OUR TEAM
Leadership
Edward C. Carlson became Chief Executive Officer of Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc. (OHL) in January 2005, bringing over 35 years of experience in human services and addiction field. As CEO, he is building on the 50-year legacy of Odyssey House and expanding its outreach and services to the community. His responsibilities include program design and implementation, and overall management of the organization’s staff, resources and fiscal health. He has taken OHL from a small, 61-bed treatment program to a multi-program social service agency that provides services to over 2,000 people per month. Under his tenure as CEO, Odyssey House has significantly expanded its continuum of care services and has become one of the largest and most comprehensive nonprofit behavioral health care facilities in Louisiana. Due to its encompassing system of care, OHL has been recognized nationally as model treatment program. Mr. Carlson has served on multiple advisory and research panels in several states over his career, overseeing numerous reports related to policy recommendations establish responsive systems that implements best practices based on sound research, strategies to reduce the cost and suffering of drug and alcohol addiction and expand the quality and quantity of treatment, and ways to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of state programs. Mr. Carlson has been responsible for the implementation and operations of over 46 treatment programs during his tenure in the substance use field. Mr. Carlson is a graduate of John F. Kennedy University where he received a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in clinical psychology with a concentration in substance abuse, criminal justice population and cognitive behavioral science.
Amy Bosworth is the Chief Operations Officer for Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc. She is responsible for ensuring operations of programs in New Orleans, Lake Charles and Morgan City. During her time at OHL, Mrs. Bosworth oversaw general administration, staffing and reporting requirements of the Outpatient and Admissions programs, and collaborated with local medical and mental health service providers, as well as court officials and probation officers, to provide residents a continuum of care. She has worked at OHL as a Residential Outpatient Counselor, Program Manager and Program Director. Mrs. Bosworth was also instrumental in securing funding for and coordinating the start-up of OHL’s free community Medical Clinic, which opened shortly after Hurricane Katrina, and the region’s first Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment center, which opened in 2010. Mrs. Bosworth served 2 full terms on the New Orleans Regional AIDS Planning Council. While a member of the Planning Council Mrs. Bosworth served as Chair of the Service Delivery Committee and as Secretary of the Council in her final year as a member. Mrs. Bosworth has BA in Psychology and received her Master’s in Social Work in 2003. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Louisiana and has been an employee at OHL since 2005.
Dr. Richard Carr graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, MI in 1990. He has been fellowship trained in Addiction Medicine at the University of Florida Medical School. He is originally from Michigan and moved to New Orleans in 2014 and has been practicing addiction medicine here since then. He has directed the detoxification facility at River Oaks Hospital and directed intensive outpatient treatment programs at Addiction Recovery Resources, Crescent Care, and Longbranch Wellness Center. Prior to coming to OHL in September 2021, Dr. Carr has been in recovery himself for several years and is active in the recovery community in New Orleans.
Helena leads various initiatives centered on addressing and alleviating health issues impacting our most marginalized communities. She lead the expansion of OHL's HIV and Hep C Testing and Treatment efforts, Syringe Access Program, Naloxone Access Program, developed a robust Outreach Department, and ensure our departments are providing quality nonjudgemental care to our communities.  Helena is an Albanian refugee dedicated to empowering, equipping, and educating communities when it comes to healthcare. Ms. Likaj received her Masters in Public Health from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and has years of experience developing unique programs designed to increase access to quality health care and prevention of illnesses. Helena’s experience includes working with Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Tulane University, and APEX Youth Center.
Ciera Bryant, MBA
Tonti Clinic Manager
Ciera is a New Orleans native who has held numerous positions with Ochsner and Chenmed. She earned her MBA in Health/Health Care Administration/ Management from American InterContinental University. Ciera is dedicated to serving the underserved population by assisting in the provision of high-quality healthcare services that will help to reduce healthcare disparities.
Allen Chighizola
Bohn Clinic Manager
Allen was born and raised in the New Orleans Metro area. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology fron Nicholls State University in 1987 and has gone on to earn a Specialist degree in School Psychology and a MBA in Healthcare Management. With over 22 years of work experience in healthcare, Allen has served in multiple capacities in the Mental Health and Substance Abuse field. He started out as an admissions counselor and has worked his way through the ranks to positions as Operations Director for a residential treatment program, Health Center Manager, Mental Health Program Director for the State of Louisiana and aa Administrator of a local Psychiatric hospital. Allen’s passion is in working with patients and being able to help make a difference in the lives of those in the programs where he has worked. He brings a wealth of education and experience to his role as Bohn Clinic Manager.
