BALANCE HOUSE - Key Persons
Allie received her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work at the University of Utah. She spent the first six years of her career working for the State of Utah as a supervisor for the Department of Child and Family Services and has been with Balance House for three years. She has extensive experience working with extreme cases of child abuse, traumatized family systems, children in foster care, families in the criminal justice system and individuals with severe mental illness and substance use disorders. Allie believes that true change comes from the family system healing together and excels in working with families. She is heavily involved in our adventure therapy program and believes some of the best clinical work is done in the wilderness. Allie believes in looking at addiction through an attachment lens and specializes in the following modalities: Psychodrama, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Mind-Body Bridging, Emotion Focused Therapy, EMDR, and Trauma-Informed Care.
Job Titles:
- Client Services Specialist
Annie Tasse is a Michigan native from Metro-Detroit. She's a Midwesterner at heart but fell in love with the mountains of Salt Lake City a few years ago. She studied English and women & gender studies at Loyola university of Chicago and lived there for many years. She is a balance house alumni and person in long term recovery. She is passionate about helping others to regain self worth at the beginning stages of their recovery process and loves working with the clients at EVNSQ and the Balance House Programs.
Austin was born and raised in the South, growing up in Mississippi and North Carolina. Having been in addiction for most of his life, he moved to Utah in hopes of establishing a foundation of living a fulfilling, sober life. As a Balance House alum, he realized that one of the most important parts of his recovery is working with fellow alcoholics and addicts. He is an active member in the 12-step community, avid fly fisherman and outdoorsman, and sports enthusiast.
Brandon is the Program Director for our extended care program. Brandon is currently pursuing a Marketing degree through the David Eccles School of Business at the
University of Utah. Brandon loves that his job affords him the opportunity to assist and witness other men on their journey to becoming healthy, happy and successful individuals. Brandon is in long-term recovery and is an alumnus of Balance House. His experience allows him to develop relationships with clients on a more personal level so that they can easily relate to his story and path.
Brandon is well connected in the Balance House alumni network because he believes one of the most important elements of recovery is having a solid sober support network, so a big part of his focus is helping clients reach out and develop relationships with previous clients.
In his free time Brandon loves golfing, snowboarding, fly fishing, and hiking with his chocolate lab named "Marlo."
Job Titles:
- Program Director
- Member of the Local Recovery Community, Holding
Brian is a (retired) Jack Kerouac impersonator, voracious autodidact, unrepentant idealist, Tom Waits groupie, and reformed malcontent. Since getting sober, he has immersed
himself as vigorously in recovery as he did previously in his…extracurricular endeavors. Brian is an active member of the local recovery community, holding volunteer positions of advocacy and service at the local (Salt Lake City) and regional (Central/Western Utah) levels. He has held (and holds) positions of leadership and has been instrumental in the production of annual Young Peoples' recovery conferences in the state and is active in the mentorship of other recovering men. Brian is a firm believer that service to others is the ultimate ends of any meaningful recovery and spends a majority of his spare time putting his metaphorical money where his mouth is. Brian's greatest passion in life is to share the great fact with his fellow alcoholics and addicts (and the people who love them): that recovery *is* possible for anyone with the willingness, honesty, and open-mindedness to try.
After getting sober at age 20, Brianna found her passion in helping other young adults to find a life in recovery. She has worked in operations for treatment centers for more than 12 years and has consulted for a number of programs with a focus on alumni services, outcomes, and operating systems. She joined the EVNSQ/Balance House team after experiencing the revolving door of short-term treatment and watching Balance House alumni achieve sobriety at rates that were far above what she was seeing in other programs. She enjoys working in operations and attempts to make the treatment process as seamless as possible so patients and families can focus on healing. She has a bachelor's degree in business and political science and is currently perusing her MBA.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Director
- Partner
- LCSW, LSUDC Clinical Director, Partner
Catie received her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work along with Advanced Substance Use Disorder Training at the University of Utah. Catie spent most of her career in the public sector at non-profit facilities and federal and government agencies. She has extensive experience working with high acuity mental health patients, combat veterans, chronically homeless individuals and inmates at the Utah State Prison. This experience has prepared her to work with severe cases of PTSD, an array of personality disorders, trauma, substance use disorders and the Severely Mentally Ill. She is EMDR-certified and believes in looking at addiction through an attachment lens. Catie believes that people in recovery must first detach from addictive substances and behaviors in order to develop the capacity to build and sustain healthy relationships. Catie has implemented multiple evidenced-based practices into our facilities.
