Meet Our Team

Dr. Heather Howard is a nationally recognized leader in behavioral health, maternal wellness, and trauma-informed care, with more than two decades of experience advancing person-centered, evidence-based systems of care. As Executive Director, she brings a proven record of visionary leadership, cross-sector collaboration, and scholarly expertise in addressing substance use disorders, particularly among pregnant and parenting women.
Dr. Howard has authored over 34 peer-reviewed publications, with a research focus on health empowerment, interprofessional practice, and shared decision-making in maternal substance use care. Her work emphasizes reducing stigma and promoting equity through integrated approaches involving clinicians, social workers, and public health educators. She is a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences and has secured over $500,000 in competitive state and federal research grants.
An active voice in Florida’s peer-recovery and behavioral health ecosystem, Dr. Howard designed the trauma-informed care training module for the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative’s Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Initiative. She also served as a co-investigator and shared decision-making trainer on the SAMHSA State Opioid Response Grant with Florida Atlantic University’s College of Medicine.
A former tenured professor at Florida Atlantic University, Dr. Howard retired from academia to translate psychological research into actionable, community-centered programming. As Chief Strategy Officer at Hanley Foundation, she led the implementation of a trauma-informed care model organization-wide, boosting patient satisfaction and staff retention, and secured over $1 million in grant funding from state and federal agencies. She also pioneered aquatic therapy as a treatment innovation and piloted research into its impact on cravings, depression, and psychological well-being.
She has served as Principal Investigator on multiple high-impact, community-engaged studies, including a U.S. Department of Justice-funded project examining the role of housing and peer support in reducing recidivism among formerly incarcerated individuals with substance use histories. Her findings have been published in top peer-reviewed journals and have informed systems-level change across Florida’s behavioral health infrastructure.
Dr. Howard is a Graduate Faculty Affiliate in the Phyllis & Harvey Sandler School of Social Work and the College of Medicine at FAU. Her leadership philosophy centers on trauma-informed systems, collaborative care, and the unwavering belief that recovery is possible when stigma is replaced with support, and science guides service delivery.

Allison is a licensed clinical social worker and certified recovery coach. She operates a private practice in Palm Beach Gardens and is the founder and CEO of Stoked on Life Palm Beach. Allison grew up in Florida where she was always on the beach and around the ocean. She is a certified scuba diver, enjoys paddle-boarding and recently surfing! She believes in the healing power of the ocean and combines therapeutic intervention to heal through the sea. She has been in recovery for a decade and uses experiential therapies and activities with the ocean herself to create a sense of well-being and peace.

Allison holds an advanced master’s degree from Florida Atlantic University and has extensive experience assisting individuals and families facing substance use disorders and mental health issues. She has worked with patients in both inpatient and outpatient mental health facilities and substance treatment centers, providing individual, family, and group therapy. Allison has worked with a wide range of clients, from those struggling to meet their basic needs to CEOs, celebrities, and professional athletes. She is trained in EMDR, CBT, and Bowen Family Systems theory. Allison employs a strength-based approach to empower individuals to become the best version of themselves. She uses experiential therapy in her work, including equine therapy to help others heal.

Allison believes in the power of experiential therapy to heal the whole person and is currently studying and participating in new research for surf therapy, which she believes is a much-needed new intervention. She is passionate about advocating for addiction and mental health issues on both a local and national level.

I have been an avid waterman my whole life with over 28 years of experience surfing both recreational and competitively. In addition to my love of the ocean and surf coaching, I work in physical therapy. With over 11 years in sports medicine and physical therapy, I am highly trained in my profession. I take a detail-oriented physiological and biomechanical approach to optimizing the surf experience for my clients. Jupiter Island Surf offers intimate and customizable surf experiences. We work with all skill levels ranging from first timers to competitive-level surfers. Services include but are not limited to; private/semi-private lessons, group settings, parties, and in-person or virtual surf coaching.