We take great pride in providing service to others. Our staff dedicates itself to providing comprehensive mental health treatment, traumatic brain injury recovery, addiction services, and supportive residential opportunities. Our services promote personal wellness through varying levels of residential supports and individualized person-centered behavioral health care. Our responsive and qualified staff strives to help promote lasting and positive change.
Adam Devlin
Adam co-founded New Vitae while attending Temple University in the 1980s. At the time, closures of state psychiatric hospitals signaled a need for new options that integrated behavioral health services with supportive residential care. Adam gradually developed TriCounty Respite, now known as New Vitae Wellness and Recovery. His leadership, compassion, and business acumen permitted consistent growth and expansion since assuming a full leadership role in 1991. Adam recognized and responded to the need for wellness services for populations that have been underserved by behavioral health care: young adults age 18-25, Veterans, and individuals who have experienced traumatic brain injuries.
In addition to his dedication to New Vitae, Adam is a long-time member of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), and has been honored by the local chapter for his many achievements. He served as the Chairman of the Committee for Behavioral Health for the Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities (MCPD). Adam is the current Board Chair of Civil Solutions PAC, an organization that is grounded on the principle that civility and bipartisanship make our county and our Commonwealth stronger
Adam is an avid runner and enjoys spending time with family. He and his wife Donna reside in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. They have two adult children.
Donna Devlin, BS, RN
Donna graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and began working for New Vitae in October of 1985. As a result of her dedication to holistic care, Donna returned to school and began working as a Registered Nurse in 1991.
After witnessing the hurdles associated with long-term psychiatric care, Donna was able to utilize her experience to build the foundations for New Vitae’s integrated care options. Currently, Donna leads a group of employees dedicated to marketing efforts, assists with quality assurance measures, and supports nursing staff at each of our sites. Donna is interested in a variety of holistic treatments and recently obtained national certification to provide deep transcranial magnetic stimulation services.
She has been a long-time member of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill and was recognized by the local chapter for being the chairperson of the first Lehigh Valley NAMI Awareness Walk in 1995. Donna has been a Girl Scout leader for over 12 years and has been recognized by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for her work with the Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts and Campfire Girls.
In her free time, Donna enjoys scrapbooking, photography, and volunteering in her daughters’ numerous activities. Donna has been married to her husband, Adam, since 1989. Their family lives in Quakertown, Pennsylvania.
Judith O. Yanacek, MSW, LCSW
President and Chief Executive Officer
Judy brings more than 40 years of experience in the human services field to her role as President and Chief Executive Officer of New Vitae Wellness and Recovery. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Marywood University, and later obtained her Pennsylvania license in Clinical Social Work.
Judy began her career at New Vitae as the Administrator of Mount Trexler Manor in 2003 and a certified Pennsylvania Personal Care Home Administrator. Her leadership, ability to build strong relationships, and commitment to expanding services led to her promotion to Vice President and ultimately to President and CEO.
As CEO, Judy leads with a strong focus on New Vitae’s mission, vision, and legacy. She believes employees are the organization’s greatest asset and emphasizes collaboration, emotional intelligence, and servant leadership to support sustainable growth and innovative care.
Judy serves on the board of Recovery Partnership and is a founding board member of REACHLV. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional, and a QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor. She is also actively engaged in broader systems-level work, including serving on Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s transition team, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Joint State Government Commission Advisory Committee on Women Veterans’ Health Care, and the Older Adult Committee of the Mental Health Planning Council. She has also been recognized by Lehigh Valley Business as a Woman of Influence, ICON, and Gamechangers Award recipient.
Outside of work, Judy enjoys traveling, spending time with her adult children and grandchildren, and practicing mindfulness.
Executive Leadership
Michelle Beck, MBA
Vice President of Business Operations
Michelle Beck brings more than 30 years of experience leading healthcare operations at the intersection of finance, technology, and patient-centered care. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Health Policy and Administration from Penn State University and her MBA from Lehigh University, building a career focused on translating complex clinical, financial, and regulatory requirements into efficient, scalable systems.
Michelle joined New Vitae Wellness and Recovery in 2016 and serves as Vice President of Business Operations, overseeing financial services and information technology. In this role, she leads initiatives that strengthen financial controls, improve reporting accuracy, and modernize systems across the organization. Her work includes automating clinical documentation, billing, payroll and timekeeping, personnel records, fleet management, and vendor invoicing—ensuring technology supports both sound financial stewardship and day-to-day operations.
Earlier in her career, Michelle held leadership roles within a large health system, supporting enterprise electronic health records, telehealth initiatives, and statewide health information exchange efforts with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Across her career, her focus has remained consistent: using technology and financial insight to support staff, strengthen care delivery, and improve outcomes.
Michelle has been recognized as a Lehigh Valley Business Women of Influence Honoree for her leadership and impact in healthcare operations.
Outside of work, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family and pets and volunteers with animal rescue organizations, helping transport dogs from high-kill shelters in the South to forever homes in the Northeast. She continues to explore innovative technologies, including smart home and assistive solutions, to enhance communication, independence, and quality of life for those New Vitae serves.
