Leadership Team

President

Dilani Perera, Ph.D., LPC, LADC, NCC, MAC, BC-TMH

Dr. Dilani M. Perera is the Department Chair and a Professor of Counselor Education at Fairfield University. Dr. Perera is licensed as a Professional Counselor and an Alcohol and Drug Use Counselor and certified as a National Certified Counselor, a Master Addiction Counselor, and a Board Certified TeleMental Health provider. Her clinical work was mainly with substance using clients with co-occurring disorders in correctional, in-patient, and outpatient settings. She has been a long standing member of IAAOC. She is currently serving as the Assistant Editor for the Journal of Addiction and Offender Counseling and the Annual Review. Outside of IAAOC, Dr. Perera has served in many state, regional, and national level counseling organizations and currently serves as the past-President of the Connecticut Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. Dr. Perera has 45+ publications in the areas of addiction, assessment, multicultural issues, and training of professional counselors and counselor educators.

President-Elect

George Stoupas, Ph.D.

Dr. George Stoupas is an assistant teaching professor in Wake Forest University's Department of Counseling, where he also serves as program coordinator for addiction counseling. He holds a doctoral degree in counselor education from Florida Atlantic University and a master's degree in mental health counseling from Nova Southeastern University. He is licensed as a clinical mental health counselor in Florida and North Carolina as well as a marriage and family therapist and certified addiction professional in Florida. George has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including traditional substance use disorder treatment, syringe services programs, and his own private practice. He has presented at many state and national counseling conferences on topics such as harm reduction, ethics in addiction counseling, and addiction stigma. His research and publications have centered on addiction-related topics ranging from spirituality and teaching strategies to population-specific best practices. Since 2016, he has been on the editorial board of the American Journal of Family Therapy and recently joined the board of the Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling.

Past-President

Rochelle Cade, Ph.D., LPC-S
Dr. Rochelle Cade is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor (LPC-S) whose clinical work is predominately in correctional settings. She is an active member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) with service on the Editorial Advisory Board. Dr. Cade is also active in two ACA divisions, the International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC) and the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC). In IAAOC, Dr. Cade currently serves as President-Elect and Associate Editor of the Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling. In AARC, she has served as Treasurer and is currently a member of the editorial board for one of the division journals, Counseling Outcome and Research Evaluation. At the state level, Dr. Cade serves as Past-President and Director of the Texas Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (TAARC). She is also the Executive Editor of the Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory & Research, a publication of the Texas Counseling Association. 

Treasurer

Nedeljko Golubovic, Ph.D.

Nedeljko Golubovic, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program in the Department of Counseling & Marital and Family Therapy at the University of San Diego. The primary goal of Dr. Golubovic’s research is assessing the intersection between addiction and trauma and examining the consequences of stigmatization and bias related to both areas. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, has co-authored an addiction counseling textbook, and has received over $3 million in federal grant funding as the lead investigator/program director. Regarding his teaching experiences, Dr. Golubovic has been dedicated to training master’s level professional counselors. He has experience teaching a variety of core counseling classes, but his primary focus has been on preparing future counselor to work with addiction and trauma related issues. Dr. Golubovic’s service involvement includes the editorial board of the Journal of Counseling Leadership and Advocacy, Committee Co-Chair of the Emerging Leaders Program for the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Leadership Committee for the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, and a Grant Reviewer for the Chi Sigma Iota International, as well as involvement in several ACA divisions.

Secretary

Amanda L. Giordano, PhD, LPC

Amanda L. Giordano, PhD, LPC is an associate professor at the University of Georgia who specializes in addictions counseling. She is the sole author of a clinical reference book titled, A Clinical Guide to Treating Behavioral Addictions and co-author of a textbook titled, Addiction Counseling: A Practical Approach. Dr. Giordano works to advance the counseling field with rigorous research and has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. In 2024 she was awarded the Garry R. Waltz Trailblazer Award from the American Counseling Association in recognition of her work with behavioral addictions. Dr. Giordano collaborates with domestic and international organizations to provide trainings to increase awareness related to addictions counseling and has been an invited keynote speaker.

Governing Council Representative

Angie Cartwright, Ph.D., LPC

Dr. Angie D. Cartwright earned a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice, Master of Arts in counseling, and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, all from Sam Houston State University. She is currently an associate professor of counseling at the University of North Texas and the clinical director/owner of North Texas Counseling and Wellness – A training and clinical services organization. Dr. Cartwright’s research agenda addresses the success of children from absent-father homes, offender and addictions counseling issues, and issues related to culture and diversity within counseling and counselor education. She has published in numerous peer-reviewed publications, over $1.6 million dollars in grant funding as the lead investigator, and has over 10 years of clinical experience as a Licensed Professional Counselor–Supervisor (Texas) and a Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider (Texas). Dr. Cartwright’s clinical background includes work with incarcerated adults, civilly committed sexual offenders, mandated clients, and youth. She is currently the President-Elect of the International Association of Addiction and Offender Counseling. 

