Anita is a Registered Counselor with CADTP as an SUDRC, currently enrolled at UCSD Extended Studies, La Jolla, CA, completing the Substance Use Disorders Counseling Certificate Program for CADTP licensing.
Anita finds great joy and fulfillment transitioning her efforts to serve clients on a one-to-one basis, specifically focused on substance use disorders and trauma history. Her passion “is to help and support women who are healing on their road to recovery and holistic well-being.” Committed to the highest levels of service, integrity, advocacy, mentoring, and assistance with successful measures and treatment goals, Anita joined Worthy Wellness in January, 2024.
Anita is an avid music enthusiast and enjoys practice in sound and vibrational healing, dance and meditation, and is a member of San Diego Women’s Drum Circle, both for self-care and relaxation. Anita is also a Certified Reiki Practitioner as well as a Jyorie practitioner for spiritual healing.
Biography
Anita was born and grew up in Boston, Massachusetts where she attended Suffolk University and received a BS in Communications and Journalism. Raising her family and active in her local community for many years, she worked in health care services, both in the public and private sectors, and primarily served as Director of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Senior Manager at the Psychological Center, a large community HIV outreach, substance abuse and mental health services satellite. She was later instrumental in establishing The Psychological Center as an independently licensed Agency, accredited by JCAHO (Joint Commission), as well as working in collaboration with OSHA and state agencies in fulfilling agency licensing, and affiliation with many prominent Boston hospitals. Anita served as a co-leader for the clinical utilization review team, where she oversaw clinical and staff licensing, billing accountability, accuracy and specificity as well as clinical intake services.
Anita helped to establish a joint and collaborative effort with leading members of Boston Hospitals/MH/SUD organizations to develop a Billing Task Force. As a member of the task force, the commitment was to steer billing accountability and reimbursement contract rates for providers based on accuracy and specificity, to increase reimbursement contracted rates and reduce denials and write off deficits, by performing analysis and developing protocols for best practices and outcomes. Anita was elected Chairman of the Corporate Compliance Committee of The Psychological Center, where she served as Chief Compliance Officer for 8 years, and a member of the Board of Directors for Corporate Compliance.
The Psychological Center, a Drug Court affiliate, also administered programs in conjunction with local court mandated DUI treatment programs, as well as servicing a large community-based HIV treatment program with counseling and testing outreach services. TPC was also awarded state funded grants, working to promote harm reduction services and smoking cessation programs. TPC also offered diverse treatment programs for child, individual, family, marriage, and group therapy and counseling for trauma, substance use disorders, mental health disorders and LGBTQ+, and women’s services. Under its umbrella, TPC also established a Woman’s Shelter, and two Residential Housing Programs, along with a Men’s Shelter serving the greater Boston community, with diverse service offerings.
Anita moved to San Diego from Boston in 2015, where she has worked both as Office Administrator for a psychiatric practice in Encinitas, and as Office Manager for a local community psychiatric and mental health and substance use disorders clinic.