Addiction Specialist Staff

Sam Darcy, MA, CAP
Executive Director

Sam Darcy has over twenty years of experience in substance abuse and behavioral health.  Starting as a clinician and working up to senior administration, Sam has written articles, completed complex and sophisticated licensing and provider applications in addition to helping draft legislation for Florida on Domestic Violence.  He has been an invited lecturer and speaker to national seminars and continues to remain current on trends and innovations in addictions and behavioral health.  He is a well respected administrator and has written a number of complex applications and licensing contracts.  He has worked as a program and marketing consultant.  Sam is known for being well read, keeping updated on current research in a number of fields and having the ability to cross reference between the creative arts and hard sciences as well as modern and classical literature.

Michael D. Cugini, MA, LPCC, NCAC II
Clinical Director

Michael has over 35 years of experience as a clinician and clinical team leader in the field of behavioral health.  He graduated with a Master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Connecticut and holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

As an addictions clinician Michael has broad expertise, having treated impaired professionals as well as felony offenders.  His clinical leadership experience includes directing chemical dependency programs for the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, private psychiatric hospitals and correctional facilities.  Michael has also enjoyed success as a private clinician, evaluating hundreds of individuals for potential substance dependence and working as a forensic substance abuse specialist.  He has presented expert testimony on issues of chemical dependency in district and federal courts.  Most recently Michael was a member of the Colorado Legislative "Task Force for the Continuing Study of the Treatment of Persons with Mental Illness who are Involved in the Criminal Justice System".  He has authored articles on chemical dependency and he recently was a featured lecturer  at the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) National Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.  In addition to his professional expertise, Michael brings passion to his work.  He is dedicated to making sure that each individual participant at Vista Taos is given the best possible opportunity to create a firm foundation for recovery. 

Daniel Clothier, LADAC, LPN II
Family Therapist

Daniel began his work in the field of behavioral health as a nurse in Michigan.    He was a social living instructor for Job Corps in Colorado for one and a half years, working with court-ordered youth.  Daniel became a nurse in 1972, and was one of the first Emergency Medical Technicians in Arizona.  He later assisted in the implementation of a paramedic program in San Diego, California, where he taught and supervised new medics and other agencies, created specialty teams and was one of the first flight medics to fly in the Lifeflight Program in San Diego. Daniel graduated with honors in the field of Addictionology, using his skills to create programs with “at risk” high school students.  He continued his work with youth in New Mexico at a transitional program for youth, serving as supervisor, counselor and assistant director.  Daniel conducts basic life support and first aid trainings. He currently runs the family program at Vista Taos Renewal Center where he facilitates the healing and rejoining of families.

Barbara Whipple, NLP, LADAC
Counselor

Barbara comes to the program with 22 years experience in substance abuse prevention, intervention and treatment programming.  Beginning her career with the Department of Corrections in West Virginia, she has both developed and implemented substance abuse educational programs.  In 1997, Barbara received “The Support Person of the Year Award” given by the Southern States Correctional Association.   Barbara earned her undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Davis & Elkins College, Elkins, West Virginia, earned certification as a Neuro-Linguistic Practitioner from the Appalachian Center for Therapeutic Services and is currently working on a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling.  Barbara became a licensed alcohol and drug counselor in the state of New Mexico in 2000.  After years of working in inpatient and outpatient treatment programming with both adults and adolescents from all walks of life, Barbara’s dedication to recovery is remarkable. Her passion for wellness is surpassed only by her joy in being part of the recovery process.   Barbara is a significant asset to the Vista Taos and Casa Feliz clinical team.

Sandra Khoury, CAC, SCCD
Counselor

Sandra is a patient focused counselor with a tremendous range of skills.  She is a certified drug and alcohol counselor with over twenty years experience and has a special certification for treating co-occurring disorders.  Sandra is an experienced facilitator in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and in  Mindfulness/Meditation.   Sandra specializes in treating trauma and women’s issues. Further, she worked for 11 years in the women’s component of a psychiatric hospital.   She was Program Manager for a Connecticut Alternate Incarceration Program and has a background in Domestic Violence prevention and sexual assault crisis counseling.  Sandra worked in the York Women’s Prison from 2007 and 2009 teaching Stress Reduction.  Her skills encompass being highly compassionate and directive.  She brings exceptional counseling skills and a remarkable depth of experience to Vista Taos.

