Meet the Team

Dr. Karen Hartwell has extensive clinical experience as a general and addiction psychiatrist in the treatment of substance use disorders with/without comorbid psychiatric disorders. She was the Medical Director of the Substance Treatment and Recovery Program at the Ralph H Johnson VAMC until 2019. She has treated veterans with multiple substance use disorders, including opioids, alcohol, and stimulants, among others. She is now leading several initiatives to address the opioid epidemic, including becoming the medical director of MUSC’s Project ECHO Opioid Use Disorder program.

Dr. Hartwell made a mid-life career change and returned to academics to complete a fellowship in addiction psychiatry to better address the substance use disorders that commonly co-occur with psychiatric disorders. Her research career has focused on understanding the underlying neurobiology and improving treatment outcomes. She has collaborated on a variety of research studies involving opioids, cocaine, cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco use disorders. She has also been involved in multiple clinical trials, including multisite trials ranging from Phase 2 to Phase 4, investigating a variety of pharmacotherapeutic agents, and TMS.

Dave has been in long-term recovery for over 30 years. He currently works as a Peer Supervisor with WEconnect Health Management. He has a bachelor's degree from USC and is credentialed as both a CPSS and NCPS. With 35 years of management experience, he began following his passion for helping others and worked for the SCDMH as a Peer Supervisor before WEconnect. He serves as the Chair of SC SHARE, trains and certifies CPSS at FAVOR Grand Strand and SC SHARE, is on the Boards of FAVOR SC, SC PRSCC, and is a Supervision Focus Group member for iNAPS. Dave is excited to continue to learn and support CPSS in their role of helping others find hope, support, and recovery.

Phillip is a program coordinator in the Addiction Sciences Division in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC. He currently coordinates several initiatives for MUSC, including Project ECHO Opioid Use Disorders and Project ECHO Peer Recovery Specialists. He is also working with the ED MOUD project. Phillip retired from the Spartanburg Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission in 2015 after 29 years of service and worked as the Director of Prevention Services for his last 20 years there.

Phillip has developed several nationally recognized youth development programs and has worked in HIV Prevention/Harm Reduction for over 36 years. Over his career, he has been a featured speaker/trainer at numerous state and national conferences. He has also served on many local, state, and national committees. Phillip continues his passion in the field of substance use disorder, in what he calls his encore career, with a great team at MUSC.

Nikki Lowder's journey to long-term recovery has been the driving force behind her passion for helping others struggling with substance misuse. Certified as a Peer Support Specialist in 2018, she brings 27 years of lived experience to the table. She is dedicated to ensuring individuals receive the full spectrum of support and services they desire. As the CPSS/MAT Program Manager at the SC Department of Corrections, she supports individuals in their journey while supervising a team of phenomenal Peer Specialists. As a recovery advocate, she aims to empower others to realize their value and enjoy the freedom that recovery can bring. With the sobriety date of January 11, 2012, she believes the journey is not so much about becoming anything – it's more about unbecoming everything she wasn't meant to be in the first place.

Seth began his recovery journey in Los Angeles in late 2000. He moved to Spartanburg in 2013 and immersed himself in the recovery community immediately. Seth was hired as a Peer Recovery Coach for the SBIRT team at Spartanburg Medical Center in March of 2020 and soon after received his certification as a Certified Peer Support Specialist. Seth eventually split his time between the SBIRT program at SMC and providing Peer Support to the MAT clients at the Forrester Center. Seth is a proud volunteer and supporter at FAVOR Upstate. Seth currently serves as the Executive Director of the GoForth Recovery Program, a residential recovery program for men in Spartanburg, which he took over in March 2022. Seth has presented work challenges for Project ECHO on a few occasions and is honored to now be a member of the HUB.

Sarah Gainey, MSW, LISW-CP/S, is a licensed clinical social worker and supervisor, working in mental health and addictions for 20 years in Charleston, SC. Sarah received her master's in social work from the University of South Carolina and is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). Sarah is the Project Director for the South Carolina Emergency Department MAT Project, which facilitates same-day buprenorphine induction for ED patients with opioid use disorder and next-day “fast track” referral for ongoing treatment in multiple sites across the state.

Suzanne is the Database Administrator for the SC MAT ACCESS Project. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Muskingum College in Ohio, a master's degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston, and a master's degree in health informatics from MUSC. Her responsibilities include overseeing the data collection and reporting requirements of the Emergency Department MAT Program and Project ECHO. This includes integrating data between various facets of these projects, conducting statistical analyses, and report writing.