Adolescent Expert Panel
Dr. Alexander Thomas
is an addiction psychiatrist currently practicing at Indiana University Health and Eskenazi Health. He
graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine in 2019, the IUSM psychiatry residency in 2023, and
the IUSM addiction psychiatry fellowship in 2024.
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He is ABPN board-certified in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry. His current roles include
being an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry and the assistant program director for the IUSM
addiction psychiatry fellowship. Throughout his time, he has been active in medical student, resident,
fellow, peer, and general education.
He has presented on wide-ranging topics from the core curriculum for medical students to specialized
topics related to substance use disorders. His specific interests include glutamatergic agents for the
treatment of substance use disorders and the implementation of novel approaches for the treatment of
substance use disorders.
Carey Haley Wong, JD
serves as Chief Counsel at Child Advocates, Inc., which provides GAL/CASA services to all of
the children in the child welfare system in Marion County, Indiana.
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While at both DCS and Child Advocates, Carey has been
responsible for training DCS case managers or volunteer GAL/CASAs respectively on the legal aspects of
their jobs.
She is the board president of the Indiana Chapter of AFCC, and a member of the
National Association of Counsel for Children, the IBA, ISBA and ABA. Carey is the cofounder of the
Child
Advocacy Clinic at
the IU McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis and currently serves as adjunct professor for the
clinic.
Dr. Casey Penderson, PhD, HSPP
is a clinical child psychologist and Assistant Professor of Clinical
Psychiatry at the Indiana University School of Medicine. She directs the suicide prevention services
offered through Riley’s Child Outpatient Clinic.
David Butterfield, PharmD
is a Clinical Pharmacist at the Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center Adult Outpatient Clinic, where he
sees clients with various mental health diagnoses.
Additionally, David serves as the Residency Coordinator for the PGY2 Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency
Program at Eskenazi Health/Purdue University and is responsible for oversight of research, teaching,
committee work, and clinical development of the residents.
Laurie Redelman, LCSW
is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 30 years' experience treating adolescents and
families.
Spencer Medcalf, RN
Spencer is currently the Director of Business Development at Spark Recovery in Indianapolis, IN. He has
worked in business development for several years at various acute inpatient and residential settings.
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He was formerly the Lead Peer Recovery Coach for the Virtual Behavioral Health Hub, with IU Health
Virtual Care Team. In that role, Spencer supervised a team of 6 recovery coaches that provided peer
recovery services to approximately 15 emergency departments & inpatient units across the IU Health
System.
Spencer recently graduated from Ivy Tech Community College, with his Associates of Science in Nursing
(ASN) cum laude and a licensed Registered Nurse (RN). Now, he is currently enrolled at IUI pursuing
his Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN). Spencer has served as both an expert panelist &
facilitator
for several IU SoM Project ECHO Tracks. He believes advocacy and education are fundamental to breaking
the stigma of SUD and providing high quality care.
He obtained his Certified Addiction Peer Recovery Coach certification (CAPRC2) in 2018 in addition to
receiving his MATS
(Medication Assisted Treatment Specialist), CSPR-PR (Certified Supervisor of Peer Recovery coaches),
&
TTS (Tobacco Treatment Specialist) certifications during his time at IU Health. Spencer is a person in
long term recovery from substance use disorder, with over 6 years of recovery & wellness. In 2018,
Spencer was recognized and received the Indiana Counselors Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
(ICAADA) Recovery Coach of the Year award.
As a recent graduate from Ivy Tech Community College, Spencer obtained his Associates of Science in
Nursing (ASN), as cum laude and a licensed Registered Nurse (RN). Spencer’s, currently enrolled at
IUPUI, pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). In addition, Spencer is an active member,
with
IU School of Medicine (IUSM) Project ECHO serving as an expert panelist and facilitator on the ECHO
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) track.
He has served as an expert panelist and facilitator on previous ECHO’s such as the Non-Clinical
Service
Professionals Substance Use Disorder track, Behavioral Health for Opioid Use Disorder, and the
Emergency
Room track. He believes advocacy and education are fundamental to breaking the stigma of SUD and
supplying high quality care.
