Bridges Leadership

Executive and Senior Management Team

Jennifer Fiorillo, MPH, MBA - CEO & President

Jennifer Fiorillo, President & CEO of Bridges Healthcare has nearly 30 years of experience in the healthcare and non-profit industry with extensive background in quality, compliance, fiscal management, business operations and program/project development. Ms. Fiorillo has led Bridges through multiple large projects and initiatives including acquiring Gold Star accreditation through the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, conversion to a new electronic health record system, integration of behavioral health and primary care, and most recently, the award of $4 million ($2 million per year) to establish a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from Southern Connecticut State University, a Master of Business Administration degree from Post University and a certificate in Non-Profit Executive Leadership from Duke University. Jennifer is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the Board of Directors for CommuniCare, Inc. and Advanced Behavioral Health, Inc.

Martin Schwartzman, Ph.D - Chief of Program Operations

With more than 40 years of experience with Bridges, Dr. Schwartzman maintains oversight of all agency programs. He is a clinical psychologist and has performed in a variety of capacities, including direct clinical and prevention programming, consultation, psychological testing, program development, infant/toddler assessments, supervision, and grant writing.

Dr. Schwartzman has a major interest in the development and sustainability of evidence-based practices through the learning collaborative methodology and reliance on data driven outcomes. He holds a PhD from the University of South Carolina, a certificate of completion from the Connecticut Health Foundation Health Leadership Fellows Program, and Connecticut Infant-Toddler Developmental Assessment Certification.

Jaya Daptardar, BAMS, MHA - Chief of Performance & Strategy

Jaya served as Chief Medical Officer for a 50-bed general hospital in India and has more than 20 years of clinical and leadership experience in healthcare. She has progressively responsive experience in Behavioral Healthcare Management and the addiction field with the task of managing and organizing the business with high quality and productivity standards. She concentrates on continuous growth and new opportunities for business development. She holds a CCIM certificate for continuous Improvement and Management and a certificate in Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Master Belt. She is a recipient of a lifetime achievement award in the healthcare field from the physician association in CT and serves multiple non-profit boards. Jaya presents internationally and locally on a variety of topics in the field of behavioral health, as well as natural and holistic care. Client satisfaction and excellent customer service are a strong focus for Jaya. This is evidenced by her commitment to the focus on client engagement and continuity in the treatment. Jaya holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine and Surgery and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration and Management.

Tara Kerner, D.O. – Chief Medical Officer

Tara has been devoted to the field of community psychiatry for 20 years. During her 8 years at Bridges Healthcare, Dr. Kerner has been integral in expanding Bridges’ addiction services.  She spearheaded Connecticut’s first Mobile Addiction Treatment program known as MATT’s van; a community based medication assisted treatment program which has been replicated in several agencies throughout the state. In addition, she has worked closely with the entire staff of Bridges to embrace harm reduction philosophies, naloxone training, and raise awareness on reducing stigma associated with addiction. Dr. Kerner is committed to the education of new APRN’s and established Bridges as a training site for psychiatric APRN students. Dr. Kerner continues to expand Bridges’ community based treatments which includes bringing primary healthcare services to underserved communities, connecting people recently released from prison into treatment, and establishing partnerships with local shelters and other non-profit agencies. She holds a Doctorate of Osteopathy from NY College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed her training in Adult Psychiatry at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in NY, and has been trained in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at Columbia University’s Center for Psychoanalytic training and research.

Dawn Silver-DeAngelis, M.S. – Senior Director of Adult Services

With  37 years of experience in non-profit behavioral healthcare settings, Dawn has held multiple positions during her 33 year tenure at Bridges. She has been involved in the development and expansion of a number of programs within the agency and often represents the agency at local and state-wide initiative meetings. Dawn is a strong supporter of the Peer and Recovery models of care and has led the effort to expand Peer Staff.

She holds a Bachelor in Social Work from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York and a Master’s in Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Springfield College.

