Meet Our Team

Executive Director

Karen Spedowfski, Ph.D., Alta Mira’s Executive Director, is a licensed clinical psychologist. Dr. Spedowfski’s career has been exclusively focused on the treatment of Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders and she has held multiple leadership positions within the programs she has worked.

Dr. Spedowfski brings a compassionate, evidence-based and practical approach to assisting clients and their families who are recovering from addictions and other mental health issues. Her work approaches the individual as a whole person with physical/biological, psychological, spiritual and social/cultural needs, issues and challenges that occur within various systems in the person’s life. As such, she believes that involving family members in the treatment process whenever possible is crucial to client success as well as the health and wellbeing of those around them.

Prior to coming to Alta Mira, Dr. Spedowfski worked in multiple outpatient treatment settings including several Kaiser Permanente Chemical Dependency Services/Recovery Programs and at the Northern Illinois University Counseling and Student Development Center where her experience included the assessment and treatment of those with eating disorders as well as leading campus-wide efforts to reduce the incidence of sexual assault among student residents. Her dissertation focused on exploring disordered eating symptoms in both men and women recovering from Substance Use Disorders to better understand how both issues can be effectively and simultaneously addressed within an outpatient setting.

Dr. Spedowfski served in various leadership roles throughout her 20-year career at Kaiser Permanente, including her most recent as the Program Director of the Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Vallejo, California from January 2010 through August 2018. From 2012-2015 she simultaneously served a three-year period as Chair of the Chemical Dependency Program Directors for the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region.

Dr. Spedowfski is passionately dedicated to helping those in recovery from Substance Use Disorders and other mental health issues. She believes in the fundamental resilience of individuals and families who dedicate themselves to the learning and change process of recovery that results in vastly improved lives and overall wellness. She strives to balance the application of proven therapeutic techniques and practices with an individually-tailored approach to best ensure that the unique needs of each individual and family are met.

Dr. Spedowfski holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the California State University – East Bay (formerly Hayward) and received both her masters and doctorate degrees in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in Alameda, CA.

Clinical Director

Rainey Temkin, PhD, is the Clinical Director at Alta Mira Recovery Program. She obtained a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Serious Mental Illness and Diversity and Community Mental Health from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University as well as an MA in Counseling Psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley. She has been working with dual-diagnosed and chemically dependent individuals in a variety of settings, including inpatient, public hospital, and community mental health clinics. Dr. Temkin has received specialty training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Psychosis.

Consulting Physician: Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine

Dr. Steven Batki is listed in US News and World Report as one of the top doctors in the field of Addiction Psychiatry. Through a peer nomination process, he currently ranks in the top 10% for the entire United States. He is also listed as one of the Top Psychiatrists in San Francisco.

As our primary consulting Addiction Psychiatrist, Dr. Steven Batki is responsible for the psychiatric and addiction medicine needs for Alta Mira clients. Dr. Batki has 30 years of medical and psychiatric experience and is Board Certified in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine and Chief of the Substance Abuse Programs at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. Dr. Batki is also the Director of the Addiction Research Program and the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Program. Prior to his current positions, Dr. Batki was the director of the division of substance abuse and addiction medicine at San Francisco General Hospital.

Dr. Batki earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University, and received his medical degree from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University. Dr. Batki completed both his psychiatry internship and residency at the UCSF School of Medicine. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and is board-certified in both Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry. Dr. Batki is also a diplomate of the American Board of Addiction Medicine.

Dr. Batki is an active medical researcher studying addiction treatment. He has received funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the Department of Defense. Dr. Batki’s research and clinical interests focus on improving the treatment for alcohol, opioid, and stimulant dependence. His current work includes studies of alcohol dependence in patients with traumatic brain injury and PTSD.

Dr. Batki is listed in San Francisco Magazine’s 2019 Top Doctors for Addiction Psychiatry and Castle & Connolly’s 2019 Best Doctors in Psychiatry.

