Author: Fernando Saavedra, M.Sc Addiction Studies

The editorial staff of Recovery.org is comprised of addiction content experts from American Addiction Centers. Our editors and medical reviewers have over a decade of cumulative experience in medical content editing and have reviewed thousands of pages for accuracy and relevance. Our reviewers consistently monitor the latest research from SAMHSA, NIDA, and other reputable sources to provide our readers the most accurate content on the web.

Sophie Stein received her master’s of science in nursing from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She previously worked as an advanced practice registered nurse at an outpatient psychiatric practice providing mental health care for children, adolescents, and adults. She performed patient evaluations and medication management, including using pharmacogenetic testing to guide her treatment plans. Sophie is passionate about helping those struggling with mental illness and substance use disorders, and she believes that providing those individuals and their loved ones with thorough, accurate educational resources is essential. 

Edie Weinstein is a licensed social worker, journalist, interfaith minister, motivational speaker, and radio host. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Social Work. She has been in the field of mental health, addictions, and recovery since 1979.

Her clinical experience has included inpatient and outpatient psychotherapy and case management, dual diagnosis, outpatient drug and alcohol rehab, partial hospital programs (PHP), and intensive outpatient programs (IOP).

Lizmarie Maldonado is a biostatistician for The John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami (UM) conducting genetic research for Parkinson’s disease. Prior to joining UM, she worked as an epidemiologist at the local health department in Miami-Dade.

She holds a Master of Science in Public Health degree, specializing in biostatistics from the University of South Florida.

Ryan Kelley is a nationally registered Emergency Medical Technician and the former managing editor of the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS). During his time at JEMS, Ryan developed Mobile Integrated Healthcare in Action, a series of in-depth articles on Community Paramedicine programs across the country that go beyond transporting patients to emergency rooms and connects specific patients, such as repeat system users, the homeless and others with behavioral health issues and substance use disorders, to definitive long-term care and treatment. In his current capacity as Medical Editor for American Addiction Centers, Ryan works to provide accurate, authoritative information to those seeking help for substance abuse and behavioral health issues.

Erica L. Hermann is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC). She has her Master's in Social Work (MSW) and specializes in working with addictions and adolescents.

Erica's clinical experience includes residential treatment with adolescents with co-occurring disorders; outpatient individual, group and family therapy with adolescents with co-occurring disorders; school-based therapy with adolescents with co-occurring disorders; working with children in out-of-home placement; and school social work.

She currently works as a clinical school social worker at an alternative high school in Colorado, where she specializes in working with children with a wide range of mental health concerns, including substance abuse.