Meet Our Staff
Meet the rest of our residential substance abuse treatment center for troubled teens staff >>
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Benjamin Harris, LSAC I have always had an affinity for teenagers and after experiencing treatment via a family member I was hooked. My passion is teaching and this environment is ideal to teach in. There are 2 important reasons for choosing SunHawk. First is the focus this program has on treating substance abuse. Substance abuse treatment is my first love. Second reason is that SunHawk is a part of the Aspen group. Aspen's focus on personal and professional development makes it exciting every day. My passion is teaching life skills and helping people grow. I present well and am able to connect with people easily. I never settle for "status quo", I am always stretching to be better and create an environment where people can grow and reach their potential. I am a licensed substance abuse counselor and have been in this field for 17 years. |
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Jeff Johnson |
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Davee Chandler, LCSW My name is Davee Chandler and I am the Clinical Director at SunHawk Adolescent Recovery Center. My work at SunHawk involves supervision of the Clinical Department, which consists of the therapists and Nursing staff. We truly have an amazing team of dedicated professionals in our Department. The entire staff at SunHawk, including Clinical, Administrative, Program, Academic, and Support staff, works together as a team to provide quality services to the youth and family members we serve. SunHawk is a great place to be. My training and Orientation: I have been working in the helping professions since 1986. I received my Master of Social Work degree from the University of Utah and immediately began providing intensive individual and family psychotherapy. Initially I worked in an agency setting and specialized in providing therapy to young children and adolescents. I participated in some residential, hospital treatment at the same time. Following that work, I entered private practice and have maintained a successful practice for about 15 years. I worked primarily with adolescents and young adults in my private practice and helped them with all areas of their lives including addictions and substance abuse work. I participated in training other professionals and provided many hours of clinical supervision to other therapists. In addition to my private practice I have held a variety of positions including Clinical Director of an adult outpatient drug and alcohol treatment program. I have also been an instructor at Utah Valley State College. During that time I developed several original courses keyed toward family functioning. In addition, I am married to the most incredible woman on the planet with 5 amazing children ranging in age from 25 to 13, including two step-children. Most recently, I added the part of grandpa to my family roles and am enjoying that enormously. |
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Derek Buchi I began working at a substance abuse treatment center for adolescents in 1994. It didn't take long for me to realize I had a passion for working with those who struggle with addiction and that I had an ability to connect and relate with them. I continued to pursue my passion and my career and worked towards getting my license as a substance abuse counselor. Over the past 14 years I have had the opportunity to work for several adolescent substance abuse treatment centers throughout Utah in a variety of different settings, including general and intensive outpatient, day treatment and residential treatment. I also spent two years working with the adult population in residential treatment. I prefer working with the adolescent population due to the dramatic impact that can be made in such crucial years of their lives. I am married with two kids, one girl and one boy, and love spending time with my family. I am also a big sports fan and particularly enjoy baseball, basketball and football. I am committed and determined to do what I can to help improve the lives of individuals and families suffering from addiction. |
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Rodney Arnold My name is Rodney Arnold. I was married in August of 1997 and have 4 children. I enjoy being a father like I knew I would, but have also recognized the many difficulties of being a parent. I have a Masters Degree in Social Work and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). I began working at SunHawk in July 2004 as a therapist. After about 19 months in that role I took the position of Admissions Director. In September 2008 I returned to work in the clinical department and feel this is where I can best serve the families that we work with. I have a deep love of family and recognize the pivotal age of adolescence. It is very rewarding for me to work with families that are struggling and seeing relationships improve as students are able to gain understanding about themselves, life and how to be successful and happy. I enjoy playing softball, reading and spending time with my family. |
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Josh Larsen My name is Josh Larsen and I am a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor. I have had the privilege of working with struggling youth and their families in a professional setting for the past five years - four with SunHawk Adolescent Recovery Center. I can't imagine finding more peace in any other profession. Words can't describe my love and respect for the process of change and growth which lead a lost child home. Recovery is a family journey and it is a tremendous privilege to be a part of that journey with the families of these youth. I have a passion for music and love to write songs, play the guitar, and sing. Sports have always been a big part of my life - though I am by no means an all-star. I have an incredibly supportive wife and the two most amazing and beautiful children in the whole world - and one more on the way! |
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Mai Ferrell Hi my name is Mai Ferrell and I am a therapist at SunHawk Adolescent Recovery Center. I received my bachelors in Psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. I immediately went ton to obtain my Masters in Social Work from University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 2005. Since completing my graduate work, I have worked with a wide range of populations ranging from behavioral issues to substance abuse. My goal is to assist my clients in realizing the potential that they have. Once he/she realizes their capabilities, I believe that the sky is the limit. My hobbies include watching reality TV shows, reading, listening to music, traveling, and Sudoku puzzles. |
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Judy Burris |
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Arden Smith, LSAC I have always had a great desire to serve others in whatever capacity I could to help benefit someone's life. In 1995, I was introduced to working with adolescents in the residential treatment setting. I was immediately drawn in and fascinated. I enjoyed being able to work with adolescents who had several types of addictive and behavior issues. I knew that this is what I was supposed to do in life and began working with adolescents as a full-time counselor in the Juvenile Justice System. In 1997 I received my Bachelors Degree at Southern Utah University, with a major in Pre-Medicine/Zoology and a minor in Chemistry. In 2007, I earned my license as a Substance Abuse Counselor and continue to persue education and experience in the addictions and counseling field. I enjoy spending as much time with my children as possible and watching them mature and progress through life. They really keep me grounded and help me appreciate the simple things in life. My hobbies include all sports, two of my favorites being basketball and golf. I love to help people change, teach proper principles and help them find tools that will enable them to function successfully in their homes and communities. I enjoy training others on how to effectively deal with those that struggle with addiction and behavior issues. I find it a privilege to work with SunHawk Adolescent Recovery Center and the Aspen Education Group / CRC - organizations that take pride in providing great services and powerful, productive programming that allow families and youth to receive the help they need to be happy and successful in life. |
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Jody Williams |
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Dal Liston My name is Dal Liston, I'm the Operations Director. My hope in being a part of SunHawk Adolescent Recovery Center is to make a difference, both in the lives of students and staff. I've been in the business of helping young people and their families since 1987, and with SunHawk Adolescent Recovery Center since 2001. My passion is to contribute to SunHawk in a way that will allow therapists, teachers and staff to invest themselves in working with parents and students. I have discovered that as I help others and live outside of myself, I too learn and grow. I'm country at heart, I grew up on a ranch and have been involved with animals and ranching most of my life. I like sports and I like to be active. All of my spare time is spent with my family. |
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Alma Cardoza Hi, I am Alma, the receptionist/administrative assistant at SunHawk. I enjoy working at SunHawk because of the dedicated staff. The highlight of my position is when a student comes to SunHawk I am the first person they see. When a student graduates our program I am the last person they see and the difference between the two is remarkable! It is the reason why I come and work at SunHawk. I am a parent as well and would hope that if I was in the position of our clients, someone would treat me as I have treated the parents of our youth. I look forward to meeting the parents of our students at our workshops or during their visits to put a face with the familiar voices. Thank you for letting us be a part of your child's recovery. |
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NATSAP
Northwest Association of Accredited Schools