Blogs:

The Value of Relapse Prevention Medication in Addiction Treatment: An Interview with Dr. Steven L. Batki

How Medications Ease Withdrawal Symptoms and Fortify Recovery: An Interview With Dr. Steven L. Batki

New Research on PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorder Brings Hope: An Interview with Dr. Steven L. Batki

Reflecting on the Impact of Dr. Steven L. Batki, Alta Mira’s Consulting Addiction Psychiatrist and Recent Award Recipient

Consulting Physician: Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine

Dr. Driscoll serves as our primary independent consulting medical physician and is responsible for the detoxification and medical needs of our clients. She is board certified in both Internal and Addiction Medicine. Dr. Driscoll has 15 years of experience at Alameda County Medical Center in Oakland where she completed her residency and later served as an attending hospitalist instructing a team of residents, interns, and medical students. She has cared for over 7,500 patients suffering from medical complications caused by addiction. Dr. Driscoll earned her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and Bachelor’s in Human Biology at Brown University. She is an Advisory Board Member at Stepping Stone Residential Recovery Program for Women in San Francisco and a member of ASAM and CSAM.

Addiction Medicine Physician

Dr. David E. Smith is recognized as a national leader in the treatment of addictive disease, the psychopharmacology of drugs, new research strategies in the management of drug abuse problems, and appropriate prescribing practices for physicians. He teaches that addiction is a primary medical illness that is best treated in a multidisciplinary fashion, utilizing the group process, individual psychotherapy, and the 12-Step programs of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Cocaine Anonymous. Dr. Smith has over 45 years of experience treating addiction as a medical disease.

At Alta Mira, Dr. Smith lectures to our clients on the neurobiological aspects of addiction, treating addiction as a brain disease, and the medical management of psychoactive drug dependence, including cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs. Dr. Smith founded the Haight Ashbury Free Clinics in 1967, inaugurating the principle of “Health Care is a Right, not a Privilege.” He is a Fellow and former President of The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). He lectures extensively and is the author/co-author of over 350 professional articles and books, including Unchain Your Brain: 10 Steps to Breaking the Addictions that Steal Your Life, with Dr. Daniel Amen.

Director of Neuropsychological Assessment

Laura Natta, PhD is the Director of Neuropsychological Assessment and is responsible for the individually-designed, comprehensive assessment of all Alta Mira Clients, as well as supervision of Ph.D. and Psy.D. Resident Psychologists and MFT Interns. She obtained a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Neuropsychology from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University. Her dissertation work was conducted as a joint effort of the Palo Alto VA and Stanford School of Medicine and she has presented research at regional and national conferences. She has been working with addiction-compromised individuals for over 15 years in a variety of settings, including residential, inpatient, acute and specialty clinics.

Dr. Natta has been with the VA Healthcare System since 2009 and has received specialty training in assessment of trauma, behavioral sleep medicine, traumatic brain injury assessment, cognitive rehabilitation, and pain. She serves as Associate Assessment Faculty at various psychology programs in the Bay Area, is a Supervising Assessment Clinician at El Camino Hospital, and serves on the Board of Directors of The Northern California Neuropsychological Forum.

Beyond Diagnosis: An Interview with Dr. Laura Natta on Comprehensive Psychological Testing in Addiction Treatment

Therapist

Stephen McDonough, LMFT, is a Therapist at Alta Mira. After a 20+ year career researching protein biochemistry and related topics, Steve returned to school and received his Master’s in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. His approach to therapy and psychoeducation represents his unique synthesis of Western science and a more spirituality-inspired psychotherapy. He utilizes a direct and often humorous approach to therapy which still allows his empathy for his clients and his passion for the work to shine through.

Therapist

Jenny Roether, LCSW, MSW, was born in Caribou, Maine and raised in Northern California. She has traveled between Tucson and California throughout her adult life. She chose to study anthropology and criminal justice at the University of Arizona as an undergraduate, where she simultaneously worked in the cardiology department at University Medical Center in Tucson. Post her Bachelor of Science degree, Jenny began work in the biomedical device industry helping to market and train cardiac surgeons on the CardioWest Total Artificial Heart for several years prior to returning to academia to acquire her Masters of Social Work from Arizona State University.

