Morgan Henson

Assistant Director of Program Development

Morgan works with the Ascension program development team doing market research, developing business plans, and creating policies and procedures for their expanding list of clients. She has experience working with The Joint Commission and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) enabling her to provide quality services for Ascension’s clientele.  Morgan has previously led outreach efforts for the clinical side of Ascension, where she engaged with other professionals across the region. She is a state certified peer recovery coach in West Virginia and a person in long-term recovery. Morgan works closely with West Virginia Sober Living and has organized multiple fundraising events to support the expansion of the organization. Before joining Ascension, Morgan gained experience in the field of addiction by serving as a house manager of women-only sober living facilities in Dallas, Texas, and West Virginia. She is a proud native of Morgantown, West Virginia, where she graduated from University High School before pursuing studies at West Virginia University, minoring in addiction studies and criminology. Additionally, Morgan has previous management experience in the customer service industry specializing in sales and advertising.

Jason Batten

LPC, AADC, CTT | Senior Manager of Clinical Consulting

Jason has specialized in treating people diagnosed with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. In his decade of behavioral health and human service experience, Jason has held positions ranging from outpatient mental health counselor to director of operations within a 70+ bed facility. Jason has expertise in peer recovery services and developed one of the leading peer-recovery training programs in West Virginia. Jason has a master's degree in Professional Counseling as well as a Master of Business Administration specializing in Healthcare Management. Jason is able to bring together his clinical expertise and business management training and experience to help programs and organizations thrive both clinically and operationally.

Julie Kniceley

Implementation Manager

Julie attended West Virginia University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication – Organizational/Industrial Communication. She furthered her education in Communication at WVU and received a Master of Arts in Communication, with emphasis on behavioral health. She has worked in the behavioral health field in many different areas. She started as a case manager at a Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center and worked her way up to a Director of Adult/Children’s crisis, case management, therapy services, and utilization review. Julie left community behavioral health to join forces with a community hospital as Director of the psychiatric inpatient and outpatient services. Julie provided management and oversight to an 18-bed geriatric psychiatric unit and a 34-bed adult psychiatric unit. She also provided management of their outpatient psychiatric clinic.

Jessica DiBiasio

Senior Manager of Regulatory Compliance

Jessica began her career as a clinician working with people diagnosed with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Jessica then went on to spend several years as a Compliance Director for a multi-state behavioral healthcare organization. Jessica has also worked for health plans focusing on the administration of Medicare Advantage products and complying to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations. Jessica’s clinical background along with her compliance experience assists organizations to bridge the gap between providing exceptional clinical care and being operationally compliant. Jessica holds a master’s degree in Clinical Counseling and is also a Certified Professional Compliance Officer (CPCO) through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).

 

Lauren DeWitt

Business Development Manager

Lauren leads Ascension RS’s marketing and outreach efforts and supports program development.  Lauren attended Pennsylvania State University for her undergraduate studies and majored in Bio-Behavioral Health.  Lauren has an extensive background in finance, marketing, and business development for both for-profit and non-profit organizations, domestically and internationally.

Angela Kudurogianis

Operations Manager

Angela is a West Virginia native and graduated from West Virginia University in 2011 with a BA in Psychology. Upon graduating college, she worked in the mental health field specializing in neuropsych testing. Following that, Angela worked extensively in project management and business operations. During that time, she obtained her real estate license where she gained experience in both sales and investments.  At Ascension, Angela develops and implements company policies and procedures and provides oversight in the operations to ensure the overall goals of the company are met.

Sharon Leech

Administrative Support

Sharon is a long-time resident of West Virginia and earned a master’s degree in education from WVU. In addition to teaching in the Morgantown school system, she is a licensed real estate agent. Sharon offers administrative support for the Program Development and Outreach teams at Ascension. She has enjoyed working on a variety of fund-raising events such as the Betty Puskar Breast Care Center fashion show, the WVU Cancer Center gala and Mon Health Ball of the Year, but she is most happy to be the adopted “house mom” for the wonderful residents at WV Sober Living. Sharon is the proud mom of Doug, Leila and Christy and beautiful grandson Dougie.

