Michael Anderson, M.D., Ph.D.
Medical Director,
Clinical Director

Dr. Anderson earned his B.A., M.D., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota. He has held academic appointments with medical schools of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, the University of Vermont, and the University of Minnesota, where he later held an academic faculty appointment.  Dr. Anderson's training in psychiatric medicine was secured from highly regarded University of Maryland/Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital (Baltimore, Maryland), where he was awarded the Janssen Commendation Award of Merit for excellence in emergency psychiatry. Dr. Anderson's neuron-physiological research in central nervous system vision was conducted at a prestigious laboratory associated with Nobel Prize winners in both medicine and physiology. Dr. Anderson has excellent training in emergency medicine and the application of the bio-psychosocial approach in the practice of psychiatry.

As the President of the River Centre Clinic, Dr. Anderson has responsibilities in administration, supervision, program development, and research. As medical director, he coordinates all aspects of the medical and psychopharmacological treatments provided by River Centre Clinic. He is also involved in direct patient care: conducting assessments, individual therapy, group therapy, dietary recommendations, and medication management. Dr. Anderson's strong research skills are evidenced by more than 50 publications in the area of neuroscience. He is deeply devoted to the River Centre Clinic's values of being progressive, innovative, efficient, and dedicated to the highest standards of patient-friendly care.

Julie J. Desai, M.A., (1)
Director, Partial Hospitalization Program
Psychology Assistant

Ms. Desai is one of the original founding staff members of River Centre Clinic. She is experienced in individual, group, and family counseling with eating disorders and has extensive training in psychoeducational treatment approaches for eating disorders. Ms. Desai has developed many of the treatment methods used at the River Centre Clinic and has been a co-author of a number of eating disorder publications. She has lectured on eating disorders and has been part of a training team that has consulted to other organizations trying to develop sucessful eating disorder treatment programs. She completed her bachelors degree in psychology at the University of Michigan and received her M.A. in clinical psychology from University of Detroit Mercy.

Laura Perino, MRC, PCC-S
Professional Clinical Counselor

Ms. Perino is a highly skilled professional clinical counselor who is primarly involved in providing outpatient therapy for those with eating disorders as well as individuals with other psychological disorders. In addition to treating eating disorders, Ms. Perino specializes in treating trauma and loss, anxiety, depression, post-partum depression, sexual abuse, addiction and substance abuse, problems of parenting, marital problems, stress management, problems of adolescence. She also has expertise in trauma specific work around Dissociative Identity Disorder. She is experienced in individual, group and famly approaches to treatment. In addition to outpatient counselling, Ms. Perino also works in the Partial Hospitalization and Adolescent Residential Programs. Ms. Perino received a Masters of Rehabilitation Counseling from Bowling Green State University.

Jan Lockert, RN
Director of Admissions and Outreach

Jan is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the patient intake process for those seeking treatment at the River Centre Clinic, from first contact through to the day of admission.  She also coordinates outreach and marketing activities for the River Centre Clinic.  As part of our clinical team, Jan facilitates a weekly recovery support group at River Centre, and has assisted with the monthly Eating Disorder Support Network meetings at River Centre for more than five years. Jan has been highly involved in networking in the professional field of eating disorders. She has a passionate belief in recovery and offers a unique blend of hope and optimism to the overall treatment atmosphere at River Centre Clinic. Jan earned her degree as a Registered Nurse from Vincennes University in Indiana.  She has previous work experience as a Psychiatric Nurse at Behavioral Connections in Bowling Green, Ohio, and at the University of Toledo Medical Center.  She is currently a member of the National Eating Disorder Association and the Academy of Eating Disorders. 

Kimberly Clark, MSW (1)
Social Worker, Outpatient Program
Partial Hospitalization Program
Adolescent Residential Program

Ms. Clark is a licensed social worker and has been a part of the River Centre Clinic staff for the past 5 years. Ms. Clark began working at the River Centre Clinic as a residential staff member while she completed a B.A. degree in Psychology and a MSW degee at the University of Toledo. Ms. Clark currently is primarily responsible for coordinating the outpatient services at the River Centre Clinic but also works in the Partial Hospitalization Program and the Adolescent Residential Program.

Meggan Schneider, MSW, LISW
Director, Adolescent Program
Assistant

Ms. Schneider has been a staff member of the River Centre Clinic for the past 9 years and is currently the Director of the Adolescent Program. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology and her Masters of Social Work degree at the University of Toledo. As part of her education and training, Ms. Schneider completed internships in settings providing experence in substance abuse and domestic violence. She currently provides direct care services to both the adolescent and adult patients. She has a wealth of experience in running groups on a wide range of topics and specializes in teaching psychoeducational components of our program.

Samantha King, RD, LD
Consulting Dietitian

Ms. King is a consulting dietitian in the Adult and Adolescent Programs at the River Centre Clinic. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition degree from Ohio State University and is in the process of completing her Masters in Food Nutrition degree from Bowling Green State University. Ms. King has served as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Food and Nutrition at BGSU.

Administrative Staff

David M. Garner, Ph.D.
Administrative Director

Dr. Garner is the Founder and Administrative Director of the River Centre Clinic.  His current position at the River Centre Clinic involves strictly administrative, teaching and research duties; it does not involve any clinical practice. 

Past academic appointments include Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto; Scholar of the Medical Research Council of Canada; Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Research for the Eating Disorder Program at Michigan State University; Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Women’s Studies at the University of Toledo and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Bowling Green State University. 

Garner has published over 170 scientific articles and book chapters, and has co-authored or co-edited 7 books on eating disorders.  With colleagues he has developed two widely used psychometric instruments, the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI, EDI-2 & EDI-3) and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT).  He has been recognized by Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) as one of the most highly cited researchers in the social sciences.

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Garner has given over 400 lectures or workshops on a range of different topics related to eating disorders and obesity.  Dr. Garner's primary research and teaching interests relate to theoretical issues concerning obesity, eating disorders, assessment, diagnosis, treatment outcome, psychopathology, and the biology of weight regulation. e-mail: garner@river-centre.org

Arline Soncrant, B.A.
Director, Financial Operations

Ms. Soncrant is one of the original founding staff members of River Centre Clinic. She plays a key role in general operations and fiscal management, and financial policy development. She has a B.A. in business administration from the University of Toledo.

Tracey R. Darrington
Operations & Quality Assurance Manager

Ms. Darrington supervises all aspects of quality assurance, develops policies and procedures required to maintain certification and licensure through the Ohio Department of Mental Health and CARF, performs insurance contract negotiations, and performs Human Resource functions at River Centre Clinic. Ms. Darrington has a strong background in regulatory compliance and benefit administration.

Dani Fuller
Creative Art Director

Dani Fuller earned her BFA in Illustration from The American Academy of Art in Chicago, Illinois.  She is a freelance artist working in, acrylic, print, computer graphics, and illustration for local musicians, merchants, businesses, and families in the Chicago area.  At the River Centre Clinic, Dani provides website artistic consultation, advertising design and runs art groups enabliing participants to translate their experiences into creative expression. Dani works as the head art designer for 1350 Commissary in downtown Chicago.  

(1) Supervised according to Ohio Psychology Law.