WELLINGTON EATING DISORDER PROGRAM

Tracy Southworth, LCSW

Tracy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has been working with individuals and families for over 20 years. Tracy has worked in hospitals and community agencies. She has a kind, non-judgmental and empathetic approach. Providing a supportive therapeutic style.

Tracy believes that change happens when people are given the guidance they need to draw on their own strengths and realizing their potential. Rather than adopting one methodology for all individuals and issues, Tracy draws from a variety of methods to create a tailored approach for each individual and situation.

Dr. Marcie Schneider, MD, FAAP, FSAHM

Dr. Schneider graduated from Brown University, and attended medical school at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her residency was in Pediatrics at the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York, followed by a fellowship in Adolescent Medicine was at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York. She remained at North Shore for a total of 13 years and during that time became Associate Chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine, and Medical Director for the Eating Disorders Day Program. She was recruited by Greenwich Hospital to start an Adolescent Program, which ran from June 1999 through June of 2005. Since July 2005, she has been in full time private practice of adolescent medicine. Additionally, since 2012 she has served as medical consultant for Center for Discovery’s Fairfield county adolescent and young adult residential facilities. Dr. Schneider is board certified in Pediatrics and in the subspecialty of Adolescent Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. She has served on the board of directors of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, and was a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition from 2005 – 2011. She was has served on the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Adolescent Health November since 2013.

Sara Levine, MD, MPH, FAAP

Dr. Levine is board-certified in both general pediatrics and adolescent medicine.  She graduated from Yale University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency and adolescent medicine fellowship at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore.  Dr. Levine is in private practice at Greenwich Adolescent & Young Adult Medicine, and she has been a medical consultant to Center for Discovery since 2012.

Emilce Garcia

Emilce is the milieu manager at Center for Discovery’s Wellington residential treatment center. She graduated from The City University of New York’s Lehman College with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in early childhood education. Emilce began working for CFD in 2018 as an overnight counselor and transitioned into a two-year full-time counselor position. She then transitioned into the milieu manager role bringing with her an incredible foundation of patience, understanding, empathy and determination. During her time at CFD, Emilce has gained experiential knowledge of the facility, milieu therapy and clientele. She comes from a multiculturally diverse background and is bilingual as a Spanish speaker.

Nicole Gustafson

Nicole is a licensed professional counselor associate in Connecticut. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Marist College in New York. She attended Santa Clara University in California where she earned her master’s degree in counseling psychology with an emphasis in health psychology. She completed her clinical practicum at Rebekah Children’s Services in Gilroy, California, treating children and adolescents in the Hospital Diversion Program. Nicole has experience working with adult patients with substance use disorders and dual diagnoses. She is on the board of advisors for Shadow’s Edge, a foundation in Silicon Valley that uses app-based technology to support the mental health of children, teenagers and young adults facing physical health challenges.

Dakota Bennett, MS, RDN, CDN

Dakota is a registered dietitian at Center for Discovery Greenwich. In 2017, Dakota earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from SUNY Potsdam and then transitioned to a didactic program in dietetics at Russell Sage College. She then completed her dietetic internship at the Bronx VA Medical Center where she gained invaluable clinical experience. After completing her internship, Dakota passed the national registration exam and became licensed to practice in Connecticut. In 2021, she obtained a master’s degree in clinical nutrition from New York University.

Through her master’s coursework and self-growth journey, Dakota became passionate about a non-diet approach to health and wellness. She strongly values an All Foods Fit motto and believes self-acceptance is possible for everyone. Dakota looks forward to supporting others on their path to recovery and is excited to help patients rediscover the joy of eating while building a nurturing relationship with both food and body.

Amy Patnode, MS (She/Her)

Amy graduated from the University of New Haven with bachelor’s in Legal Studies and History which lead her on to receive her Master’s in Education at the University of Bridgeport. Amy’s combined passions of learning and teaching others provided her an opportunity to fulfill the Teacher and Counselor dual role at Center for Discovery. Throughout her experience with Center for Discovery, Amy has progressed from a Milieu Manager, Northeast CPI trainer, and now in her current position as Executive Director of Southport. Her goal is to continue to mentor, support, and encourage the growth of all of the Southport team and patients that she comes in contact with.

Ellen Grossman-Kase RN, BSN

Ellen joined our team as the Director of Nursing Services. She has been a Registered Nurse for over 30 years and has worked in a variety of settings, including emergency and critical care, as both a clinician and administrator. Throughout her professional career she has practiced a holistic approach to patient care with emphasis on the mind and body connection. She assesses well-being through observation, communication and assessment of vital signs, laboratory results and responses to medical treatment. In her down time, she enjoys her family, skiing, hiking and knitting.