Charlie is originally from Memphis, TN. He was attending college in Knoxville, Tennessee when his addiction began to take hold of his life. After a few years of battling addiction in Tennessee, his mother made a last-ditch effort to send him to Utah to get help. He is a Balance House alumnus and through his time working with staff there, he was able to discover a passion for snowboarding and become an active member of a 12-step fellowship. He is currently at the University of Utah pursuing his Bachelor of Business degree.
Chris was born and raised in New York and spent a lot of his adult life in Colorado. He found his way to Utah to get sober and is an EVNSQ and Balance House alumnus. He is active in the Salt Lake recovery community and views it as a large piece to how he stays sober. He is passionate about helping clients on their road to recovery, skiing, fishing, snowmobiling, and spending time with his pets.
Chris is a Northern California native who traded the beach for the Utah mountains about a year ago. After receiving a marketing degree from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, he worked for a startup in Santa Monica. His passion for people led him to the restaurant business, where his addiction really took over. He is a Balance House alumnus and is so happy to be able to give back to the program that helped him start his sober life. Chris is an active member of a 12-step fellowship and a huge sports fan. In his free time, he enjoys playing in a sober golf league, playing basketball, going to the gym and hiking.
Ciaran, originally hailing from Southern California, is a Balance House alumnus. He credits his recovery from alcoholism and addiction to sustained dedication towards 12 step programs. Ciaran loves to share his passion for the outdoors with other struggling young men as this is also a crucial part of his sobriety. He spends his free time rock climbing, snowboarding, and reading.
Claire received her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of South Alabama and her Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California. Claire began her career working at a residential treatment center for adolescents with severe emotional, behavioral and substance use disorders. She then transferred to working with adults, families and excels in working with couples. Claire is EMDR-certified and works with attachment through various evidence-based modalities. Claire loves all things experiential therapy and likes to connect to her clients through outdoor recreation.
Job Titles:
- Outdoor Director
- SFR Outdoor Director
Colin Smith had the opportunity to go through treatment for his alcoholism in December of 2007. He became actively involved with 12-Step recovery programs while he was in sober living and was able to find his first love, the great outdoors. While he was cleaning up the wreckage that his addiction caused he was able to engage in many adventures and was able to hone his skills in backpacking, rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, white water kayaking and rafting, and wilderness emergency medicine. He knew how important it was for his sobriety and general life satisfaction to engage in the activities that he loves.
Colin entered the field of addiction treatment early in 2010 working for a young adult male wilderness program. This is where his passion for being in the wild places of the western united states and working with newly sober young men merged. He spent most of the last decade working with young men at a number of different programs before he landed at Legacy Outdoor Adventure where he ended his career in wilderness therapy as the Assistant Field Director. After leaving Legacy he was in charge of recreation therapy at a young adult program here in Salt Lake City before he joined the team at EVNSQ to build out and manage the adventuring element here.
Eric received his Master of Social Work and yoga teaching credentials from the University of Utah. He has spent most of his career working in the outdoors with young men and their families as they struggle with mental health and substance use disorders. Eric has also had the opportunity to work with inmates at the Salt Lake County Jail, developing a yoga program for prisoners enrolled in substance abuse treatment.
Eric takes a mind-body approach to therapy where experiential education and somatic awareness are practiced in conjunction with sitting and talking. He has completed training in Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement through the Center for Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development (C-MIIND) at the University of Utah. He has also completed training in Somatic and Attachment Focused (S.A.F.E.) EMDR.
