Trainer Biographies

San Diego City Attorney's Office, 1981-1988.

State of Maine Office of Attorney General, 1989-1991.

Dyer, Goodall and Larouche 1991-1997.

Rockland City Attorney, 1997-1998.

Chief Administrative Hearing Officer- DHS 1998-Present.

Member of California and Maine State Bars.

Catherine S. Chichester is the Executive Director of the Co-Occurring Collaborative of Southern Maine. The Collaborative has been recognized both nationally and statewide for system change on co-occurring disorders. In her role with the Collaborative, she directs training and consultation for the current State Co-Occurring State Infrastructure Grant. Ms. Chichester was a consensus panelist for the CSAT TIP #42 Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons with Co-Occurring Disorders. She has conducted numerous workshops on co-­occurring disorders and teaches courses on co-occurring disorders at Southern Maine Community College and University of Southern Maine. She is a master’s prepared nurse certified as a Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in Adult Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing.

Loren Coleman , MSW , is a consultant from Portland, Maine. His three decades of experience in youth suicide prevention includes the development of award winning curricula, video productions, and several publications, including Suicide Cluster (Faber and Faber, 1987), and a new book, The Copycat Effect (Simon & Schuster, 2004).

Jacinda Gagne obtained her BA in Psychology from University of Maine at Farmington in 1999. During that time, Ms Gagne was employed as a Behavioral Health Counselor at Maine General Medical Center on the Detox Unit as well as the Mental Health Unit where she also began training in psychological testing. Also during Ms Gagne’s time at UMF, she was the lead researcher/adult tester for the New England Research Institute (NERI).

Ms. Gagne then obtained her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. During that time, Ms Gagne worked as a substitute high school teacher. She also became employed as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Massachusetts in the fields of: Research Methods, Advanced Research Methods and Design, Abnormal Psychology and Developmental Psychology. Additionally, while in Massachusetts Ms Gagne completed a one year internship as a therapist at the campus Counseling Center and also worked at a Halfway House for individuals with mental illness and/or substance abuse issues. Ms Gagne then went on to complete a six month practicum on an ‘in-patient’ mental health unit at a local hospital. While at UMass Dartmouth, Ms Gagne completed her Master’s thesis on Eating Disorders and Body Dysmorphia in Male Athletes.

Currently Ms. Gagne is pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California.

Jennah Godo, MS, ATC, is currently the STD Program Manager and former HIV Counseling and Testing Coordinator at the Maine CDC. Her work primarily focuses on HIV and STD Prevention, HIV Prevention counseling trainings, disease intervention activities, and STD program development for the Maine HIV, STD and Viral Hepatitis Program. Prior to moving to Maine, she worked for the Broward County Health Department in Florida for their STD Program, where her work focused primarily on syphilis and HIV disease intervention. Jennah received her bachelors’ degree in health education and athletic training and her masters in health promotion.

Susan O’Halloran , BS.Ed ., Family Systems Certified , is an educator and certified suicide prevention gatekeeper trainer. She is employed as a project director at Medical Care Development in Augusta, and is primarily responsible for the design and delivery of a variety of suicide prevention education programs for the Maine Youth Suicide Prevention Program.

Joan Sirois-Wright, LCSW, LADC, is currently an Independent Contractor with AMHC. She served as AMHC’s Director of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services from 2001 to 2005 and was responsible for managing all of AMHC’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health services while ensuring the development and implementation of goals and objectives through AMHC’s outpatient offices and related specialty service units. Prior to this position, Ms. Wright worked over 15 years for AMHC in the Substance Abuse Program as a therapist, program supervisor, and office director. She regularly provides education and awareness trainings in substance abuse issues to area school systems, civic and non-profit organizations.

Ms. Wright completed an 18-month leadership training course through the New England Leadership Program. She participated in the establishment of Aroostook County’s first Battered Women’s Shelter during the early 1980’s. She has been involved in several Utilization Review and Quality Assurance activities within AMHC over the years, to enhance the quality of care to customers.

Ms. Wright has a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Maine at Presque Isle and a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Maine at Orono. She has been a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority for 38 years and is active in numerous community groups.

Dr. Tungol has been AMHC’s Medical Director since 2000. She is responsible for the development, maintenance, evaluation and provision of mental health and substance abuse assessment, treatment, consultation, and educational services. She is a practicing member of a multidisciplinary professional service team within the geographic service area assigned through AMHC Outpatient Offices and Specialty Service Sites, and other community service locations. Dr. Tungol assists AMHC’s Chief Operating Officer and Senior Leadership Team directly in the assessment of area service needs related to AMHC’s provision and continuing development of mental health, substance abuse, and other related services through participation in the review and development of the agency’s programs, positions, and budgets that relate to or impact directly on the provision of clinical and social supportive services. Dr. Tungol was in private practice several years prior to joining AMHC in 1991 as staff psychiatrist. She also served on the medical psychiatry staff at St. Mary’s General Hospital in Lewiston and as staff psychiatrist at Jackson Brook Institute in South Portland.

Dr. Tungol completed a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship and her residency requirements with City Hospital at Elmhurst, Mount Sinai Medical Center Services in Elmhurst, New York. She completed her residency in Pediatrics at the Hospital of the Infant Jesus and her rotating internship at Makati Medical Center, both located in Manila, Philippines. She received her MD and Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Santo Tomas-College of Medicine and Surgery in Manila, Philippines.

Gary Wolcott is the Program Manager for Brain Injury Services, OACPDS, DHHS. This is newly created office and position is part of the Office of Adults with Cognitive and Physical Disability Services of DHHS and is charged with establishing a comprehensive, single state agency for brain injury. Wolcott has more than 30 years experience assisting persons with brain injuries and other disabilities achieve greater independence and self-sufficiency in community-based settings .

Gary.Wolcott@maine.gov (207) 287-5851