Inova Act on Addiction Summit Bios
Kate Appleman is the Senior Clinical Director of Men’s Treatment Services at Caron Treatment Centers. Since 2005, Kate has been a clinician at Caron working with the adult, professional, and relapse populations. Since 2013, Kate has been active in program development, supporting the development of evidence-based clinical programming for executives, healthcare professionals, attorneys, and opioid addiction.
Kate’s areas of expertise include a focus on men’s addiction treatment and recovery, as well as relapse treatment and prevention, motivational interviewing, and working with family systems impacted by addiction. Her oversight of Men’s Treatment Services and counselor assistants on the Pennsylvania campus allows for a strong focus and emphasis on staff growth and professional development.
Kate’s tenure at Caron has allowed her to receive training in clinical supervision, process addictions, and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. She received a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Alvernia University in 2006 and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology degree from Rosemont College in 2010.
Owen Lombardi has worked as a counselor at the Inova Fairfax Hospital CATS (Comprehensive Addiction Treatment Services) addiction treatment program for the last 3 years and previously for the Boulder Mental Health Center in Colorado, and at Santa Fe High School in New Mexico as a high school teacher. He presents about addiction weekly to the CATS IOP addiction groups. Owen graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelors degree in History and Education in 1993 and received his Masters in Counseling Psychology in 1997 from Naropa University.
Diana Benjamin Rodriguez, LCSW, CAADC, joined Inova Kellar Center in 2015 as Program Manager, Clinical Programs and is today the Program Director of the Inova Kellar Clinical Programs (Partial Hospitalization Program and Intensive Outpatient Program). She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor in the States of Virginia and Georgia, with more than 25 years of experience in behavioral health and chemical dependency treatment. As program director, Diana partners with the senior director and the medical director to guide the direction of the Partial Hospitalization program and the Intensive Outpatient Program. In this role, Diana also provides clinical supervision for the therapists in these programs. She is an approved clinical supervisor for the State of Virginia. In addition, Diana facilitates one of the two Family Support Groups. Diana’s passion is providing a cohesive, person-centered treatment program where all patients and their families receive individualized care.
Megan Marshall, LPC has been a licensed professional counselor for the last ten years. She is currently a student assistance specialist for Loudoun County Public Schools and provides substance abuse prevention and intervention for secondary students in five different schools throughout the county. For nine years prior, Megan provided outpatient substance abuse treatment for adolescents and adults. She also provided clinical supervision for counseling residents for three years.
Sulman Aziz Mirza, MD is a triple boarded physician, with board certifications in Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine. He currently works with children and adolescents at Inova Kellar Center and working with adults at his private practice, LouCouPsych, both offices in Sterling, VA. Sulman is also affiliated with the National Basketball Players Association Mental Health & Wellness Program with the Washington Wizards.