Team Member

James Riter is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years of experience in the mental health and addiction fields.  He received a BA in Pychology and Music from Ithaca College and a MSW from Syracuse University.  His background includes clinical work at the emergency, outpatient, and inpatient levels of care.  He also worked in quality management for major health insurer.  Since 2007, James has worked for the New York State Office of Mental Health’s Hutchings Psychiatric Center where he currently manages an inpatient unit for those with chronic mental illness, substance abuse, and physical health conditions.  His interests are in behavior change, trauma-informed services, and co-occurring disorders.

James has been a trainer of Motivational Interviewing (MI) since 2010, after completing a 1.5 year long practitioner/trainer training program.  He has presented to hospitals, behavioral healthcare facilities, health homes, and other agencies throughout New York.  He has also successfully led MI supervision and coaching groups.  James has been a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) since 2016.