Gayle A. Dakof, Ph.D.
President of the Board

Dr. Dakof is the President of MDFT-International, a 501(c)(3) public charity that facilitates the dissemination and implementation of two evidence-based intervention programs: Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) and Multidimensional Family Recovery (MDFR). She is also a Voluntary Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She received her doctorate in psychology at the University of California at Berkeley and is a licensed clinical psychologist in the states of Florida and California. Dr. Dakof is a scientist-practitioner specializing in the development and testing of family-based interventions directed toward preventing and treating substance misuse, mental health challenges, child maltreatment, delinquency and criminality. Instrumental in the research and clinical development of MDFT, she is a Master Trainer of Multidimensional Family Therapy and along with Dr. Cindy Rowe the architect of the MDFT training program and implementation approach. Dr. Dakof has been a principal investigator or co-investigator on numerous NIH-funded research projects and has authored over sixty publications. Gayle’s great passion is to improve the lives of children and families by increasing access to science-based behavioral health interventions.

Howard A. Liddle, Ed.D, ABPP
Vice President of the Board

Dr. Liddle, an internationally recognized scholar, is the developer of Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT). Dr. Liddle is a Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine where he has been since 1996. Dr. Liddle was a Professor at Temple University and the University of California, San Francisco; and the Director of the Family Systems Program at the Institute for Juvenile Research in Chicago, and Director of Training at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, CA. He was PI of the NIH-funded Center for Treatment Research on Adolescent Drug Abuse at Temple University and University of Miami.

A board-certified diplomate in Family Psychology (American Board of Professional Psychology, ABPP), and family therapist, Dr. Liddle's research focuses on the development, testing, implementation, and dissemination of treatment for adolescent substance misuse, mental health and delinquency. Dr. Liddle’s work has been recognized with awards from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the American Family Therapy Association, the Hazelden Foundation, and the American Psychological Association. He has been PI of numerous NIH-funded studies since his first grant in 1985, and has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications.

Read more about Dr. Liddle in The Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy here.

Michael D. DiFrancesco, PsyD

Dr. DiFrancesco is a Clinical Psychologist for the Behavioral Health Integration Program (BHIP) at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. DiFrancesco has extensive experience providing evidence-based treatment to children, adolescents, young adults and their families with anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders as well as ADHD, traumatic stress, behavioral concerns, and parent-child relational issues. 

Dr. DiFrancesco obtained his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Albizu University in Miami, Florida and is licensed in the state of New York. Prior to completing his doctoral training, Dr. DiFrancesco provided MDFT through a collaboration with MDFTI and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. DiFrancesco completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Psychology at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Dr. DiFrancesco’s passion stems from his desire to increase access to evidence-based mental health treatment in underserved communities, the collaboration and integration of mental health treatment in primary care, and de-stigmatizing substance use in youth.

Madison Liddle, LMHC

Madison earned a dual master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Columbia University where she also completed an advanced certificate in Sexuality, Women, and Gender, specializing in LGBTQIA+ mental health.  Madison is a licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of New York and has a private practice in New York City. Madison’s work with MDFT is primarily on the research side, serving as MDFT’s senior research associate. Madison has worked on various projects over the years, most notably a collaboration with the Oregon Social Learning Center on the implementation and sustainability of MDFT.  Madison also serves as the board liaison where she works to recruit new board members and meet the needs of current members. 

Peter Panzarella, MA, MS, LADC, LPC

Peter is a private consultant to federal, state, and local agencies in the behavioral health field. He is licensed as Alcohol/Drug and a Professional Counselor in Connecticut. He provides online therapy on a part time basis. He serves on the boards of Adolescent Mobile Health and Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) International.

Peter is retired from the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) where he was the statewide director of substance misuse services. Prior to being the Director, he has worked over 15 years in the field of addiction treatment and mental health working in various settings as a clinician, clinical supervisor, and clinical/program management. In 2007 he received special recognition awards for Collaboration from the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, and in the same year another award for Government Facilitation for implementing Evidenced Based Practices by the Joint Meeting on Adolescent Treatment Effectiveness.

