responsible for coordinating the business strategy and marketing direction for Turning Point. Additionally, he oversees admissions, outreach, information technology and is involved in long-term organizational planning. With his own recovery experience, he brings a dedication to helping men rebuild their lives and succeed as contributing members of society.
Over his career, Al has held a variety of business development, management and marketing positions for leading providers of technology solutions for the healthcare industry. He holds a bachelors degree in Management Information Systems from Central Connecticut State University.
He enjoys spending time with his wife, Cecelia and children, Erica and Joshua. His favorite activities include golf, skiing, and fishing along the coast of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. In addition, he is involved with a number of charitable and volunteer organizations.
John Palmer, BSW
Program Director
As Program Director, John makes sure every resident at Turning Point is getting the support and direction they need to grow and become a productive, caring young man that is not only an asset to society, but to the family that cares about him. He believes in a resident–centered approach in helping both the individual and family members understand how to build a strong foundation in recovery. He facilitates a practical path to rebuilding lives using the tools that the resident and his family already possess.
Throughout his 30 year career, John has held a variety of leadership positions with national and international organizations. His own personal experience with recovery, along with a strong desire to help young men achieve their goals, brought him to Turning Point in 2009. He graduated with a degree in Social Work from Southern Connecticut State University in 1979.
Joel Rusher
Executive Director of Business Development
Joel brings over 15 years of experience in business development as well as an incredible passion and drive to spread recovery and professional care to those who are in need. Prior to joining Turning Point, Joel served as Director of Business Development for Talbott Recovery located in Atlanta, GA. Prior to Talbott, he was with Hazelden Foundation for six years in various positions including National Outreach Manager.
Joel enjoys spending time with his wife Laura and their son Jacob. His favorite activities include boating, softball, and skiing. He is an active member of the recovery community in Fairfield County. Joel has a Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern Illinois University.
Andy Buccaro, LADC, LCSW
Executive Director
Andy holds a Master’s of Social Work Degree and Licensure in Drug and Alcohol Counseling. Most recently, he was the Director and Founder of Project Courage, an organization located in Old Saybrook Connecticut that specializes in mental health and substance abuse prevention and intervention services for adolescents.
Prior to founding Project Courage, Andy was a clinician at Yale University’s Forensic Psychology Department performing research that compared Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Twelve Step Facilitation models for treating alcoholism and addiction. During this time he also provided clinical services for Yale’s adolescent substance abuse prevention program for students re-entering New Haven Public Schools.
With credentials in both the mental health and substance abuse fields, combined with over a decade of experience, Andy provides leadership and clinical services that include thoughtful, compassionate and confidential interventions.
J. Craig Allen, M.D.
Psychiatrist
Dr. Allen is certified by the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry in General and Adult Psychiatry and in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit Michigan in 1989. He completed his Child and Adolescent Psychiatry training at the Harvard University Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital Fellowship Program in 1994.
Dr. Allen has held the title of Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard University Medical School (1994–2003) and Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry at Yale University Medical School (2003–2005). Currently he trains general psychiatry residents and Child and Adolescent psychiatry fellows from the Institute of Living in Addiction Psychiatry.
Dr. Allen was seated on the SAMHSA Pharmacotherapy Expert Consensus Panel which developed Pharmacotherapy Principles for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Michael Bower, Ed. D., NCC, LPC
Primary Therapist
Dr. Bower has had a wide range of experience in counseling and education with 35 years of experience as a psychologist, high school principal, and university instructor.
Most recently, he was Director of the Yale Psychiatric Educational Outreach Project which coordinates psychiatry residents teaching emotional literacy topics to middle school students. He also has a successful private practice located in Guilford, CT which focuses exclusively on the unique needs of adolescent males and young men.
Mike is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and holds degrees from Tufts, Boston and Harvard Universities.
Jessica Hamilton, LCSW
Primary Therapist
A licensed clinical social worker with 15 years experience in the behavioral health field, Jessica Hamilton has provided both direct care and clinical supervision for some of Connecticut’s largest treatment providers of addiction, mental health and co-occurring disorders.
Jessica began her career in the mental health field working at Hall-Brooke Psychiatric Hospital in Westport, CT and has since provided a variety of co-occurring clinical services for children, adolescents and adults prior to holding clinical leadership positions. With Liberation Programs, she served as Clinical Administrator of Bridgeport Services and provided programmatic oversight for research studies for Yale University and The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Jessica was chosen as site supervisor for mastered level interns for NYU and Fordham University students. Most recently, Jessica was Program Manager for Rushford where she was responsible for clinical supervision to staff and implemented evidence based practices and overall service delivery for co-occurring outpatient services.
