Meet Our Staff

Alicia Lukachko, DrPH, LCSW – Director

Alicia joined Eye2Eye in January 2020 to act as program co-director. She completed her doctoral degree in public health and a post-doctoral fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology at Columbia University. Dr. Lukachko later earned a master’s degree in clinical social work from Rutgers University. She is a licensed clinical therapist and has extensive experience in program design, implementation, and evaluation. One of her primary interests involves the role of peer support in promoting positive mental health outcomes among individuals experiencing vision loss.

Kenneth J. Gill, Ph.D

Ken is the founding Chairperson and Professor of the Rutgers Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions and serves as the Associate Dean of Faculty Development in the School of Health Professions. In his role as department chair, he oversees 50 staff and faculty, and supervises academic programs from the associate through doctoral levels. He is co-author of Psychiatric Rehabilitation (3rd ed., 2014) and People in Recovery as Providers: Building on the Wisdom of Experience (2010) and more than 70 peer reviewed articles and chapters. As a graduate of Columbia and Marquette Universities, he combines a background in measurement evaluation and statistics with his experience in psychiatric rehabilitation and academic administration to develop, implement, evaluate, train, and disseminate projects aimed at supporting individuals with serious mental illness to live full lives in the community. 

Alicia Stevenson – Administrator/Director

Alicia Stevenson joined the Eye2Eye team in 2019 to develop administrative/technology tools for the program and for her 20+ years of peer support experience with other organizations (NAMI and Mom2Mom). Alicia has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Rutgers University and a Paralegal Certification from RVCC. She was a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor for 7 years, continues now to train first responders throughout NJ in mental health awareness, and is the proud parent of two adult children, one with special needs.

Doretha Smith, MSW, LSW – Clinical Supervisor and Peer Support Specialist

Doretha graduated from Kean University with an MSW and is a Licensed Social Worker (LSW). She has a Doctor of Religious Education, is an ordained elder and author. Doretha was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa as an adolescent and understands the impact that vision loss can have on a person in various stages of their development. She aims to help callers face their challenges of vision loss, take steps to rise above it and continue to live a high quality of life.

Tracey Simon – Peer Support Specialist

Tracey was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease in 2010. She was a teacher and administrator in the Early Childhood Education field for 16 years. Today, she uses her expertise and life experience with low vision to empower others. She believes it is important to be supported by others that understand your feelings, experiences, and needs. Receiving this support strengthened and enabled her to challenge herself and discover her best self. She has created a life that she has found contentment and joy in. Tracey is here to assist others to create a life that they deserve!

James Jasey – Peer Support Specialist

After 27 years working as a Senior Inspector officer for U.S. Customs and as a single father, James suddenly lost his sight after a multiple car accident. James continued his journey by joining and directing many organizations for 19 years. James knows that if Eye2Eye had been able to connect with him and his family when he first lost his sight, his acceptance, adjustment and faith would have been nurtured by those who knew the challenges already. To hear them say “It’s going to be alright, just different”, would have made all the difference in the world. James hopes that all people dealing with sudden vision loss get the opportunity to connect with a peer program, so they won’t feel alone during their transition.

Ivis Trejo – Peer Support Specialist

Ivis Trejo holds a BA in Psychology and MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is proudly Latina and was born with Glaucoma. She attributes her understanding and compassion for others’ blindness journeys to her lived life experience with vision loss and enjoys providing support to callers. Ivis offers peer support services in both English and Spanish.

Dana Manson – Outreach Coordinator, Peer Support Specialist

Dana holds a BA in Psychology and is a graduate student in social work at Rutgers University. She was a former caller of Eye2Eye and now she is passionate about supporting others to build the resiliency to adapt to their circumstances and to find new insight, creativity, and compassion through their challenges.

Samuel Hendrickson – Peer Support Specialist

Sam is a lucky husband and proud father of six children. Sam’s professional career in education spans three decades and includes teaching, serving as an elementary school principal, and a human resources director.  Since losing his vision over three years ago, Sam is currently writing Act 2 of his life. He facilitates a support group for the NJ Commission for the Blind and is a guest speaker for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Sam has presented at the state, national, and international levels on parenting/marriage and autism, special education, and blindness/guide dogs.

Natalie Watkins – Peer Support Specialist

Natalie Watkins has lived everywhere on the sighted-blind spectrum. She has studied mental health at the graduate level and is passionate about helping those new to vision loss not only survive but thrive. She loves connecting callers to resources as well as simply listening with the empathy that comes from lived experience.

Larry Woodard – Peer Support Specialist

Larry has been blind for 10 years from glaucoma and a sudden accident. He holds a Masters degree in Health Services Administration, Clinical Psychology, a Graduate Certificate in Social Advocacy and Justice, and is currently studying for his Doctor of Social Work degree. He is involved with the Prevent Blindness ASPECT program, is a Federal Health Equity Academy Fellow, and is a graduate of the American Foundation of the Blind Leaders Academy. His experiences of being blind and losing it affected his desire to be a therapist and to advocate for the blindness community. His philosophy is to be open, warm, supportive, honest, genuine, & challenging to those seeking his help.

Clarke King – Peer Support Specialist

Clarke worked for 25 years in the Global Insurance Industry holding positions as Vice President and Director in Finance specializing in Investments. After vision loss, he is deeply involved in advocacy for the blind, including working as a peer support specialist and serving as president of the NFB North Jersey chapter.