Ridge Creek - staff

Clinical Staff

The counseling staff at Ridge Creek comprise a clinical team whose professionalism and expertise are unique in the field of Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare. Their goal is to set the standards by which therapeutic wilderness programs are judged as mental healthcare providers. Their training, background, and certifications include a broad range of therapeutic disciplines, including professional counseling, clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and rehabilitation counseling. This richness of expertise insures a robust and highly individualized emotional and behavioral intervention capability. The 3-Point Counseling Department Mission Statement is:

1) Provide the highest level of clinical care available to clients of therapeutic wilderness programs with regard to treatment planning, group and individual psychotherapy facilitation, progress documentation, outside communications, discharge recommendations, and transition coordination;

2) Demonstrate clinical professionalism in keeping with internal and external standards of practice as established by Ridge Creek, JCAHO, DHR, and the Georgia Composite Board of LPCs, LCSWs, and LMFTs;

3) Support the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the program through flexibility, field availability, appropriate internal communications and rapport, and procedural compliance.

Bridgette Abercrombie, M.S.

Psychotherapist

Bridgette has worked with adolescents as an outdoor guide, mentor, and counselor. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from North Georgia College and State University, and a Master of Science Degree in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her graduate work as a research lab coordinator included a thesis on aggression and delinquency in adolescents. Prior to completing her master’s degree Brigette was a wilderness instructor at Ridge Creek, helping to familiarize her with different aspects of the program. Bridgette’s clinical experience includes work in community mental health centers, adult residential treatment programs, detention and suspension alternative programs for youth, and counseling for undergraduate college students. While serving in these settings, she provided individual and group psychotherapy, clinical assessments, treatment planning, case management, and program evaluations. Brigette’s area of clinical expertise focuses around adolescent behavioral assessment and intervention, juvenile aggression, and early identification of at risk youth.

Admissions Staff

The admissions staff at Ridge Creek are dedicated to helping parents in and through the crises that the families of our students are often experiencing. They truly understand the complexities associated with having to place a child in the care of a therapeutic program as well as the doubts, concerns, turmoil, and heartache that typically come with this decision. Parents, clinicians, and consultants can trust that we the admissions process has been designed to provide clear, accurate, and reliable information to those in need. Further, the admissions personnel are trained to help families and referral sources get through the process, make an informed choice, and manage the innumerable details of enrollment and after-care.

Carrie Bryant

Admissions Coordinator

Carrie is a naturally caring and compassionate person who thrives on helping others. She has lived and worked in the North Georgia region nearly all of her life, but her extensive professional background includes youth work, camp programming, healthcare, business operations, law enforcement, and public relations. In addition to a great deal of formal training in a hospital setting and with a local county sheriff’s department, she holds an Associate of Arts degree in Education from Gainesville College. Her rich and diverse experience lends itself to a role in which communication, empathy, and administrative expertise are paramount. As such, the parents of potential and enrolling Ridge Creek students, as well as other professional contacts, value her guidance and support.

The operations and wilderness personnel at Ridge Creek are highly trained professionals who pursue mastery of the technical and leadership skills necessary to facilitate adventure activities. After providing for the needs of their students, their overriding objective is to set the standards by which therapeutic wilderness programs are judged in terms of safety and effectiveness of adventure training. These individuals bring to bare a broad range of vocational and leadership experience, and they are continually building their skill-base through formal training. All wilderness staff are required to attain certification in emergency medical procedures (including medication administration, wilderness first aid, basic life support, and CPR), water safety, land navigation, mountaineering, ropes course facilitation, and therapeutic de-escalation and aggression management. As evidence of this commitment, Ridge Creek is providing its wilderness staff with outside training and certification as EMTs .

1) Provide the highest level of field professionalism available to clients of therapeutic wilderness programs with regard to adventure programming, wilderness skills instruction, risk management, medical safety and administration, leadership development, student accountability, behavior management, crisis management, and ethical standards of practice;

2) Demonstrate field professionalism in keeping with internal and external standards of practice as established by Ridge Creek, NATWC, NATSAP, AEE, and the Georgia Department of Human Resources;

3) Support the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the program through flexibility, field availability, appropriate internal communications and rapport, and procedural compliance.