His work with families and individuals is influenced by an understanding of neurobiology, stress physiology, and emerging research showing the beneficial effects of mindfulness-based interventions.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Outdoor Director
Grady is a Balance House alumnus and a person in long term recovery. He was born and raised in North Carolina, Grady moved to Utah after a long battle with grief, addiction, and depression. Relocating to Utah allowed him to build a new life filled with involvement in 12-step fellowships, mentorship, and service.
Grady is passionate about sharing his personal experience of turning pain into beauty with clients. When not in Salt Lake, you can find Grady on the Wildcat Chairlift at Alta Ski Area or the beaches of Ocracoke Island.
James received his Master of Social Work degree along with Advanced Substance Use Disorder Training at the University of Utah. James spent the beginning of his career in the public sector, working with the Utah Harm Reduction Coalition doing outreach for people seeking substance abuse and mental health treatment. James has experience working with treatment center settings with both men and women and is highly skilled when working with families. James is EMDR-certified and views addiction through the lens of attachment theory. James loves to take his patients off-site to fish, as he believes being in nature and practicing spirituality can be a healing experience for those in treatment. James works with individuals and families utilizing evidence-based practices of EMDR, Emotion Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations
- Director of Operations the Bloc
Janie studied History and Political Science during college and is passionate about politics, human rights & immigration policy. She was also a professional pastry chef for years and enjoyed her experience working in celebrity kitchens.
Janie is one of our Program Directors and is also a person in long-term recovery. She is passionate about sharing her experience, strength, and hope with those in early recovery. Janie has strong case management skills, possesses high levels of engagement, and excels when working with families. She also does an incredible job when it comes to instilling hope and motivation in our clients. In addition, she assists clients with executive functioning and provides them with humor to help them through their hard days.
Jon received his BS degree in the areas of Child Psychology, Social Work, and English Literature from the University of Minnesota. With years of extensive experience in
the treatment industry, he uses these skills, along with his personal experience in the process of achieving long-term sobriety, to focus on building strong
relationships with clients. He finds this makes it easier to help the client set and achieve goals for their future, work through their day to day problems, and share
some laughs along the way. Jon's personal philosophy with clients is based around the concept of "I'm the same as you (the client), just a few years ahead in the
Justin is originally from New Jersey. After struggling with alcoholism and addiction for a decade he finally found a solution through 12 Step programs. Having been through several treatment programs in the past, he wanted to be able to help those early in recovery the way he was helped. After over 6 years, the passion and love he has for helping others has only grown. Outside of work, Justin is an active member of several 12 step fellowships. In his free time he loves to climb, hike, and play video games.
Job Titles:
- LCSW Primary Therapist, Partner
- Primary Therapist, Partner
Katie received her Bachelor of Hospitality Management from the University of Nevada and her Master of Social Work at the University of Utah. Katie has experience working with sex offenders, an array of sexual addictions, homeless individuals, substance use disorders, and men in the criminal justice system. Katie is EMDR-certified and excels in working with families. Katie has been with the organization since 2014, serving as the Executive Director of our women's extended care program, guiding over 200 women in their recovery process. Katie works with individuals and families utilizing the following evidence-based practices: Emotion Focused Therapy, EMDR, Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
Logan is originally from Dallas, Texas. He struggled with addiction for most of his life and had no idea how to live as a responsible man while in active addiction. He is a Balance House Alumnus and an active member of a 12-step fellowship in Salt Lake City. He loves participating in the sober sports leagues in the Valley, and he is passionate about helping other men find their self-worth in early recovery.
Lolly received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Utah Valley University and Master of Social Work along with Advanced Substance Use Disorder Training at the University of Utah. She spent the first part of her career working for the Department of Child and Family Services. She has extensive experience working with extreme cases of child abuse, traumatized family systems, children in foster care, families in the criminal justice system and individuals with severe mental illness and substance use disorders. Lolly believes true change comes from the family system healing together. Lolly works with individuals and families and is our lead assessment specialist due to her heavy psychology background and vast knowledge in diagnostics.
