Gregory P. Falkin, Ph.D., Program Director – has directed the BST program since its inception in 1984, first at National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. and since 2016 at NYU. While at NDRI, Greg was also he was also the Principal Investigator of several NIDA, NIJ and foundation grants, specializing in drug treatment for offenders, smoking cessation, and HIV prevention. His primary interest has been in learning how programs can be improved to help people better their lives. Greg was the Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator of several NIDA R01 grants, including “Drug Treatment for Women in the Criminal Justice System,” “Social Support & HIV Risk: Women Offenders in Recovery,” “Drug Users’ Self-reported HIV Status: Validity/Methods,” “HCV Service Innovations in Drug Treatment Programs,” and administrative supplements focusing on issues such as methamphetamine use among women offenders. His National Institute of Justice projects include: “An Evaluation of the New York City Department of Probation’s Drug Treatment Initiative,” “Drug Treatment within the Criminal Justice System: A Comprehensive Analysis,” and “Criminal Justice Drug Treatment for Women Offenders.” Greg also received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a study of “Cigarette Smoking Policies in Correctional Institutions: A Study of Bans and Restrictions on Smoking,” and from the American Legacy Foundation for “How and Why Kids Quit: A Study of Smoking Cessation among Teenagers.” Prior to directing these studies, Greg managed several other projects on drug treatment, prevention and criminal justice for other investigators at NDRI, and before that he worked at the U.S. Department of Justice, Stony Brook University and the Institute for Economic and Policy Studies. He earned his doctorate in public policy from Cornell University. His work in the BST program has been personally very rewarding, as he has been able to help more than 200 BST fellows build their careers. Many of former BST fellows have since become prominent in their fields.

George De Leon, Ph.D., Co-Director and Scientific Advisor – is an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of substance abuse, and acknowledged as the leading authority on therapeutic communities (TCs). He co-directs the BST program and serves as science advisor. He holds a Ph.D. Degree in psychology from Columbia University. Dr. De Leon is the founder and former Director of the NIDA-funded Center for Therapeutic Community Research (CTCR) at NDRI from 1992 to 2002. CTCR also served as a training site for NIDA Humphrey Fellows. Dr. De Leon has been the Principal Investigator of eight R01 grants from NIDA and has received other funding for his research on therapeutic communities. Prior to being at NDRI, he was a Vice President and Director of Research and Evaluation at Phoenix House from its inception through 1988, and served as Director of Research and Training at Therapeutic Communities of America (TCA) from 1988 to 1991. He has published over 170 scientific papers and chapters, has authored and edited seven books and monographs including The Therapeutic Community: Theory, Model and Method, considered the definitive text in the field. He serves as consulting editor, guest and contributing editor to several national and international journals. In addition to his research, Dr. De Leon has made notable contributions in the area of professional education and training and has played a leadership role at the national level. He is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine where he trains mental health professionals in therapeutic community practice and research. Currently, he serves as a senior advisory member of the American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disorders, the main national organization certifying addiction specialists from all professional disciplines. He is a founding member of the American Psychological Association’s Division 50 on Addictions and served as its president (1996-97). He is a past member of the Expert Advisory Committee on Chemical Dependency of the American Psychological Association College of Professional Psychology. Dr. De Leon regularly provides clinical practice and research training to treatment agencies. His textbook is the basis for the national training curriculum on TCs available through SAMHSA. Some of his own trainings are available on videos from the Addiction Training and Technology Centers (ATTC), Amity Foundation, and University of California at San Diego (CCARTA). He has maintained a private clinical practice in New York City for over 45 years. For his contributions, Dr. De Leon has received honors and awards from various national and international psychological and drug treatment associations as well as the New York State Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award.