Kathi Eichman, MS, CHC
Vice President of Quality, Safety and Compliance
Kathi serves as New Vitae’s Vice President of Quality, Safety, and Compliance. From an early age, she developed a strong interest in human services, and specifically behavioral health, which evolved into a lifelong commitment to supporting individuals in healing, growth, and finding a sense of meaning and belonging. She earned her undergraduate degree from Lehigh University and later completed her master’s degree at Hahnemann University.
Kathi’s dedication to the field has been recognized through several honors, including New Vitae’s Iris and Pride Awards, the Lehigh Valley Business Health Care Heroes Award, and the Service from the Heart Award from Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries.
Outside of work, Kathi values time with her family and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations serving individuals with disabilities.
Kathi is deeply committed to the continued growth of New Vitae Wellness and Recovery and to advancing innovative, responsive leadership in an evolving behavioral health care landscape—ensuring individuals are supported in living meaningful, connected lives within their communities.
William Hoke, MS
Vice President of Development
Bill was initially drawn to assisting individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities. After completing his undergraduate degree, he achieved his Master’s degree in Special Education from Marywood College. Bill soon became interested in developing his skills in the behavioral health field as well. He started working at New Vitae in October of 1993 as the Director of the New Vitae Wellness and Recovery Center.
He remained in that role for 17 years, when he accepted the position of Vice President for Development in January of 2011. In his current role, Bill is responsible for leadership activities associated with developing new sources of revenue and managing the day-to-day operation of the nonprofit New Vitae Wellness Foundation.
Bill resides in Northampton, PA along with his wife and 2 children. He enjoys minor league baseball and follows a variety of teams throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. He also routinely visits the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York and collects baseball memorabilia. Bill has also served as a high school basketball official since 1990. He enjoys the opportunity to assist individuals with behavioral health challenges make progress toward their recovery goals.
Clinical Services
David Behar, MD
Medical Director
Dr. Behar attended Hahnemann University Medical School, which is now part of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had psychiatry residency training at the State University of New York: Stony Brook, and at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He interrupted his child psychiatry fellowship to work at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for several years, offering insight into the challenges associated with behavioral health diagnoses. He ultimately completed his child psychiatry training at Columbia University in New York.
He briefly delayed starting his practice when he obtained a position centered on training other psychiatrists. His passion for helping others has ultimately led him to work with individuals who experience intense behavioral health symptoms and those who frequently find little relief from traditional treatment methods.
Board-certified in both Child and Adult Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Dr. Behar’s sense of humor and willingness to listen to the personal stories of residents and service participants, has resulted in a number of recovery goal successes. Dr. Behar is licensed to prescribe Suboxone (Buprenorphine) for those seeking medication-assisted treatment; he is also certified as a deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation operator.
He currently serves as the Medical Director for New Vitae Wellness and Recovery. Over many years of service, he has remained current with evidence-based therapeutic techniques, and looks forward to many more years of helping people achieve individualized versions of health and wellness.
Keegan Hackman, MSW, LCSW
Director of New Vitae Recovery Center
Keegan began her path towards social work as an undergraduate at the University of Delaware where she majored in Psychology and minored in Political Science. Keegan worked in a research lab throughout her undergraduate program that explored the role of implicit bias and prejudice, and she credits this experience with further forming her desire to become a social worker. Keegan began working in direct clinical services, received a Master’s in Social Work from Delaware State University, and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Keegan began as a therapist at New Vitae in 2018 and moved to the role of Clinical Supervisor in 2019 before being appointed the role of Director in 2020. Keegan has worked with various populations and levels of care over her career, and she brings this experience to the unique experience of being the Director of the Recovery Center.
Keegan believes in the importance of clinical intervention and wrap around care for individuals dealing with mental and behavioral health issues and substance abuse and has increased the clinical presence throughout all of New Vitae’s programs. She oversees our outpatient, co-occurring intensive outpatient, and partial hospitalization programs, which serves both residential and community members. In addition, she supports our mentoring team, Anne’s Artisan Center, and our brain injury structured day program, and our admissions team.
Keegan was appointed 40 under 40 for Lehigh Valley Business in 2022. She played rugby for over 10 years and continues to be active in the rugby community. Most of all, Keegan enjoys time outside of work with her family, friends, and her new puppy Queenie!
Residential Programs
David Rush, BA
Administrator of Action Recovery
Dave was drawn to helping others at an early age through volunteerism and supporting his peers. As his awareness of the behavioral health field grew, he was motivated to pursue formal education in psychology. Dave is a graduate of Muhlenberg College, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. His early professional experiences working with adolescents, and witnessing the lasting impact of personal trauma, solidified his commitment to a career in behavioral health.
Dave joined New Vitae Wellness and Recovery in 2006, initially supporting Young Adult Services before expanding into a variety of leadership and operational roles across the organization. Through these experiences, he developed a strong foundation in program operations, staff development, and resident-centered care.
Currently, Dave serves as the Administrator of Action Recovery, a program primarily focused on services for individuals with acquired or traumatic brain injuries. He oversees program operations and supports clinical, wellness, and activity services that also address co-occurring mental health needs, substance use challenges, and aging-related considerations. Dave values collaboration and continuous learning, and is committed to mentoring staff and sharing knowledge to strengthen team performance, regulatory compliance, and quality of care.
