Dr. Matthew Christiansen, Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), plans and directs West Virginia’s efforts in combating the addiction epidemic. He was appointed to this position in October 2020 by Governor Jim Justice.

Dr. Christiansen is dual board certified in Addiction Medicine and Family Medicine and serves as Associate Professor in the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Health, Division of Addiction Sciences where he practices primary care and addiction medicine. Prior to his appointment to the Office of Drug Control Policy, Dr. Christiansen was active in treatment of addiction/dependence across the lifespan. He has lectured in multiple states on addiction issues from a public health and primary care perspective.

Dr. Christiansen earned an MD and MPH from Marshall University.

J.K. is a native of Buckhannon. He is proud to be coordinating the statewide peer network, WV Recovers.Org. He is a person in long term recovery living with dual diagnosis and co-morbid histories. His unique skill sets, education and enhanced life experiences have created opportunity, leveraging his life experiences into useful tools for himself and others. His success can be attributed to a combination of hope, personal responsibility, education, self-advocacy and support. McAtee has been involved in the mental health and substance misuse resilience field for 24 years, having started out in Peer Support positions and later advocacy. J.K. now focuses upon program development to benefit the peer community. He has found purpose in helping peers by creating opportunities to change and lead a more fulfilling life.

Jim has working the field of substance use and mental health for over 35 years. His background involves development and administration of residential and outpatient program for adults and youth. He relocated to West Virginia in 2009 to oversee the "Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment" grant to integrate screening for risking substance use into primary care, school, behavioral health program and hospitals.

My name is Heather Bergdall and I am am from Moorefield, WV. I currently work as the Peer Recovery Support Specialist Supervisor at Potomac Highlands Guild. I have been in recovery for 8 years from 16 years addiction to methamphetamine and opioids. I am very passionate about recovery and want to be able to provide hope and freedom to those that are still suffering. I am married and have two beautiful children. I owe all the glory to God for my transformation and success. I enjoy reading devotionals, recovery meetings, listening to music and spending time with family and friends.

My name is Eric Vacovsky, and I am the DOCR Peer Recovery Support Specialist at Potomac Highlands Guild. I successfully completed the "G.O.A.L.S." program at Northern Regional Jail in October of 2021 and have been passionately chasing my dream to become a recovery coach ever since. I have been in active recovery for 2 years now from over 20 years of abusing opiates and methamphetamine. Potomac Highlands Guild has blessed me with the opportunity to help others and to provide to them the resources they need to live a healthy and productive lifestyle.

Christina Veselak, MS, CN, LMFT (in CO) has been a licensed psychotherapist and addiction recovery/relapse prevention specialist for over 35 years. Along with tremendous experience and training in supporting the emotional, social and spiritual components of recovery, her long-time expertise as a mental health nutritionist allows her to effectively address many of the biochemical aspects of addictive disorders, including sugar, using dietary and supplement recommendations. Her own journey of recovery from PTSD, co-dependency and a myriad of health issues provides her with deep compassion, understanding, and personal experience of hope and transformation.

She is the founder and director of the Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition which teaches practitioners how to use diet, along with amino acid and nutrient therapy to help prevent cravings and recurrent use in their clients by restoring neurotransmitter function and keeping blood sugar in balance. She currently provides on-line Relapse Prevention/Recovery Coaching and Mental Health Nutrition to a wide variety of clients, through her clinic, Garden Gate Counseling and Consultation (www.garden-gatecounseling.com). Finally, she is delighted to offer the non-profit organization, Eating Protein Saves Lives, Inc. as a source of life-saving information about optimally feeding the recovering brain, thus providing people with a solid foundation for their recovery journey.

Marla Oros currently serves as President of The Mosaic Group, a health care management consulting firm located in Baltimore, Maryland that provides technical assistance to health and human service organizations, public agencies and foundations in the areas of strategic planning, business development, program design and operations analysis. Ms. Oros holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and a Masters of Science in Health Care Administration from Towson State University. Ms. Oros has over 38 years professional experience in community-based health care, program development and health care administration.

Amy Saunders, M.A., is the managing director of the MU Center of Excellence for Recovery at Marshall University, where she oversees multiple behavioral health initiatives on campus, in the community as well as statewide. She received a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Marshall University and has over 25 years of experience working in the fields of behavioral health and public health. Saunders served as the director of Marshall’s Wellness Center for over fifteen years where she implemented multiple health and wellness initiatives on campus, including policy initiatives. She has served as the director of a school-based mental health program overseeing services to students in five middle schools. She has authored and received over 30 public and mental health-related grants where she has served as a Principal Investigator (PI) or as an Evaluator. Saunders has assisted with strategic planning and coalition development on campus and within the local community and state. She is a founding member of the West Virginia Collegiate Initiative to Advance Healthy Campus Communities, an organization working to provide education and prevention interventions on higher education campuses in West Virginia. She serves as an advisory member on the Governor’s Council on Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment and is a Co-Chair for the Prevention Subcommittee.

