Drexel University College of Medicine

Director

Donna N. McNelis, Ph.D., CPRP, began her career as a clinical specialist in a state psychiatric hospital. Over the past 20 years, she has worked with children and adolescents, adult addiction recovery services, and specialized groups such as persons with mental illness and mental retardation. She developed one of the first programs for dually-diagnosed adolescents in the mid-Atlantic region. Her current faculty appointments are complemented by years of direct clinical practice. She is presently the director of Behavioral Healthcare Education, Department of Psychiatry, at Drexel University College of Medicine. This program is designed to offer professional interdisciplinary continuing education, and staff development and consultation to providers and practitioners across the nation. Dr. McNelis's current interests include managed behavioral health care, outcome measures, mental illness and mental retardation, psychopharmacology for non-medical practitioners, child-focused issues and program management. 
 

Associate Director

Taylor B. Anderson, MSW, LSW, CPRP, is a clinical social worker who has worked for over 30 years with children, families, couples, groups, individuals, and persons with developmental disabilities, with serious and persistent mental illness and with substance abuse. She was the executive director of a mental health center for six years, managed a N.I.M.H. multi-year grant teaching upper management to create and use cost-outcome mental health data, and has consulted in a number of states. She continues a small private practice and her interests include outcome and quality measurement and CQI for service programs. She chairs an annual conference on co-occurring mental and substance abuse use disorders. 
 

Carol J. Auerbach, M.A., has a degree in movement therapy and has worked primarily with individuals with addictive disorders and co-occurring psychiatric disorders.  Early in her career, she was a therapist and supervisor of the internship program at an inpatient substance abuse treatment center. She later became clinical coordinator and the director of three intensive outpatient and partial drug and alcohol programs at a county community mental health center.  In addition to co-occurring disorders, her specialty areas include motivational enhancement, strength-based counseling and recovery-oriented care, outcomes management, performance imporvement and cognitive therapy. She is a certified member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and has trained extensively in its application to physical and mental health issues. Her current interests include women and addiction and trauma-informed services. 

Margaret Benner, Ph.D., APN, B.C., is an adult psychiatric clinical nurse specialist with many years of clinical experience in a variety of settings. Most of this experience has been with seriously and persistently mentally ill individuals. Dr. Benner has utilized various treatment modalities in the course of her career, including individual, group, and family therapies. Additionally, Dr. Benner has an extensive background in education and is a published author. Her special interest areas include: neurobiology of mental illness; legal and ethical issues in the delivery of mental health care; and psychopharmacology. 

Veronica Bowlan, MSW, LSW, is a licensed social worker, family therapist and a certified practitioner in psychodrama and group therapy. She has professional experience providing trauma-informed services in behavioral health, child welfare, addictions, eating disorders and working with adolescents. She also developed training, consultation and family support groups in these areas. She is a member of the Family Institute of Philadelphia. She joined the faculty at BHE in 1998. Current interests include particpating in trauma-informed, cross-system, planning groups at the city and state level that address trauma and post traumatic stress disorders for adults and children.

Christopher M. Owens, M.A., LPC, is the most recent addition to BHE; prior to arriving to BHE, he was a program director for an outpatient drug and alcohol program. Chris has worked in the field in various settings, including family-based services, inpatient drug and alcohol, and health education. His professional passions lie in recovery philosophy, stages of change, motivational interviewing, group dynamics, and effective supervision. Aside from his career interests. Chris also has past experience as an amateur stand-up comic, improv artist, emcee, disc jockey, and radio talk show host. One of Chris's primary goals in delivering courses is to blend his professional expertise with his entertainment skills to keep participants actively engaged during the learning process.

Pasquale Russoniello, M.A., MFA, a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania, joined the BHE faculty at Drexel University College of Medicine in September, 1999, bringing with him over 25 years of experience working in community behavioral health services as well as in a private psychotherapy practice. Through direct service, supervisory, and administrative positions, Mr. Russoniello has worked with diverse populations, including persons with behavioral health disorders, intellectual disabilities, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders. He also has a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre. His areas of professional interest include effective supervision and team-building; co-occurring behavioral health and substance use disorders; trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Brenda J. Weaver, M.A., CPRP, a native of Philadelphia, Ms. Weaver had dedicated over thirty years to the field of mental health. Her professional objective is to promote productive collaborations between all constituents of the behavioral healthcare community, recipients, supporters and providers. To this end, Ms. Weaver specializes in the application of engagement, access and service quality through such interventions as psychoeducation, recovery-oriented/person-centered planning and resource development. During her career, she was a research associate for the UCLA/VA Schizophrenia Clinical Research & Treatment Center and a social skills trainer under tutelage of Robert Paul Liberman, M.D., developer of the UCLA Social and Independent Living Skill development approach. Ms. Weaver's current responsibilities as a faculty member of Drexel university College of Medicine, Behavioral Healthcare Education include providing consultation to the Pennsylvania Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in the areas of system transformation, cultural/diversity inclusion; education and regional trainings for practitioner-peer workforce development and case management/recovery coaching orientation. An additional area of expertise is certified facilitator for the wellness recovery action plan, WRAP.

 PRIME Institute Director

Cheri Avery Black, M.A., director of the PRIME Institute, at BHE since January 2006; she co-founded as MRTI, Temple University in 1989, while deputy director, Philadelphia Office of Mental Health. She has focused on staff training, community education, culturally responsive services and university teaching. She marketed and managed 20 offerings of the Advanced Certificate in Cultural Competence, other centralized courses, conference, and contracts with states, healthcare systems and others. She was faculty for a 3-year SAMHSA training/research grant awarded to BHE, in partnership with MRTI, and the University of Pennsylvania. She helped found the National Council on Consultation and Education and the Multicultural Resource Center, and was honored by the U.S. Postal Service, Horizon House, Inc., the MHASEP, and Lutheran Social Services. MRTI received the Next Step Diversity Award.