Board Members
The NPRA Advisory Board stands as a recognized assembly of trailblazers and visionaries, each board member is a titan in their respective fields within recovery advocacy and addiction awareness. Handpicked from among the nation's most influential experts, the board represents a convergence of unparalleled expertise, unwavering dedication, and boundless passion.
With personalities from diverse realms including academia, public policy, healthcare, media, and grassroots activism, the NPRA Advisory Board epitomizes the pinnacle of collective wisdom and leadership in the fight against addiction and substance use disorder.
Our board members’ strong spirits and relentless pursuit of change have propelled them to the forefront of the national dialogue, igniting hope for countless individuals and communities in need.
Through their guidance and steadfast commitment, NPRA continues to blaze new trails, catalyzing transformative initiatives and driving forward the movement towards a brighter, more compassionate future for all those affected by Substance Use Disorder.
Deborah Garrett has played a significant role in the growth and development of peer services and recovery community organizations (RCOs) in her home state of Michigan. She has helped to develop curriculum for peer support services and delivered services as an inpatient clinician. She previously served as Director of Recovery Communication for REAL Michigan, a Detroit-based recovery community organization, and worked with other recovery community organizations across the state developing infrastructure and providing training. Her experience also includes training as a first responder for her local Emergency Sexual Assault Service Provider, giving her a unique perspective on delivering gender-specific and trauma informed services.
Deborah served as an appointee to the state's Behavioral Health Advisory Committee which oversees the block grant funding application process and is the current Board President of the Michigan Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.
Deborah holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Administration. She is a Certified Peer Recovery Mentor and Prevention Specialist.
In addition to her personal and professional experience, her course work has included volunteer and human resource management, resource development, strategic planning and program implementation.
Deborah Garrett
Dan McCawley, ICPR, CIP, is a West Virginia native and a person in recovery. Dan is the director of operations for West Virginia Sober Living, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit specializing in peer-run recovery residences and community outreach. He is an internationally certified peer recovery support specialist and certified interventionist, giving him a well-rounded perspective on substance use disorder care.
Dan brings decades of operational management to the team and enjoys the challenges of a wide array of operations. He is a leader in the peer community in West Virginia and across the nation. His insight into best practices in peer recovery have led him to develop peer recovery trainings for continuing education in West Virginia and beyond.
Dan McCawley
Stefanie Robinson
Stefanie Robinson is the Executive Director of Hope Recovery Community in Medina County, Ohio, and coordinates recovery peer support services at OhioGuidestone. She also directs Recovery Support Services for Ohio Citizen Advocates for Addiction Recovery (OCAAR). With over 13 years in recovery from substance use, mental health, and an eating disorder, Stefanie has served on multiple boards, including the National Peer Recovery Alliance.
In 2016, she collaborated with Medina County Adult Probation and the Court of Common Pleas to launch the Recovery Center of Medina County and established Hope Recovery Community in 2018. Stefanie has received numerous accolades for her recovery work, including the Cleveland Clinic Medina County Community Service Award (2017), Recovery Advocate of the Year (2018), OhioGuidestone Regional MVP (2019), OneStep Peer Supporter of the Year (2019), and the State of Ohio Cares Award (2020).
Dave Sheridan
Dave Sheridan is the Executive Director and co-founder of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences. As a national speaker and writer, he focuses on developing and managing statewide recovery housing systems and advises state agencies on recovery housing support and certification. His work includes policy development for recovery housing, medication-assisted recovery, and fair housing issues.
Active in addiction recovery since 2005, Dave has served as a board member for a Southern California recovery housing organization, held management roles with a major addiction treatment provider, and been on the boards of two nonprofit recovery residences. He has a background in institutional investment management and holds a bachelor’s degree and MBA from the University of California, Berkeley.
Brenda Schell
Brenda Schell is the Missouri Public Health Analyst for the Overdose Response Strategy, a national project dedicated to building partnerships between public health and public safety agencies and organizations in each individual state. The mission of the Overdose Response Strategy is to help communities reduce fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses by connecting public health and public safety agencies, sharing information, and supporting evidence-based interventions.
Previously, Brenda spent 10+ years as Executive Director of a statewide substance use recovery advocacy organization whose mission was to eliminate barriers to recovery for all affected by substance use disorders. While in this position, she wrote a grant to bring the first SUD peer training to Missouri. She also served as the Diversion Outreach Coordinator for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) St. Louis Field Division, covering the states of Missouri, Kansas and Illinois.
Brenda has a tremendous amount of knowledge, skill and experience working in the substance use recovery field. She has served on multiple statewide and national committees to identify and provide recommendations for improving programs for the prevention, treatment and recovery from substance use disorders.
Honesty Liller
Honesty Liller is a woman in long-term recovery from addiction. She has been drug and alcohol free since May 27, 2007. Honesty's mission as CEO is firmly rooted in community outreach and involvement. She gets to walk in her purpose every day helping those in the community heal from their addiction. She is responsible for community and fundraising events, advocacy, public relations, and is a Recovery Coach to females in our program, as well as Best Selling Author of Scattered Pink.
Peer support is critical to our comprehensive treatment model at Addiction Recovery Care.
Connecting our clients to peers has proven to be very effective and impactful.
Addiction Recovery Care
Ryan Hampton
Ryan Hampton is a leading advocate, speaker, author, and media commentator, traveling across the nation to address the addiction and drug overdose crisis. In recovery from a decade-long opioid addiction, he is recognized as an expert in addiction
recovery advocacy and drug policy reform.
