Stephenie is an Illinois native but spent most of her life in California, where most of her work focused on substance use disorders, mental health, and behavior disorders. She has an extensive history of developing curriculum and programs for adolescents and adults with co-occurring substance use, mental health, and behavior disorders. 

Currently, Stephenie is Executive Director at Gateway Foundation Carbondale. She serves as a member of the Williamson County Drug Court, advocating for substance use treatment for clients through judicially supervised, therapeutic court, that ensures accountability and recovery. Early on, Stephenie pursued her Illinois Certified Alcohol and Drug Certification, California Community Care Licensing credential, and Instructor Trainer for Health and Safety Institute. She is also a board-certified International Problem Gambling Counselor and Co-Occurring Disorder Professional. She has extensive training with NAMI, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Applied Behavior Analysis.  

Her passion is to strengthen individuals, families, and communities by offering the opportunity and skills for a better life.