Membership Chair

Afroze Shaikh, PhD, LPC, NCC

Dr. Afroze N. Shaikh (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin in the Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology programs. Dr. Shaikh is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC-GA) and has provided counseling services in various community and hospital settings to individuals and families impacted by community violence and trauma. Her research and advocacy efforts focus on addressing suicide risk factors and barriers to mental health care.

Graduate Student Representatives

Madison Hollar, LPC, LICDC

Madison Hollar is a doctoral student in the Counselor Education and Supervision Program at the University of Cincinnati. Madison received both her BS in Substance Abuse Counseling and MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Cincinnati. She works as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Cincinnati, Ohio working with justice-involved individuals with co-occurring disorders. Madison’s research interests focus on the offender population in mental health and substance use counseling contexts including counseling interventions with the offender population, addressing recidivism related to mental health and substance use, and advocating for treatment services during and post-incarceration.

Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling Editorial Team

JAOC Editor

Kristina DePue, Ph.D., NCC

Dr. Kristina DePue is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education at the University of Nevada, Reno. Dr. DePue’s research goals are motivated by her clinical observations within the addictions counseling field, which has resulted in two research areas: (a) chemical and process addictions, specifically concentrating on the role of negative experiences in behavioral change; and (b) counselor development and supervision, focusing on how both counseling trainees and clients change. Dr. DePue is active in the American Counseling Association, has served on multiple editorial review boards, and has held various leadership positions for the International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC). In her spare time, she and her husband love traveling, skiing and live music.

JAOC Assistant Editor

Tyler Oberheim, Ph.D., LPC-MHSP(TN), LMHC(FL), NCC

Bio coming soon!

Annual Review of Addictions and Offender Counseling Editor

Stephen Southern, EdD, LPC-S

Dr. Stephen Southern is a Core Faculty Member in the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and PsyD programs of Antioch University-Santa Barbara. Southern is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor (LPC-S), Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. He is a Fellow of the American Counseling Association and a Clinical Fellow in AAMFT. Southern is the past-president of the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC) and received their Lifetime Achievement Award. Southern received the inaugural Legacy Award of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES). Southern is Editor-in-Chief of The Family Journal. He was previously Editor of the Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling and Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity. He was the founding editor of the Annual Review of Addictions and Offender Counseling: Best Practices. Dr. Southern was trained at Masters and Johnson Institute and served as clinical consultant in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, trauma, and addiction. Southern developed treatment for trauma-based disorders including substance use disorders, dissociative disorders, and behavioral addictions, such as sexual addiction, eating disorder, self-injurious behavior, and gambling disorder. He was a consultant, clinician and administrator of addiction treatment programs in hospital, residential, and outpatient settings. He secured grant funding and state contracts to provide integrated treatment of mental health and substance use disorders in juvenile justice correctional settings and transitional living programs. Southern developed programs for survivors and perpetrators of incest, sexual abuse, and family violence. His consultation practice included expert testimony and forensic evaluations. Southern taught in several counseling, psychology, and marriage and family therapy programs at Northwestern University, Texas A & M University-Corpus Christ, University of Southern Mississippi, and Temple University. His current work includes writing and presenting such topics as Enhancing Intimacy in Couples Living with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Addiction.

Newsletter Editor

Kervins Clement, LCMHC, LCASA, CSAT, CRT-IT, NCC, CFLE

Kervins Clement is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences at the University of Florida. While pursuing his bachelor’s degree, he minored in Business Administration and received a certification in Certified Family Life Educator. Kervins’ research agenda explores supervision in addiction counseling, culturally sensitive interventions, and advocating for clients struggling with an addiction. He specializes in Sex and Love Addiction. He is currently seeing individuals, couples, and families within a private practice setting. He loves clinical work and that is one way he serves people who are struggling with an addiction.

Webmaster

Frances Ellmo, Ph.D., NCC, LPC-MHSP

Dr. Frances Ellmo is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Addiction Counseling program at the University of Memphis in Memphis, TN. She has worked in a variety of clinical settings including providing intensive outpatient treatment to drug court clients, assessing domestic violence offenders, working with incarcerated adults and with adolescents mandated to residential treatment. Her primary research interests include trauma-informed care for addiction and justice-involved client populations, as well as training and preparation of counseling students in these areas.