Leadership

Albert M. Senella, President and Chief Executive Officer
For over 21 years, Albert M. Senella (President and Chief Executive Officer) has guided a progressive range of integrated behavioral healthcare services at Tarzana Treatment Center. In this capacity, he has developed a range of drug/alcohol treatment* and integrated health, mental health, and primary care services responsive to the needs of uninsured, low income Los Angeles residents as well as persons with private resources. In response to the growing HIV epidemic, these services were interwoven with comprehensive HIV prevention, intervention and treatment services, creating a nationally recognized model of HIV services for drug users. Under Mr. Senella’s leadership, Tarzana’s services have more recently expanded to include two family primary care clinics (San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley), and case management and treatment programs tailored specifically for prison parolees. Mr. Senella has primary oversight of the agency’s budget comprised of government and private funding. As President of the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives (CAADPE), California’s largest and most diverse association, Mr. Senella is an active member of many state and local advisory bodies. Most recently, his advocacy has served to assist State legislators, policymakers and other leaders to recognize the contribution and potential of behavioral healthcare and drug/alcohol treatment agencies in major new initiatives such as Welfare and Healthcare Reform. In addition to his role at Tarzana Treatment Center, Mr. Senella has administered services at the Erikson Center for Adolescent Advancement and San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Centers, Inc.

Silvia Cadena, CPA, has worked for Tarzana Treatment Centers since 1979. She oversees the spending and management of funds on a daily basis, ensuring that these funds are spent in accordance with fiscal policy. As a member of the Board of Directors since 1984, she continues to provide sound advice for many of the organization’s financial issues. Ms. Cadena is a Certified Public Accountant, and earned her degree in accounting from Central University, Ecuador in 1969.

Ken Bachrach, Ph.D. has been Clinical Director of Tarzana Treatment Centers since 1987.
He is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 35 years of experience in the assessment and treatment of individuals with mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders, and regularly trains addiction and mental health professionals in this area. He helped develop and oversees TTC’s mental health services and its contract with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. Dr. Bachrach oversees the APA-accredited doctoral internship program in Professional Psychology. He coordinates TTC’s clinical research activities and since 2000 has served as the site Principal Investigator for multiple studies as part of the National Institute of Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN). Dr. Bachrach played an instrumental role in TTC obtaining Joint Commission accreditation in 1987 and continues to play a leading role in maintaining accreditation ever since that time. Dr. Bachrach’s interests include the use of medications in addiction treatment, the use of motivational counseling approaches to engage patients, and care integration for individuals with co-occurring disorders.

Duane Carmalt, M.D., is double Board Certified as an Internal Medicine Physician as well as an Infectious Disease Specialist. His extensive medical training started at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland and continued at Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina. Dr. Carmalt went on to complete his internship at the University of Oklahoma Hospitals before moving west to fulfill his residency at the Veterans Administration Wadsworth –UCLA Affiliated Hospitals, in Los Angeles, CA. Specializing in infectious diseases, Dr. Carmalt did additional fellowship training at V.A. Wadsworth as well as at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for Health Sciences. Dr. Carmalt has served patients in the capacity of Emergency Physician, Director of Emergency Department, Medical Director, Medical Consultant and Staff Physician at well-known hospitals and medical centers including Encino Hospital, Tarzana Psychiatric Hospital and the Medical Center of Tarzana.

As Director of the Residential and Outpatient Programs at Tarzana Treatment Centers in Tarzana, Dr. Galperson oversees one of the largest rehabilitation programs in Los Angeles County . He has held both clinical and administrative positions in several well-known treatment facilities since 1986. He holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling, and earned his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 1995. He became a member of the Tarzana Treatment Center management team in January of 1996.

Alesia Ping-DiFiore joined Tarzana Treatment Centers in 2006 as Director of Youth Services for Antelope Valley. Alesia has 22 years of experience providing direct care and administrative services to youth and their families in a social services environment. She is responsible for managing the day to day operations of the Youth Residential and Outpatient programs, located in Lancaster. Alesia holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management.