Carrie Cunningham is the current Project Coordinator for the WV Peer Hub under the Marshall University Center of Excellence. Ms. Cunningham is a certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist and has 5 years of providing recovery support services to individuals struggling with substance use disorders in a variety of community settings.

Dave has enjoyed a 29-year career in the behavioral healthcare field. He has worked in a variety of roles during that time including serving in state government, working for non-profits, and consulting with community advocates and policy makers. His experience includes leading workshops on a variety of topics, participating on nonprofit boards, grant writing, federal grant reviewer, and serving as a public policy analyst. He also has had experience administrating programs that serve individuals who are homeless as the previous Director of the Kanawha County Drop-In Center. His current role is the Recovery Supports Advisor for the Department of Health & Human Resources Bureau for Behavioral Health Adult Division of Substance Use Disorders which is the state agency responsible for West Virginia’s public mental health and substance use disorder treatment and recovery system of care. He is also co-coordinator for the WV Leadership Academy which is a nationally recognized leadership and advocacy program. Dave is also a person in long term recovery from Depression and a Substance Use Disorder.

Jim has worked in the field of substance use and mental health for over 35 years. His background involves the development and administration of residential and outpatient programs for adults and youth. He relocated to West Virginia in 2009 to oversee the "Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment" grant (SBIRT). In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his dogs, running, hiking and music.

Tahnee Bryant is the Substance Use Prevention and Expanded School Mental Health Program Manager 2 for the WVDHHR Bureau for Behavioral Health. She also serves as West Virginia’s National Prevention Network (NPN) representative. Mrs. Bryant currently serves as the Chairperson for the WV Prevention Steering Committee and Co-Chair for the Expanded School Mental Health Leadership Team. Mrs. Bryant has over 25 years’ experience within the behavioral health field in various leadership positions. In addition to teaching at the primary level early in her career she has also served as instructor within Higher Education. Mrs. Bryant has an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and a Graduate degree in Leadership, both from Marshall University.

Diana Ketterman Thorne is a mental health educator, counselor, speaker, and author. Her memoir, A Child of Royalty: An Inspired Message of Hope in Mastering Mental Health , details her struggle to get help for her mother, who suffered with an undiagnosed mental illness and her father incapacitated with a brain tumor. Her book is a Red City Book Review five-star, first place winner, and her story has been promoted by the National Institute for Civil Discourse. Diana’s memoir is based on Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Diana has co-presented for United Way and the National Alliance on Mentally Illness (NAMI) with CNN writer and senior producer Wayne Drash and Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds. She also is a co-author of a Virginia regional United Way community mental health report.

Diana is a certified Virginia award-winning teacher, a Mental Health First Aid Certified Instructor, Certified Grief Recovery Specialist and Pastoral Counselor. She is the author of two children’s workbooks, Making Sense of Me and Behind the Mask: Dealing with Anger, Grief, and Rejection and the Integrated Mental Health - Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum Package.

Diana brings a message of hope to the church, relating her personal experience to inspire others to run the race knowing that God works everything for our good.

Diana is the owner of Mastering Mental Health, LLC, Breaking the Silence and Shame of Mental Illness and The Cabin Retreat, LLC, a Sanctuary for the Soul.

Jaime is a 2004 graduate of West Virginia University receiving a B.S. in speech pathology and audiology with a minor in communication studies and gerontology. In 2014, she received her master’s in health care administration from Ohio University. She has over 13 years of direct practice and leadership experience in outpatient, inpatient treatment facilities, and managed care.

Jaime is currently employed as the Recovery and Resiliency Administrator on the System of Care Team with Aetna Better Health of WV. She is the subject matter expert at the plan in prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Jaime has extensive knowledge of the Medicaid guidelines, prior authorization process, and meeting medical necessity for PRSS services in WV.
Jaime is passionate about substance use disorder treatment and the people that are touched by the disease. Her objective is to be of service to the field by encouraging and supporting the next generation of therapists, case managers, and peer recovery coaches who are seeking certification to provide an excellent standard of care. Her passion is to assist as many qualified professionals through the certification process as possible, in an effort to improve the quality of the services provided to our clients.

She serves on the WVCBAPP board where she is a part of the certification committee. She provides AADC and ADC supervision to anyone meeting the criteria to sit for certification testing. She is the WVCBAPP liaison on the WVAADC board.

