Douglas M. Leech

Founder and CEO

Mr. Leech has a B.S. degree in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University and worked at Ernst & Young in Pittsburgh before returning to found Ascension Recovery Services and West Virginia Sober Living (WVSL).  WVSL is a self-sustaining 501(C)(3) non-profit operating sober living homes, job creation and reintegration programming, and a network of peer recovery coaches providing broad community support for substance use disorders.  Ascension Recovery Services specializes in designing and developing residential treatment centers, partial hospitalization programs (PHPs), intensive outpatient programs (IOPs), and sober living homes, drug and alcohol interventions, systemic family counseling, outpatient drug and alcohol counseling, and monitoring services.  Mr. Leech and his company have built many successful treatment programs across the entire continuum of care throughout the country.  Ascension has written and received state and federal grants to be applied to these various treatment programs totaling millions of dollars.
 

Bill Coleman

LCSW | Program Development

Bill is a Licensed Clinical Social (LCSW) with over 36 years’ experience in Behavior Health Services. Bill received his BA Degree at Rollins College in Winter Park Florida and his MSW from Fordham University in New York. Bill’s professional and personal life is purpose driven with a clear intention and commitment to partner with people, agencies and communities to help transform lives. 

Bill is recognized in this community as a leader and contributor to evidence-based treatment services, with a clear focus on mindfulness, resilience and motivational building strategies. Prior to joining Ascension, Bill served as the Director of Clinical Services at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Naples, Florida. Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation recruited Bill to relocate from  Minnesota to Florida to develop their Naples residential treatment center. 

Bill developed their RTC, PHP and IOP and stayed on for 2 1/2 years to successfully implement a national draw to this new facility, while ensuring the clinical program was providing the highest quality EBPs. Prior to that, Bill managed substance abuse and mental health services for Dakota County Social Services in St Paul, Minnesota. Bill was also the Chief Clinical Officer and then Chief Executive Officer at Valley View House, a 300-bed specialty hospital in New York, providing treatment services to adults and adolescents for addiction and accompanying co-occurring disorders. Additionally, in the 90’s Bill opened IOP’s and PHP’s in New York and New Jersey, providing needing care to many. Bill has always had a keen interest in quality improvement and improving clinical outcomes. Because of this interest and recognized experience Bill was also Quality Improvement Director for Magellan Behavioral Health in Montana, where he developed collaborative relationships with high volume providers and helped introduced strategies to more effectively communicate with various HMO and PPO payers.

Lauren DeWitt

Business Development Manager

Lauren leads Ascension’s marketing and community outreach efforts, supports program development and treatment center consulting services and manages Ascension’s finance and accounting department. Lauren attended Pennsylvania State University for her undergraduate studies and majored in bio-behavioral health before transferring to West Virginia University for multidisciplinary studies in History, communication and sociology. She also has extensive experience with community-enriching and fundraising organizations such as Mon Health’s Ball of the Year, Relay for Life, Circle K International and THON. Lauren’s prior experiences include finance, fundraising and business development for both for-profit and non-profit organizations, domestically and internationally. 

Steve Burton

LCSW, Program Development

A native of East Bank, West Virginia, Steve Burton holds a Masters of Social Work degree from West Virginia University and is a Licensed Certified Social Worker. Over a career spanning nearly 20 years, Steve has held positions in children services, welfare to work, prevention, and addiction treatment administration.  As the former Chief Executive Officer of First Choice Health Systems and First Choice Services, Steve helped develop and implement Help4WV and PA Get Help Now, West Virginia and Pennsylvania’s first ever addiction and behavioral health call line. Steve is also a former adjunct faculty for the West Virginia University School of Social Work, and former President for the National Association of Social Workers-West Virginia chapter.

Jason Batten

LPC, AADC, CTT | Program Development

Jason is a licensed professional counselor in West Virginia, advanced alcohol and drug counselor and certified trauma therapist. In his clinical work, he has specialized in treating people diagnosed with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Jason began developing programs in 2012 and has since developed several successful recovery programs. Most recently, Jason was the program director of one of the fastest growing recovery centers in the state of West Virginia. During his tenure as program director, the center nearly tripled its average daily census. At Ascension, Jason utilizes his clinical and program development experience to assist companies in creating model programs that exceed recognized state and national standards of care. Exceeding these standards cause programs to become premier referral sources, thereby increasing both company revenue and the number of guests helped.

Anne Christopher

Controller

Anne Christopher graduated from West Virginia University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and is a licensed CPA. Anne is a career accountant with a foundation in public accounting and extensive experience in private-industry, owner-managed businesses.In addition to her responsibilities as Controller at Ascension, Anne uses her expertise to develop sound financial models for our program development clients.She is also dedicated to her community outside of work—having served for more than a decade as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for CASA for Kids of Monongalia and Preston Counties and currently volunteering as a Cuddler at WVU Medicine Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Anne is a West Virginia native and proud mother of an awesome daughter.

Brandon Younciak

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 a Staff Accountant. He has developed new policies and procedures and has brought extensive accounting knowledge to the company.

Angela Kudurogianis

Engagement 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 specializes in project management to ensure each one of our clients’ projects meet our quality and business standards.

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.

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.

Morgan Henson

Program Development, PR

Morgan regularly works with our program development team doing market research and developing business plans for our growing list of clients. Morgan has led outreach efforts for the clinical side of Ascension where she engaged with other professionals across the region. Morgan is a state certified peer recovery coach in West Virginia and a person in long-term recovery. Before her work with Ascension, Morgan gained experience in the addiction field 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. Additionally, Morgan has previous management work experience in the customer service industry specializing in sales and advertising.

Lauren Seggie

Program Development, PR

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 a program assistant for a statewide non-profit organization that empowers women to join the workforce in non-traditional careers. Lauren was then promoted to Operations Manager, where she assisted with financial management, grant management, community and workforce development, and strategic planning. Lauren is the proud mother of one son, Ezra, and values spending time with her family. At Ascension Recovery Services, Lauren will assist the team with all aspects of program development.

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.

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.

Stephanie Klemp

Peer Recovery Coach (PRC)

Stephanie is a state-certified recovery coach and peer mentor specialist in West Virginia. She currently is a house manager in an 11-bed sober living home in Morgantown, West Virginia. Roles with Ascension include peer recovery coaching and community outreach. She graduated from McKinleyville High School in Northern California. She successfully completed a long term, peer-driven recovery program where she served as a peer leader and polished skills in peer accountability, conflict resolution and time management. Stephanie currently works at both Ascension and Morgantown Sober Living. Stephanie has dedicated her life to long term recovery and is an active member in the recovery community.