Faith Nichols Peterson, CASAC

A pioneer, visionary, and innovator in the addictions treatment field, Faith Peterson, Beacon Center’s founder and president, has been on the cutting edge of substance-abuse prevention and treatment since 1983.  A graduate of the State University College of New York at Fredonia and of the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership through the University at Buffalo, Ms. Peterson has been a New York State Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) since 1985, she also has a Gambling Specialty Designation for the treatment of compulsive gambling.  She began her career in the addictions treatment field as a prevention educator and a counselor, but rapidly rose to a supervisory position and was subsequently sought out to lead progressively larger agencies.  Throughout these experiences, recognizing the uniqueness of each person served, Ms. Peterson longed to offer patients treatment that was especially designed to meet their needs.  With that vision, the idea of Beacon Center was born, and Ms. Peterson opened the first agency location in suburban Buffalo in June of 1990.  Since that time, Ms. Peterson has expanded Beacon Center to encompass six outpatient substance-abuse treatment facilities.  In 2006, after extensive renovations, her vision of opening the Albert O. Nichols house, a supportive living home, came to fruition.  Over the years, Faith Peterson's vision and responsiveness to the community have been instrumental in making Beacon Center one of the premier providers of substance-abuse services in New York State.

Nathaniel Webster, M.D.

Beacon Center is truly fortunate to have a Medical Director with Dr. Nathaniel Webster’s storied history on our treatment team since 1995.  A graduate of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, Dr. Webster also worked on obtaining a Master of Science degree in Embryology from Howard University in Washington, D.C. prior to entering the Army.  He holds licenses in New York, California, and Georgia, in addition to licensure from the Drug Enforcement Administration.  He has had a private family practice in Buffalo, New York since 1963 and, prior to assuming the Medical Directorship of Beacon Center, he served as Medical Director for several substance-abuse treatment units in the Greater Buffalo area at various levels of care.  The author and co-author of, and contributor to, several publications, he is also certified as a Suboxone® provider and specializes in the use of laser therapy in pain management.  Some his contributions have been to the publication Desk Reference on Drug Abuse (Second Edition) and to the film What Did You Take (The Drug Abuse Emergency).

Jacqueline Nicastro, MBA, CASAC

Chief Executive Officer Jacqueline Nicastro has been widely recognized by her peers for her intelligence and her vast working knowledge of all aspects of the chemical dependency field for many years. From personnel matters to treatment requirements, Ms. Nicastro is well versed in all facets of operating a successful treatment service. She received her bachelor's degree in Social Science from Medaille College in Buffalo, New York.  She subsequently obtained her Master of Business Administration degree from St. Bonaventure University. As Chief Executive Officer, she oversees all of Beacon Center's clinical, financial, and personnel matters.  Ms. Nicastro brings to Beacon Center a unique blend of clinical as well as administrative experience and, in addition to holding a CASAC credential, she is a Substance Abuse Professional with the United States Department of Transportation.  Actively involved in the community, she has served on the Niagara County Community Services Board since 2003 as well as the Board of Directors of the Western New York Chemical Dependency Consortium.

Carolyn Grisko, MS, CASAC

Jacqueline (Jacki) Smith, CASAC

Michael DeJesus, Jr., M.D.