Our Team

The YOR California team works in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), Community Services Division, Federal Grants Branch  to implement all YOR California activities. Our team is comprised of California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS) and Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP) experts who together offer decades of experience in the field and a deep commitment to working with systems, communities, families, youth, and individuals challenged by opioid and stimulant use disorders.

Meet Our Team

Victor Kogler - YOR California Project Investigator

Victor Kogler is VP of CIBHS. Mr. Kogler has worked in the substance use disorder field in California since 1972. He served as Alcohol and Drug Program Administrator of Santa Barbara County for twenty years and is a past president of the County Alcohol and Drug Programs Administrators Association of California. Mr. Kogler had been the Executive Director of the Alcohol and Other Drug Policy Institute for 8 years prior to the merger of that organization with the California Institute for Mental Health which created CIBHS.

Deborah (Deb) Werner, MA, PMP – YOR California Project Director

Deb Werner, senior program director at AHP, has worked with federal, state, and community-based agencies to create effective treatment and recovery services for 30+ years. She served as the director for SAMHSA’s Women, Children and Families TA & Training Center for ten years. Deb is committed to supporting youth toward recovery, instilling hope, building skills and creating leadership opportunities.

Ajiah Anderson - CIBHS Project Coordinator

Ajiah has worked in the behavioral health field since 2017. Ajiah has 3 years of experience with applied behavior analysis for children with autism and received her behavioral therapy license before transitioning to her current position here at CIBHS. She is a behavioral health professional assisting with both the practice implementation team and substance abuse disorder team. At CIBHS, Ajiah is responsible for coordinating the schedule for herself and her supervisors when needed, updating agendas and projects, and organizing tasks for both teams throughout each week. She communicates with various departments to keep everyone on board about any changes to the project plan and she organizes reporting, plan meetings and provide updates to project managers. She plans to continue her education in behavioral health from Sacramento City College to Sacramento State in the Fall of 2023 with her goal in earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Michelle Cleary, MA – YOR California Grantee Liaison

Michelle Cleary is a senior program associate at AHP, serving as a lead facilitator for several training and technical assistance projects. She works with organizations throughout the country to help coordinate behavioral health systems and enhance educational resources. Michelle has a background in nonprofit management, board governance, strategic and implementation planning, workforce development, systems coordination, and suicide prevention.

Ashlye Durrrell, MSW – YOR California Grantee Liaison

Ashlye Durrell is a senior program associate at AHP. While attending Hampton University, she developed a keen sense for the advancement of the Black community, especially as it relates behavioral health. For over a decade, she has worked with the most vulnerable populations and discovered this is where her passion lies. In addition to her work with AHP, she serves in varying community leadership roles—including serving in officer positions for boards of community-based youth centered organizations.

Yvonne Frazier – CIBHS Associate

Yvonne Frazier provides services to YOR CA, collaborating closely with Victor Kogler, Principal Investigator and in collaboration with Advocates for Human Potential. She joined CIBHS in 2016, working as an Associate on the statewide Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System Waiver Training project. Her extensive career began 45 years ago. It included senior executive, leadership and management roles in the substance abuse prevention and treatment systems in San Francisco and San Mateo counties, working with various Federal State, and local agencies.

 Amanda Helguera, MSW – YOR California AHP Coordinator

Amanda Helguera serves as a program associate at AHP. Amanda is a social work professional with experience working in youth development, mental health, and community development. Throughout her career, she has provided direct services to at-promised youth and adults and has cultivated community partnerships and engagement in violence reduction efforts. She has experience in trauma-informed care, training and leadership development, community violence prevention and mental health.

Candice Russell, BS – YOR California Grantee Liaison

Candice Russell is a senior program associate at AHP. Candice specializes in providing equity-driven Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) to entities that are developing capacity and workforce aimed at treating mental health and addiction disorders. Her areas of subject matter expertise include coordinating treatment, prevention, and recovery supports for adults, people experiencing homelessness, adolescents and transition-age youth (TAY), and pregnant and postpartum women (PPW).

Euna Ra-Smith, LSCW  – YOR California Program Resources Lead

Euna Ra-Smith is a senior program manager at AHP and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  Ms. Ra-Smith has served as a Clinician, Senior Director and Chief Clinical Officer in child and adolescent serving agencies for nearly two decades.  She has worked exclusively in non-profit agencies overseeing adolescent residential treatment services for youth involved in the juvenile justice system and community-based outpatient services throughout Los Angeles County.

Elizabeth Stanley-Salazar, BSN, MPH - Outreach and Technical Assistance

Liz Stanley-Salazar has served as a leader, program administrator, policy analyst, and clinician in behavioral health care for more than 35 years. She led Phoenix Houses of California’s Adolescent Treatment Continuum, providing integrated substance use and mental health services. She consults with CIBHS, Health Management Associates, and other clients. She also serves as a Senior Advisor to California Health Policy Strategies; is a board member of Children and Family Futures, Inc; an appointee on the California Medi-Cal Children’s Advisory Panel; a member of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services and California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives.

Contact us at YORCalifornia@ahpnet.com.

A Joint Effort by the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions and Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. and funded by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), Community Services Division, Federal Grants Branch.