FRIENDSMATTER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Recovery Programming
Andrea has 11 years of experience in community-level substance abuse prevention. She is a former SAMHSA/CSAP fellow (a two-year federal program to build the prevention workforce). During the program, Andrea worked full-time as the Evaluation and Research Manager at CADCA's National Coalition Institute in Alexandria, Virginia. She continued this work building the capacity of community substance abuse prevention coalitions through July 2016. In October, she relocated to Doylestown, PA and assumed the role of Project Director to lead the efforts of New Hope Solebury Cares, a federally-funded substance abuse prevention coalition. She built the organization's capacity significantly during this time. She added two new staffing positions dedicated to youth leadership, build new community partnerships that led to an increase in donated time and resources, expanded programming, and managed a brand overhaul and website redesign. Currently, Andrea is a mental health crisis worker with the Lenape Valley Foundation. She conducts crisis assessments and facilitates placement into mental health and/or addiction treatment. Andrea has a Master's degree in Psychology from American University, holds certification as a Prevention Specialist and Strengthening Families Program (10-14) facilitator, and is training to become a Certified Family Recovery Specialist. She has been personally impacted by addiction and mental illness and puts her heart and soul into her work.
Andrea has big plans for Friends MATTer!
Merrilee has lived in New Hope, Bucks County for over 20 years. In 2012 she learned that her son, Matthew Daniels II, had an Opioid addiction to heroin. Thus began her and her family's journey with the challenges of Substance Use Disorder. Matthew's condition was further exacerbated by a hereditary disease, Adult Polycystic Kidney. After treatment, Matthew became devoted to sobriety, and was RA of his apartment's aftercare group. In 2015 and 2016 he was impacted by two Kidney episodes, which ultimately lead to a fatal relapse five days after Matt's 28th birthday. Heroin laced with Fentanyl took Matthew's life. Merrilee and her family, along with Matthew's friends, organized and launched FriendsMATTer in an effort to help other families dealing with the extraordinary challenges presented by SUD. Key to the mission of the charity is the focus on organizing, strengthening and connecting the friend, family, community and professional network supporting the SUD patient with particular focus on the five year after-treatment time period.
Merrilee operates a marketing communication firm, working as an executive consultant in marketing and sales for corporations and advertising/marketing agencies. Her responsibilities include leadership of marketing initiatives for start-up to Fortune 100 enterprise with focus in the hospitality, real estate, financial and energy industries.
She is an alumni of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh and will be training to become a Certified Family Recovery Specialist this year. Merrilee is married to Steve Scott and has a son, Max.
Job Titles:
- Secretary of the Board of Directors
Thomas Mancini is a life resident of Bucks County PA, now working as a principal in his family's construction business. He is the lead on business development and project management teams in the construction and renovation of residential and commercial buildings.
Previously he worked as a Territory Sales Manager for Verizon Fios, in Bucks, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer, Medical Advisor
Todd Broad M.D. is a thirty-year resident of Bucks County currently living in Carversville, PA. He is a well- regarded physician having founded or chaired many of the region's notable medical practices including as a partner with Doylestown Anesthesia Associates, Doylestown Surgical Center, Medical Healing Arts Center and President/Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Anesthesiology.
Todd's background in Anesthesiology lead him to specific interests in the use and abuse of Opioids and the impact upon the user. Upon reviewing the FriendsMATTer goals, he became an advocate of strengthening the network surrounding those in the five years of aftercare recovery.
His focus is on the practices of the Pharma, Insurance and Medical industries and the roles each plays within the recovery process. Todd's goal is creating new benchmarks in care while improving support to the patient before, during and after the five-year after treatment minimum.
Todd received his B.S. from Muhlenberg College Magna Cum Laude, and his Doctor of Medicine from Jefferson Medical College. He served his Internship at The General Hospital of UPenn, and his residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Anesthesiology. Todd is an outdoor enthusiast, loves hiking and skiing and has two adult children, Harris and Tara.