Experts: Substance Abuse

Ebener is Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the College of Education’s Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems. Ebener’s research focuses on psychological and social factors that influence an individual’s coping and adaptation to disability and chronic illness, as well as recovery from substance use disorders. Her current research examines positive psychology constructs of humor, spirituality and optimism as coping mechanisms in recovery and adaptation.

Ellen Piekalkiewicz is the founding director of Florida State University’s Stoops Center for the Study and Promotion of Communities, Families, & Children (CFC Center) and an adjunct professor at FSU. She has more than 25 years of leadership experience in mental health, substance use, and community-based human services, including serving as Executive Director of the Florida Substance Abuse & Mental Health Corporation; Executive Director of United Partners for Human Services.

Her research and applied work focus on resilience in vulnerable populations, the nonprofit sector’s role in disaster recovery, rural opioid response, and behavioral health services for children and families. She has served as principal investigator and co-investigator on multiple federally and locally funded projects addressing rural resilience, disaster preparedness, and mental health interventions, with support from organizations including SAMHSA, Save the Children, United Way, the Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and the National Science Foundation.

Piekalkiewicz is a frequent convener of academic, policy, and practitioner forums on behavioral health, resilience, and community well-being. She is also a public voice on human services, having authored a monthly column in the Tallahassee Democrat and organized statewide and local forums on affordable housing, health disparities, criminal justice, and substance use.