Executive Committee

Sonita Morin Abrahams is a Hubert Humphrey Fellow who attended The Johns Hopkins University and spent a year focusing on policy development and management of health services, particularly in the field of substance abuse prevention and treatment. She went on to complete a Master of Health Science degree, and as a member of the Hopkins Alumni, coordinated the establishment of a network of Fellows worldwide in substance abuse treatment and prevention. Sonita also wrote a chapter on Drug Prevention & Rehabilitation in the Caribbean published in a book entitled “The Political Economy of Drugs in the Caribbean” in 2000.

Sonita served as regional consultant to United Nations Commission on Narcotic drugs “Beyond 2008”; as Deputy Chairman for the National Council on Drug Abuse in Jamaica; as board member for The Drug Prevention Network of the Americas (DPNA) and Member of the planning team for global conferences.

Sonita is a faculty member of the Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders, a member of the Advisory Committee for the University of Technology in Jamaica for their Masters degree program in Complimentary & Alternative Medicine, and a member of the International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy. Sonita has been awarded the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer (OD) “for leadership in the areas of community development, youth empowerment, and the development of comprehensive services for those afflicted with addictive disorders”.

She is the Executive Director for RISE Life Management Services, a NGO in inner city Kingston, and teacher/owner of Afya Yoga, Pilates & Dance Studio.

Walter Hillabrant, PhD.  Walter, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, is a clinical psychologist licensed in the District of Columbia where he maintains a private practice specializing in addiction treatment, recovery, and health promotion. He is the past president Of the District Of Columbia Psychological Association (DCPA) and its current representative to the American Psychological Association. He is a recognized expert in research design, analysis, and evaluation, including culturally competent research. He has been the principal investigator or lead evaluator and more than 20 national studies involving Native Americans in such areas as substance abuse treatment and recovery, behavioral health, education, and welfare. He has served as an expert witness and data analysis for the departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and education.

Judith Landau, MD, DPM, LMFT, CAI, BRI II, is a child, family and community neuropsychiatrist, specializing in resilience and overcoming adversity. Dr. Landau is also an isangoma or traditional African healer. Co-developer of the Evidence-Based, Best Practice ARISE Continuum of Care, Dr. Landau draws 30+ years of research and experience aimed at facilitating long-term healing for addicted individuals and their families.

Author of numerous peer-reviewed publications, she has taught in 100+ countries, trained more than 1000 Certified ARISE Interventionists, and consulted to UN, WHO, NIMH, NIDA, NIAAA, SAMHSA, and several international governments. She is the recipient of awards for AAMFT’s Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Marriage and Family Therapy and AFTA’s Innovative Contribution to Family Therapy

Currently recognized as a global addiction and trauma pioneer, Dr. Landau continues to change the future of addiction by identifying trauma that spans generations. Her recent TEDX talk, Family Stories, Secrets and Survival, has become legendary and is one of the most sought after presentations on the subjects of family resilience, trauma and addiction.

Steadily working on her long awaited personal memoir, Dr. Landau continues to be used by the national media as an expert on all stories relating to human behavior.