Staff Biographies

Thomas B. Barrett

President & CEO

Mary Bracken, M.D.

Director of Medical Services

Mark Segal

Director of Clinical Operations

Mark Segal rejoined Second Genesis in March of 2010, as the Director of Clinical Operations after a three year hiatus. He helped Co-Found Second Genesis’s Co-occurring Disorders Program in 2000 and was the Director for over seven years.

Mr. Segal earned a Masters degree in Social Work at the University of Maryland’s Graduate School of Social Work in Baltimore. He has since earned his L.C.S.W-C. licensure and has been approved by the Social Work Board to train other social workers on their way to earning their advanced licensure. He has also been approved by the Professional Counseling Board to train addiction counselors on their way to certification and or licensure.
Mr. Segal started his career in the field of emergency psychiatry where he spent nine years performing approximately two-thousand five- hundred evaluations annually, mostly in an emergency room that treated only psychiatric and addiction patients. For the last ten-years he has designed and taught courses for the Maryland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration, helping train counselors and therapists in various best practices and clinically researched techniques to help individuals that suffer from addiction.

Mr. Segal has spent his career in attempting to help those that are not fortunate to have access to care in their early stages of their diseases. He believes that Second Genesis’s mission of helping others that no one else will help is also his personal mission.

Michelle Larkins

Director of Human Resources

Michelle Larkins joined Second Genesis as the Director of Human Resources in June 2008. As a seasoned executive, Michelle’s in-depth knowledge of human resources, coupled with her strong analytical skills and practical approach have enabled her to work effectively with all levels of the organization. Projects have included: organization design, training and development, strategic human resources planning, leadership development, assessing individual and group performance and team development. Michelle has over fifteen years of Human Resources experience. Prior to joining Second Genesis, Michelle served as the Director of Human Resources in Behavioral Health and as the Regional Director of Training and as President of a training organization in Washington, DC that served the government and private sector. Michelle is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources and a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Michelle has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Management from North Carolina Central University.

Harry Abel

Director of Development

Harry Abel joined Second Genesis in June, 2010 as Director of Development. Prior to joining Second Genesis, Mr. Abel was Vice President of Development and Strategic Partnerships for the national office of Mental Health America (formerly the National Mental Health Association).
In that role, he oversaw and expanded the fundraising programs of the association. Before joining Mental Health America, Mr. Abel was Vice President of Development for the American Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit organization which develops campaigns to address the health effects of tobacco. Prior to American Legacy Foundation, he was Vice President of Fundraising worldwide for the Special Olympics in Washington, D.C. Mr. Abel entered the non-profit world at the national office of the Arthritis Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia where he was a Group Vice President and launched the foundation’s Corporate Relations Department.

Mr. Abel began his career in the for-profit sector with senior level sales and marketing positions with Pepsi-Cola Company and later at the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta. He is a graduate of the George Washington University. Married with two grown children, Mr. Abel resides in Washington, D.C.

Katie Garriott

Director of Nutrition Services

Katie Garriott joined Second Genesis in January of 2005 and oversees the nutrition department. This entails managing the three residential kitchens, counseling clients individually for medical nutrition therapy and teaching weekly nutrition classes.
During Katie’s time at Second Genesis she has focused on educating the client in the importance of good nutrition in sobriety. She has worked hard to back up what she teaches through offering healthy food in the kitchens. Maintaining the kitchens to support this program with adequate staff, an internal auditing system, grant funds for new equipment and food donations is another focus of her work.
Katie is a Registered Dietitian and a member of the American Dietetic Association. She received her BS and MS in Nutrition from the University of Central Oklahoma.