Blake has lived most of his life in Georgia. He spent some time in Colorado roughing it in the wilderness but returned home to start his own business. Blake attended Gainesville College and is currently working on his Certified Addiction Therapist License. Blake brings great experience to the students and sets the standard in true leadership. His organizational skills and compassion to help, make him an exceptional instructor. Blake is currently certified to teach Wilderness First Aid and CRP/First Aid to our students through the American Red Cross. He is also certified as a lifeguard and in TACT2.

Bill has been involved in wilderness adventure for over twenty-five years. A native of lowland swamps of South Georgia, he grew up hunting and fishing on the outskirts of the Okefenokee Swamp. As a young man, Bill moved to Dahlonega, Georgia, in order to attend college at North Georgia College and State University. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Recreation from this institution. While studying at North Georgia, Bill’s love of the out-of-doors, and the North Georgia Mountains in particular, grew to the point of wanting to eventually settle in the area. His background includes eight years in the Army National Guard as a combat medic, mountaineering instructor, EMT, wilderness first responder, land navigation and orienteering instructor, white water guide, survival instructor, and challenge course facilitator. In addition, Bill worked with inner-city youth in New York City, as a program director of a residential program for homeless men, as a summer camp director, as a manager of a backcountry inn, and as a coordinator for a therapeutic boarding school. Bill is currently certified as an Alpine Tower facilitator, Red Cross Wilderness First Aid Instructor, Leave-No-Trace Instructor, TACT-2 Service Provider, and Red Cross Lifeguard.

Mariah is a deeply caring, deeply committed mentor and guide. Her strength of character and internal dedication serve as a model to all the young people with whom she works. Having graduated from Lee University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education, Mariah set out to guide others into better and healthier lives. She has dedicated her life to helping others advance mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. She accomplishes this goal by setting and example of strong work ethic, enthusiasm for life and a willingness to serve others. When Mariah was a teenager she had a mentor that positively influenced the course of her life. Through this mentoring relationship, she gained an appreciation for and a desire to pass-on certain life lesions: the importance of compassion for people who are struggling, and how work through challenge in order to grow. Her background includes working as a special education teacher in a local county school system. Currently, Mariah is certified as a Red Cross First Aid and CPR Instructor, Lifeguard, Ropes Course and Alpine Tower Facilitator, Leave-No-Trace Trainer, and TACT-2 (Therapeutic Aggression Control Technique) Service Provider.

David went to school at Oglethorpe University in Georgia for Philosophy. He is currently a student at North Georgia College and State University as an English Major. David has worked with the OPEN DOOR COMMUNITY in Atlanta with which works with homeless people in the Atlanta area. David loves working in the outdoors and has extensive training in back packing, rock climbing and cycling.

Lindsay Pennington

Wilderness Instructor

Lindsay found her love for the outdoors at a young age while on camping trips with her family. This, and her desire to help others, led her to pursue a degree in Counseling Skills with a minor in Camping. She graduated from Toccoa Falls College with this degree in 2003. Since then she has used this education to work for a wide range of outdoor programs. She spent 4 summers on staff at Camp Chattooga, a YMCA camp for girls, as a Leadership Program Director and Adventure Program Director. She also works part-time with a Corporate Teambuilding and Development company. This experience has given her the interpersonal, outdoor professional, and group management skills that she utilizes everyday with her students at Ridgecreek.

Nikki graduated from North Georgia College and State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. Since then she has had extensive experience in the field of social service and mental health. She worked at the local sheriff's office for two years before moving to Arizona. Once in Flagstaff, AZ she began her work with behaviorally challenged teenagers at the local high school, and was a case manager for adults with serious mental illnesses. Nikki is very passionate about advocacy for the mentally and emotionally disabled population, her heart lying with children and teenagers. She is a helper, and does not feel complete without knowing each day that she made a difference in at least one life. Nikki believes that everyone can have the same quality of life if they are given the resources, encouragement, and support. Nikki is a lover of nature and the outdoors, spending much of her spare time in the wilderness. She is currently CIT and CPI (crisis intervention techniques) certified, Red Cross CPR and First aid certified and has had extensive formal training throughout her work experiences to give her the best ability to offer assistance in any circumstance.