Job Titles:
- Chief Development Officer
- Partner
- CADC Chief Development Officer, Partner
With over 21 years of experience in the industries of Mental Health, Substance-Abuse, and Recovery, Mark is a veteran of healthcare program development and marketing. His roles have included Admissions, Business Development, Direct Care and Supervision inside therapeutic settings, as well as Therapeutic Program Management. Mark also helped to start and operate five highly regarded treatment programs around the country.
Mark's greatestaccomplishment is getting sober. There was a time when addiction controlled his life.With much support from his family and others in recovery, he was able to break the cycle of addiction at the age of 21.It has now become his mission to make the gift of recovery more accessible to others. He believes there is hope for every young adult, that they-and their families-may find a new life.To quote his favorite line from theBig Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, "It works, it really does!"
Mark is married to Jackie and has a son, David.They havetwo dogs, Dakota and Duke.MarkIs a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan,and also attemptsto play golf(but plays poorly).
Mark is a New York native from Westchester County. He moved to Utah to get sober and is a Balance House alumnus. He studied ecology and music at University of Vermont. He loves live music, playing golf, chess, and spending time in the mountains. He is passionate about connecting with clients and forming strong relationships.
Mason is currently a student at Salt Lake Community College pursuing a degree in business. He is an alumnus of Balance House and has been working in the field of recovery for three years. Due to his extensive personal and professional experience with addiction, he has a unique perspective that allows him to build meaningful relationships with the men that he works closely with at Balance House. In his free time, Mason can be found hanging out with his friends and family or hitting the links on the golf course.
McKenzie received her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work along with Advanced Substance Use Disorder Training at the University of Utah. McKenzie spent the beginning of her career as a Development Director, writing grants to increase access for individuals in need of substance abuse treatment. She also worked with Utah policymakers to help create the Justice Reinvestment Initiative which promotes treatment versus incarceration. McKenzie has experience working with dual diagnosis patients, complex family systems, couples, trauma and grief and loss. McKenzie is EMDR-certified and works with individuals to help them connect to their values and live a purpose-driven life. McKenzie works with individuals and families utilizing the following evidence-based practices: EMDR, Trauma-Informed Care, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Motivational interviewing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Grief and Loss Counseling, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Couples and Family Therapy.
Megan was born and raised in Houston, TX and came out to Utah 4 years ago for treatment and loved it so much that she decided to make Utah her permanent home. She loved living at Balance House so much that she was thrilled when a job opened up; she has worked in recovery since getting sober in 2015 and is dedicated to helping other addicts get back to living the life they want.
Michael is a Balance House Alumni. Originally from Arizona, he played football for 12 years until a series of concussions lead his sports career to an end. Since moving to Utah, he has a found a new passion for golf and has become an avid member of Good Time Golf, a sober golf league that is active all throughout the Salt Lake Valley. He is passionate about his recovery and enjoys giving back to newly sober individuals.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Clinical Director
- LCSW Associate Clinical Director
Nan received her Bachelor of Social Work at Utah State University and her Master of Social Work at the University of Utah. As part of her graduate degree, she did a study abroad in Mongolia, studying homeless youth and video game addiction. She spent the beginning of her career in the non-profit sector, treating men with substance use disorders, personality disorders, and individuals involved in the criminal justice system. She has extensive experience with treating complex substance use disorders and mental illness. She has worked with extreme cases including veterans, chronically homeless individuals, the Severely Mentally Ill and inmates at the Utah State Prison. She specializes in the following modalities: EMDR, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Moral Reconation Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Animal Assisted Therapy and Trauma-Informed Care.
