Kristen Dixion was appointed the Executive Director for Addiction Research and Treatment Services (ARTS) in 2015. She has been with the organization since 2012 and served as the Director of Data, Evaluation, and Policy. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Executive Director. Kristen is actively involved with the Denver Drug Strategy Commission, Colorado Providers Association, Signal Board, and the Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council. She has a 16 year career in research, evaluation, and clinical care.
Prior to ARTS, Kristen served as the Associate Director of Data and Evaluation at the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH). She was the Colorado representative for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG) during her tenure at OBH. Previous to OBH, Kristen worked for the Division of Youth Corrections (DYC) in the Central Region. She started her career at ARTS as a Multisystemic (MST) family therapist and Evaluation Clinic Coordinator at Synergy Outpatient. Her professional experience began as a clinician at Colorado AIDS Project. Kristen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Connecticut. She also has a Master of Arts degree in Education, with a concentration in Counseling Psychology from the University of Connecticut.
Angi Wold, MS
Director of Operations
Angi Wold is the Director of Operations for Addiction Research and Treatment Services (ARTS). She has over 18 years of experience in the mental health/substance abuse field. Angi began her career at ARTS in 1999. She worked at Synergy Outpatient Services, the adolescent outpatient component of ARTS. There she worked as a Research Coordinator and was responsible for the management of federal and state-funded grants.
In 2011, Angi joined the ARTS management team as a Project Manager. She began the implementation of an electronic health record system. She is a member of ARTS’ Executive Committee. Angi is actively involved in work group and planning committees with Signal Behavioral Health Network, Colorado Behavioral Health Council and the Colorado Department of Human Services Office of Behavioral Health. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Her Master’s degree in Integrated Sciences is from the University of Colorado Denver.
Zoran Vukadinovic, MD
ARTS Medical Director
Dr. Zoran Vukadinovic is a physician specializing in the treatment of substance use disorder. He has been the Medical Director of ARTS since 2016. Dr. Vukadinovic graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine in 2007. He completed his Psychiatry residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2011. This was followed by a fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry in 2012 at the same institution. His interests lie with providing high quality care for ARTS patients. His research interests include the neurobiology of substance use disorders and psychosis.
Alexie Cisneros Johnson Devine, LPC, CACIII
Director of Synergy Adolescent Services
Alexie Cisneros Johnson Devine is the Director of Synergy Adolescent Services. She has 21 years of experience working in the mental health and substance abuse field. She joined ARTS in 1999 as a Multisystemic Therapist with the Synergy team. A few years later, she became a Clinical Supervisor. In 2011, Alexie became the Assistant Director of Synergy’s outpatient services. Alexie is dedicated to improving the lives of adolescents who struggle with substance use through empirically supported treatments. She has extensive knowledge in implementing evidenced-based clinical models.
She has served as the project coordinator on grants and has led the implementation of ACRA/ACC (Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach/Assertive Continuing Care), AF-CBT (Alternatives to Families-CBT), and SITCAP-ART (Structured Sensory Interventions for Traumatized Children, Adolescents and Parents) into Synergy’s continuum of care. As the Director, she is responsible for overseeing Synergy’s clinical, fiscal and administrative components. Alexie has served as an expert legal witness for substance abuse treatment. She is on the Board for the Justice Assistance Grant. Alexie received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder. Her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology is from the University of Colorado Denver.
Angela Bonaguidi, LCSW, LAC
Director of Adult Outpatient
Angela Bonaguidi was appointed the Director of Adult Outpatient at Addiction Research and Treatment Services (ARTS) in 2014. She joined the ARTS team in 2006 as a Medication Assisted Treatment Counselor. She later served as the Infectious Disease Coordinator and a clinical supervisor for Adult Outpatient Services. In addition to operational and clinical oversight of Adult Outpatient, Angela is the project coordinator for multiple SAMHSA grants. She is an expert legal witness for substance abuse treatment and provides ongoing training for Medication Assisted Treatment to constituents, including probation and parole departments. She works to save lives and improve the quality of life for persons struggling with substance abuse and dependence, through the application of empirically supported treatments. Angela attended the University of Denver and received Bachelor degrees in Psychology and Sociology, and a Master’s Degree in Social Work.