Melissa Jacob, LCSW – Senior Director of Child Services

Melissa Jacob has been a dedicated member of the Bridges team for 25 years, beginning her career in Prevention & Addiction Services before focusing primarily on Children & Families. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she brings a rich clinical background in child, adult, family, and group therapy. Melissa holds certifications in several specialized approaches, including Parenting with Love and Limits (PLL) from the Savannah Family Institute Model of Family Therapy, Parent Management Training (PMT), Attachment, Regulation, and Competency therapy (ARC), and Adventure Programming. Her expertise extends across various evidence-based therapies, with certifications in MATCH, ARC, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and PLL. She is also a Nationally Certified TFCBT clinician and serves as the agency’s MATCH associate consultant (AC). Additionally, Melissa is an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) and has completed the Seminar in Field Instruction (SIFI) for supervising MSW student interns. Melissa is also a Certified Prevention Professional (CPP).

Melissa has played a pivotal role in expanding Bridges’ child outpatient and school-based services. Recently, she led the implementation of a $3 million, five-year SAMHSA grant to address trauma through evidence-based practices in Milford and West Haven Public Schools. She collaborates with local non-profit agencies, state departments, and school systems to enhance the quality of care for children and families. Melissa holds a Master of Social Work from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Missouri.

Valerie F. Ferrante, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Chief Human Resources Officer

​Valerie has been a member of the Bridges team since 2006 and oversees both the Human Resources and Facilities Departments. Ms. Ferrante has over 25 years of experience in human resources and facilities departments, with expertise in labor relations and HR compliance. She has collaborated with the management team on many strategic initiatives such as the attainment of the Joint Commission accreditation and the expansion of the agency through the acquisition of several grants. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from St. John’s University in Communications, the senior level Human Resources certifications of  SPHR and SHRM-SCP, and is a graduate of the Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence Program.

Carlos Rodriguez, Chief Financial Officer

Carlos Rodriguez has been with Bridges since 2008. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the finance field and has held a number of different roles in the organization. Carlos has collaborated on a number of projects within the organization including the strategic plan, implementation of a new electronic health record and new financial information system. Bridges operating budget has grown over 20% since he came into the role of CFO and has expanded into a number of different programs and services including a Mobile Medical Assisted Program, Wellness on Wheels, and a number of prevention programs and school-based services. Carlos holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting and a Project Management Professional Certification from Central Connecticut State University.

William Oravecz, ScM, MBA – Senior Director, Enterprise IT Services

Bill joined Bridges Healthcare in 2020. His expertise in Health IT is backed by over 25 years in senior leadership roles with a major health system and a number of healthcare technology consulting firms leading strategic healthcare technology implementations and productivity improvements. He currently serves as a Reviewer /Mentor /Ambassador /Moderator with the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Global Conference Education Committee and for the past 11 years, as a Scientific Program Committee Reviewer with the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) for the past 6 years, and as a member of the Merit Review Panel for the US Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC-HIT).

Bill holds an Sc.M. in Radiology/Medical Physics from The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and Division of Biological Sciences, an Executive MBA with a concentration in Finance and eCommerce from the University of Connecticut School of Business and is certified in HIPAA Security, Good Clinical Practice & Regulatory Compliance in Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Development.

Allison Csonka, MPA – Senior Director of Fund Development & Communications

Allison Csonka, joined the Bridges team in 2022. Allison has more than 15 years in non-profit fundraising experience. Her career has primarily focused on raising funds and awareness for health-related non-profit organizations including The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and SeriousFun Children’s Network. Allison’s areas of expertise in fundraising include event planning and logistics, corporate sponsorships, individual donor relations and communications, annual appeals, and mission-focused storytelling. Mrs. Csonka holds a Masters in Public Administration with a Non-profit Emphasis as well as a Professional Certificate in Non-profit Fundraising from the University of Missouri – Kansas City’s Bloch School of Business and Public Administration. She is also a licensed foster parent with the State of Connecticut’s Department of Children & Families.

Board of Directors

Joan K. Cretella – Chairperson

Charles Montalbano –  Vice Chair – Programs & Administration

Chaz Gaines -Treasurer

Raymond G. Vitali* – Secretary

Ellen Beatty, Ph.D.

John Biancur

Jacqueline Bontems

Karen Fortunati

Katie Farrell

Kathleen Hendricks

Nestor Kaplan

Michelle LeMere*

Jorge Santiago

Jessica Simone

Richard Smith

Patricia Stark

 

*Past Board Chair

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