Date: Wednesdays, 

February 18 & 25, 2026

(2 sessions)

Time: 7:00 - 8:30 PM (CT) / 8:00 - 9:30 PM (ET)

Click here for enrollment: https://forms.gle/TDpPwf5NRD6uJj5y8

The zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87168249935

 

Addiction Panel

Moderator: Dr. Stephanie Kutzen.
Panelists: Dr. Lara Segalite, MD, Rabbi Stein, & Michael 

Course Objectives

This two-session panel series explores addiction and recovery through multiple lenses-clinical, psychological, and lived experience.

By bringing together a social worker/clinician, a psychologist, and a person with lived experience, the series humanizes addiction while grounding the conversation in science, compassion, and real-world insight.

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of why addiction develops, why seeking help can be difficult, and what genuinely supports recovery and resilience.

The series emphasizes dignity, reduces stigma, and highlights practical pathways to healing, hope, and sustained support.

 

​​Week 1: Understanding Addiction — Mind & Experience

Moderator: Dr. Stephanie Kutzen

Panelists: Michael & Rabbi Stein

  • What addiction is: brain, behavior, and lived experience

  • Stigma, shame, and barriers to getting help

  • Common myths and the role of compassion

 

Week 2: Recovery, Resilience & Support

Moderator: Dr. Stephanie Kutzen

Panelists: Michael & Dr. Lara Segalite

  • What recovery looks like and early challenges

  • Tools, support systems, and relapse prevention

  • Resilience, setbacks, and long-term hope


 

The Moderator:

Prof. Dr. Kutzen  is Founder and Director of Employee Consultation Services, a comprehensive human resources firm specializing in designing and managing occupational health services.

Her background and experience focus on guiding organizations in policy evaluation and developing practices related to corporate social responsibility, specifically their relationship between corporate activity and social issues. Additional services include implementing and managing workplace Employee Assistance Programs, trauma /critical incident debriefing, conducting programs in human resource development and family business consultation.

Dr. Kutzen is a cum laude graduate of the University of Chicago. School of Social Service Administration. She received her Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Work.

Nationally recognized as a pioneer in the delivery of social services in the workplace, she is a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers, the National Association of Social Workers and its Illinois Chapter.

She is Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Work and the Dominican University, River Forest, IL Graduate School of Social Work.

Her academic and teaching interests are in the areas of addiction, crisis intervention and skill development for graduate student interns. Dr. Kutzen is also the Employee Assistance Program Area Clinician for the Chicago Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a contract position she has held for sixteen years.

 

The Panelists:


Dr. Lara Segalite , MD has been an attending Physician and a faculty at AAH teaching hospitals since 1999. Double Board Certified in Addiction Psychiatry at UIC 1998.

 

 

Rabbi Dov Stein is an experienced educator, spiritual care provider, and director of the Wellsprings Recovery Community, where he oversees systems that support long-term recovery and community integration.

With a deep commitment to helping others and fostering resilience, he utilizes his background as a Mindfulness meditation instructor to empower participants with practical techniques for managing anxiety and depression.

Dov holds an MBA from Rutgers University, has completed Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training, and he brings decades of experience leading educational programs and facilitating growth in challenging environments, making him uniquely equipped to guide participants in developing self-awareness, purpose, and grit. 
 

Michael has been both an employee and a client of Hinda for the past five years. He has been in recovery from substance abuse for 24 years and holds a master’s degree as well as a certificate in substance abuse counseling.