I am an Associate Professor of Nursing at the Cizik School of Nursing- University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston (UTHealth), and I serve as the adolescent provider for the UTHealth Young HEROES program, an office-based program for youth with opioid and other addictions. A Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with board certifications in pediatric primary care, pediatric mental-behavioral health, and addictions advanced-practice nursing, I have been working with youth who have substance use disorders (SUD) since 2011. My areas of expertise include integrating pediatric primary care and mental-behavioral health; treatment and recovery for adolescent SUD, health problems related to prenatal alcohol and opioid exposure, and preparing health professionals to provide high quality, non-stigmatizing care for people who use alcohol or other drugs. A qualitative and mixed-methods researcher, my research focuses on Alternative Peer Groups and other recovery-support treatment models for adolescents with SUD
and reduction of stigma for patients with alcohol or drug-related problems.