Irene G. Arguelles, LPC, CACIII Director of Peer I
Irene G. Arguelles was appointed the Director of Peer I in October 2019 and prior to that she had served as the Deputy Director of Peer I for one year. She is responsible for Peer I’s fiscal, administrative and clinical oversight and is a member of ARTS Management and Quality Assurance teams. Irene began her career as an intern at Synergy Outpatient’s Day Treatment program in 1994 and was subsequently hired as a family therapist at Synergy Residential in 1995. During her tenure at ARTS, Irene has served as Synergy’s Residential Coordinator, ARTS Quality Assurance Coordinator, Synergy’s Associate Director, and as Synergy’s Director. Irene holds Bachelor degrees in both Psychology and English from Regis University, a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from the University of Colorado Denver, and is a Certified Addictions Counselor III.
Daniele Wolff, MS, CAS
Director of Reflections for Women
Daniele Wolff has been the director of Women’s Residential Treatment Services since 2011. She began her career at ARTS in 1993 and has over twenty-five years of experience working with a female, substance dependent population. She has experience developing clinical programs with specialized services for pregnant and parenting mothers. She was also responsible for development and oversight of the specialized on-sight child care facility known as the Baby Haven. Daniele has extensive experience working with females in the correctional system, child protective services, and the community.
She was responsible for implementing one of the first community doula programs for recovering mothers in the nation. At the beginning of her tenure with the ARTS, Daniele recognized the importance of treating both a woman’s substance use disorder, as well as their co-occurring mental health disorder(s) and was responsible for the implementation of specialized mental health services in the ARTS female residential programs. Daniele received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado Denver. She received her Master of Science Degree in Counseling from Grand Canyon University.
Kevin Bert, LCSW, CACIII
Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance
Kevin Bert has been the Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance since 2012. Prior to his current role, Kevin spent 14 years working for the Synergy Adolescent Services programs starting in October 1998. He participated in the initial Multi-Systemic Therapist (MST) training in the state of Colorado and was one of the first therapists to implement MST.
After a year and a half as a therapist, Kevin took over the role of supervising the Synergy MST programs and guided the expansion of MST services from its initial role within Synergy Day Treatment to include a free standing MST program using the MST Substance Abuse (a.k.a. MST Contingency Management) approach. He presented at several MST conferences within the state and region and consulted with MST Services to support implementation of a program located in Cambridge, England. Kevin was eventually moved into the role of Assistant Director at Synergy prior to taking on his current role.
He was also involved in managing a grant funded program to augment services in the ARTS Therapeutic Community Programs through targeted work force expansion via the training of master’s level interns. Expanding on previous intern activities he started, Kevin has worked with over thirty interns from multiple universities and colleges including providing training, live supervision, and targeted expansion of treatment services including mental health services. Kevin was recognized as the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work Field Instructor of the Year in 2015, as part of this role. He was also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and has supported the use of trauma treatments and trauma informed practice for ARTS patients. Kevin holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Denver and is certified as an MST Therapist, Addiction Counsellor, and is EMDR Trained.
Amy Neustadt, MPH
Director of Development
Amy Neustadt joined ARTS in 2012 as Director of Development. She provides leadership and coordination of all grant-writing efforts for ARTS programs, including federal, state and foundation grants. Amy has more than 10 years of experience in grant-writing and grants and program management. Previously, she served as Program Officer at the Colorado Health Foundation in the Health Coverage area, Principal of Amy Neustadt Consulting, LLC (a grant-writing independent business) and the Research and Program Director of the Family Planning Section within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Chicago. Amy received a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Illinois Champaign Urbana and a Master’s of Public Health from Emory University.
ARTS TREATMENT PROGRAM DIRECTORY
Phone:303-336-1600