	Clinical Staff The counseling staff at Ridge Creek comprise a clinical team whose professionalism and expertise are unique in the field of Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare. Their goal is to set the standards by which therapeutic wilderness programs are judged as mental healthcare providers. Their training, background, and certifications include a broad range of therapeutic disciplines, including professional counseling, clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and rehabilitation counseling. This richness of expertise insures a robust and highly individualized emotional and behavioral intervention capability. The 3-Point Counseling Department Mission Statement is: 1) Provide the highest level of clinical care available to clients of therapeutic wilderness programs with regard to treatment planning, group and individual psychotherapy facilitation, progress documentation, outside communications, discharge recommendations, and transition coordination; 2) Demonstrate clinical professionalism in keeping with internal and external standards of practice as established by Ridge Creek, JCAHO, DHR, and the Georgia Composite Board of LPCs, LCSWs, and LMFTs; 3) Support the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the program through flexibility, field availability, appropriate internal communications and rapport, and procedural compliance. Bridgette Abercrombie, M.S. Psychotherapist Bridgette has worked with adolescents as an outdoor guide, mentor, and counselor. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from North Georgia College and State University, and a Master of Science Degree in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her graduate work as a research lab coordinator included a thesis on aggression and delinquency in adolescents. Prior to completing her master’s degree Brigette was a wilderness instructor at Ridge Creek, helping to familiarize her with different aspects of the program. Bridgette’s clinical experience includes work in community mental health centers, adult residential treatment programs, detention and suspension alternative programs for youth, and counseling for undergraduate college students. While serving in these settings, she provided individual and group psychotherapy, clinical assessments, treatment planning, case management, and program evaluations. Brigette’s area of clinical expertise focuses around adolescent behavioral assessment and intervention, juvenile aggression, and early identification of at risk youth. Admissions Staff The admissions staff at Ridge Creek are dedicated to helping parents in and through the crises that the families of our students are often experiencing. They truly understand the complexities associated with having to place a child in the care of a therapeutic program as well as the doubts, concerns, turmoil, and heartache that typically come with this decision. Parents, clinicians, and consultants can trust that we the admissions process has been designed to provide clear, accurate, and reliable information to those in need. Further, the admissions personnel are trained to help families and referral sources get through the process, make an informed choice, and manage the innumerable details of enrollment and after-care. Carrie Bryant Admissions Coordinator Carrie is a naturally caring and compassionate person who thrives on helping others. She has lived and worked in the North Georgia region nearly all of her life, but her extensive professional background includes youth work, camp programming, healthcare, business operations, law enforcement, and public relations. In addition to a great deal of formal training in a hospital setting and with a local county sheriff’s department, she holds an Associate of Arts degree in Education from Gainesville College. Her rich and diverse experience lends itself to a role in which communication, empathy, and administrative expertise are paramount. As such, the parents of potential and enrolling Ridge Creek students, as well as other professional contacts, value her guidance and support. Wilderness Staff The operations and wilderness personnel at Ridge Creek are highly trained professionals who pursue mastery of the technical and leadership skills necessary to facilitate adventure activities. After providing for the needs of their students, their overriding objective is to set the standards by which therapeutic wilderness programs are judged in terms of safety and effectiveness of adventure training. These individuals bring to bare a broad range of vocational and leadership experience, and they are continually building their skill-base through formal training. All wilderness staff are required to attain certification in emergency medical procedures (including medication administration, wilderness first aid, basic life support, and CPR), water safety, land navigation, mountaineering, ropes course facilitation, and therapeutic de-escalation and aggression management. As evidence of this commitment, Ridge Creek is providing its wilderness staff with outside training and certification as EMTs . The 3-Point Operations Department Mission Statement is: 1) Provide the highest level of field professionalism available to clients of therapeutic wilderness programs with regard to adventure programming, wilderness skills instruction, risk management, medical safety and administration, leadership development, student accountability, behavior management, crisis management, and ethical standards of practice; 2) Demonstrate field professionalism in keeping with internal and external standards of practice as established by Ridge Creek, NATWC, NATSAP, AEE, and the Georgia Department of Human Resources; 3) Support