Boca Raton

Dr. Alison Tarlow
Psy.D

Chief Clinical Director

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Dr. Alison Tarlow is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the States of Florida and Pennsylvania, and a Certified Addictions Professional (CAP). She has been a practicing psychologist for over 15 years. She began her career as a Postdoctoral Resident at The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders, specializing in the treatment of women’s issues, including Post Traumatic Stress, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Addiction. Dr. Tarlow developed a successful private practice in Boca Raton, Florida, and began consulting for treatment centers and programs throughout the South Florida area. Before joining the clinical team at Boca Recovery Center, Dr. Tarlow was the Clinical Director of an organization for three years, and was responsible for the development of a medical detox facility in Palm Beach, and two substance abuse treatment facilities (in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida). She has specialized training in a variety of evidenced-based practice, including Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Dr. Tarlow is also a Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator in the State of Florida, and incorporates this experience into her work with clients and their families. Dr. Tarlow has written numerous articles on the topic of substance abuse treatment for Sober World Magazine, and has presented at conferences and training events throughout the United States.

Dr. Francisco U Cruz
MD

Medical Director

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Francisco U Cruz, M.D. is board certified in General Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. He has been practicing psychiatry for 14 years and has extensive experience treating mental illness and substance use disorders in a variety of settings including inpatient, outpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and detox levels of care. Dr. Cruz believes in a holistic approach to mental illness incorporating bio-psycho-social-spiritual elements to help patients achieve emotional stability and true inner peace. He strives to provide excellent client centered care and use new treatment modalities to improve the quality of life and overall health of his patients.

Nicola Kierce
RN

Chief Nursing Officer

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Nicola Kierce is Chief Nursing Officer for Boca Recovery Center. She was born and raised in Florida, and after completing high school, Nicola studied Nursing at Broward College, completing her degree in 2005. For almost 10 years, Nicola worked in the hospital setting, gaining experience in many areas including Emergency Medicine, Bariatric Surgery, and Mother and Baby. In 2014, Nicola began working in the field of Substance Use Disorders, taking a position at a treatment facility where she remained for 5 years as a Director of Nursing. She returned to school at Perdue University, where she received her Bachelor of Nursing Degree in 2019, and is currently completing her Master of Science Degree in Nursing with a specialization in Psychiatry. Nicola joined the team at Boca Recovery Center in 2019, when they opened their Medical Detox and Residential Program in South Florida. Since that time, Nicola has been instrumental in developing our Medical Detox and Residential facility in Pompano Beach, Florida, and she will now be overseeing the opening of our Medical Detox and Residential facility in Galloway, New Jersey. Nicola shares that working in Substance Use Disorder treatment is so meaningful to her because she is able to see individuals who come in broken and defeated, and they leave treatment with restored lives, and an ability to return to society with hope for a better existence.

Maryssa Lindsay
LCSW, MCAP

Lead Clinical Therapist and Safety Compliance Officer

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Maryssa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Master’s Certified Addictions Professional in the State of Florida. Maryssa’s inherent passion to help others led her to pursue a Bachelors and Masters degree in Social Work at Florida Atlantic University. Throughout her course of study, Maryssa developed a strong interest in the specialty of substance use disorders. She began her career in the substance use disorder field as a clinical support staff member, and was quickly promoted to the role of primary therapist where she was able to continue developing her skills as a therapist, group facilitator, and case manager. At Boca Recovery Center, Maryssa has taken on the role of Lead Therapist, Clinical Intern Supervisor, and Safety and Compliance Officer. Maryssa takes a strengths-based, solution-focused approach to fostering a strong rapport with clients as she helps to empower them to create positive change in their lives. She believes that the development of self esteem and self love is essential to maintaining long term sobriety. Maryssa’s experience allows her to address a broad range of issues including substance use, codependency, self esteem, co-occurring mental health, anger, emotion regulation, and behavior modification.

Jonathan Stiglich
MFT

Director of Family Services

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Jonathan, is a Marriage and Family Therapist and the Boca Recovery Center Family Weekend Coordinator. Born in Lima, Peru, his family moved to the Fort Lauderdale area when he was 7 years old. Jonathan attended Lynn University, graduating in 2004 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. He then went on to complete his Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Nova Southeastern University. Since graduation, Jonathan has worked at several facilities as a clinical therapist, focusing on the treatment of Substance Use Disorders and co-occurring mental health issues, with a focus on treating not only the individual, but also the family unit.

Brent Lyles
RMHCI

Clinical Therapist

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Brent is a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern in the State of Florida. From an early age, he had a desire to help others, greatly impacted by his disabled older brother who struggles with a rare form of Cerebral Palsy. Brent learned the importance of servitude, being non-judgmental, and to have unconditional positive regard for others despite their struggles in life. Brent attended college to pursue his passion to become a therapist, and graduated in 2013 with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University. Brent remained at the college, and in 2017 earned his Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling. Throughout this time, Brent has been gaining hands-on experience by working in facilities specializing in substance abuse and mental health treatment. Brent specializes in Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT), which focuses on concepts of mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy. He is known for blending multiple styles of therapeutic approaches and interventions ranging from positive psychology to Gestalt, allowing him to focus on core underlying issues found in individuals who struggle with addiction and mental illness. In his downtime, Brent is a creator and storyteller for a comic book company, Arclight Comics. He is a fan of geek culture and a child at heart when it comes to enjoying life with his wife and family.