Throughout Southern Arizona, Jenny has worked in various behavioral health settings within the private and public sectors, including intensive outpatient, residential, and inpatient care. Most recently, Jenny was working as a Primary Therapist and Program Manager for the Licensed Professionals Program at Sierra Tucson that she helped develop and facilitate for the past three years. She was able to engage in her passion by supporting impaired professionals, whom she had worked alongside for many years in the medical field. Her ability to relate to impaired professionals and their unique challenges and responsibilities achieve sobriety and emotional healing to continue serving patients and clients in their respective practices has been a rich and rewarding experience that she hopes to enhance and support here at Alta Mira. Prior to returning to the desert in 2019, Jenny spent eight years in San Francisco, CA where she worked as an intensive community social worker with Health Right 360, the Institute on Aging and the Progress Foundation assisting clients, who presented with several co-morbidity factors transfer from a skilled nursing facility back into the community with support.

Jenny’s focus and passion to better serve those suffering from addiction and co-occurring issue is best supported by her trauma centered approach and her ability to utilize experiential exercises and modalities to support residents increase their awareness, acceptance and action. She uses humor and humility as a means of normalizing a resident’s experience and to shift from ‘being a human doing to a human being.’ Jenny enjoys the individualized approach and person-centered care found at Alta Mira and the overall compassion that emanates from each department from the admissions process, throughout nursing, tech, and culinary departments all the way through the discharge process.

She recognizes the myriad talent and skill sets of each individual she supports by honoring their unique strengths and abilities to enhance emotional recovery and thus promote long-term sobriety for our residents’ long term. Jenny emphasizes the importance of working within a highly skilled, treatment team approach to better serve Alta Mira residents and to create long lasting change, increase self-awareness, and enhance connection. Jenny is independently licensed in both Arizona and California.

When she is not operating in a therapeutic capacity, Jenny spends her free time in Marin practicing her culinary skills, gardening and raising her small human.

Therapist

Raised in the Virgin Islands, Stewart moved to the US to pursue education on the East Coast and has lived in New York City, Tampa Bay, and Vail Colorado before moving to California. Leaving behind a career in Operations Management, he pursued in-depth Buddhist and Mindfulness Meditation studies, becoming a Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher and a Buddhist Meditation Facilitator.

Stewart completed his MA in counseling psychology and has been providing relational counseling in the Bay Area. He approaches therapy from an East/West synthesis, focusing on evidence-based practices in combination with spiritual approaches to wellness. He is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and a Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor.

Certified by the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC-III), Stewart has many years of experience specializing in Substance Use counseling.

Therapist

Sascha Kyssa is a Primary Therapist at Alta Mira Recovery. Sascha began his work in the mental health field as a mental health first aid responder and peer support specialist. Sascha completed his graduate degree in counseling psychology through Sofia University, and has since focused on evidence-based interventions for addiction recovery and co-occurring mental health challenges.

Sascha specializes in working with developmental trauma, PTSD, and complex behavioral issues related to trauma and substance abuse recovery. Sascha is a trained EMDR and biofeedback therapist, and is a graduate of the Trauma Research Foundation.

Sascha blends his evidence-based trauma-informed approach with the relational and humanistic qualities of warmth, authenticity, and meeting the client where they’re at in their recovery process.

Operations Director

Tarik Boukhari is Alta Mira’s Operations Director and is responsible for the day to day operations of the facility.

Tarik has over 20 years’ experience in financial and operational management. Prior to joining Alta Mira, he was Vice-President-General Manager at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco where he oversaw finance, budgeting, and day-to-day operations as well as regulatory reporting. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics, an MBA in Finance, and speaks five languages fluently.

He believes in taking care of his staff, focusing on the client, and acting swiftly on what matters.