Brandon Younciak

Senior Staff Accountant

Brandon Younciak graduated from West Virginia University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration-Finance in 2014. He started his career working in the Provost Office Expert Business Office as an Accounting Assistant. While working, he went on to obtain his master’s degree in Communication Studies from West Virginia University. He is also a graduate of the Mountaineer Leadership Academy. Through his dedication at West Virginia University, he worked his way up to a Budget Analyst position in the Administrative Units Shared Service Center (AUSSC). He was a vital part of the AUSSC by managing multiple budgets and grants.  Brandon is now a vital part of the Ascension team as Senior Staff Accountant. He has developed new policies and procedures and has brought extensive accounting knowledge to the company.

Lauren is from Summersville, WV and graduated from Fairmont State University in 2020 with her bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Business Administration - Marketing. She and her husband reside in Fairmont, WV.

Kevin Massie

Financial Analyst

Kevin is a West Virginia native and proud son of Marshall University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics. He continued his education at Morehead State University, earning a master’s degree in business administration. Kevin joins the company with previous accounting experience involving payroll, human resources, financial analysis, and tax reporting. In his free time, Kevin and his wife enjoy traveling, being outdoors, and visiting with friends and family.

Brad Pershing

Lead Senior Associate of Program Development, MS, PRC

Brad Pershing attended Marshall University on an academic scholarship, where he earned a B.A. degree in Business Administration and a M.S. degree in Healthcare Administration.  In graduate school he co-authored a research project that was published in the peer reviewed accredited Permamente Journal of Medicine. Prior to WVSL and Ascension, Brad worked at Recovery Point West Virginia, the same organization that established his own long-term recovery.  At Recovery Point, he specialized in coordination of the daily operations of a 70-bed long-term residential treatment program.  His career experience and education have collectively developed him into a compassionate and motivated advocate in the recovery field.

Lauren Seggie

Project Coordinator

Lauren is a Morgantown, WV native and graduated from West Virginia University with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Communication Studies. After graduating from WVU, Lauren worked as the Operations Manager for a statewide non-profit organization that empowers women to join the workforce in non-traditional careers. During this role, she assisted with financial management, grant management, community and workforce development, and strategic planning. Lauren is a person in long-term recovery and the proud mother of one son, Ezra. In her free time, she loves hiking, spending time with her family, and trying new restaurants. At Ascension Recovery Services, Lauren provides oversight to all program development clients by working with the Ascension RS team members and leadership to ensure all tasks are completed and communication is efficient. Lauren is currently completing her Master of Social Work degree at West Virginia University.

Seth Dolinsky

Senior Associate of Program Development, Northeast Region

Seth has spent the last decade specializing in operational management within the behavioral health field. He spent several years directing St. Paul Sober Living, a highly structured case management sober living program based in Minnesota and Colorado, and most recently was the Treatment Director of Beauterre Recovery Institute, a 62 bed dual diagnosis inpatient treatment center located in Minnesota. A New England native, Seth focuses on project management of the programs Ascension is developing in that region.

Charles "Chris" Watras

LICSW, MAC, SUDP | Senior Associate of Program Development, Southeast Region

Chris holds a Master of Social Work degree from Western Carolina University. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Substance Use Disorder Professional, and Master Addiction Counselor with over 20 years’ experience working in human services.  Prior to working with Ascension RS, Chris lived in Washington State where he was the Medication Assisted Treatment Program Director for one of the largest community health centers in the United States, Sea Mar CHC. There he developed and implemented their comprehensive, addiction medicine program and approach to chronic pain treatment.  Before that, Chris was the Clinic Director and Supervisor of an opioid treatment program in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina.

In recent years, Chris’ work has been featured on NBC News & The Seattle Times for advocating better access to substance use disorder treatment.  Chris was the 2020 Helping Us Help You award recipient from the Northwest Regional Primary Care Association for his work in developing the Responding to the Opioid Epidemic Conference and Healthcare Provider & Staff Resiliency During Covid 19 webinar series for Region X (AK, ID, OR & WA) health centers.  Chris continues to remain involved as a founding member of the Partners In Care Conference that focuses on best practice, skills-based training for primary care and behavioral health providers. 

Terry Danielson

Senior Associate of Program Development

Terry Danielson is a certified Peer Support Specialist through the West Virginia Certification Board For Addiction and Prevention Professionals.  Terry has worked in the field treating Substance Use Disorder for close to 8 years and has added experience in mental health and addressing homelessness in the state of West Virginia.  Terry served as a Program Director for over four years for one of the largest peer recovery residences in the state of West Virginia and Executive Director of the same organization before joining the West Virginia Sober Living Team as Southern Program Manager.  Mr. Danielson has since transitioned to Ascension Recovery Services working in Program Development. Terry attributes leadership qualities to the United States Military and his passion for helping others to his peers in long-term recovery. 

