About HEAL Exceeding Treatment Industry Standards

Ian’s determination to help struggling addicts began when he was a Behavioral Health Technician working in addiction treatment. From there, he became a Case Manager, then Marketing Director to a CEO. Ian’s exemplary management style is a product of his extensive experience working in the addiction treatment industry. Today, Ian is National Director of Business Development and Co-Founder of HEAL Behavioral Health. Ian expressly maintains the philosophy here at HEAL Behavioral Health—by Helping Everyone Achieve Life.Originally from New York, Ian started his journey in recovery after admitting to a treatment facility in Florida and participation in a 12 step fellowship where he began his long term sobriety. Ian has helped several hundreds of alcoholics and addicts struggling with Substance Use Disorder find recovery and chose to make a career out of his true passion. Ian Treacy is one of the pioneers in addiction treatment having founded several drug and alcohol treatment facilities throughout the country. Ian’s personal philosophy is to help the family heal as a whole as he works closely with addicted families to lead them to the help they deserve.

Nitya Sivakumar is a Co-Founder and the Director of Marketing at HEAL Behavioral Health. Originally from Plainsboro, New Jersey, Nitya made her way down to Florida for treatment and began her journey in recovery. As a woman in long-term recovery, Nitya’s primary focus is to help those currently struggling with addiction and mental health disorders find a new way of life—just as she was helped. She firmly believes that when women inspire other women to sincerely be themselves, their pain and struggle turns into their triumph.Nitya is an active voice of the Not Even Once movement conducted by the police department of her hometown. She speaks with students in high school, parents and police officers about the signs and symptoms of addiction and how to help a loved one. Nitya is also on the Marketing Committee of FATC. She works intimately with families to help them find light in the darkness of active addiction. Nitya is always available to talk to those in difficult situations who are in search of help and aides them to the appropriate type of care.

Tracie is the Co-Owner and Director of Corporate Relations for HEAL Behavioral Health. Having over 12 years of experience in the drug and alcohol treatment field, she is dedicated to helping families and loved ones of those who are afflicted with addiction and mental health disorders through coaching and interventions. Having studied Marketing and Psychology at the University of Florida, she brought her talent and expertise in branding and launching new treatment programs to several industry-leading treatment centers throughout our nation.Tracie is an active board member of several organizations. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Executive Management Retreat, held annually by The Institute of the Advancement of Behavioral Healthcare. Tracie also currently serves as the Marketing Committee Chair for the Florida Addiction Treatment Coalition (FATC). Tracie’s mission is to make a difference in the quality of treatment by enforcing best practices. By serving in these organizations, she ensures that they advance their missions by sustaining sound and ethical management policies. Tracie strongly upholds the structure and philosophy that HEAL Behavioral Health upholds– to Help Everyone Achieve Life by working closely with addicted families and by making a difference on a large scale.

Dr. Jeffrey Bishop serves as the Medical Director of HEAL Behavioral Health. He has worked in the addiction treatment field for many years throughout the state and intimately understands the treatment needs of the community and state. Dr. Bishop joined HEAL Behavioral Health with the determination to further individualized treatment and educate families. He does this by conducting our Medication-Assisted Treatment Program for our inpatient and outpatient care.Dr. Bishop received a B.S. in Medicine from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1978 and became a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. An expert in addiction treatment, Dr. Bishop has extensive experience managing medically complex patients through the treatment process. Dr. Bishop treats addiction with medicine, and is certified and trained in Medication-Assisted Treatment. He has served as medical director for a number of hospitals and facilities throughout the nation prior to HEAL Behavioral Health.

Dr. Joseph Milisitz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who obtained his MSW Degree from Adelphi University in New York in 1984. Dr. Joe then earned his Post Graduate Degree in Pastoral Counseling and Clinical Sexology from the American Academy of Clinical Sexologists. With over 30 years working in the mental health industry, his experience encompasses treating Anxiety, Trauma/PTSD, Substance Use Disorders and Dual Diagnosis.Dr. Joe serves as the Clinical Director of HEAL Behavioral Health– designing the entire clinical program. He specializes in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, and combining these therapies with the 12-Step approach to recovery.

Trish Byars is the Primary Trauma Therapist of HEAL Behavioral Health. With over 28 years of experience in the field of trauma and PTSD, she contributes to practically every facet of the behavioral health industry. Trish is Spirit to Spirit trained and was coached by forerunners of trauma treatment. She has dedicated her life to building refuge for victims of trauma and those suffering from addiction. Trish is also an active member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Holistic Chamber of Commerce.Trish Byars has designed our comprehensive Trauma Program at HEAL Behavioral Health, of the many family programs she has developed in her experience. Trish specializes in “Healing the Soul Wounds” using Experiential Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Psychotherapy.

Judy Sperling has over 25 years of experience in the addiction field. She has dedicated her life to helping individuals and families in need. She is based out of the Chicago Illinois area but works with families nationally. She holds a master’s degree in science in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University. Judy has been consulting with families and facilitating family-based interventions and workshops for the past 20 years. Judy has worked in Private practice in Sarasota Florida and the Chicagoland area treating addiction, eating disorders and sex addiction, and providing couples and family workshops. She was the site director for the Rehab after work IOP program in Sarasota. She was a clinical supervisor for the Sarasota DUI court in Sarasota, Florida. For the last seven years Judy has run and owned her own company- interventions International -where she consulted with families, facilitated interventions, transports, case management and 3 day family workshops. Judy is passionate about her work with families and in giving the entire family the opportunity to recover and be healthy. Judy is a trustee of the Jay and Becky Kaiserman Foundation. This foundation directly provides scholarships to treatment.

Coming Soon

Xander began his career in addiction treatment as a Behavioral Health Technician and later transitioned into Community Outreach. Today, he is a Community Outreach Coordinator of HEAL Behavioral Health and helps place individuals struggling with addiction and mental illness into the appropriate treatment program. He builds lasting relationships treatment facilities, hospitals and sober living communities while working closely with families to help addicts get the same help he once was given. His passion is to show individuals struggling with addiction that there is a better way of life and works tirelessly to give back to the community.As a native to Florida and a person in long-term recovery, Alexander Gonzalez battled with addiction for many years believing there was no other way of life. He admitted to addiction treatment, actively attended 12 Step fellowship meetings and obtained a strong foundation in recovery.

Savya Venkatesh is originally from New Jersey and is a person in long-term recovery. After experiencing her own struggle with addiction, she came to Florida and began her journey in recovery. Her passion is to help families learn and cope with the disease of addiction as well as helping individuals struggling with addiction understand their disease. She participates in the Not Even Once Movement of her hometown, conducted by the Plainsboro Police Department. She speaks her story to students of the high school she attended as a preventative measure and to families to help direct them to the help they need.She currently serves as the Digital Marketing Specialist at HEAL Behavioral Health. She began her career working for drug and alcohol treatment centers by researching and writing about the effects of addiction for families and those struggling to learn more about the symptoms of mental health conditions with Substance Use Disorder. Her aim is to provide information to help families learn how to help their loved one and encourage them to get treated.