Howard Josepher, LCSW
Co-founder/Chief Clinical Officer
Howard Josepher, LCSW, is the co-founder and now the Chief Clinical Officer of EXPONENTS. He has been in the substance abuse treatment field for more than forty-five years and has been a pioneer in the development and implementation of both therapeutic community and harm reduction programs. At EXPONENTS, Mr. Josepher has created and implemented evidenced-based, peer-driven programs addressing drug addiction and other chronic health conditions. Mr. Josepher helped pioneer low-threshold, harm reduction services at the height of the AIDS epidemic and continues to advocate for compassionate, non-punitive substance abuse services.
Mr. Josepher served as the inaugural President/CEO of EXPONENTS until stepping down in June 2018, on the NYC DoHMH, Mental Hygiene Advisory Council is a past chairman of the Substance Abuse Committee of the city’s HIV Prevention Planning Group and is currently a member of the NYS, OASAS Recovery Implementation Team. He is a past recipient of the National Association of Social Workers’ Diego Lopez Award for his work with people living with HIV/AIDS. Mr. Josepher is a New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a recovering person, having overcome his own addiction to drugs many years ago.
Joseph Turner, JD
Co-founder/Chief Executive Officer & President
Joseph Turner, JD, is the co-founder and present CEO and President of EXPONENTS. For the past 35 years, he has soldiered for social justice, compassionate human services, and recovery.
Joe was born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY. Inspired by the courage of civil rights lawyers he attended and graduated from Hofstra University School of Law, where he went on to practice law in the fields of criminal justice, civil rights, and general practice. He has worked for the National Conference of Black Lawyers, the Center for Constitutional Rights and Community Action for Legal Services. For the past 35 years, he has soldiered for social justice, compassionate human services, and recovery.
As CEO, Joe led Exponents through the disruption of COVID-19, enabling the agency to continue to provide drug treatment and crisis management services without interruption. Quickly turning to tele-health and tele-visual individual and group counseling sessions, as well as establishing a 24-hour crisis hotline, Exponents retained over 95% of its program participants. Joe has often said that “…every crisis shines a bright light on our strengths and weaknesses”. Indeed, the strength of Exponents that was gleaned from the COVID crisis, was the forging of a “community of hope”.
He is co-chair of the New York State Harm Reduction Association, a member of the Board of Directors of Exodus Transitional Communities, co-chair of the Harm Reduction Committee of the Association of Substance Abuse Providers of NYS, a member of the New York Certification Board and the Executive Committee of the NYS OASAS Recovery Implementation Team. In addition, Joe is the, as well as the former president of President of the Board of Directors of Friends of Recovery –NY (FOR-NY).
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Judith Loeb Chiara
Inaugural Chair
When Howard Josepher, Maria (Sam) Josepher, and Joseph Turner founded EXPONENTS in 1988, the late Ms. Chiara became the first Chairperson, a role she played until her passing on Sunday, November 14, 2010.
Ms. Chiara was committed to enhancing the lives of individuals with HIV/AIDS, helping to launch New York City’s first counseling program to assist AIDS patients. As a committed member of EXPONENTS’ team, she helped steer the agency through its early growth and development and did not miss a single board meeting.
It gave Ms. Chiara, great joy to know that through her efforts, many seriously challenged individuals were given an opportunity of a better life and today her legacy of giving continues through the Judith L. Chiara Charitable Fund, Inc.
We are truly grateful for her unyielding support.
