At Yellow Wood Recovery, you’re cared for by a team that combines decades of clinical expertise with genuine compassion for people in recovery. Our leadership team includes board-certified physicians in addiction medicine and psychiatry, licensed clinical professionals, and executives who’ve dedicated their careers to improving healthcare.
What sets us apart: our physicians aren’t just consultants—they’re actively involved in patient care and treatment planning. When you come to Yellow Wood, you have access to some of the most credentialed addiction medicine specialists in the Sacramento region.
Our Clinical Team Includes:
- 4 physicians board-certified in Addiction Medicine or Addiction Psychiatry
- A Distinguished Lifetime Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association
- Over 130 combined years of experience in addiction treatment
- UC Davis faculty and nationally recognized researchers
Eileen Javed, RNFounder & Chief Executive Officer
Eileen Javed founded Yellow Wood Recovery with a vision to create an addiction treatment program grounded in clinical excellence, patient safety, and compassionate care. As CEO and Administrative Program Director, she brings extensive experience across hospital nursing, research, and residential substance use treatment.
A Registered Nurse by training, Eileen previously served as Director of Nursing at a substance use treatment center, overseeing nursing services, quality assurance, and Joint Commission accreditation. She also contributed to the landmark MOTHER study examining medication-assisted treatment in pregnant women.
Eileen earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Vermont and her Master of Science in Healthcare Administration and Leadership from the University of California, San Francisco. She is committed to elevating the patient experience while fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Beth CousinsCo-Founder & Chief Operating Officer
Beth Cousins is Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Yellow Wood Recovery. A seasoned executive with extensive experience in technology leadership, enterprise operations, and organizational transformation, she brings strategic vision and operational excellence to addiction treatment.
Beth served as Chief Information Officer for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) from 2020 to 2022, leading technology strategy for the state agency responsible for coordinating emergency response across California. She previously served as Deputy Chief Information Officer for the City of Minneapolis and held leadership positions at Target Corporation and IBM.
She holds an Executive MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and completed Design Thinking for Executives at Stanford University. Beth is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and serves as a Baldrige Quality Evaluator, bringing expertise in quality management and continuous improvement to Yellow Wood Recovery’s operations.
Stephanie Kvasager, LCSWVice President of Clinical Services
Stephanie Kvasager has served as a founding member of the Yellow Wood Recovery leadership team since the organization’s inception in 2020. As Vice President of Clinical Services, she provides strategic direction for all clinical programming, oversees the clinical team, and leads program design and development initiatives.
A Licensed Clinical Social Worker with both BS and MS degrees in Social Work from California State University, Sacramento, Stephanie brings over 20 years of experience treating adults and children with acute psychiatric and substance use disorders in residential and outpatient settings.
Stephanie is passionate about removing barriers to treatment access and developing clinical staff who deliver compassionate, patient-centered care. Her dedication to mentorship and training ensures Yellow Wood Recovery maintains the highest standards of clinical excellence.
M. Irfan Javed, PhDDirector of Facilities & Research
Dr. M. Irfan Javed is Director of Facilities and Research at Yellow Wood Recovery, bringing over 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing, research and development, clinical translation, and laboratory operations. In this role, he ensures that Yellow Wood Recovery provides a safe and secure environment of care for its patients, staff and visitors. He is committed to bridging the gap between research and clinical practice to ensure care grounded in evidence-based approaches.
Dr. Javed’s career in addiction research began as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Minnesota, where he focused on developing effective, non-addictive analgesics. His research resulted in novel drug candidates among the most potent pain-blocking compounds documented in scientific literature.
He holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from The University of Vermont and an MS in Chemistry from Western Illinois University. Dr. Javed oversees facility operations, regulatory compliance, and corporate-academic research partnerships, ensuring Yellow Wood Recovery maintains the highest standards in patient care and operational excellence.
Our medical team includes physicians who are board-certified specifically in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry—not general practitioners who treat addiction on the side. This specialized expertise means your care is guided by doctors who have dedicated their careers to understanding and treating substance use disorders.
