Mission Statement

To provide the highest standard of outpatient substance abuse and mental health treatment using an individually tailored, biopsychosocial model of evidence-based approaches to meet the patient and their significant others where they are ready to begin the process of change.

 

Nick Lessa, MA, LCSW, CASAC
Chief Executive Officer, Partner
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Nick has been in the addiction treatment field for over 25 years. He began his career as a counselor at a therapeutic community on the Lower East Side and today is the CEO and Partner of Inter-Care, an industry leader in the field of chemical dependency treatment. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Social Work at NYU and Adelphi University.

Nick is sought after by the treatment community as a trainer, and is nationally recognized for his seminars on chemical dependency. He was most recently the keynote speaker at the NASW Addiction Conference in New York.. In 2008, he received a Special Recognition Award from the Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology.  He has written 2 books on treatment, the well received Concise Guide to Mental Health: Substance Use Disorders and his newest book, Living with Alcoholism and Drug Addiction: The Teen Edition.

Nick is known as an innovator and leader to his colleagues, a mentor to his staff and interns, a teacher to his students, a therapist to his patients: a man whose commitment and dedication has made a huge contribution to the addiction field.

Maria Rowie Gross
Chief Financial Officer, Partner
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Maria Gross has been involved in the addiction field for more than eight years. She has held fiscal directorships positions for the last ten years and today is the CFO and Partner of Inter-Care Ltd.  She has served in both profit and non-for-profit organizations creating budgets, analyzing financials, creating fiscal reporting for government agencies, and leading the development and implementation of various training events and workshops in the addiction community. She is currently volunteering her time to the Inter-Care Family Foundation that will help individuals and their families affected by the disease of addiction gain access to quality treatment regardless of their financial and insurance status. 

Laura Lessa
Director Of Operations
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Laura Lessa, LMSW, has held management positions in the private and public sectors for over 25 years and has worked in the chemical dependency field since 1994. As Director of Operations, she is involved in all aspects of program development, training, and management, both clinically and administratively. She oversees the agency’s compliance standards and quality improvement program and manages the intern and intake departments. Laura has done extensive work with the treatment community on the policy level and has chaired committees to develop professional workshops, conferences and special events. She is a member of NASW, holds a SIFFI license and is a volunteer with NYC Medical Reserve Corp.
 

Alessandra Parisi
Administrative Director
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Alessandra Parisi has been with Inter-Care since 2007. In that time she has progressed from Assistant Office Manager to Office Manager, Billing Director and Human Resources Manager. In her short time with Inter-Care she has played an integral role in the company’s development and day to day operations. She serves as a liaison between all of Inter-Care’s directors and plays an active role in the marketing department.

With a Bachelors Degree in Sociology and a Masters Degree in Criminology and Justice, Alessandra’s goals took a turn as she began her work in the health services field. She has learned the inner workings of the substance abuse field by helping patients, working with insurance companies, and developing working relationships with other members of the addiction community. Alessandra has developed an in-depth understanding of the effects of addiction and the importance of support-based and 12-step recovery. With this knowledge, she strives to support the members of this community and to help Inter-Care continue to provide quality services to those in need of treatment.
 

Clay Thornberg
Director of Community Relations
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Clay has played an integral role in Inter-Care’s treatment services for the past several years.  In 2007, Clay became Inter-Care’s Intake Coordinator and has since then worked closely with EAP’s, private practitioners and other treatment facilities helping to provide seamless transitions in client care.  His clinical experience includes assessments, individual and group work and he is most noted for his leadership in Relapse Prevention and Early Intervention.