the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the program through flexibility, field availability, appropriate internal communications and rapport, and procedural compliance. Blake Bryant Wilderness Instructor Blake has lived most of his life in Georgia. He spent some time in Colorado roughing it in the wilderness but returned home to start his own business. Blake attended Gainesville College and is currently working on his Certified Addiction Therapist License. Blake brings great experience to the students and sets the standard in true leadership. His organizational skills and compassion to help, make him an exceptional instructor. Blake is currently certified to teach Wilderness First Aid and CRP/First Aid to our students through the American Red Cross. He is also certified as a lifeguard and in TACT2. Bill Ingram Wilderness Instructor Bill has been involved in wilderness adventure for over twenty-five years. A native of lowland swamps of South Georgia, he grew up hunting and fishing on the outskirts of the Okefenokee Swamp. As a young man, Bill moved to Dahlonega, Georgia, in order to attend college at North Georgia College and State University. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Recreation from this institution. While studying at North Georgia, Bill’s love of the out-of-doors, and the North Georgia Mountains in particular, grew to the point of wanting to eventually settle in the area. His background includes eight years in the Army National Guard as a combat medic, mountaineering instructor, EMT, wilderness first responder, land navigation and orienteering instructor, white water guide, survival instructor, and challenge course facilitator. In addition, Bill worked with inner-city youth in New York City, as a program director of a residential program for homeless men, as a summer camp director, as a manager of a backcountry inn, and as a coordinator for a therapeutic boarding school. Bill is currently certified as an Alpine Tower facilitator, Red Cross Wilderness First Aid Instructor, Leave-No-Trace Instructor, TACT-2 Service Provider, and Red Cross Lifeguard. Mariah Haney Wilderness Instructor Mariah is a deeply caring, deeply committed mentor and guide. Her strength of character and internal dedication serve as a model to all the young people with whom she works. Having graduated from Lee University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education, Mariah set out to guide others into better and healthier lives. She has dedicated her life to helping others advance mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. She accomplishes this goal by setting and example of strong work ethic, enthusiasm for life and a willingness to serve others. When Mariah was a teenager she had a mentor that positively influenced the course of her life. Through this mentoring relationship, she gained an appreciation for and a desire to pass-on certain life lesions: the importance of compassion for people who are struggling, and how work through challenge in order to grow. Her background includes working as a special education teacher in a local county school system. Currently, Mariah is certified as a Red Cross First Aid and CPR Instructor, Lifeguard, Ropes Course and Alpine Tower Facilitator, Leave-No-Trace Trainer, and TACT-2 (Therapeutic Aggression Control Technique) Service Provider. David Gay Wilderness Instructor David went to school at Oglethorpe University in Georgia for Philosophy. He is currently a student at North Georgia College and State University as an English Major. David has worked with the OPEN DOOR COMMUNITY in Atlanta with which works with homeless people in the Atlanta area. David loves working in the outdoors and has extensive training in back packing, rock climbing and cycling. Lindsay Pennington Wilderness Instructor Lindsay found her love for the outdoors at a young age while on camping trips with her family. This, and her desire to help others, led her to pursue a degree in Counseling Skills with a minor in Camping. She graduated from Toccoa Falls College with this degree in 2003. Since then she has used this education to work for a wide range of outdoor programs. She spent 4 summers on staff at Camp Chattooga, a YMCA camp for girls, as a Leadership Program Director and Adventure Program Director. She also works part-time with a Corporate Teambuilding and Development company. This experience has given her the interpersonal, outdoor professional, and group management skills that she utilizes everyday with her students at Ridgecreek. Nikki Araoz Wilderness Instructor Nikki graduated from North Georgia College and State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. Since then she has had extensive experience in the field of social service and mental health. She worked at the local sheriff's office for two years before moving to Arizona. Once in Flagstaff, AZ she began her work with behaviorally challenged teenagers at the local high school, and was a case manager for adults with serious mental illnesses. Nikki is very passionate about advocacy for the mentally and emotionally disabled population, her heart lying with children and teenagers. She is a helper, and does not feel complete without knowing each day that she made a difference in at least one life. Nikki believes that everyone can have the same quality of life if they are given the resources, encouragement, and support. Nikki is a lover of nature and the outdoors, spending much of her spare time in the wilderness. She is currently CIT and CPI (crisis intervention techniques) certified, Red Cross CPR and First aid certified and has had extensive formal training throughout her work experiences to give her the best ability to offer assistance in any circumstance.