Devereux Florida Leadership

	Gwendolyn B. Skinner Vice President of Operations Gwendolyn B. Skinner serves as Devereux’s vice president of operations. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the daily operations, including all programs and services for children and adults at Devereux’s Florida, Georgia and Texas centers. She has been in this role since May 2017. Mrs. Skinner, who has more than 30 years of behavioral healthcare experience, joined Devereux in 2009 as executive director of our Devereux Georgia center. Along with her team, she helped transform the center into a highly successful campus with significant clinical and operational expertise. Prior to Devereux, she served as the director for the Georgia Department of Human Resources' Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases and the Deputy Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. Mrs. Skinner has earned the following academic degrees: a bachelor of arts in sociology, a master of education in guidance and counseling and a master of education in school psychometry from the State University of West Georgia; and Education Specialist in Counseling Psychology and Education Specialist in School Psychology from Georgia State University. She is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Mrs. Skinner also has presented at the state and national levels, focusing on the areas of juvenile justice, mental illness, developmental disabilities and addictive diseases. In addition, she and her husband have served as foster parents to more than 40 children.
	Manal S. Durgin, MD Medical Director Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida Manal S. Durgin, MD is the Medical Director for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida programs statewide. Board Certified and a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Durgin specializes in treating children and adolescents with intellectual/developmental disabilities in combination with mental health issues. Dr. Durgin practices in numerous programs at Devereux Florida, including a child and adolescent psychiatric hospital, residential centers, group homes and foster care. She is a diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and serves on Devereux’s National Medical Advisory Board Committee. Dr. Durgin received her medical degree at Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. She completed her residency in general psychiatry at the University of South Florida Medical School. Dr. Durgin went on to complete a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of South Florida Medical School and was awarded Chief Fellow. Dr. Durgin is an active member of several associations, including the appointment as a Distinguished Fellow with the American Psychiatric Association. She serves on an advisory panel for the Florida Medicaid Drug Therapy Program for Behavioral Health regarding Best Practice Medication Guidelines for Children and Adolescents. She also served as councilor and chair of the child and adolescent committee of the Florida Psychiatric Society. Known as an expert in her field, Dr. Durgin presents at numerous national and statewide conferences. She has presented at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry meetings, has provided training regarding Trauma Informed Care and Pediatric Psychopathology, and provides consultation to local hospitals for Autism Spectrum Disorders on behalf of Devereux.
	Lisa Kroger Executive Director Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida Lisa Kroger serves as Executive Director for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida. She joined Devereux in 2000 and has been a child and family advocate for over 30 years. Ms. Kroger has extensive knowledge in providing residential and community-based behavioral healthcare and child welfare services and ensuring quality treatment procedures to children and adolescents, which has been instrumental in advancing Devereux Florida’s programs and services. Ms. Kroger’s focus on the provision of high standards of care supports the Devereux philosophy of individualized and strength-based treatment, while her commitment and leadership in promoting the coordination of care for those served supports effective collaboration with partner organizations. Some of Ms. Kroger’s many contributions include advancing Positive Behavior Supports and Trauma Informed Care, as well as the establishment of a youth honor club to promote positive behavior change and leadership. Ms. Kroger is passionate about creating positive peer culture among the staff operating her programs and among all individuals served. Ms. Kroger earned a bachelor of arts in social work at the University of West Florida and a masters degree in social work at Clark Atlanta University. She is certified as a Licensed Mastered Social Worker (LMSW) with extensive prevention, case management and program development experience. Kroger serves on the board of directors for the Florida Coalition for Children and the Youth Mental Health Commission for Orange County Public Schools.
	Michelle Llorens Executive Director Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida Michelle Llorens serves as Executive Director for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida. Mrs. Llorens has extensive knowledge in providing residential mental health and behavioral health services. Not only does Mrs. Llorens have over 20 years of behavioral healthcare experience, she has over 20 years of experience at Devereux! Beginning her career as a direct care professional at the Devereux Florida Viera Campus, she has also served the role of a speech pathologist, educator, behavior analyst, senior clinical manager, program director and regional administrator. Mrs. Llorens has demonstrated strong operational leadership, credited with the development and implementation of systemic changes that have resulted in qualitative and quantitative improvements in the programs she has provided clinical and operational oversight, and she has directly contributed to making positive behavior change with many individuals in our care. Throughout her tenure at Devereux, Michelle has received many acknowledgements, including being honored with the Devereux Supervisory Excellence Award and as a nominee for the Weaver Falberg scholarship award. Mrs. Llorens earned a bachelor of arts in communication disorders and a master of management from Webster University. She is a national board certified behavior analyst and has presented at numerous state and national conferences on treatment approaches and positive outcomes based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. Llorens serves on the board of the Florida Behavioral Health Association.
	Dave Detro People Operations Director Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida Dave Detro is the People Operations Director for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida. He oversees Human Resources for Devereux Florida. In this role, Mr. Detro is responsible for overseeing all human resource functions across the state of Florida to include recruitment, worker’s compensation, benefits, compensation, legal compliance, policy structure, learning and organizational development, consultation, employee relations, and leadership development. Joining the team in 2016, Mr. Detro brings with him over 20 years of operational and human resources leadership experience working for large corporations in various industries to include Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Starbucks Coffee Company, the Apollo Group, and Education Management Corporation. Throughout his career Mr. Detro has been responsible for large-scale operations, strategic leadership, and has served in various senior management positions. He prides himself in being an advocate for all people, being a change agent, and serving as a business partner that is able to effectively link people strategies to business strategies. Mr. Detro holds an MBA from Auburn University and a bachelor’s degree in global business administration from University of Phoenix. He is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Mr. Detro is also a national member of the Society for Human Resource Management.