A. Mark Robinson

Admissions Coordinator

Omoronike Hamilton

Program Director, Mellwood Women and Children’s Residential Treatment Facility in Upper Marlboro, MD

Omoronike (Nike) Hamilton joined Second Genesis in August 2010. Ms. Hamilton has 30 years of counseling experience. During this time she has served in both public and private sectors within the United States and Great Britain. Ms Hamilton is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. She is the Program Director of the HARVARD Street Program and prior to her arrival at Second Genesis, was the Director of Co-occurring Disorders at the historic St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington DC. Ms. Hamilton had the opportunity to serve in the Department of Mental Health for five years which includes working on the Co-occurring State Incentive Grant. Ms. Hamilton was instrumental in the development of a Co-occurring training program for professionals in the fields of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders and has successfully trained over 100 clinicians on the Comprehensive and Continuous Integrated System of Care (CCISC). Additionally, she has collaborated with the Metropolitan Police Department to educate officers about Co-occurring disorders. Ms Hamilton recently presented a seminar on Co-occurring disorders at the annual conference of the Consortium for Ethnic and Racial Fairness in the courts. She is a subject matter expert on Diversity and Inclusion and has consulted with organizations and agencies in the Metro area on this subject.

Mandy Smith

Program Director, Crownsville Adult Residential Treatment Facility in Crownsville, MD

Mandy Smith recently joined Second Genesis and serves as the Director of the Crownsville site, an inpatient addictions and co-occurring treatment facility, where clients stay anywhere from 28 days to nine months and longer. She has over 20 years experience in the human services field and began her career working for the City of Rockville, in the Community Services Department providing innovative and community based programs to the residents of Rockville. Forging partnerships in the community, she created and implemented several mentoring programs for underserved youth, using volunteers throughout the City. She also ran programs that assisted residents with emergency financial assistance, income tax preparation and provided much need support to families for the holidays.

She went on to obtain a Masters in Counseling/Psychology and her license as a professional counselor. In 2006, she was given the opportunity to open an Outpatient Mental Health Clinic in Baltimore and serve as their clinical manager. Working intensely with people who suffered from mental health issues as well as addictions, she realized that to truly help this population, a holistic approach was needed and three years later took the Directors position at The Carroll County Long Term Treatment Facility, a modified therapeutic community. Mandy believes that having a multi-faceted approach with adults who suffer from addictions and mental health issues, is the only way to address the complexities of addictions and help individuals and families learn and use the tools to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives.

Loretta Elizalde

Program Director, MCI-W (Maryland Correctional Institute-Women) Prison Program in Jessup, MD

Darius Mills

Program Director, Harvard Street Adult Residential Treatment Facility in Washington D.C.

Darius Mills is a born and raised native Washingtonian with 21 years experience working in the area of Social Services and Behavioral Health Care including 2 years as a Clinical Administrator at the Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital Civil Maximum Behavioral Management Units; 6.5 years as the Primary Mental Health Intake and Emergency Management Clinician under contract for the DC Department of Corrections (DOC) at CDF/DC Jail; 2 years as a Contract Forensic Psychotherapist at the DOC/CTF Federal Witness Protection and Segregation Management Units where he developed, piloted and operated a roving Substance Abuse Treatment program; 2 years as a Counselor and Substance Abuse Program Manager for the DOC/Lorton ALNA House Contract. He also has 5 years experience as a Clinical Case Manager and Social Service Coordinator for 2 locked In-patient Psychiatric Wards at Washington Hospital Center; 2.5 years as an Emergency Homeless Shelter Director and Volunteer Coordinator in Arlington County; and 2 years as an Education Office Coordinator for a Child and Family Services ILP Contractor. He has served as a Consultant and Clinical Manager in erecting a DC area Substance Abuse Out-patient Program and is an Affiliated and Paneled Psychotherapist in Washington, DC where he is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and member of the American Psychotherapy Association. He is a married father of 8 children, and is a Graduate of the University of the District of Columbia Counseling Psychology Program with a Masters in Counseling. Darius believes that “Behavior is like clothing. We can put it on or take it off. We can effectively motivate change in behavior by separating the behavior from the person without assassinating the person’s character. People are more open to the helper’s suggestions for change when they know the helper really cares, and being clinical protects all”.