Caring Staff

Spark To Recovery’s team is comprised of addiction specialists, medical professionals, facilities workers, an administrative staff, and more.

Together, our staff members work toward a common goal:

helping patients create a better and addiction-free future for themselves and their loved ones.

Meet the Team

Allen Vardanyan

CEO

Allen Vardanyan is the CEO and founder of Spark to Recovery. He emigrated from Armenia in 2002 and has an engineering background which led him to become successful in many areas.

An entrepreneur since 2005, Allen has been successful in owning and running various businesses. Some of these businesses include a real estate brokerage, a petrol station, and a trucking company. Allen also devotes his time to being a loving husband and father, and still finds time to listen to every client and assist with treatment planning.

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Allen entered the addiction treatment industry in 2016 via the acquisition of an upscale Sober Living Facility, which provided a sober housing environment for recovering addicts attending outpatient treatment. After becoming an industry insider, he studied the most effective means to help addicts. This experience helped him in deciding to open inpatient residential facilities.

Seeing the potential for assisting people, Allen liquidated his sober living investment and founded a residential treatment facility in 2017. He then co-founded another facility and later Spark to Recovery in 2020.

Today, Allen is the CEO of Spark to Recovery and manages the administrative and operational functions of the business. He excels at financial analysis, as well as marketing strategies, and works with the clinical staff. In addition to dealing with business challenges, he finds satisfaction in knowing that he is contributing to helping others with this insidious disease.

Allen considers addiction to be a serious disease. He knows the effects of it first-hand due to witnessing the struggle with close friends and family.  For Allen, this is not just a job, he finds it an honor and privilege to be involved in helping those in need. His mission is to rebuild a healthier and safer society by helping as many addicts as possible.

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Sabrina Acatrinei

Executive Director

Sabrina comes to Spark to Recovery with an extensive background in case management and medical billing. She has her CADC-1 and is certified in billing and coding. Sabrina holds a Master's Degree in social work from Michigan State University and has been working in the field for over 16 years.

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Sabrina’s background includes work with the autistic population and adolescents that suffer from both developmental disabilities and substance abuse issues. With a strong background in clinical and administrative roles, Sabrina is able to approach each individual from a place of compassion, professionalism, empathy, and experience. Sabrina has a passion for helping others.

After the death of a close friend, she has dedicated her life to helping others find solace in sobriety. As the executive director and administrator of Spark to Recovery, Sabrina works hard to showcase the qualities needed in today’s workspaces—qualities such as grace, kindness, hope, professional growth, and the use of humor to foster courage. Her thoughts often question how best to encourage and support the team. Sabrina enjoys the team’s commitment to helping clients begin a future free of addiction.

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Eldar Karmiev

Fitness Coach

"Fear and growth cannot occupy the same space, eventually one pushes the other out."

Eldar was born in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and a decade later, migrated with his family to Philadelphia, PA. He grew up a dedicated athlete and excelled in many sports. Years later, after suffering a period of his own mental health problems and substance abuse, decided to take responsibility for his health and moved to Los Angeles to seek help from professionals. This is where he found mixed martial arts and its ability to restore balance to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

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Today, Eldar is part of the Fighting Chance Foundation and is still a student in the practice. He hopes to help people become “fighters in life” and show them that if you can push through challenges and overcome obstacles here, there is no reason they cannot do it in their lives and in their recovery too.

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Andrew Levander

LMFT, M.A.C. Clinical Director

Andrew Levander, LMFT, M.A.C., is a California and Nevada Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with national certifications as Master Addictions Counselor. Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor. Certified Bereavement Counselor. Certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, Certified Internet Addiction and Web Psychology Specialist and is a Workplace Mediation Specialist.

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Andrew developed the first residential treatment program specifically serving adolescents who struggle with self-harm. He has run programs for self-harm, process addiction, chemical addiction, and associated behavioral disorders. He has over twenty-four years of experience in adolescent, adult, and family psychotherapy and fifteen years of national/international teaching in the field and study of addiction, social work, counseling, family systems, and social service management.

Andrew was the recipient of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Service Innovations Festival Award; “Enhancing Treatment Quality through Program Innovation”. He was featured on Oprah, The Dr. Phil Show, The John Walsh Talk Show, NBC News, CNN, and a special on E! Entertainment as well as featured in Time Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, and many other national media outlets.  In 2002 and 2010, a documentary on Andrew’s unique treatment program aired on the Discovery Channel.

Andrew’s twenty-four years of clinical experience, knowledge, and dedication to the profession of Marriage and Family Therapy, addiction, and education. Have made him a skilled clinician, educator, and leader in the field and study of mental health care and social service.

Andrew is currently the Clinical Director at Spark to Recovery, where he continues to be of service to those in need of compassionate specialized care for the treatment of addiction.

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Richard Koo

Art Therapist

Richard Koo is an LA-based artist with a passion for going against the norm. Richard began cultivating his creative abilities early in life and was formally trained at CSUN. While expanding his perspective in art and life, Richard wandered down some dark paths and found himself addicted to mind-altering substances. It fueled his creativity and gave him a break from his perfectionist approach to his art.
Through his struggle and subsequent recovery, he forged a passionate desire to help others struggling with similar vices. He began to create ideas, that repurpose art against substance abuse & mental illness. Today, his unique approach is helping clients find peace and follow their creative dreams.

Lourick Bustamante

CNA

Lourick is a certified nurse assistant who is happy to work with the clients and facilitate medication management at Spark to Recovery. Lourick holds a BA in Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Lourick works closely with the medical team to ensure the safety of each patient and that they are getting their individual medical needs met while in treatment. Varying conditions and life stressors can affect recovery, which is why Lourick believes in individualized programs and practicing empathy to provide person-centered care.

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In addition to medication management, Lourick is appointed to assist with training and supervising staff to ensure that each team member is well-equipped to provide each patient with quality care. Lourick has been gaining direct patient care and healthcare experience since 2017 through working at various medical facilities, which have enhanced her skills in working in addiction treatment. She continues to cultivate a growth mindset for herself, leads by example, and learns through her years of experience.

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Sofya Muradyan

Operations Manager

Sofya is the Operations Director at Spark to Recovery.  She has a passion for helping people, who struggle with addiction and seeing them succeed in the future. She has been working at Spark to Recovery for the past 3 years. Furthermore, she is known for her patience and warm smile when assisting with admin tasks and has an extensive background in administration.

Rosa Rios AMFT

Therapist and Clinician

Rosa started her career in substance abuse, working with post-release incarcerated youth.
She began working with adults suffering from substance abuse and mental health over ten years ago. Rosa has experience working with various populations, subject to incarceration, the criminal justice system, and the homeless population.

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After graduating in 2021 with her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy, she began working more closely with addicts and families. She aims to help individuals and families better understand the disease of addiction. Through her personal and professional experiences, she helps addicts find a new way to live without the use of drugs and alcohol. She is extremely passionate about helping others and grateful for the opportunity to help people find the resources and motivation to make significant changes in their lives.

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