	Emily Garten Clinical Director Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida Emily Garten, serves as Clinical Director for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida. In her role as Clinical Director, Ms. Garten provides clinical oversight of Devereux Florida’s continuum of care. She is responsible for implementation and support of Evidenced Based Practices and clinical initiatives throughout Devereux Florida. She also oversees Devereux Florida’s Commercial Sexual Exploitation for Children Program. Ms. Garten joined Devereux over 25 years ago as a direct care professional. Over the years, she has obtained a rich history in providing residential and community-based services including outpatient services, foster care, child welfare case management and targeted case management. Ms. Garten has served in a variety of roles at Devereux prior to her current position, which included clinical and operations leadership positions. She has been instrumental in multiple community collaborative initiatives, including the implementation of Wraparound Orange and Devereux’s Mobile Crisis Response Services. She is a strong advocate in key community alliances and collaboration for mental health services. Ms. Garten holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Science from the University of Florida and a Master of Arts in Social Work from the University of Central Florida. She also serves on behavioral healthcare and child welfare committees throughout the state of Florida.
	Kelly Messer Director of Finance Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida Kelly Messer, is the Director of Finance for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida. She is responsible for overall financial management of Devereux Florida including accounting, revenue, finance, accounts payable, purchasing, facility management, and information technology. Mrs. Messer holds an MBA from Webster University School of Business and Technology and a bachelor's degree in organizational management from Warner Southern College. With over 25 years of experience with Devereux Florida's Financial Department, she has a wide-range of operational and financial experience in financial planning and analysis. Mrs. Messer has extensive experience managing multiple contracts for various agencies and funding streams. Mrs. Messer continues to help Devereux identify, implement and navigate the industry's ever-changing regulatory environment. She regularly monitors and adjusts the financial system to ensure funds and tangible assets are safeguarded, funds are utilized in accordance to contract requirements as well as accurate and timely financial reporting. Mrs. Messer has the unique skill set that enables her to bridge the gap between operations and finance. Recognized by colleagues as an expert in her field, Messer is asked to provide consultation and support to other non-profit organizations in the human services industry.
	Lindsey Phillips Director of External Affairs Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida As the Director of External Affairs for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida, Lindsey Phillips leads the business relations, marketing/communications, community relations, admissions and utilization management departments statewide and provides business relations support to the organization nationally. Her responsibilities encompass all aspects of external relations, strategic communications, media and government relations focused on increasing industry awareness and providing advocacy and support for individuals served through Devereux's programs and services. Since joining Devereux in 2000, Mrs. Phillips has facilitated multiple key partnerships and is credited for positioning the organization for growth opportunities and collaborative initiatives. As a member of the senior leadership team, Mrs. Phillips works in collaboration with operations, clinical and administrative services to oversee the planning and implementation of initiatives designed to enhance the quality of life for individuals served throughout the continuum of care. Leading the strategic planning efforts for the Florida operations in the treatment of sexually exploited youth, she aligned Devereux’s national resources and facilitated partnerships among state agencies and community organizations to contribute to the development of a statewide systemic response to one of our nation's fastest growing criminal industries against youth. With over 25 years of behavioral healthcare experience, Mrs. Phillips began her career as a direct care professional and certified behavior analyst working with individuals with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities, she credits these years of experience as a direct service provider where she ignited a life-long passion for helping many of the most underserved and vulnerable members of our communities. Mrs. Phillips earned a bachelor of arts in psychology and a master of arts in exceptional student education from the University of Central Florida and serves on behavioral healthcare and child welfare committees throughout the state of Florida.
	Carlos F. Pozzi-Montero, Psy.D. Clinical Director Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida Dr. Carlos Pozzi-Montero "Dr. Pozzi," serves as Clinical Director for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Florida. He is a licensed clinical psychologist who has been working in the mental health field for over 30 years. In his role as Clinical Director, Dr. Pozzi oversees the implementation of clinical services for children and adolescents diagnosed with an emotional, behavioral or intellectual/developmental disability. Dr. Pozzi completed a Doctor of Psychology degree from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, where he also received his masters of Clinical Psychology. He is a Ph.D. Candidate in Health Sciences at Rutgers University. His research work focused on resilience among survivors of childhood abuse. During his years of experience he has served as case manager, therapist, clinical supervisor, and administrator within programs that serve children and young adults with behavioral and emotional difficulties and developmental disabilities. He also served as tenured Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training in the Graduate School at Wheaton College in Illinois. Prior to finding psychology, Dr. Pozzi's area of study was religion. He attended Northern Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned a Master Degree in Theological Studies. He has focused his research and publications on multicultural factors in psychology, the interaction of faith and mental health, and resilience and adaptation in children who have experienced trauma. His worked has led to several publications including several articles published by the American Psychological Association and the Christian Association for Psychological Studies and contribution of several chapters to a book published by Oxford University Press.