Our Staff

Clinical Director

Alexandra joined Westwind in 2022 after working with Dr. Deena Manion since 2004 at other centers. She has a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and has been a licensed therapist since 2014. She provides her clinical expertise to our clinicians as well as guidance and additional support to our clients. Alex has worked in the field of mental health and addiction since 2002. Her experience includes UCLA studies on the effects of drugs on the brain under Dr. London at the NPI UCLA campus. She worked in collaboration with Harvard, Yale and UCLA in the development, training and implementation of resiliency skills with NAVY Seabee’s and their families on two prominent California naval bases. Alex has extensive work in residential treatment centers starting from a technician developing as a lead therapist from 2004-2018. Before Westwind Alex held a clinical director position at an acute mental health residential treatment center. Her clinical expertise includes extensive trauma informed care with EMDR, attachment trauma along with multi modal theoretical applications.

Primary Therapist

Randy has been at Westwind in the role of primary therapist since 2019. He earned his master’s degree in Psychology from Antioch University in Los Angeles. He received his training at a counseling center in North Hollywood for both individuals and families while working closely with at-risk youth at The Teen Suicide Hotline at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills. In addition to his thriving private practice, Randy has also served as primary therapist for several dual diagnosis treatment centers in Los Angeles prior to joining the Westwind Team. Prior to his work in the recovery field, Randy Smith worked in the Entertainment Industry as a marketing executive at Sony Pictures Entertainment and, later, a Vice President of Marketing at MGM, which makes Randy uniquely qualified to help professionals, who are newly recovering to be better prepared to handle the stressors and challenges they face on a daily basis while reintegrating back into the corporate environment. Randy Smith’s therapeutic specialties include addiction and recovery as well as working with couples. His work with the LGBTQ Community is bolstered by his robust Gay Men’s Therapy Group which he facilitates in his private practice. Randy is originally from Texas where he earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Consulting Psychiatrist

Dr. Mark Jaffe has been a consulting psychiatrist for Westwind since 2019. Dr. Jaffe graduated from UCLA cum laude in 1987. He attended the University of Southern California medical school and completed his internship and residency in psychiatry at the Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center. He also completed two years of fellowship training at the USC Institute of Psychiatry and Law, where he is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry. He is board certified in general and forensic psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Jaffe is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine with a Certification in Addiction Medicine. During his residency and fellowship training at the LAC+USC Medical Center, Dr. Jaffe was responsible for triage, evaluation, treatment, admission and disposition of emergent psychiatric patients in a 2000-bed facility. The medical center comprised the pediatric, women’s and general hospital departments and served the greater Los Angeles area. Dr. Jaffe currently consults for the Los Angeles County Superior and Municipal Courts and is a member of the Expert witness panel. He has provided consultations to various agencies including the Medical Board of California, the United Sates Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons, the United States Postal Service, The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Long Beach Rapid Transit, and the Los Angeles County Mental Health Court. He has also performed evaluations for many various agencies, courts and attorneys on cases involving the use of drugs and alcohol during the commission of crimes or during employment. Dr. Jaffe’s level of expertise, when coupled with both his empathy and ineffable charm render him a preeminent choice in the field, especially when running the gauntlet of psychiatric affairs both emotional and litigious.

Consulting Medical Doctor

Dr. Raffi J. Ghurabi, DO, MS, FACOI, is a board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine who serves as Medical Director at Westwind Recovery® Center. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago, his Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University, and his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Ghurabi brings extensive experience in addiction treatment, urgent care, and outpatient medical leadership, with a clinical focus on comprehensive patient care that includes management of substance use disorders, co-occurring chronic medical conditions, and laboratory monitoring. He is committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based care that supports each patient’s long-term recovery and overall health.

Director of Operations/Housing

Anna has been with Westwind since 2021. Anna oversees the operations in Westwind’s supportive housing program. Anna received her CADC II in 2004 from University of California, Los Angeles where she was awarded a Drug and Alcohol Counseling certificate from UCLA (CADC-1 & CADC-II) and has been trained in and co-facilitates Process Groups. She worked for ten years successfully supporting a well- known Malibu treatment center developing from 6 to 36 treatment beds with four locations. Anna’s greatest role and contribution was to create, establish and oversee Continuing Care & Alumni Services, internationally, for eight years prior to becoming the Administrator of the facility. She then managed clinical and administrative staff, as well as handled all client needs as they focused on healing and transforming their lives.

Anna was then recruited to assist other facilities in the licensing and expansion of their programs for the next two years. Her specialty in organizational restructuring, assisting operations and supporting clinical services then landed her a role as a Program Director for 5 years at one of the nations most recognized co-occurring treatment programs in Malibu. This vast experience and working knowledge of dual-diagnosis treatment makes her the best candidate to serve as the Director of Operations for IOP and Housing at Westwind Recovery®® and to help support both management and residents in their care.

As a woman in long term recovery herself for over two decades, Anna finds her greatest
satisfaction in managing her staff to change their lives for the better.

Director of Human Resources

Priya was born in the Fiji Islands and relocated to the United States at the age of 12. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree with a concentration in Accounting and an MBA in Healthcare Administration. Priya began her career in healthcare as a Contracts Manager before transitioning to Human Resources, where she now has over five years of experience. She is deeply passionate about her work and is dedicated to cultivating a positive, supportive, and empowering work environment.

Director of Business Development

Alexsa joined Westwind in 2021. As Westwind’s business development representative she works collaboratively with treatment centers across the country to ensure good relationships and placements for Westwind clients. Alexsa’s goal is to develop and nourish relationships with other providers and professionals who share aligned values with Westwind Recovery®®. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Finance, Alexsa started her new career in Behavioral Health focusing on Human Resources and Office Administration. She soon transitioned into an Admissions Counselor role where she began working directly with individuals and family members in crisis. Alexsa strives to offer compassion, empathy, and education to those who seek it. Alexsa was born and raised in New York, where she was once climbing the corporate ladder in NYC Fashion Industry. It was there that her substance abuse and mental health struggles eventually led her to seek help. As Alexsa grew personally through her own recovery, so did her wanting to work with others.