As a lead clinician with Center for Change, Jessica utilizes a client centered, strength based approach with CBT and dual recovery principles. In this capacity, Jessica collaborates closely with Turning Point’s staff to offer clinical oversight for implementation of interventions tailored specifically to the unique recovery needs of each of her clients.
Jessica received her Masters Degree in clinical social work from New York University.
Marc Bono, Psy. D.
Primary Therapist
Dr. Bono is licensed Clinical Psychologist and was awarded a Doctorate in Psychology with an emphasis in Addictions Counseling from United States International University in San Diego, CA. He has been specializing in addiction treatment for over 15 years and has a broad base of experience with the dually diagnosed population.
Formerly with The Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, CA, he has also worked as a Clinical Psychologist and a Drug and Alcohol Program Director for The Federal Bureau of Prisons. Dr. Bono was the Coordinator of The Dual Diagnosis Demonstration Project for Contra Costa County, CA. where he also served as the County’s Coordinator for Co-Occurring Disorders system wide.
Dr. Bono is the founder and director of The Office for Dual Recovery, a private practice and training organization specializing in the treatment of co-occurring disorders. In this capacity, he served s as the Lead Trainer and Consultant on a state wide IDDT Implementation Project for California. He has been an Associate Professor at two community colleges and served as the Director of Mental Health Services for Rushford Inc. in Meriden, CT. He is a frequent lecturer and trainer on co-occurring disorders.
Luke Gilleran, LADC, NCC, CCDP
Primary Therapist
With over 20 years of experience in addiction therapy, Luke has overseen programs ranging from psychiatric hospitals to inpatient and outpatient chemical dependency treatment programs for both adults and adolescents. He is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC), a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and was one of first therapists in Connecticut to earn the states Co–Occurring Disorder Professional (COD) certification, which is granted to therapists uniquely qualified to treat clients with co–occurring disorders.
Over his career, he has served as Director of the Mid–Fairfield County Regional Action Council, has treated patients at a 40–bed dual diagnosis, inner–city residential treatment program, and been lead clinician at the detoxification unit at Greenwich Hospital. He is also actively involved in giving back to the community, serving on the board of directors for a number of youth programs and committing his time and expertise to a broad range of charitable organizations.
His work in addiction was the subject of an article in Counseling Today Magazine, and he is a published author, having written a chapter on treating addiction in the 2005 edition of the book, Critical Incidents in Counseling, published by the American Counseling Association.
Meaghan Gorman, LMFT
Primary Therapist
A Licensed Family Therapist with over 12 yrs of experience in the mental health field, Meaghan specializes in the treatment of dual-diagnosed, substance-abusing young adults with a particular focus on helping families and clients recover in tandem. As a system’s specialist, Meaghan has brought her expertise in integrative mental health approaches to a diversity of community and clinical settings. She has been recognized nationally for developing and implementing comprehensive, state-of-the-art clinical orientations as Director of Liberation Program’s Youth Satellite. Meaghan received her Master’s Degree from the Family Institute at Chicago’s Northwestern University.
As a therapist with Center for Change, Meaghan utilizes best-practice interventions including cognitive-behavioral, mind-body and solution-focused modalities to encourage wellness. Uniting families and communities in order to prevent high-risk behaviors and to derail cycles of addiction, throughout her career Meaghan has endeavored to empower clients and their families to challenge the dynamics that maintain and perpetuate chemical dependency.
Ryan Hocking, LCSW
Primary Therapist
Ryan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who earned his Masters in Social Work from Southern Connecticut State University. He began his career at the Rushford Center where he provided services to adolescents with mental health and addiction issues. His work included biopsychosocial assessments and individual, family, and group therapy.
From Rushford, he continued his career at the APT Foundation as a clinician and then advanced to clinical supervisor where he offered individual and group therapy to patients receiving medical assisted treatment. During his time at APT, he was involved in the development and implementation of a treatment team focused on engagement and retention.
Ryan brings his dedication and professionalism as a LCSW to Center for Change and is passionate about helping individuals and families achieve their treatment goals.
Diana Clark, JD., MACP
Family Therapist
Diana collaborates with Turning Point to aid and educate the family members of our residents. Recognizing that family members often live in a constant state of stress and anxiety, Ms. Clark authored and facilitates the workshop: Family Healing Strategies, which provides participants with tools they need to become or remain healthy. As both a specialist in addiction and family systems, she is a recognized force of clear speech, logic and loving acceptance – moving families to engage in behaviors which aid in the recovery process.
With a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Antioch New England Graduate School in 1997, Diana has been employed as a therapist, interventionist and consultant addressing issues of addiction and chemical dependence. Prior to her work in the field of psychology, she was a practicing Labor and Employment Attorney advising employers about the need for clear, compassionate and enforceable policies.