Treating BPD & Substance Use Disorders: Practical Approaches for Addiction Treatment Providers

Rocco Iannucci, MD, began his psychiatric career at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital, where he served as chief resident in addiction psychiatry and as assistant director of psychiatric residency training. He then practiced general community and hospital psychiatry for five years at Berkshire Medical Center, an experience that shaped his collaborative approach to working with patients and other health care providers. Iannucci returned to McLean Hospital in 2012 as director of McLean’s Fernside residential addiction treatment program, where he continues to focus his career on the integrated treatment of people with substance use disorders and other co-occurring mental health conditions. For 10 years, he also directed Fernside’s postdoctoral fellowship in addiction psychology, teaching and learning from the many outstanding psychology trainees at McLean. He has published on the treatment of people with stimulant use disorder, with co-occurring bipolar disorder and addiction, and with co-occurring borderline personality disorder and substance use disorders. 

Emily Volpe, PsyD, earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from William James College. She completed her fellowship at Fernside, an addiction recovery program at McLean, and joined the staff in 2017. At Fernside, Volpe provides evidence-based treatment to individuals with substance use disorders and other co-occurring psychiatric conditions (dual diagnosis), offering both individual and group therapy to residential patients. She also leads the program’s family support and patient education group and has expertise in working with families and children using a resiliency and strengths-based approach. Volpe’s research interests have focused on improving communication of coparents who have experienced high-conflict divorce or separation. She has also conducted research exploring the impact of microaggressions on marginalized groups.