In 2009 Peter was a special consultant for the Pan American Health Organization on review and recommendations of substance misuse services to the Ministry of Health and Chronic Diseases for the country of Barbados. He holds advanced degrees in Community Psychology (MA) from Lesley University, and Administration (MS) from State University of New York College at Buffalo; and an undergraduate degree in Psychology (BS) from the State University of New York College at Buffalo.

Marina Parada, MS

Marina has 35 years of supervisory and fiscal management experience with a focus on administration, operations and research, as well as on the management of National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other research grants. She is currently Senior Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at the University of Miami’s School of Nursing and Health Studies (UM-SONHS), having previously served as the school’s Executive Director and Senior Business Officer. She has held administrative leadership positions in the implementation of clinical trials, serving as Director of the Administrative Cores for two major NIH center grants—the Center of Excellence for Hispanic Health Disparities Research (El Centro) and the Center for Latino Health Research Opportunities (CLaRO). In conjunction with UM-SONHS leadership, Parada was responsible for planning, designing and supervising the construction of the $24 million, 5-story, 41,000-sq.ft. Simulation Hospital Advancing Research and Education (S.H.A.R.E.™), including project management, business plan development, and marketing for the state-of-the-art educational facility. Currently, Parada works with the Dean and faculty to develop and execute new initiatives to advance the UM-SONHS’s strategic plan, including assessing future needs, identifying priorities for fiscal growth, launching new academic programs, and promoting faculty and staff professional development.

Ms. Parada holds a master’s degree in Research Administration from Johns Hopkins University.

Cindy Rowe, Ph.D.

Dr. Rowe is the Director of MDFT International and serves in the role of Director of Training, as well as a member of the Board of Directors. She is also Clinical Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where she has been a faculty member since 2000. She was mentored by Drs. Liddle and Dakof as a graduate student at Temple University beginning in 1994, and since that time her career has focused on refining, testing, and disseminating family-based interventions for adolescents with substance misuse and related problems. She has worked with her colleagues to promote the translation of research findings into practice and to train providers to implement Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT). She has been PI and Co-PI of several NIH grants examining the effects of MDFT with different clinical populations in a range of settings. She was also Co-PI of a multisite randomized controlled trial of MDFT in 5 countries in Europe. She has been a peer reviewer of health services research grants for NIH and has contributed research and clinical publications, as well as a comprehensive volume on adolescent substance misuse treatment research. Her greatest passion is helping providers implement MDFT in diverse practice settings in the U.S. and Europe. 

James Toney III, BS

James Toney is an innovative, creative, marketing and brand strategist with proven technology expertise. He has significant experience setting vision and driving complex initiatives. Toney is currently the Chief Strategy Officer for Maximum Effort. Prior to this role, he was Senior Vice President of IMAX, and also Senior Vice President of Technology and Innovation for 20th Century Fox both in Los Angeles, CA. Mr. Toney was the Co-Founder, Chief Strategist and Head of Business Development of the Los Angeles creative agency, Sew. Sew develops digital and social marketing strategies for brands that includes OWN, Ford, Verizon, AAA, and Gap.

He has a bachelors degree from Pepperdine University in Political Science and Economics. In 2015 Mr. Toney was recognized as Forbes 30 under 30 and in 2017 he received the Bright Pink ChangeMakers Award.

Haley Weinger, BA

Haley Weinger is a strategic problem solver who has built a reputation for operational excellence, innovative strategic thinking, and working with the highest level of integrity and compassion. Haley is currently the Chief of Staff to the CEO & COO and co-founders for Hello Alfred in New York, an end-to-end resident experience and building management platform that is transforming the real estate industry. She has been instrumental in scaling Hello Alfred’s existing products and leading the build out of new business lines. Prior to this role, she worked for BlackRock for 8 years in both New York and London, where she held various positions including VP of Talent Strategy & Executive Talent Management, as well as Chief of Staff and Business Manager to the Global Head of Alternative Investments. She currently sits on the board of NYU FACES Young Leadership.

Ms. Weinger holds a BA in Organizational Psychology with concentration in Art and Design from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.