Outside of work, Dave enjoys spending time with his family and raising his two sons. He also enjoys skiing, traveling, and recreational sports, including basketball and golf.
Samara Speaks, MEd
Administrator of Philadelphia RTFA’s
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Samara Speakes brings more than 20 years of experience in human services, education, and mental health advocacy to her work at New Vitae Wellness and Recovery. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Jefferson University (formerly Philadelphia University) and has been committed to supporting individuals and families—particularly within underserved, inner-city communities—since entering the field in 2005.
Samara later earned a Master’s degree in Education from Saint Joseph’s University, where she focused on the intersection of education, social needs, and community development. Her work is grounded in the belief that access to education, mental wellness, and supportive resources is essential to building strong, resilient communities.
Her leadership and advocacy have been recognized through several honors, including the Clipboard Health All Star Award (2023) and the Pennsylvania Forensic Rights Treatment Award (2024). These recognitions reflect her ongoing commitment to equity, empowerment, and meaningful change within mental health and forensic treatment spaces.
A former collegiate athlete, Samara was inducted into the Philadelphia University Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. Outside of work, she enjoys building authentic relationships and is a self-described sneaker enthusiast with a collection of more than 100 pairs. Samara remains passionate about teaching, leading, and creating lasting impact in the communities she serves.
Katie Brown, BS, PCHA
Quakertown House Administrator
Katie was drawn to the mental health field early on, developing a strong interest in human behavior and person-centered care. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Kutztown University and brings more than 20 years of experience in residential mental health services.
After several years serving as Director of Social Services, Katie was appointed Assistant Administrator of Quakertown House in 2018 and promoted to Administrator in 2020. In 2024, she also assumed the role of Administrator for the Pathways Apartment Program, expanding her leadership across multiple levels of care.
In her role as Administrator, Katie focuses on creating structured, supportive environments that promote stability, dignity, and hope. She provides consistent leadership and oversight to ensure that Quakertown House and the Pathways Apartment Program deliver high-quality services aligned with New Vitae’s mission.
Katie was recognized as a Lehigh Valley Business 40 Under 40 Honoree for her leadership and impact in the mental health field.
Outside of work, Katie enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, attending sporting events, concerts, and festivals, and relaxing at the beach.
Kathryn Spare, MBA, NHA, PCHA
Mount Trexler Manor Administrator
Kathryn brings extensive leadership experience and a deep commitment to person-centered care to her role at New Vitae Wellness and Recovery. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work and began her career with Bucks County, working closely with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
Kathryn has more than 25 years of experience as an administrator, including leadership roles in group homes, respite programs, and senior care settings. Her background includes overseeing healthcare operations within a retirement community, with a strong focus on quality care, regulatory compliance, and compassionate services. She later earned an MBA in Healthcare to further strengthen her operational and leadership expertise.
Her professional work is informed by a lifelong personal connection to individuals with intellectual and mental health disabilities, reinforcing her belief in dignity, respect, and individualized support. Kathryn joined New Vitae as a meaningful return to this work and is passionate about building strong relationships with residents and supporting them in a person-centered environment.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, traveling, gardening, swimming, and attending the theater.
Human Rescources
Maribel Poretta-Arellano, MBA, M.S-HRML,SHRM-SCP
Director of Human Services
Maribel Poretta-Arellano brings more than 25 years of human resources leadership experience to New Vitae Wellness and Recovery. She holds an MBA, a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management and Leadership, and is SHRM-SCP certified.
In her role at New Vitae, Maribel partners with leadership and staff to foster a supportive, inclusive workplace where employees feel valued, heard, and equipped to do their best work. Her areas of expertise include talent management, employee relations, compensation strategy, compliance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Maribel is known for her collaborative and transparent leadership style and believes that strong, engaged teams are essential to delivering compassionate, high-quality care. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and is passionate about open communication and building trust across all levels of the organization.
Outside of work, Maribel is committed to community connection and believes that investing in people ultimately strengthens the individuals and families served by New Vitae.
Development
Crystal Yost, BA, PCHA
Marketing, Admissions and Development
Crystal Yost works in Marketing and Business Development at New Vitae Wellness and Recovery, where she focuses on strengthening referral relationships, advancing brand strategy, and connecting individuals and families to appropriate levels of care. Her work is grounded in both clinical understanding and operational experience, allowing her to translate complex services into clear, accessible messaging for professionals and community partners.
Crystal is a licensed Personal Care Home Administrator and previously served as the administrator for New Vitae’s Pathways Apartment Program. Her professional background is rooted in geriatrics, dementia, and Alzheimer’s care, with a strong emphasis on person-centered support, dignity, and meaningful engagement.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art Therapy and was recognized as a Lehigh Valley Business 40 Under 40 Award recipient for her leadership and impact in the region.
Known for her approachable, relationship-first style, Crystal is passionate about reducing stigma around mental health and brain injury and helping organizations grow in ways that stay true to their mission.
Crystal is also a lifelong Disney fan who believes strong customer service and creativity matter in every industry, including healthcare.