Natalie was born and raised in Utah Country. She attended cosmetology school shortly after graduating high school and has owned her own salon for over twelve years. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Utah Valley University and plans to attend the University of Utah's clinical mental health counseling graduate program. She is passionate about helping others and enjoys building and fostering meaningful relationships with others. She loves sports, biking, reading, yoga, ping pong and gaming in her free time.
Rachel is originally from Los Angeles, California. She moved to Utah to get sober and begin her recovery journey. She is an active member of the Salt Lake Recovery Community and is passionate about giving back to the 12-step fellowship that she found so helpful in her early recovery. She loves the outdoors, cooking, water activities, and the chilly, Utah snow.
Renée is a recovering alcoholic and is active in the sober community. She is passionate about helping people in early recovery and is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Social Work at Salt Lake Community College. In her free time, she finds the most enjoyment from socializing with fellow alcoholics, hiking with her pups, listening to mystery podcasts, and doing hot yoga.
Robert graduated from the University of Texas, and he completed his internship and residency at Baylor University Medical Center before moving to Utah to complete his Fellowships.
His own experience with addiction was so profoundly moving that he felt compelled to help others find the kind of grace and freedom that he has been given in recovery.
Robert has worked treating patients with substance use disorders in a variety of settings, from clinics serving patients that are experiencing homelessness, to treatment centers that treat celebrities. He Joined Balance House as the Medical Director in 2018. Robert finds the unique and personalized approach to caring for people at Balance House refreshing. He also enjoys the collaborative relationships that he has with therapeutic and programmatic staff and also enjoys working closely with family systems. Perhaps most interesting and rewarding to him is to follow patients from admission throughout their treatment at Balance House, seeing them transform into people who emerge with a new sense of freedom in recovery.
Robert is Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, The American Board of Addiction Medicine, and the American Board of Preventative Medicine and Addiction Medicine. He is a fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is Adjunct Faculty at The University of Utah in the Department of Psychiatry. He also serves as the Medical Consultant to the State Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health and is the Medical Director of The Utah Professionals' Health Program.
Russ is a S.L.C native, he has a passion for family, playing drums, mountain biking, and the outdoors.
Russ has been involved in health care since he sustained a traumatic brain injury after a car accident when he was in his 20s. After a year of speech therapy, he started volunteering in nursing homes before getting released to go back to work. He eventually worked as a recreational assistant and later began working with individuals with autism by helping them gain independence in their lives. Russ worked in marketing for a home health company for 7 years developing relationships with medical clinics, hospitals and nursing facilities. Russ has always had a passion for helping others in need.
Ryan was born and raised in the Bay area of California and moved to Utah to attend residential treatment. He has been an involved and active member of a 12-step fellowship since he got sober. He is a person in long-term recovery and spends his free time with family, friends, working out, and barbequing. He is passionate about helping men in early recovery recognize the beauty that comes along with living a sober lifestyle.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Partner
- CSW Executive Director, Partner
Tony received his Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work degree at the University of Utah and is one of the founders of Balance House.. Along with being a clinician, Tony is also our Executive Director and oversees each phase of the Balance House Program. He has been an integral part of the organization since its inception in 2012. Tony excels in building meaningful, strong relationships and firmly believes in the principles behind the Balance House philosophy. He provides a strong foundation to our culture, and his personal experience in long-term recovery has helped him develop outstanding leadership qualities that have allowed him to guide many men through their own recovery journeys.
Trevor grew up in Salt Lake and enjoys the outdoors. He is completing his Bachelor of Psychology from the University of Utah and hopes to be admitted to their Master of Social Work program. Trevor fell in love with psychology in high school and plans on becoming an LCSW. He loves playing hockey, pickleball and snowmobiling in his free time.
Yuri, originally from Connecticut, came to Salt Lake City in pursuit of a life free of substances. As both an EVNSQ and Balance House alum, he hopes to help mentor and guide other men through their own journey of recovery and sobriety. Yuri has a fervent passion for chess and fishing and is eager to encourage others to explore their own interests in their newfound lives.