With experience in the Clinton White House and various non-profits, Ryan is a prominent voice working to change negative narratives about addiction and recovery. Through his books, media appearances, and organizing efforts, he aims to inspire advocates and push for policy change. Ryan has been featured by major media outlets and has bipartisan support for his inclusive approach to addressing addiction. He played a key role in crafting provisions of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act and has authored bestselling books on the opioid crisis.
Ryan is the founder of Mobilize Recovery, which has trained thousands of advocates nationwide. He also co-founded the Overdose Response Initiative, which has distributed hundreds of thousands of doses of naloxone. He resides in Nevada with his husband and their boxer puppy.
Ken Brown, CRPS, NCPS, works for the Florida Department of Children and Families and is the Recovery Oriented System of Care Quality Improvement Specialist for the state’s Suncoast Region.
Ken is a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist (CRPS) through the Florida Certification Board (FCB), a National Certified Peer Specialist (NCPS) through Mental Health America (MHA) and a recognized/certified trainer for peer specialists seeking certification through the State of Florida. He is also an advanced level WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) Facilitator, providing courses throughout the Suncoast region as well as other trainings for peers.
Ken plays a role in developing Recovery Community Organizations within the Suncoast region and also works closely with mental health and substance use providers on prevention, education and harm reduction.
Ken Brown
Amy Brinkley
Amy Brinkley is a nationally recognized advocate for mental health and substance use recovery with 14 years of direct lived experience. Motivated by personal recovery experience and losses, including the suicides of three brothers and her mother's
overdose, Amy is dedicated to driving change across the country through effective peer support, recovery-oriented systems of care, and robust recovery data collection practices and policies.
In her professional career, Amy served for five years with the Indiana State Division of Mental Health and Addiction, where she held a state-level position overseeing and building infrastructure for peer/recovery support services statewide. During this time,
she made significant contributions to the field, including serving as a contributing author on several publications for the American Psychiatric Association Journals, leveraging her expertise in peer support as a member of the APA Policy Advisory Board. Amy continues to contribute to the APA in this capacity to this day.
Since January 2022, Amy has been employed as the Recovery Support Services Coordinator for the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD). In this role, she provides invaluable guidance and leadership in supporting states and territories across the country in their efforts to expand recovery support services. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in developing recovery data collection practices and policies, particularly from her work in Indiana, where she gained a deep understanding of the lived experience needs related to access to recovery support services at a grassroots statewide level.
Beyond her role at NASMHPD, Amy actively serves as a board member for NAMI National, the SURF Center, Recovery Café Lafayette, and as the Board President and CEO for Paul's Plan Ministries. These engagements reflect her commitment to making a positive impact on mental health and recovery at both the national and local levels. Amy takes pride in her role as a wife and mother, nurturing a loving home that includes four children, three cats, and a cherished Labradoodle named Ruby. Indiana is where Amy and her family call home.
Kristina Padilla
Kristina Padilla is a nationally acclaimed motivational speaker and author of Kristina with a K: A Rainbow Person’s Journey from Addiction to Recovery, an explosive expose into the lives of LGBTQ people experiencing addiction. Kristina is a leader with CCAPP, where they serve as the organization's Vice President of Education and Strategic Development.
Mx. Padilla led California’s innovative criminal justice program as the Offender Mentor Certification Program Director for three years. There, they managed 12 in-prison programs for training counselors. For the duration of the contract, they worked closely with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in California prisons, bringing innovation and growth to the state’s in-custody treatment programming.
Mx. Padilla was also the previous Program Director/Adjunct Faculty of the Peer Support Training and Placement Program, which trained peers in Recovery/mental health to become certified and how to work with other peers in recovery, such as self-direction, advocacy, ethics, person-centered approach, personalization, empowerment, strength base, goal setting, respect, cultural sensitivity, and competency, responsibility, hope and at the very core of the program.
Mx. Padilla has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration and a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology, emphasizing Marriage and Family Therapy. Mx. Padilla is a Licensed Advanced Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LAADC) and an International Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (ICAADC). She is also a Certified Gang Specialist of the National Gang Crime Research Center (NGCRC) and a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist Candidate (C-SAT).
Mx. Padilla is on the Board of Directors as the Vice president of the National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals and their Allies (NALGAP). Mx. Padilla is the Chief Academic Officer for the CCAPP Academy at CCAPP and is a past Board member of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Sacramento chapter. Mx. Padilla sits on the board of (NATI) Native American Institute in New Mexico and is Treasure and a consultant for Faces and Voices NRI (National Recovery Institute) & on their DEI Committee. Mx. Padilla graduated from the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) in 2023 and is the Chair of the (DEI) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at the California Society of Association Executives (CALSAE).
Mx. Padilla is on multiple DEI and LGBTQIA2+ boards nationwide and deeply impacts providing Training, Advocacy, and Education to all professionals. Mx. Padilla is also an independent consultant on LGBTQIA2+ Program Development & Design / Issues / Services / Counseling / Therapy / Mentoring / Training and Coaching and travels the Nation providing training and lectures at conferences as well as in-service training for non-profits, for-profits, county, and state workers.
Mx. Padilla is also an Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Trainer and "Equality California" Leadership Academy fellow. Mx. Padilla obtained their "Higher Education Teaching Certificate '' at Harvard, The Derek Bok Center For Teaching and Learning in July 2020, and their Women Leadership Program (WLP) Certificate from Yale University School of Management in 2022.
Mx. Padilla is a parent to a beautiful 8-year-old girl named Karisma. They are also part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ (Rainbow) Community and identify as Western Apache, Cherokee, Aztec, 2Spirit-Transgender, Gender-Fluid, non-binary, same-gender loving, biologically born Woman. Kristina’s pronouns are They/Them and go by the prefix Mx. Padilla.
