Panelists
Rebecca Boss, M.A.
Director of the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals
Rebecca Boss, MA, was confirmed in May 2017 as the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH) as Governor Gina M. Raimondo’s appointee, after serving as Acting Director for 10 months. Ms. Boss has more than 20 years’ experience working directly in the addictions treatment field as both a Clinical Supervisor and Program Director. In 2004, Ms. Boss joined BHDDH and became the Administrator for Substance Abuse Treatment Services and soon became the Deputy Director of the Department. As Deputy Director, she broadened her oversight of programs to include the entire behavioral healthcare system as well as involvement with Eleanor Slater Hospital, the state hospital system, and the Division of Developmental Disabilities.
Andrew Stone, M.D., MPH
Medical Director, Discovery House Comprehensive Treatment Center Northern Rhode Island
Dr. Stone completed his undergraduate degree in Biology in 1993 at Johns Hopkins University, received his Masters in Public Health in 1995 from Columbia University and completed medical school at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1999. He did his residency and chief residency in Internal Medicine at Brown University, where he continued training in Pulmonary and Critical Care medicine completing his fellowship in 2006. He worked briefly at the Providence VA Medical Center and as an Instructor in Medicine at Brown University before leaving medicine and worked on his own recovery. He returned to medicine in early 2015 and has practiced Addiction Medicine full time since. Additionally, he volunteers weekly at the Rhode Island Free Clinic providing free primary care to the uninsured. His research interests have focused on outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary hypertension, he has presented nationally and internationally on physician health outcomes as it relates to sexual misconduct and sexual addiction. His most recent research has looked at the fentanyl epidemic in Rhode Island and outcomes related to treatment for those with addiction involving opioids. Currently Dr. Stone is the Medical Director at Discovery House Comprehensive Treatment Center Northern Rhode Island, a methadone maintenance treatment program in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
Sarah Allen Benton, MS, LMHC, LPC
Clinical and Media Relations Coordinator, Aware Recovery Care
Sarah Allen Benton, MS, LMHC, LPC is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Co-Owner of Benton Behavioral Health Consulting, LLC. She is currently the Clinical and Media Relations Coordinator and former Director of Clinical Services at Aware Recovery Care in-home addiction treatment program in North Haven, CT. Sarah is Clinical Consultant for The Strathmore House transitional sober living for men in Boston, MA and for Circle City Sober Living in Indianapolis, Indiana. She worked previously as a Therapist specializing in addiction treatment at Insight Counseling in Ridgefield, CT, Turnbridge in New Haven, CT and at McLean Hospital at McLean Brook transitional living program for dual diagnosis in Belmont, MA. She is a seasoned international speaker about topics such as Treating High-Functioning Alcoholics and 12-Step Integration for Dual Diagnosis Treatment. She is author of the book, “Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic” and has been featured frequently in the media including the NY Times and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, The CBS Early Show, NPR, SiriumsXM and is a blogger for PsychologyToday.com.