Patricia Angeles
CRC

Case Manager

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Patricia has worked at Boca Recovery Center since the doors first opened in 2016. She has held the position of Case Manager since inception of the organization and has enjoyed seeing significant growth and development within the company over the past 4 years. Patricia graduated from SUNY Albany with a Bachelors’ Degree in Political Science and a minor in Criminal Justice. She has worked for many years in child welfare, foster care, mental health, and substance use disorder treatment. For 12 years, Patricia held the position of Regional Chairperson for “The Fresh Air Fund,” in New York City. Patricia moved to South Florida so that she could be closer to the beach and sunny weather. Patricia is a Certified Recovery Coach and enjoys working with the clients at Boca Recovery Center. She particularly enjoys being able to provide the clients with much needed resources, including aftercare referrals, tuition assistance, sober housing, medical/dental or legal resources, and other important information that will benefit the clients as they work on building a solid lifestyle in recovery. Patricia always has a smile on her face and a positive attitude, and in her spare time she can be found at the beach, enjoying time with family and friends, traveling, and bringing her knowledge of aromatherapy to the office.

Maxx Goldenberg

Utilization Review Specialist

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Maxx has been working in health insurance related fields for 15 years and has been specializing in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Utilization Review for ten of those years.  Max recently graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a Bachelor’s in Business and is in the process of furthering his education by obtaining a Master’s Degree.  Maxx's extensive knowledge of health insurance, specifically in regards to the Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health component equips him to advocate for our clients seeking treatment at all levels of care. Maxx is passionate about recovery and he uses this drive to ensure our clients are receiving the best possible care to treat their disorders. Maxx a huge asset to Boca Recovery Center and the clients who seek treatment with us every day.

Jake Powers

Housing and Facilities Supervisor

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Jake Powers has worked at Boca Recovery Center for the past 3 years, starting as a Behavioral Health Technician, and then moving to the position of Case Manager, and his most recent promotion to the current position of Housing and Facilities Supervisor.  In this role, Jake heads up the Housing Department and is the Supervisor in charge of the Behavioral Tech Staff at all our locations.  He is also responsible for ensuring that all our facilities are running smoothly and in perfect order.  Jake has been in recovery for many years and he enjoys providing sponsorship to men seeking sobriety through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Jake is also currently attending Florida Atlantic University, where he is in the midst of seeking his Bachelors’ Degree in Business and Finance. When Jake finds downtime, he enjoys spending time with his family, including his wife and infant daughter and two rescued pit-bulls, or he can be found fishing or on the golf course.

Benjamin “Bo” Garfield

Alumni Coordinator

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Benjamin “Bo” Garfield was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. Starting at the age of 17, he struggled with addiction for many years. In 2016, Bo was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer, and after aggressive treatment, he has been in remission since that time. Bo got sober almost 4 years ago, and in 2018, he received a Certified Recovery Specialist from Penn State, Abington. After working in treatment in Philadelphia area for several years, Bo moved to South Florida in 2019. He began working as a House Manager at a sober living facility, and then moved into positions of Behavioral Health Technician, Tech Supervisor, and now the role of Alumni Coordinator with Boca Recovery Center. Bo is actively involved in the program of Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and he enjoys sharing his strength and hope with others who are seeking recovery. Bo now has plans to work towards becoming a Certified Addictions Counselor. In his downtime, Bo can be found kayaking, playing with his Labrador, and spending time with loved ones.

Sarah Weinstein
MSW, RCSWI

Human Resource Officer

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Originally from Canada, I have made my home for the last eighteen years in Florida, practicing Social Work for seventeen of those years. My passion for therapy stems from growing up and advocating for a mother who had Schizophrenia, a disease that is often feared and stigmatized by society. Unfortunately, my family too has been touched by the disease of addiction and suicide. Through my work, I am committed to helping people overcome addictions to alcohol and drugs, depression, anxiety, and other stresses that affect all of us at some time in our lives. I believe that healing is a collaborative endeavor that requires honest caring without judgment, and I cooperatively assist my clients in clarifying their goals for treatment. Rather than adopting one methodology for all individuals and issues, I draw from a variety of methods to create a tailored approach for each individual and situation. As a therapist, I am warm, open, encouraging, and direct. I consider myself an active therapist, and compassionate person combining experience, education, creativity, and sense of humor with a down-to-earth, realistic approach to counseling. Prior to transitioning over to Human Resources Officer, I was the lead therapist exceling at maintaining all the clinical documentation in the clinical department of detox/residential while carrying a case load and supervising interns. The agency felt my both my organizational skills and compassion for others would make me the right fit for the Human Resources Department. I have over 5 years of experience as a mental health therapist. Before going back to school and obtaining my master’s in social work, I was a Certified Child Welfare Supervisor for almost 14 years. I saw the lives of many children touched by addiction and untreated mental illness. I have assisted many families work towards a better future through case management, therapy, and advocacy. I have also worked with adolescents and adults in the community, residential treatment centers and other psychiatric settings. I have vast experience counseling clients with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse. My background enables me to be an extremely effective Social Worker and Human Resource Officer who is comfortable counseling diverse groups of people and employees. My credentials include the following: Master of Social Work (MSW), University of Louisville, Kentucky, Bachelor of Sociology & Criminology, Saint Mary’s University, Nova Scotia, Canada, Diploma in Computers Systems, Nova Scotia Institute of Technology, Microsoft certified (MOUS) & Green Belt Lean Six Sigma.