Justine Kovacs

Justine was inspired to pursue a career in this field by her mentor, former professor, and advisor, Eileen Russo, MA, LADC, who is an expert in addiction and mental health care and helped pioneer trauma-informed and gender-responsive approaches to treatment. Justine has championed for trauma-focused care and for expanding access to effective, evidence-based treatments for co-occurring disorders.

With 14 years of experience in behavioral health, Justine has serviced in clinical, residential, and program leadership roles supporting individuals on their recovery journeys. Recognizing the need for more precise, evidence-based treatments, she transitioned into behavioral health research, serving as a Research Coordinator at an EMDR therapy company, where she co-authored a peer-reviewed publication, and later as a Research Data Associate at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Justine has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Specialization in Research from Southern Connecticut State University.