Past Fellows of the Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program

Meet the past fellows of the Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program.

Program Fellows 2023-2024

Sophia Mendez

Sophie Mendez was born and raised just outside Mexico City. She moved to the United States for college, where she graduated with a nursing degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Most recently, after obtaining her master's degree in psychiatric nursing at Northeastern University, she completed a 1-year nurse practitioner residency at the VA Boston Healthcare System where she had the opportunity to provide care to veterans with complex psychiatric and substance use disorders. Prior to receiving her master’s degree spent her career as a nurse pursuing opportunities working with vulnerable populations in urban settings, spending time at Arbour Hospital, McLean Hospital, Boston Medical Center, and a community health center in Charlestown, developing a focus in treating patients with mental health and substance use disorders. She is eager to continue to learn about substance use disorders and from the people affected by this disease as well as the everchanging treatments for SUDs with the hope of expanding low threshold, harm reduction focused care within the community. She lives in the North End with her fiancé and her 5-month-old rescue puppy, Matzah. In her free time she enjoys traveling, riding her Peloton bike, and eating her way through the North End."

Lauren Pedi

Lauren is a graduate of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – Master of Science in Nursing program in 2022 and became a licensed PMHNP-BC in 2023. For much of her professional nursing career she has provided case management services for patients in acute hospital settings earning a CCM in 2000 and PMGT-BC in pain management in 2007. She joined the case management department at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2020. In 2015 the mental health care needs of her child impassioned her decision to pursue graduate education as a PMHNP-BC, and to foster compassion and advocacy for persons experiencing mental health and substance use disorder.

In 2015, Lauren’s advocacy plan included developing relationships with mental health and substance use disorder councils and recovery organizations, supporting fundraising for recovery-based networks, and guest-attending peer-based recovery meetings. Lauren was fortunate to be provided with access to MA legislators to encourage support for mental health and substance use disorder advocacy. She presented testimony at the April 2015 Governor Baker Opioid Working Group: a collaboration between the Massachusetts Office of Health and Human Services and the Office of the Governor to create an action plan for MA to respond to the dramatic increase in numbers of opioid and heroin associated overdose deaths, registered as occurring in 2014, in persons experiencing opioid use disorder. Lauren is extremely excited to be included with her colleagues as a Fellow of the Substance Use Disorder Initiative.

Ainslie Wallace

Ainslie completed her undergraduate education at New York University and received her master’s degree in clinical social work at Boston University. Ainslie is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with diverse experience in working with victims of domestic violence, children with developmental disabilities, college students, hospice patients and individuals with chronic mental illness. Ainslie’s recent experience includes working in Adult Community Clinical Services at Vinfen as a Clinician and Assistant Team Leader. Ainslie is passionate about working in a collaborative team environment to deliver person-centered care and help individuals with mental health and substance use challenges. Ainslie is excited to utilize the ISTP fellowship to develop her clinical skills in order to offer enhanced rehabilitative, clinical and recovery-oriented support to individuals diagnosed with substance use disorders, and to continue to work in community-based mental health services.

Program Fellows 2022-2023

Kayla Blackborow
Social Worker

Kayla completed her undergraduate education at Tufts University and received her Master of Social Work from University of New England in Portland, ME. Prior to and while pursuing her social work degree, Kayla worked in several primary care settings, providing care management support in MGH’s Internal Medicine Associates and counseling in Greater Portland Health’s Healthcare for the Homeless clinic. Kayla is passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration in the care of vulnerable populations and hopes to utilize her fellowship training to provide trauma-informed and compassionate low-barrier care for individuals with substance use disorders.

Jocelyn McAuley
Social Worker

Jocelyn completed her undergraduate education at Northeastern University and received her master’s in clinical social work at Boston University. Prior to and while attending graduate school Jocelyn worked as a Clinical Care Coordinator at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. Jocelyn completed her foundation year placement at the Boston Public Health Commission’s Southampton Shelter working with men experiencing homelessness. For her advanced year placement, she worked at Newton-Wellesley Hospital on their iCMP team and on their inpatient psychiatric floor. Jocelyn plans to pursue a career providing low-threshold care to people with substance use disorders in a community outpatient setting and using a harm reduction model.

Judana (Dana) Bennett
Nurse Practitioner

Dana has worked as an addiction nurse for 10 years. She worked for several years as a nurse in the Crisis Stabilization Unit at Bay Cove Human Services and as a School Nurse in the Chelsea Public Schools. She recently graduated as a Nurse Practitioner from Regis College and is looking forward to focusing on substance use disorder treatment during this training year at MGH.