Maggie Beck received her BA in Social Work and Urban Affairs from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She then moved to Morgantown to complete a Master of Social Work and a Master of Public Administration from West Virginia University. She has worked in recreational program development for several local governments, created curriculum for youth leadership summits, and conducted policy research and development for nonprofits in West Virginia. In her free time, you can find Maggie hanging out with her cats, out for a hike, or trying out a new recipe.

Shawn Cooper

Program Development Associate

Shawn Cooper, “Cooper,” is a West Virginia native from the small town of Lost Creek. He graduated in 2016 with his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology from the school of medicine at West Virginia University. Believing that our healthcare industry needed critical changes, he pursued his Master’s in Public Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration from West Virginia University. In December of 2020, Cooper graduated with his MPA, as well as a Master’s in Legal Studies. Cooper comes to the Ascension team with a broad experience level working with non-profit, healthcare, and government agencies, along with a passion to give back to the state he was born and raised in. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling with his partner Michael, and spending time with friends.

Joey Ferguson

Territory Manager,
Northern WV

Joey started his professional addiction career by helping to develop and launch a mindfulness based treatment center called Jacobs Ladder which is featured in Netflix documentary “Recovery Boys”.  Joey has traveled both internationally and locally to participate in screenings and community discussions on substance use disorder treatment. Joey also helped develop the collegiate recovery at West Virginia University. He served as a graduate assistant in the program helping with the growth and development of recovery resources at West Virginia University.  During his time at WVU Joey spoke for the Mark Whalberg youth foundation and various other organizations. Joey has work experience with nationally renowned treatment programs and serves individuals needing treatment on the front lines.

Addie Barber

Outreach Associate

Addie grew up in Fairmont, WV and currently resides in Morgantown.  Prior to working with Ascension, Addie worked for WVU Medicine at Ruby Memorial Hospital in the emergency department as a peer recovery coach.  Addie assisted ED providers and care management to provide each patient with the best possible treatment based on their individual needs. Addie also worked closely with the MAT program at Chestnut Ridge and helped to facilitate weekly therapy groups. She has also established an important role in Morgantown and the greater West Virginia recovery community through service work and sponsoring several women. Addie is an outreach associate at Ascension Recovery Services who specializes in helping individuals get access to treatment by working with health care providers in West Virginia and its surrounding states. She is a direct contact for individuals and providers on the front lines and crisis situations related to substance use disorder and treatment.

Jon Dower, CIP, PR

Director of Recovery Services

Jon is a certified intervention professional through the Pennsylvania Certification Board as well as a certified recovery coach and peer mentor specialist in West Virginia. He earned his degree in political science with minors in communications and addiction studies from West Virginia University. Jon has performed many successful interventions in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Leading the clinical services side of Ascension, his duties include interventions, management and working with the families of those in recovery. Jon builds relationships and coordinates with substance abuse treatment centers across the country.  He places hundreds of individuals in the most appropriate facility yearly. Additionally, Jon serves as manager of operations of a non-profit sober living company with 32 beds in West Virginia.

Joe Mytro, PR

Peer Recovery Coach (PRC)

 Joe is a state certified recovery coach and peer mentor specialist in West Virginia. He graduated from Mountain State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Prior to joining Ascension Recovery Services, Joe worked at a 28-day inpatient treatment facility in West Virginia and has run multiple sober living homes in the state. Joe is director of clinical transports for all male Ascension clients around the country.  He is also house manager/intake coordinator for the West Virginia Sober Living house in Morgantown, West Virginia. He is father to three children, Jonah, Amber and Autumn and grandfather to three young boys, Tatum, Hawkin and Maximus. Joe is also a person in long-term recovery.

Dan McCawley, PR

Peer Recovery Coach (PRC)

Dan is a Morgantown native and father. He works as a peer recovery coach and interventionist all across West Virginia. His experience as a person in long-term recovery is invaluable in his role as a PRC and a manager of a 19-bed sober living home in Morgantown, West Virginia. His extensive management background is well utilized in day-to-day operations and program development.