TRANSDISCIPLINARY CONTRIBUTORS

Dr. Kiti Freier-Randall has over 30 years of experience working with infants with prenatal substance exposure. She has authored or co-authored more than 50 articles and/or book chapters, and has presented nationally and internationally in over 40 countries. Dr. Kiti was the thought leader for this project, and in conjunction with Rena Consulting, developed the proposal, attained the funding, and conducted the think tank that made this possible. Dr Kiti provided the neurodevelopment expertise to the team. She will guide the development of the toolkit from an informed, attuned and effective caregiving perspective.

Jackie Pavloski brings to this project 25 years of expertise in working with high-risk infants, toddlers, and young children. In the past 10 years, Jackie’s work has been more specifically focused on infants impacted by NAS and NNE in a transdisciplinary team setting. Jackie offers expertise in regards to speech and language development, feeding, and attachment.

Marilena earned an Associate Degree Nursing from Victor Valley and a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from California State University, Fullerton. She has held positions as a registered nurse with the County of San Bernardino; Public Health Nurse Liaison to the state of California for the Child Health and Disability Program, and Clinical Coordinator for a School-based health center. For the past 15 she has worked with San Bernardino County superintendent of schools as a clinical nurse and Nurse Case Manager with the most vulnerable children, intrauterine drug exposed children under the age of 5 with NAS and NNE.

Loretta Finnegan, MD, LLD (Hon.), ScD (Hon.), is Executive Officer of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence and President of Finnegan Consulting, LLC. She is former Medical Advisor to the Director, Office of Research on Women’s Health, NIH, DHHS. She consults on research and treatment issues relating to Substance Use Disorders in pregnancy and the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Dr. Finnegan is credited with the development of an assessment tool for neonatal opioid abstinence which is used widely in the USA and abroad. She has authored or co-authored more than 180 scientific publications and has spoken at scientific conferences nationally and internationally in 32 countries.

DR. FINNEGANS’ FULL BIOGRAPHY

Jenae Holtz has been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for over 30 years. She has worked with children, adolescents, families, as well as school districts and district administrators in the mental health and education fields. Jenae has been an administrator in the education and mental health fields specializing in children and adolescents. As a director of a mental health center embedded in a SELPA in Southern California, Jenae developed and implemented a transdisciplinary model to serve NAS and NNE impacted infants. She brings both mental health and implementation leadership to this effort.

Mary Murrah-Alexander has more than 30 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist.  She has 8 years of experience with high risk, substance exposed infants, toddlers and children. Her expertise is feeding (oral motor), sensory regulation/processing, and fine/gross motor development. Mary is also certified in Sensory Integration and Touch Time Infant Massage.  She worked with a transdisciplinary team focusing on the needs of infants and young children who experienced both short and long-term impact of NAS and NNE. 

Hindi Zeidman is a social worker who is also the foster mother of an infant with NAS. Hindi has studied the sleep needs of infants and has developed a swaddle to meet their needs as they go through NAS. Her swaddle has been successful in the market for over 5 years. Hindi contributes to perspectives of parenting, sleep needs and how to attain optimal sleep and infant/caregiver mental health needs. For more information, please see her website at: theollieworld.com

Laurie Duncan has been working with high risk, substance exposed infants, toddlers, and children and their families for over 20 years with the focus being on early intervention. She will offer expertise in regard to home visitation with families to provide nursing assessment and parent education to help meet the special needs of these children. Laurie is a nurse manager for a transdisciplinary team for high risk infants and children many of whom have experienced NAS or NNE.

Tammy DeHesa has 14 years of experience as a foster and adoptive mother of infants and children impacted by prenatal substance exposure. Tammy developed an agency where parents can get support partners to assist and help them navigate the community in order to meet their need. This parent resource nonprofit has been successful in helping caregivers of substance exposed infants for over 12 years. Tammy’s agency provides counselling, parenting classes and support groups for children (often with pre or postnatal drug exposure) and their parents. For more information see: themakingadifferenceassociation.org

THERAPEUTIC INFANT MUSIC

The musicians for the Therapeutic Infant Music were hand-picked for their versatility, ability to adapt, and musicality. We feel that the music which was created and performed specifically for this NAS Care Resource Kit will have the desired impact of calming down and soothing NAS impacted infants.

RENA Consulting and Sponsors

© 2025 Dr. Kiti Freier Randall