Kobie H. Coburn is the Bureau of Justice Project Coordinator at Marshall University Research Center. Previously, he was the Crisis Unit Director at Mingo County Health Department where he oversaw the QRT, LEAD and Harm Reduction Programs.

Kobie was an educator for over 20 years where he worked as administrator, teacher and as a director. The job he enjoyed the most in education was working with teens and young adults in the career technical education fields. He is a “hands-on” person who wants to be involved in the doing of projects, not only the supervision.

Kobie got involved in social services related work after a personal traumatic experience is his own life that led him to retire from education and want to help other people not go through the pain he went through. He states that the tragic loss of his father changed who he was and his outlook on life.

Kobie refers to himself as a constant learner and holds degrees from Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, West Virginia Institute of Technology, a Master of Science from Marshall and a post-graduate degree from Salem International University.
His hobbies include Target shooting, restoring old cars, motorcycling and playing gospel music in church. He states that he is blessed with his wonderful wife, Diana (his best friend), his daughter Ashley and her husband Randy Toney. He is a member of God’s Lighthouse Church.

• Peer Recovery Support Specialist & Program Manager for Logan County Quick Response Team (QRT)
• Peer Recovery Support Specialist Supervisor for the Southwestern Regional Day Report Center Logan County, WV
• Peer Recovery Support Specialist Supervisor for the Logan Regional Med Center ER Reverse the Cycle Program.
• Proud & loving father of three successful adult children (2 sons & one daughter)
• High school graduate of Harts High School Class of 1984 (Lincoln County, WV)
• Proud retired U.S. Navy Veteran
• My name is John Kangas and I am a recovering addict/alcoholic. My struggles started at the age of 12. I grew up with very loving, supportive, hardworking middle class parents. At 12 years old, I was introduced to drugs & alcohol because of the people I was hanging around. By the age of 19, I was fully hooked on alcohol which eventually would lead me to 20 years of slowly drinking my life into unmanageable destruction. It wasn’t until I found myself in serious trouble in the military & had lost everything dear to me that my addiction became real to me. On June 20, 1998 I walked into the rooms of AA broken, beaten & lost. I found hope that day & have been clean & sober since. Since that day my life has been anything but perfect, but I can say that it has definitely been better than any day I spent getting drunk/high. My road of recovery has been long & very rewarding. I am currently a Recovery Coach & get the pleasure of helping other people struggling with addiction each and every day by sharing my experience, strength & hope. God has truly blessed me with a second chance today. I can stand in front of people and say that recovery is possible.

Lindsay Acree, Pharm.D., AE-C is an assistant professor at the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy and is a native of South Charleston. She received her pharmacy degree from the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy in 2013 and completed a PGY1 residency in academia/ambulatory care also with the University of Charleston. Dr. Acree provides patient care in the Family Health Associates of South Charleston. She also trains in naloxone administration throughout the state of WV and manages several naloxone grants for the WVDHHR. In addition to clinical services, Dr. Acree co-coordinates the Lifestyles course in the first year of the pharmacy curriculum that focuses on over-the-counter medication use. She also offers an elective to P2 students in Substance Use Disorders and teaches several courses in pharmacotherapy including substance use, tobacco cessation, asthma, medical marijuana, and COPD.

Jim has working the field of substance use and mental health for over 35 years. His background involves development and administration of residential and outpatient program for adults and youth. He relocated to West Virginia in 2009 to oversee the "Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment" grant to integrate screening for risking substance use into primary care, school, behavioral health program and hospitals.

Dr. Ronni Rittenhouse is the chairperson of the Certification Committee of the West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction and Prevention Professionals, and is a retired psychotherapist and addictions counselor formerly in private practice in Wheeling, West Virginia.  Previously she was with the Wheeling Clinic, Department of Behavioral Medicine.  A therapist for over forty years, she was the Associate Executive Director at Northern Panhandle Behavioral Health Center in Wheeling, West Virginia until 1986.  She holds a B.A. in speech pathology from Adelphi University, an M.S. in special education from Hunter College, City University of New York, a Ph.D. in Human Services and Counseling from Pacific Western University and a doctoral Certificate of Advanced Study in counseling from West Virginia University.  

A retired Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Certified Social Worker, Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor and  Certified Clinical Supervisor, Dr. Rittenhouse was a fellow and diplomate of the American Board of Medical Psychotherapists.  She was the past president of the West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction and Prevention Professionals (WVCBAPP) and has been on the Board of Directors of the West Virginia Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (WVAADC).  She was an oral examiner for the WVCBAPP and is credentialed by the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium, Alcohol and Other Drugs of Abuse, (ICRC/AODA).  

Dr. Rittenhouse lives in Wheeling with her husband Paul, and their dogs Grover and Domino.

