Meet our team
Recovery at the Crossroads, staff is highly trained and licensed. Our clinicians come to us with varying levels of experience and are NJ State Licensed and/or supervised by Licensed staff. We understand recovery from addiction can be difficult, RAC staff works with each client individually to create a treatment plan that will work for their specific needs.
Clinical Staff:
Laurie Engel
MS, MSW, LCSW, LCADC, CCS
Clinical Director
Laurie Engel
Yaakov Cohen
MSW, LSW
Primary Counselor
Yaakov Cohen
Yaakov enjoys working in the addiction counseling and mental health field. He feels a sense of deep fulfillment providing the support to clients to assist them achieve their fullest potential. Yaakov is dedicated to see each client recognize their abilities and inner strength. He believes that compassion, empathy, tolerance, patience and non-judgmental attitude are key for a proper client therapist relationship.
George Wolos
LCADC
Primary Counselor
George Wolos, LCADC
George Wolos is one of our senior therapists at Recovery at the Crossroads. He has decades of experience as a teacher, clinician, executive director, and crisis counselor in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. George grew up on Long Island, New York. He received his undergraduate degree from Long Island University and went to graduate school in NYC at Columbia University and the Union Theological Seminary. He was clinically trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy at the Albert Ellis Institute and also undertook multiple years of Jungian psychoanalysis under James Hollis, PhD. George has been in recovery since January of 1982. He works to integrate cognitive therapy with the spirituality of the 12 Step Method.
Valerie Willis
LPC
EMDR Therapist
Valerie Willis, LPC
Jaclyn (Jackie) Marone
CADC Intern
Jaclyn (Jackie) Marone
Jackie is a CADC Intern at Recovery at The Crossroads. Jackie has been working in the field of addiction since 2013 and has experience with many different levels of care including detox, inpatient residential, sober living, and PHP/IOP/OP. She offers a judgement-free environment where she encourages clients to be themselves while being open to change. Jackie uses a variety of evidence-based interventions tailored to each client’s unique and individual needs. She believes in having fun, learning through interactive activities, and thinks “outside of the box” when it comes to group therapy sessions. Jackie is also a certified reiki master and incorporates holistic alternatives in her counseling to help manage and cope with addiction and mental health symptoms. Jackie is a firm believer in second chances and treats each client as if they were one of her own family members.
Stephanie Williams
MSW
Regional Utilization Review Coordinator
Stephanie Williams
Administrative/Operations:
David Goldberg
Director of Operations
David Goldberg
Kacie Horowitz
Digital Marketing Specialist
Kacie Horowitz
Kacie is a recent Monmouth University graduate with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in communications and media studies. She has experience in social media, promotions, production, and operations in the university’s internal departments, internships, and several years in the private sector.
Holistic Therapies:
Rabbi Ephraim Epstein
Spiritual Advisor
Rabbi Ephraim Epstein
Susan Desiderio
MA, LMT, CH
Yoga Instructor and Massage Therapist
Susan Desiderio, MA, LMT, CH
Jennifer Drees
Music Therapist
Jennifer Drees
Jennifer Drees, MMT, MT-BC, has been part of the treatment of team of RACNJ since 2017. She characterizes her approach as strongly psychodynamic, client centered, and holistic. She honors the unique life story of each client and incorporates music creatively in one’s healing journey.
Chuck Hassett
Martial Arts
Chuck Hassett
Moshe Stamler
Adventure Therapist
Moshe Stamler, Adventure Therapist
Moshe is an adventure therapist who specializes in at-risk youth and adults of all ages. He works one-on-one and in group settings, as a coach to guide clients with trauma recovery, addictions, and behavioral issues. He is dedicated to helping people in recovery and truly believes everyone deserves healing and a second chance at life. His favorite part is encouraging individuals to not surrender to the darkness of addiction, trauma and mental health disorders and instead find their true beauty within.
Business Development:
Michael DiMarco
Director of Business Development
Michael DiMarco
Marlon Friedman
External Marketing Outreach Liaison
Marlon Friedman
Marlon is responsible for external marketing at Recovery at the Crossroads. Marlon has 7 years of prior experience at Recovery Centers of America, where he worked in various customer relations and director roles. Marlon hails from Brooklyn, New York, where he operated several bagel stores prior to working in healthcare. Marlon has always had a passion to serve those in need; his bagel stores had an arrangement with the NYC shelter system to donate their leftover products to shelter residents. Marlon is happy to be a part of the Crossroads Family.
Executive:
Alex Kushnir
CFO
Alex Kushnir
Laurel A. Vnucak
MS