Elin M. Ritchie, MD, ABAM
Medical Director

Elin M. Ritchie, MD; Medical Director, has been a Family Practice physician working in Addiction Medicine since 2000.   She graduated from the University of Manitoba Medical College in 1992 and completed her Family Medicine residency program in 1994.  Dr. Ritchie is Board Certified by the American Board of Family Practice is a member in good standing of the American Academy of Family Physicians.  She trained in Acupuncture with the Academy of Pain Research in 2001 and employs both acupuncture and herbal and natural therapies with her patients.  Dr. Ritchie became a licensed Massage Therapist in 2008.  Dr. Ritchie  is an approved prescriber of Suboxone for the management of pain and opiate dependence.  She is recognized by the American Heart Association an an Acute Cardiac Life Support provider.  She is a member of the New Mexico Medical Society.

Julia Dougherty-Hanna 
Massage Therapist

Julia Dougherty-Hanna has been practicing massage therapy since her graduation from the Institute of Natural Healing in 1997.  Julie has witnessed, in her three years on staff at Vista Taos, the therapeutic benefits of massage and healing touch.  Clients appreciate how much massage can ease stress, decrease anxiety, relieve physical pains, and provide additional support to the process of recovery.

Cynthia Freeman-Valerio, MA, LPC

Psychodrama Therapist
 

Cynthia ‘Cindy’ Freeman-Valerio received her B.A. from Columbia University, studied psychology at The New School and received her M.A. from the University of New Mexico.  Cindy brings 30 years of experience in interactive psychodynamic therapy specializing in experiential ‘action methods.’  Vista Taos has had Cindy as our psychodrama therapist since 2006.  In addition to working for Vista, Cindy provides services for local mental health agencies and family programs, as well as serving as a director for local theater projects.  Her energy, enthusiasm and dedication to the healing and performing arts is truly a statement to her commitment with helping others heal, grow and thrive; Vista is fortunate to have her as part of our clinical team.  

Patrick Shendo

Patrick is a Native American from Taos and Jemez Peublo.  He is a professional musician who now dedicates his time to Vista Taos, his family and his Pueblo.  His music meditation is called ‘soul healing’ and he performs with native flutes, a digeridoo and percussion instruments grounded in his native culture.  The combination of his musical skill and adept ability to connect with patients is truly unique to Vista Taos and integral to Vista’s holistic treatment approach.  Patrick’s focus and goal is to help our patients open their mind, body and spiritual souls to find enhance strength and diminish weakness.  Music can re-open doors to places that addiction has closed; his music and themes can bring patients back to their parts of their lives that were lost.  Patrick’s gift to our Vista Taos and Casa Feliz patients is to guide them into healing as a means to enlighten them, resolve and heal deep hurts and encourage recovery.

Ana Easter, DOM, RN
Acupuncturist

Ana has been in the healing arts her entrie professional career.  She received her nursing degree from Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1979 and practiced nursing in a wide variety of hospital settings from cardiac rehabilitation to psychiatry.  Ana was an integral part of a multi-disciplinary medical team that developed a successful adolescent detoxification unit for Francis Scott Key Medical Center in Baltimore.  Ana received her acupuncture training at Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  She has been in private practice as a Doctor of Oriental Medicine in Taos since 1996.  She received her Ear Acupuncture Detox certification in 1997 and is honored to be part of the recovery team at Vista Taos Renewal Center.

Arthur Palochak
Community Relations Representative

Arthur has over 10 years experience in helping addicts and their families find the help they need to begin the recovery process. He is a life-long New Mexican with a deep appreciation for the wonder that the Taos landscape inspires. His effectiveness in Community Relations lies in his ability to work with others to convey the hope, education, and experience that recovery offers. He is enthusiastic about the integration of the 12 step model and holistic therapies found at Vista Taos, and he uses many of these modalities to enrich his own life. Arthur knows firsthand how addiction impacts the entire family and enjoys seeing loved ones learn and grow together during Vista’s Family Week.  Arthur has been instrumental in initiating and implementing charity programs in the Santa Fe area and is a committed community volunteer.  As the Community Representative for Vista Taos, he realizes that addiction is not an 8am-5pm disease and is always accessible for anyone in need. Please contact him to schedule a meeting, presentation or tour at 505.954.1452 or by email at apalochak@vistataos.com.

Nicole Jackson
Administrative Director
Nicole Jackson, Administrative Director for Vista Taos started here in 2000 as an Administrative Assistant.  In 2004 Nicole was promoted to Administrative Director.  Nicole has been a vital member of Vista’s growth and expansion over the years.  She has provided invaluable information for our patients; she has professionally handled the financials between patient families and Vista’s programs.  Nicole has been trained in addictions treatment, co-dependency and the impact of addiction on the family members.  Nicole is a native to Taos and provides all of us with a wealth of information regarding community, state and regional resources.