ALTER HEALTH GROUP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Medical Director
- Psychiatrist
Dr. Araz Tawfique, M.D. is an award-winning, Board Certified psychiatrist in La Jolla, CA with over ten years of experience working with people with of diverse needs. He pursued his true passion for psychiatry and completed his psychiatric residency training at the University of Reno, Las Vegas, A San Diego native, he returned to Southern California to receive additional training in mental health, and start his private practice. His specialties are psychiatry and psychotherapy, which are techniques that facilitate a better understanding of thoughts, feelings, and motivations. His approach explores the interplay of biology, psychology, and sociology in shaping individuals and their relationships.
Dr. Tawfique's experience includes delivering comprehensive addiction treatment at substance abuse centers in San Diego County, work as the Medical Director of Consultation/Liaison Psychiatric Services at Sharp Coronado Hospital, providing psychiatric emergency evaluations at San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital, and private practice experience.
Job Titles:
- Chief Scientific Officer
- Lead Data Scientist in
Dr. Martin is the lead data scientist in Alter Health Group's new initiative in mental health research and treatment analysis. While research into treatment for individual mental and behavioral health disorders is constantly advancing, there exists a gap in providers application of this research. There remains a particular need for further analysis of best practices for treating chronic and co-occurring conditions through long-term care. Alter's position as both a mental health care provider and research institution position it to study this relationship between neuroscience and on-the-ground implementation. Dr. Martin's research will support a new artificial intelligence model designed to continuously improve patient care and outcomes by leveraging the intelligence shared between cutting-edge psychological research and customized treatment protocols.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Director Virtual & Continuing Care
- Clinical Psychologist and Healthcare Administrator
Dr. Ryan Roemer is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Healthcare Administrator with over 7 years of leadership experience in Mental Health and Substance Abuse treatment services and clinical programs development. He has worked across the spectrum of clinical settings from traditional outpatient clinics, tertiary medical centers and emergency rooms, and acute psychiatric hospitals and post-acute clinics. Informed by his training in University Medical Centers and research experience, he has created and administered clinical databases to track program outcomes and monitor KPIs for clinical and business targets and championed the use of reports and visualization tools to leverage clinical data to guide treatment planning and promote patient engagement.
Niloufar Nekou is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California with several years of experience providing psychotherapy to adults. Niloufar believes every individual is unique and it takes a very hands-on approach to work with each individual. Her specialties include working with depression, anxiety, all types of trauma, substance and alcohol abuse, cultural diversity, and handling life's transitions. She has completed training in EMDR and uses this technique to supplement the talk therapy, as needed.
Modalities that guide her treatment are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and solution-focused therapy. Niloufar received her Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Charleston. Niloufar's therapeutic approach is to create a compassionate and non-judgmental space to address the difficulties that bring clients to therapy.
Job Titles:
- PMHNP / Psychiatric - Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Stacy is compassionate, patient-centered, and a highly dedicated professional with extensive experience as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). She graduated from Saddleback College with an Associate Degree in Nursing and went on to gain a Masters of Science at Walden University.
Stacy brings to Alter the ability to assess complex medical cases, improving quality care, and develop consultative strategies for superior patient outcomes and case efficacy.
She provides health education and essential emotional support to patients' families. As an articulate communicator and team player, effective at building positive relationships with patients, family members, and professionals of all levels, she is a welcome addition to the Alter team.
Will graduated from Fresno Pacific University with his bachelor's in Business Administration and Management. Will has worked in a variety of different industries, from banking to human resources, but found his passion in serving others. Before being a part of the Alter team, his work for a non-profit amplified his desire to help others facing addiction.