Lana Huling, FNP-C
CHC Medical Manager
Lana Huling, PMHNP, FNP, CARN-AP is the Medical Manager at Odyssey House Louisiana Community Health Care Clinic, where she has served for over 4.5 years providing both clinical care and organizational leadership within the organization’s Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). In her role, Lana delivers and oversees comprehensive primary care, psychiatric mental health services, addiction medicine, and Hepatitis C treatment, supporting patients across the continuum of care. She is committed to integrated, patient-centered care models that address both medical and behavioral health needs while reducing barriers to treatment for underserved populations. Lana is a Certified Addiction Registered Nurse – Advanced Practice (CARN-AP) and a recognized Louisiana Hepatitis C Champion, reflecting her expertise in substance use disorder treatment and infectious disease care. Her leadership and clinical impact were recognized when she was named Louisiana Provider of the Year (2025) by the Louisiana Provider Advisory Council (LPAC). Through her work at Odyssey House Louisiana, Lana remains dedicated to advancing evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and equitable access to high-quality healthcare for individuals across Louisiana.
Practitioners
Joella recently graduated the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Franciscan Missionaries of our Lady University in Baton Rouge. She has practiced as a Registered Nurse at Our Lady of the Lake Emergency Department since 2016. She looks forward to serving the community in need.
Dr. Kareem Neal, DNP, PMHNP-BC recently graduated the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program from Louisiana State University Health - New Orleans with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in May of 2021. He has been a Registered Nurse since 2009 in the Baton Rouge area in numerous settings including Psychiatry, ICU, and Cardiology. He completed clinical at Odyssey House Louisiana and looks forward to assisting clients in need of a mental health provider.
Whitney is a family nurse practitioner at the OHL Community Health Center. She graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with both bachelor's and Master's degrees in the Science of Nursing. She was a nurse for 5 years before becoming an FNP. As a registered nurse, she specialized in women's health/mother/baby/postpartum.
Veronica has been an FNP since 2010, and an RN since 1984. Veronica moved to New Orleans with her husband in January 2022 from rural Southern Illinois. She loves traveling, going to music events, and walking around the city with her chocolate lab, Myrtle Mae.
Mia Trupiano is an advanced practice register nurse (APRN), practicing as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) at OHL community health center, dual certified as a PMHNP and Family Nurse practitioner (FNP). She is a New Orleans native, with degrees from Louisiana State University (LSU) and Southeastern Louisiana State University (SELU). Mia completed Southeastern Louisiana State University’s program for FNP to PMHNP, obtaining her PMHNP certification and license in 2023. She previously graduated from Southeastern Louisiana State University with her master’s degree in 2016 and became certified as a family nurse practitioner in 2017. She started her career in health care as an RN, having completed her RN-BSN degree, at LSU, graduating with her BSN in 2010. She is uniquely qualified to provide holistic and integrative psychiatric care to the clients of OHL, integrating knowledge from her various professional experiences, as a RN-BSN with 6+ years of hospital experience, combined with her previous experience working as an FNP.
Gil Lerma, PhD, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Louisiana. He pursued his graduate studies at the University of Holy Cross in New Orleans where he received his Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2013 and his Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision in 2017. Gil values the lived experiences of others and engages with clients through Gestalt, Person-Centered, and CBT approaches.
Trichell Dumas, MS, LPC-S, NCC. Trichell Dumas has over a decade of experience in behavioral health. Her focus is treating adults in areas of addiction, grief, trauma, relationship conflicts, mood disorders, and life stress. Ms. Dumas earned her Master of Science in Counseling (2010) from Loyola University New Orleans. Ms. Dumas is credentialed as a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor (LPC-S) and National Certified Counselor, currently practicing in Louisiana.
Kate is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) at the OHL Community Health Center. She graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree in 2016. Kate began her career as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the Medical ICU at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. She moved to New Orleans in 2020, where she continued to work as an RN in outpatient surgery while pursuing her graduate degree. Kate graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in the FNP program in 2024. Prior to joining the OHL team, Kate was an FNP at Touro Gastroenterology Clinic where she specialized in treating disorders of the digestive system and colorectal cancer screening. She looks forward to serving the community of New Orleans and helping her patients achieve their health goals.
Dr. Sagie Henig, MD
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Primary Care Provider
Collaborating Physician for Family Nurse Practitioners
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Henig moved to New Orleans in 2015 and very quickly grew to call it home. He completed undergraduate studies at the University of Rochester and medical school through the University of Queensland - Ochsner Clinical School. Dr. Henig completed residency training at East Jefferson hospital in Metairie, LA. He currently maintains clinical practice at LSU's Family Medicine clinic at University Medical Center as well as at Odyssey House Louisiana. In his free time, Dr. Henig enjoys music, travelling, and spending time with his family.
Dr. Renata Weatherspoon, DHA, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over 20 years of healthcare experience. She began her career as an Emergency Room nurse in 2004 and became board certified as a PMHNP in 2013. Dr. Weatherspoon has served as a Forensic Nurse Expert Witness, Visiting Professor, and Medical Director, bringing clinical expertise and leadership to behavioral health care. She holds a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration and is a published author on topics related to mental illness and mental health awareness.