Antionette Olivarez, EdD, MSN RN, is the Director of Nursing and the Infection Preventionist with Tarzana Treatment Centers. Antionette has 45 years of nursing experience and 20 years of management experience. She holds a Doctoral degree in Health Administration from Grand Canyon University, Arizona and is a certified Case Manager. She also holds a Masters Degress in Nursing with a focus on Healthcare Policy. She is responsible for the nursing department at TTC and functions as a nursing consultant for the rest of the organization. She is responsible for the Infection Control Program at TTC.

José C. Salazar, Dr.PH, holds a Master’s and Doctoral degree in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. Since 1988, he has worked in the substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and mental health fields as a counselor, health educator, community organizer, researcher, and administrator. He has been the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) for several Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and other federal entity funded programs that focus on providing substance use disorder (SUD) and/or mental health services to both adults and youth who are homeless, formerly incarcerated, uninsured, and/or identify as LGBTQ. Dr. Salazar also oversees the academic and administrative operation of TTC’s College which graduates individuals as certified addiction specialists. He is a member of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and routinely conducts presentations on various health topics at local and national conferences.

Jim Sorg, PhD, is the Director of Care Integration at Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc. where he has several areas of focus including access to care, CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports, information management, quality assurance, and efforts to further integrate medical and behavioral healthcare. Dr. Sorg worked as a consultant to behavioral health organizations for many years. He received his PhD from Ohio State University’s School of Public Policy and Management.

Keith Star, MA, LMFT currently oversees the clinical and administrative operations of Inpatient and substance use disorder and mental health treatment programs Keith formerly worked for Tarzana Treatment Centers as the Outpatient Services Director from 1987 to 1995. Prior to returning to Tarzana Treatment Centers in 2005, he worked extensively in Managed Care for PacifiCare Behavioral Health, Managed Health Network and Health Net. Keith is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has over 30 years of experience in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorder and mental health disordered people. He holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Keith is also a member of various boards and organizations in the community. He has appeared on local and national media and has authored a self-study HIV/AIDS continuing education manual for LMFT’s and LCSW’s.

As Director of Community Programs & Services at Tarzana Treatment Centers in Reseda, Andrea Fuller is an accomplished professional since 1988 working with non-profit and government agencies in a variety of settings, providing leadership and development of programs that help clients maintain positive and productive lives within their families and communities. Andrea holds a Bachelor Degree in Sociology, Social Welfare from California State University, Northridge, and has been a member of the Tarzana Treatment Centers’ team since 2005.

Lauren Elise Dibbs, M.A, LMFT is the Director of the Residential and Outpatient programs in Long Beach, overseeing their clinical and administrative operations. Lauren holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Phillips Graduate Institute and became licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in 2011. She joined Tarzana Treatment Centers in 2007 as a Practicum Therapist, subsequently working in various positions including lead therapist for the Growing Miracles grant providing addiction and family counseling to pregnant and postpartum women and their families. Lauren also held the position of Clinical Supervisor for the outpatient Department of Mental Health FSP program, treating those with severe mental illness. Lauren has worked in the field of addiction since 2005 and has a specialization in the treatment of co-occurring and chronic psychiatric disorders. She joined the administrative team as Director of Long Beach services in 2018 and continues to facilitate the expansion and growth of TTC as a leading Behavioral Health agency in the community.

Glenn Metken is an award-winning and solution-driven professional with many years of experience in information technology services within the healthcare industry. His expertise includes project management, infrastructure development, and strategic planning. Glenn has lead a diverse team at TTC while exceeding performance targets, implementing new and upgraded systems, efficiently improving workflow processes, and increasing overall security while reducing operational costs. He has cultivated relationships with team members and multilevel stakeholders to drive organizational growth. Glenn has been a member of the Tarzana Treatment Centers’ team since 2012.