Keith King, Lis Psy, is the 1115 Program Manager with the Bureau for Medical Services.

Susie Mullens is a licensed psychologist, licensed professional counselor, certified advanced alcohol & drug counselor, & supervisor. She is the program coordinator for the WV Collegiate Recovery Network which is housed at Marshall University Research Corp. Alliance for the Economic Development of Southern WV, to help expand collegiate recovery efforts on 8 campuses in southern WV. She was formerly the Interim Director of the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP). While at ODCP she was responsible for securing the seed money (100K) for 5 collegiate recovery programs in WV.

Prior to ODCP she was the Director of Operations for the Association of Recovery in Higher Education, served as a Recovery Specialist helping establish the WVU Collegiate Recovery Program at West Virginia University and was the Mid-Atlantic Regional Representative on the ARHE Board of Directors. Susie is currently a member of the ARHE Advisory Committee and is the recipient of the 2021 ARHE Advocate of the Year Award.

She is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Vice President for NAADAC, WVAADC treasurer, and also a past president of the association.

Sheila Moran, MSW, LSW, ICGC, is Director of Communications and Marketing for First Choice Services, a West Virginia-based non-profit that operates 15 helplines for behavioral health, social services, and addictions. She coordinates strategy and creative design for mass media campaigns and social media and specializes in gaining earned media. Her efforts have resulted in FCS reaching 100,000+ help seekers per year. She enjoys presenting on topics related to mental health resources, problem gambling, and outreach strategies for social services organizations.

She has a master’s degree in Social Work and is a Licensed Social Worker. She is also an Internationally Certified Gambling Counselor.

Ann Hammond holds a Regents Bachelor of Arts degree from FSU. Ann currently works at First Choice Services where she started out as a Peer Recovery Coach before becoming the Program Director of HELP4WV, 211 and PRC programs.

Meghan Trivison graduated with a Master's Degree in Human Resources Management from Marshall University, and holds a PHR certification from HRCI. She is currently the Director of Human Resources with First Choice Services.

Marie Bechtel has served as the supervising attorney of the Beckley office of Legal Aid of West Virginia, Inc. since 2010, and is a solo practitioner with her private firm, Bechtel Law Office, PLLC, through which she frequently serves as a guardian ad litem and is a state-certified family court mediator. At Legal Aid, Marie currently represents Jobs & Hope participants state-wide in civil legal issues surrounding re-entry and removing barriers to employment, including an emphasis on expungements. Marie is the co-owner of Red Bench Weddings, LLC, a wedding-officiant business created to ensure that all persons in her area have equal, unfettered access to marriage; she also serves on the City of Beckley’s Human Rights Commission. She is a 1999 graduate of West Virginia University and a 2002 graduate of the WVU College of Law.

Brendan Wood created the first substance use disorder focused medical legal partnership in West Virginia in 2019, providing civil legal services, including driver's license reinstatements, expungements, and other forms of legal representation and advice to people in recovery. Brendan currently takes referrals from four recovery organizations in three counties, and he hopes to expand the project statewide in the near future.

Raj is the Lead Regional Coordinator for the WV ODCP Action County Program. He works for the Potomac Highlands Guild, in the 8 counties of Region-2. He has worked in Substance Use Prevention since 2015 on multiple BBH programs. He has a Masters of Public Health, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health. Raj has presented research in SUD at numerous international conferences. He is Co-Chair of the Recovery Subcommittee of the Governor’s Council on Substance Abuse and Treatment, and is a Board member of the WV Clinical Translational Sciences Institute, and WV Local Health, Inc. Raj lives in Grant County. Importantly, he is a person in long-term recovery and a WV certified PRSS.

Stephanie Stout is the ODCP Regional Coordinator of Region 2. She resides in Martinsburg, West Virginia. For over five years she has worked tirelessly to provide recovery resources to her community and others throughout West Virginia. Stephanie brings a plethora of connections and insight to her position. She previously worked as the Recovery Services Coordinator of the Berkeley County Recovery Resource Center. She assisted in the implementation of the Berkeley Quick Response Team, recovery coaches in the emergency department, providers offices, and the harm reduction program of Berkeley County. She is certified nationally as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist and is a certified trainer for various CCAR curricula and the McShin Foundation Leadership & Recovery Coaching curriculum. She serves on the Board of Directors for the West Virginia Association of Recovery Resource Centers, the West Virginia Alliance for Recovery Residences, and the Recovery Subcommittee of the Governor's Council on Substance Abuse, Treatment, and Prevention. As a person in recovery, Stephanie continues to stay highly involved in advocacy and helping those that are a marginalized population receive connection to resources and the services they deserve.

Keith King, Lis Psy, is the 1115 Program Manager with the Bureau for Medical Services.