Yolanda Peppers

In this role since 2016, Dr. Yolanda Peppers oversees the agency’s in-house nursing staff in each of Haymarket’s five (5) medical detoxification programs. An Illinois registered professional nurse (RPN), she ensures the delivery of client-centered care that appropriately addresses clients’ substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health needs. Dr. Peppers directs the agency’s medication compliance processes and training to support clients and employees throughout Haymarket’s 25+ residential and outpatient treatment and recovery programs. She manages Haymarket’s relationship with Rush Hospital, Caritas, and the Chest Clinic of Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS), leveraging a previous 32-year career as an investigator with the state of Illinois. A lifelong teacher and learner, Dr. Peppers directs professional development for the agency’s nurses and clinical staff.

Throughout her 12-year career at Haymarket, Dr. Peppers has developed an enduring focus on providing excellent client care. She joined Haymarket as a Post-Doctoral graduate in 2006 and worked in clinical and nursing roles throughout the agency, most recently as psychological services assistant. In 2010-2014, she taught psychology at Chicago State University and the City Colleges of Chicago. Dr. Peppers earned her PsyD. in Psychology from Adler School of Professional Psychology, a MS in Human Service Administration from the Spertus College of Judicial Sciences, and a BS in Health Studies from University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL. A thoughtful and spiritual leader, Dr. Peppers wrote her dissertation on the intersection of depression and church attendance among African American adults. Her book of spiritual writing was published in 2019.