The Professional Staff of Our Drug Rehabilitation & Treatment Program
An inpatient or outpatient detox program is only as good as its staff. Malibu Horizon offers a dedicated and qualified team of professionals who provide the hope and the help you need through your alcohol and drug rehab in Los Angeles. From the moment you first contact us, you'll be impressed with our patient-centered approach. Our team will always serve you in a professional manner. We will demonstrate high standards of care and a personal concern with your long-term success.
Education and Experience
Education and experience are important. All clinical staff members who work in the alcohol and drug rehabilitation program at Malibu Horizon hold master's level degrees or above in the fields of psychology, nursing and/or education.
Our trained and qualified support staff members are also available at any time to ensure that your stay at our Malibu rehab center is comfortable.
Collectively, our Malibu Horizon professional doctors and staff have worked with thousands of alcohol addiction and drug treatment patients all across the United States, and in many other areas of the world, including Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe and Asia.
Medical Referrals
At Malibu Horizon we refer our patients to the best medical professionals in the field of addiction medicine, pyschiatry, neurology, pain management, alcohol and opiate detox, and other specialties as required by the individual needs of each client.
Our patients enter into individual agreements with each doctor and can rest assured that the staff at Malibu Horizon has carefully screened and chosen each physcian so as to provide only the highest standard of care and service. We proudly acknowledge these alliances and confidently make these referrals.
Akikur Mohamad MD - founder and CEO of Malibu Horizon
As founder and CEO of Malibu Horizon, Dr. Mohammad has a total commitment to his patients.
“Addiction is a brain disease as well as a chronic medical illness, and it therefore should be treated as such,” says Dr. Mohammad. Many people use substances to self-medicate, but they end up doing further damage to their minds and bodies. This invariably affects their whole lives -- their family, friends, work and general well-being.”
Dr. Mohammad focuses his professional talents on treating patients with addictions and co-occurring disorders (dual diagnosis), providing them with comfortable and rapid detox in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
With over a decade of general medicine and psychiatry experience, Dr. Mohammad is certified in Addiction Medicine by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He is the Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California (USC), where he is active in research and in teaching and training of residents and students.
Clinton Ellis Weyand, Psy.D, Acting Clinical Director
Dr. Clinton Weyand has over 20 years experience working in behavioral health care. His philosophical orientation is Humanistic-Existential, supplemented by intensive training in Gestalt Therapy, Psychoanalytic Self-Psychology, and Expressive Art Therapies. He attended Cal State Northridge and USC. Dr. Weyand is the author of eight books including “Surviving Popular Psychology,” and “Soul Doctors – The First Dictionary of Psychology Quotations.” At Malibu Horizon, he creates a group process around the following themes: Impulse Control, Family Conflicts, Co-dependency, Personality Traits and Addictions, Relapse Prevention, Unresolved Grief, Couple Conflicts and Treatment Resistance. Dr. Weyand has a private professional psychology library of over 10,000 volumes. His on-going research explores the relationship between borderline personality, addiction and eating disorders. Dr. Weyand is also the president of Being Books, Inc., a book-publishing form specializing in inspirational, self-help, and academic psychology titles.
Pamela Aguirre, Executive Director / Business Development
Pamela Aguirre brings over 20 years of experience in the field of Addiction Recovery and Behavioral Health. She has held Executive positions in Business Development/ Marketing with-in the private sector of treatment, as well as Developing programs for Hospitals in Southern California .She knows first hand the struggles of addiction, she is Clean and Sober for 21 years. Her ability to relate to the addict who still suffers is one of compassion and understanding. She has helped patients with severe mental illness and co-occurring drug and alcohol related problems find the proper treatment. In 1987 she became a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor, attending the Combined Program at Sierra University,University Without Walls in Santa Monica California. Pamela takes pride in her work and her efforts to maintain the highest respect for her clients.
Dr. Sara Mangat
Dr. Sara Mangat completed her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from an APA accredited professional school. She has a broad clinical background working with adults, couples, children and families. She received her professional training at UCLA and community mental health clinics. Dr. Mangat conducted professional presentations at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute on stress reduction techniques and cognitive behavioral therapy. Sara also has experience as a business manager at a large psychiatric clinic working with adults coping with addictions and emotional problems. Sara is also involved in volunteer work and received the United International Volunteers of United States Award for her contribution to parent training programs in LAUSD.
Dr. Mangat has clinical expertise in ADHD, having completed her clinical dissertation on family therapy for ADHD. Sara consulted with Dr. Barkley, a leading world expert in this field. Dr. Mangat’s theoretical orientation is eclectic and she uses a combination of family therapy, the stages of change model, humanistic and cognitive behavioral approaches tailored to the specific needs of her clients. Sara has an appreciation for cultural issues having lived in Africa, India and England. Overall, Dr. Mangat emphasizes client strengths and utilizes positive affirmations to foster growth and change in her clients.
