Leadership & Board

Peter Barbuto, President/CEO

Peter has been working in the field of substance use treatment for 16 years.  Peter started out at Gavin Foundation’s Cushing House program in 2008. During his time at Cushing House, he held various roles, as well as assisting at Gavin House as a member of their support staff. 

In 2011, Peter went to the South Boston Collaborative Center as their Director of Case Management, where he assisted the agency with their community partnerships and care coordination for their patients.  In 2012, Peter started with American Addiction Centers in Nashville, as their Director of Business Development assisting in building their national footprint.  In 2017, he became the Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at Recovery Centers of America in Philadelphia, PA. 

Peter has been a member of the Gavin Foundation Board of Directors since 2015, until he was recently named President/CEO on July 1, 2024.

Barbara Samek, Clinical Director

Barbara oversees the Center for Recovery Services (CRS), which provides individual and group treatment for adolescents and adults who are struggling with substance abuse and addiction. She brings over 25 years of experience in clinical and counseling services in the substance abuse treatment field to her role providing clinical supervision and support to all direct care staff and Program Managers.

Barbara is a graduate of Westfield State College, where she majored in Criminal Justice, and earned her Masters of Social Work from Simmons College. She is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC I) and a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW). Barbara is also a surveyor for CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. CARF carefully chooses candidates with relevant field experience, administrative expertise and specific program knowledge.

CARF surveyors are among the industry’s most knowledgeable and respected experts in the area of health and human services. Before joining the Gavin Foundation, Barbara served as a Clinical Social Worker for Dimock Behavioral Health in Roxbury, a Clinical Coordinator at Mentor Clinical Care in Boston, and as a Social Work Intern at both the Boston Veteran’s Administration Medical Center and Brighton-Dimock Early Intervention Program.

Board of Directors