Program Manager

Family Program Director

Dr. Tracy has been conducting Professional and Family Interventions for over 20 years. He is a nationally recognized speaker and educator in the areas of Impaired Health Care Professionals, Opiate Addiction secondary to Chronic Pain and Systemic Family Interventions. He is an expert in providing extensive monitoring services and family case management. He has experience in program development and facilitating family programs for some of the most respected treatment centers in the country.

Dr. Jim Tracy graduated in 1979 from the Georgetown University School of Dentistry and he practiced General Dentistry for 18 years. Before making a change to help Families through Systemic Family Interventions while continuing work in helping Impaired Health Professionals.

Trauma Workshop Facilitator

Kelley L. Callahan, PhD is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Albany, Ca and in the process of becoming a trainer for the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. Her doctoral training included an internship at the National Center for PTSD at Dartmouth Medical School and a two-year post-doc at Harvard Medical School, Victims of Violence Program. She has served as adjunct faculty for John F. Kennedy University and California Institute of Integral Studies teaching courses on somatic approaches to the treatment of trauma as well as attachment informed psychotherapy. She is passionate about helping folks understand the interplay of trauma and addiction and how survival strategies, although at one point adaptive, can keep individuals, families, and society stuck in patterns they are wanting to move beyond. Her clinical work and teaching are grounded in the neurobiology of trauma and mindful awareness, with the goal of supporting individuals in regulating their nervous systems – thereby having a choice about how they live in the present moment.

Grief & Loss Workshop Facilitator

Gigi is Executive Director and founder of Alcohol Recovery Solutions, Inc., a licensed clinic offering care to adults struggling with alcohol and drug dependency.

The clinic’s philosophy extends beyond getting sober and focuses on inspiring clients to overcome the burdens of past traumas while teaching the coping skills needed for long term recovery.

The workshop goals for clients include:

• Understanding complicated, chronic and delayed grief with knowledge of the five stages of grief
• Learn a set of coping skills to effectively process through grief & loss
• Clients develop their own Story of Grief & Loss
• Learn to use the tools – the five stages to create healing

Having the Best Relationships of Your Life Workshop Faciliator

Dr. Abby Medcalf is a psychologist and addiction expert who has helped thousands of individuals create meaning and happiness in their lives through counseling, training, and her relationship programs and books. With over 30 years of experience, Abby is a recognized authority and sought-after speaker known for her unique blend of comprehensive research, hands-on experience, and humor. She motivates individuals to break through in every relationship (starting with the relationship they have with themselves) so they can lead more enthusiastic and fulfilled lives.

Rising Strong™ Workshop Facilitator

Ann has earned two Master’s degrees; one in theology from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary at Northwestern University and the other in counseling from National-Louis University. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), a state-certified alcohol and drug counselor (CADC), a nationally-certified multiple addiction therapist with certifications in sex addiction as well as work addiction and financial disorders (CMAT), and a certified Daring Way™ facilitator (CDWF). She is also fully trained in EMDR Therapy.

Ann’s practice consists of individual and group counseling with a specialty in experiential therapy. Her main objective is to offer the recovering individual a safe place to express feelings and heal traumatic wounds. Ann sat on the Advisory Board for the International Institute of Trauma & Addiction Professionals (IITAP) for many years. IITAP oversees the CSAT certification and its curriculum, developed by Dr. Patrick Carnes, author and pioneer in sex addiction treatment.

She has also received certification from Brené Brown’s organization, The Daring Way™ and facilitates individual sessions and workshops with this new and ground-breaking curriculum.

In addition to over two decades of clinical experience, Ann brings over forty years of personal experience in the recovery field. She believes that, no matter what a person’s problems are, healing and freedom are possible. There are no hopeless cases.

Thriving in Recovery Workshop Facilitator

Experiential Program Manager

In his role as Experiential Program Manager, Nico combines his two true passions – a love of recovery and a love of the great outdoors.

