Nicasa is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of high-level representatives from corporations, criminal justice groups and community groups, all committed to operational and programming excellence.
Bruce N. Johnson, MS, Chief Executive Officer
Bruce Johnson has led Nicasa since 2005. He is a Marine Corps veteran, deploying to Afghanistan in 2010-2011 as a justice advisor. He is the founder of the Mano a Mano Family Resource Center in Round Lake Park and has served as president of their Board of Directors. Bruce serves on many local, county, and state initiatives to develop and sustain effective partnerships. He is a founding member of several area coalitions and advisory boards including the Lake County YES Coalition, The Lake County Opiate Initiative, the Round Lake Area B.E.S.T. (Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together) Coalition, and the Lake County Underage Drinking and Drug Prevention Task Force.
Elizabeth Thielen, LPC, PCGC, Senior Director
Elizabeth Thielen has been with Nicasa since 2002, and holds a masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, and a Problem and Compulsive Gambling Counselor. Elizabeth is honored to be on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Council on Problem Gambling, and also to represent Nicasa at the Illinois Alliance on Problem Gambling. Elizabeth has been fortunate to serve as a member of the Lake County Drug Court Team. She seeks to help ensure Nicasa Behavioral Health’s substance use disorder programs meet the highest standards of customer service, ongoing quality improvement, and effectiveness.