Lead - Information Impacts Action: Debunking Myths About the Family and Recovery
Alicia Ventura is the director of special projects and research for the Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance program and Boston Medical Center's Office Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) program, overseeing all research and evaluation activities for both programs. She has more than 15 years of experience conducting public health and clinical research. Ventura has spent the last decade focused exclusively on research, evaluation, and program development related to mitigating the harmful consequences of alcohol and drug use, including the impact on affected family members. She is currently principal investigator of a qualitative study investigating the experience of affected family members. She is also co-investigator on a mixed-methods study examining perspectives of addiction treatment providers on working with family members.
Ventura also directs a harm reduction-focused educational program for family members affected by a loved one's substance use. She provides training and technical assistance to health care organizations on integration of the family into routine addiction care and is a board member of the Addiction and the Family International Network. She has published on various topics, including reproductive health, HIV, substance use, and family members impacted by substance use. Alicia received her master’s in community public health from New York University.