Sally Thoren is the Executive Director of Gateway Foundation's Chicago services. Ms. Thoren holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Carleton College. After studying law at DePaul University in Chicago, she returned to the field and served in many direct care roles through her career before finding advocacy and administration as the means to influence the service delivery system in Illinois. Her current portfolio includes all levels of care: outpatient, residential, and early intervention services. Thoren has led the implementation of several SAMHSA grants serving vulnerable populations. She manages key institutional relationships for the organization including the Illinois Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR), Illinois Department of Corrections, and the Cook County Circuit Court. Thoren introduced Medication Assisted Therapies to Gateway when Suboxone was first approved for office-based use. Later, she proposed and implemented training all direct care staff in the use of naloxone, a first in Illinois. Thoren has long been an advocate for the behavioral health field; in 2010 she was awarded the Vince Bakeman Memorial Advocacy Award by Illinois Association for Behavioral Health. She has presented at a number of national conferences on the Opioid crisis.