Laura Kurz-Rambo, Director of Intake
Laura Kurz-Rambo received her Registered Addiction Specialist certification from the nationally-accredited Briening Institute in Sacramento, California. She has over twenty-five thousand hours of experience in the field of addiction with an emphasis in Crisis Intervention, Intake Counseling, and Referral Coordination. Laura earned an Associate of Arts degree in Business and has a certificate in Mediation. She has background in nursing as well as experience in marketing. She has been in recovery since she was twenty-two years old, and is celebrating her fourteenth consecutive year of sobriety. Laura is a responsible, ethical professional who quickly establishes and maintains an empathetic rapport with patients, family members, and clinicians. More than just a job, addiction recovery is Laura’s passion. Perspective clients calling the toll free intake number, day or night, will immediately perceive this passion as Laura helps them determine their options in order to obtain the best possible treatment.
Sherry Gaba, LCSW
Graduating from the University of Southern California in 1999 with a Masters Degree in Social Work. Ms. Gaba has worked in the field of addiction and recovery for over 10 years at various treatment centers and various psychiataric hospital settings, as well as in the private sector. Ms. Gaba also has experience in the areas of eating disorders, hospice, child custody medition, divorce/single and co-parenting issues as well as grief and loss. Sherry has experiencing facilitating many type of groups including recovery, women's, single parenting, and multi-family groups. In addition, Ms. Gaba has added life coaching skills to her pactice. Ms. Gaba is a member of the Women's Association of Addiction Counseling and the National Association of Social Workers. Ms. Gaba trained at a resident in training program at one of the top treatment centers in the United States. She also has been published in various local magazines.
Jennifer Mather, M.S., Psy. D. I.
Ms. Mather comes from a Forensic background having worked with Ventura County Sheriff’s Department within their Jail system, working with inmates dealing with substance abuse and other mental health issues. Ms. Mather also has experience as a Social Service Director for a sub-acute hospital, working with geriatric patients. Her strong Cognitive - Behavioral Orientation focuses on the interactions between thought patterns and behavior with strategic implementations in her treatment plans. Once an Equestrian Olympic hopeful, Ms. Mather enjoys assisting in the Equine Therapy offered at Malibu Horizons.
Carol Sorrenti, Yoga Therapist
Carol Sorrenti has taught yoga since 1980 using a diverse program designed towards well-being of mind and body. Ms. Sorrenti’s background includes employment at Cedar Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center and numerous drug treatment centers, where she utilized yoga therapy for physical and emotional rehabilitation. She uses simple, effective, calming exercises, breath control and meditation techniques for achieving balance of mind and body.
Norbert Kurucz, Massage Therapist
Norbert Kurucz has been a massage therapist since 1998. He graduated Santa Monica Healing of Arts School. His education began in Germany and continued in Thailand. Mr. Kurucz specializes in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Therapeutic Stretching and Sport Massage. He successfully completed the stone therapy session and works with jade stone. Norbert enjoys helping people through therapeutic massage by utilizing whichever modality is necessary to promote the healing process based on individual’s needs.
BIOGRAPHY FOR JEAN KALLIE, Ph.D.
Jean Kallie, Ph.D. received her undergraduate bachelor of science degree in Public Affairs at USC. After graduating in 1980, she enrolled in an advanced program at the California Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology, working toward a combined Master’s and Ph.D. in Marital and Family Therapy which she received in 1998. One of the focal points of her work and research is family of origin, and how our original family influences our choices for future intimate relationships. Current intimates, one’s spouse, children, are often, in part, stand-ins for old images, thereby hoping to replicate, master, control, live through, or heal what could not be settled internally in the home. There is a saying in family work which is: “Its not that you can’t go home again, it’s that you never left”.
Dr. Kallie gained her experience working at Vista Del Mar Family Services/Reiss Davis Child Services in West Los Angeles working exclusively with severely abused children ages ranging from 2 to 12 years of age.
Adult experience was gained at the The Maple Counceling Center in Beverly Hills, counceling people of all ages with personality disorders, psychosis, anxiety and depression, addictions of all types, and holocaust survivors and their children. The Maple Counceling Center was founded soley on the basis for teenagers with drug abuse and severe addiction problems to receive a “safe ride” home.
Dr. Kallie went on to work at the prestigious Cedar’s Sinai Medical Center, where she worked with teenagers who were in severe crisis. Some of her responsibilities included supervising the national hotline, which addressed suicidality, incest, pregnancy, violence, addiction across the board, partner and family abuse, including physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, and neglect.
Dr. Kallie has donated her time for 9 years to people of all walks of life who could not otherwise afford quality therapy. She continues to feel this is an important part of her life. She feels strongly toward converting some of her experiences to the highest advantage of others. Another area of expertise for Dr. Kallie is deep empathy work. Meeting people in the therapeutic space where they are instead of where you want them to be, or where you think they should be. The deep empathy combined with early family of origin work can often provide an individual with the ability to newly understand the nature and dynamics of a complex family system, normalizing one’s conflicted view of these irreplaceable figures, and actually seeing their parents and siblings as “real people” with real problems, sometimes for the first time in their lives.
She has been associated with Malibu Horizon since it’s opening. Dr. Kallie has stated that she is truly honored to be working with the highly trained staff who are extremely caring and compassionate.
Dr. Kallie has a small private practice in Agoura Hills and Beverly Hills. She contributes time and funding to some of the charities close to her heart. PAWS (Pets are Wonderful Support) A support system for very ill people who cannot walk their dogs, take them to the Vet, buy their food etc.. ASPCA and PETA, as well as St.Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Kallie lives in Malibu with her 5 year old twin boys, and Sparky “The King” beagle.