After earning his BA at UCLA, Nico began his career in adventure travel as an international white water rafting and sea kayaking guide, a job that took him from the mountains of Colorado, down the Grand Canyon, and to far off places like New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and Patagonia. Ready to get back on dry land but never far from a trailhead, Nico returned to his home state of Connecticut to serve as Program Director at High Watch Recovery Center, a 78-bed dual-diagnosis treatment facility where he helped the team integrate the latest breakthroughs in addiction medicine into the time-tested spiritual teachings of the 12 Steps.

At Alta Mira Recovery Programs Nico collaborates with our multidisciplinary clinical team to implement and manage our therapeutic Experiential Program for individuals seeking freedom from addiction. He tailors the incredible array of activities that the Bay Area offers to meet the individual interests and abilities of our clients. With Marin’s unfettered access to breathtaking hiking and trail running, biking, sailing, surfing, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding – not to mention equine therapy, indoor rock climbing, world class museums and sightseeing – the opportunities at our disposal are endless. Nico is committed to his own program of successful long-term recovery, and to sharing his personal journey for the benefit of our clients while providing compassionate care to everyone who walks through our door.

When he’s not out trail running, paddling or skiing, Nico is working to complete a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University.

Alumni Coordinator

Sandra facilitates the Alta Mira outreach and Alumni programs, including ongoing weekly support groups and Quarterly Tune-up events. She oversees all aspects of the Alumni Program.

Executive Chef

Stephen Cook has been involved in the culinary world for the past 15 years. After graduating from The California School of Culinary Arts, Le Cordon Blue Pasadena, he worked for seven years at the Mission Bistro as the Chef de Cuisine under former instructor Chef Richard Hanna. He moved on to work at the Anaheim Marriott as Lead in the Banquet Kitchen, before coming to work at Alta Mira in 2013. Stephen loves being able to share his passion for food with the clients and staff at Alta Mira. He’s always loved food, and knew he wanted it to play a big part in his life. The bond between chef and patron, he says, is sacred. “Food and sharing food with others holds power, it creates comfort. Conversations and open sharing are a constant at the dinner table.” He is proud to put his culinary skills to use here, providing high-quality, delicious meals that delight and fortify clients during their stay. In his spare time, you’ll probably find Stephen at a farmers’ market or food show. When he’s not thinking about food, he also enjoys baseball, camping, snowboarding, and reading.

Director of Admissions

Harmony has worked in the field of addiction and mental health treatment since 2010. As the Director of Admissions for Alta Mira Recovery Programs, she manages the admissions department, provides initial contact with clients, and maintains communication with referral sources and families.

Harmony has had the opportunity to work for some of the nation’s top treatment centers, holding roles in Program Management, Admissions, Intake and Utilization Review, advocating for clients seeking excellence in clinical and medical care. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science, worked as a research associate at UCLA Medical Center, and completed UCLA’s Certified Addiction and Drug Abuse Credential Program.

Harmony was honored when she won the top award for all employees in her nationwide treatment organization after being recognized for outstanding achievements in excellence, innovation, and customer service.

Senior Admissions Advisor

Jeffrey joined Constellation Behavioral Health in 2019 and has spent over 15 years working in the care and treatment of clients with addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders. In that time, Jeffrey has enjoyed working with some of the most well-respected clinical professionals in our field and has served in positions of admissions coordinator and admissions director for programs in Florida and California. Jeffrey’s approach to admissions is compassionate, client-focused and collaborative.

As our senior admissions counselor Jeffrey uses his wealth of experience to work closely with clients, their families, and our internal treatment teams to help determine the best program to fit for each client’s personal needs and goals. He takes great pride in representing both Alta Mira and Bridges to Recovery and strives to provide a seamless, compassionate and world class experience for those seeking help.

Admissions Advisor

Mallory has worked as an admissions advisor in the behavioral health field for over 15 years. She has a tremendous passion for providing an empathetic and nonjudgmental ear to all those seeking treatment. Her role at Alt Mira is to guide clients, family members, and referring professionals through each step of the admission process with compassion, understanding and the utmost respect.