Daniel Lewis, MDMedical Director
Dr. Daniel Lewis is Medical Director at Yellow Wood Recovery and co-Medical Director at Transitions Clinic of Sacramento. With over 35 years of experience in addiction medicine, he brings comprehensive expertise in treating substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions.
Board certified in both Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine (ABAM), Dr. Lewis co-founded the Kaiser South Sacramento outpatient addiction program in 1991 and served as a staff physician for over 25 years. His education includes a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, with residency training at UC Davis Medical Center.
Dr. Lewis specializes in medication-assisted treatment, including buprenorphine management, and has advanced training in Motivational Interviewing and Feedback-Informed Treatment. He provides evidence-based, patient-centered care with particular expertise in serving justice-involved populations through his leadership at Transitions Clinic.
Taylor Nichols, MDPhysician
Dr. Taylor Nichols is a board-certified physician in both Emergency Medicine and Addiction Medicine—a rare dual specialization that brings unique crisis management expertise to addiction treatment. He serves as a physician at Yellow Wood Recovery and Medical Director at Transitions Clinic of Sacramento, while also holding an appointment as Volunteer Assistant Clinical Professor at UC Davis Medical Center.
Dr. Nichols has been recognized nationally for his contributions to health policy and patient advocacy, receiving the Policy Pioneer Award from the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Humanism Award from the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. He earned his medical degree from UC Davis School of Medicine and completed emergency medicine residency training at UCSF-San Francisco General Hospital.
His dual expertise allows him to address both the acute crises that often accompany substance use disorders and the long-term recovery needs of patients. Dr. Nichols is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Health Policy and Law through a combined UCSF/UC Law SF program.
Martin H. Leamon, MDPsychiatrist
Dr. Martin H. Leamon is a board-certified addiction psychiatrist at Yellow Wood Recovery and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UC Davis. He holds the distinction of being a Distinguished Lifetime Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association—the highest honor in American psychiatry, recognizing career-long excellence in the field.
With over 35 years of experience, Dr. Leamon has been recognized as “Top Doctor” in Addiction Medicine for nine consecutive years (2016–2024) by peer survey in the Sacramento region. He is a prolific researcher with over 60 peer-reviewed publications focusing on methamphetamine neurotoxicity and substance use disorder treatment, including multiple NIDA-funded studies.
Dr. Leamon earned his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and his undergraduate degree cum laude from Dartmouth College. He has received numerous teaching awards, including Teacher of the Year from the Association for Academic Psychiatry and is a Harvard Macy Scholar. His extensive experience includes serving as Medical Director at the VA Northern California Health Care System and Sacramento County Mental Health Treatment Center.
David Wayne Smith, MDPsychiatrist
Dr. David Wayne Smith brings 45 years of experience in addiction psychiatry to Yellow Wood Recovery. Triple board certified in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine (ASAM), and Addiction Psychiatry, he also serves as an Addiction Medicine Expert Consultant to the California Medical Board—a testament to his peer-recognized expertise in setting standards for addiction medicine practice in California.
Educated at UCLA Medical School, Dr. Smith has held numerous medical director positions throughout his distinguished career, including leadership roles at methadone treatment programs, detoxification facilities, and psychiatric hospitals across California and Canada. He has been Assistant Clinical Professor at UC Davis since 2000 and previously taught at the University of Western Ontario.
Dr. Smith pioneered dual diagnosis treatment in the early 1990s, publishing research and leading conferences on integrated care for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. He brings specialized expertise in HIV/AIDS psychiatry through his 20+ years at Sacramento’s CARES Clinic, and serves underserved populations through his work with Feather River Tribal Health. His cross-cultural competency and dedication to health equity inform his compassionate, patient-centered approach.
When you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you deserve care from professionals who truly understand what you’re going through and have the expertise to help. Our team is here to answer your questions, explain your options, and help you take the first step.