Root Center Spring Promotions

April 30, 2025

Gabby Gelinas

Gabby has been at the agency since 2007, she started as a MMT counselor at the Bristol location, was quickly promoted to Sr Counselor and then clinical supervisor. She transitioned to Supervisor of our New Britain site where she help that position for the last 9 years.


Gabby’s commitment to this organization’s mission statement is evident by her longevity at this agency as well as the passion she exhibits in working with our clientele across the different service lines offered at the Root Center. 


She was a smooth transition into this role based on her knowledge and experience in the substance abuse and mental health field.


We cannot wait to see where her hard work and dedication leads her!

Morgan Poeta

Congratulations to Morgan Poeta on her new promotion as Root’s first ever Higher Level of Care Supervisor! This new role was created as a direct result of the Root Center’s continued organizational growth. As our agency continues to evolve, we are excited to be able to continue to provide staff with new ways to grow their careers in the behavioral healthcare industry.


Morgan started at Root in 2019 as a Methadone Maintenance Counselor. She was then promoted to Intensive Outpatient Program Senior Counselor at our New Britain Clinic, and now, she has once again been promoted, this time to our first HLOC Supervisor! Morgan is dedicated to ensuring that our patients are informed about the services available to them to help in their recovery and has assisted many on their treatment journey while at Root. We are excited to see staff grow into leadership roles within the organization, and we know the future is bright for Morgan here at Root!

Danielle Cormier

Root Center is proud to announce the promotion of Danielle Cormier, LADC, to Residential Clinic Supervisor!


Danielle has been with Root Center for almost four years. She started with us as a Counselor II before transitioning to Senior Counselor in Bristol, and now she has been working out of Washington Street in Middletown as a Senior, where she has been an integral support to patients and staff since the opening of that location. Not only does Danielle have experience working with Adult Outpatient, but she has a background in residential work as a psychiatric technician and counselor, and she is knowledgeable on ASAM and levels of care. She has been a great asset to the Root Center team and comes to this role with a wealth of experience.


We are looking forward to seeing all that she does to support Root’s first residential treatment facility!

Erica Munson

We are so excited to announce the promotion of Erica Munson to New Britain Clinic Supervisor! Erica's been with Root Center for 10 years. She started as an MMTP Counselor before transitioning to Senior Counselor once she obtained her LADC and LCSW. She's also helped our IOP program, managed New Britain’s mental health programming, and has served on multiple agency and clinic wide committees. Erica has been an integral support and asset to not only the New Britain clinic, but Root Center as an organization, and she comes to this role with a wealth of knowledge and experience. We are looking forward to seeing her shine! Congratulations Erica!

Abby Thurlow

We are so excited to see Abigail Thurlow, LPC be promoted to Clinic Supervisor of the New London Clinic!


Abby came to Root Center in 2015 as a Counselor II at our Norwich site, and was promoted to Senior Counselor in 2018 after receiving her LPC, and worked per-diem within Root facilitating IOP for both adults and adolescents. After a brief time away at another organization, Abby returned to Root in 2023 as a Senior Counselor for the New London Clinic, and has been acting as an interim Clinic Supervisor.


Abby has a large range of experiences from adult outpatient care to group homes and hospital settings, and so much in between. Her patient centered approach and connection to her community makes her an amazing part of the Root Center team, and we are so excited to see her continue to grow in all that she does.


Congratulations, Abby!

Recent Posts

Root Center International Overdose Awareness Day Remembrance Ceremony

August 29, 2025
International Overdose Awareness Day is recognized yearly on August 31st. This year, the Root Center for Advanced Recovery hosted our Annual International Overdose Awareness Day Remembrance Ceremony in our Manchester Memorial Garden. This year, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported 929 overdose deaths. This number was down more than 20% from the year prior, but there is still a lot of work that remains to be done so that no other family has to endure a such a loss. Every year, during Overdose Awareness Week, Root invites the community to join us as we come together to honor and remember those lost to overdose, and support those still struggling. The event was held in our Memorial Garden, w e began with some brief remarks from Root Leadership, Community Leaders, like Senator Saud Anwar, Senator MD Rahman, and State Representative Geoff Luxenberg. We also heard from a Root Center patient! Like last year, we put out a handmade box gifted to us by a patient at our Torrington Clinic, who is celebrating two years in recovery. The box is meant to encourage the community to write notes with the provided paper, and leave them in between the stones of our Remembrance Wall. This year, we included a Burning Ceremony in the garden, burning the notes collected last year and allowing the wind to take the ashes and wishes wherever they're meant to be. It was a beautiful display of hope, with the warmth of the fire offering comfort to those impacted by the disease of addiction. The box will remain out in the garden until 9/2. The public is welcome to stop by to visit, leave a note, and enjoy the serene beautiful sanctuary.

Root Welcomes New Director of Finance

July 17, 2025
Root Center is so excited to welcome Cory Porter as our new Director of Finance! Cory attended Southern Connecticut State University to study Finance, and has since spent most of his career working for nonprofits. While in college he worked for years in DDS group homes where he assisted disabled individuals with daily living, including assisting in personal care tasks, shopping trips, and social outings. He then spent over 17 years at Planned Parenthood where he started out as a Financial Analyst and worked his way up to Director of Finance. While there, he worked on implementing multiple practice management systems, moving from paper charts to electronic health records. He oversaw audits and an almost $50M operating budget, and assisted with starting new lines of business which include an in-house lab that brings in more than $3M in annual revenue. In Cory's free time he enjoys hanging out with his friends and family. He is also a special Olympics coach for the Waterbury Knights. We are so excited to welcome Cory for this new chapter in his life. We know he will do amazing work, and we can't wait to see him shine! Welcome Cory!

Spring 2025 Newsletter

June 25, 2025
Summer is here following a busy spring packed with excitement! From our Lafayette Street Clinic Grand Opening to the Middletown Pride Parade, we kept ourselves busy in our communities. In our last newsletter, we were close to opening our Lafayette Street Clinic, a new location in Hartford where our Doctors Clinic staff and patients (currently on Main Street) will move when we begin accepting patients starting June 23rd! But that's just the beginning! We have hosted many exciting events this spring, including our most recent Community Forum on Burnout, our Annual Years of Service Awards, and a documentary screening of an independent film focusing on four women in recovery.  It's been a jam-packed spring, and there's so much to share. Keep reading for some special announcements and updates!
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