Leslie Plaia M.Ed.

Leslie Plaia, M.Ed. is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist with twelve years of clinical experience in substance use, primary mental health, and eating disorders and seven years of management experience with both nonprofit and for-profit agencies. As SAFE Project’s Executive Director for Substance Use and Behavioral Health, Leslie provides leadership and guidance to SAFE Project Senior Directors and program managers on behavioral health, addiction, treatment, prevention, and all other facets of SAFE’s programming to ensure inclusivity, sensitivity, and accurate representation of affected communities. Leslie is an individual in long-term recovery from substance use disorder who feels passionately about destigmatizing mental health, substance use, and recovery while increasing resources and access to care.