KAV Health Group Addiction Counseling & Recovery

Engel is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and graduated with a Master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing in 1995, after receiving her Bachelors of Nursing in 1994.  She has worked in a variety of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings. She has extensive training and experience in working with clients with mental disorders as well as substance use disorders. She has a passion for working with clients in their recovery journey. Additionally, she has been a buprenorphine provider since 2018. She is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a Certified  Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatry.

In addition to her work at KAV Health Group, Dr. Bower is also a medical expert with the Social Security Administration. She graduated from the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo with an M.D. in 1995. Since then, she has practiced extensively in internal, occupational, and addiction medicine. Dr. Bower lives in northern Ohio with her family.

Christie L. Watson Schmitt is an Addiction/Substance Abuse Counselor in Ohio with special training and skill in diagnosing and treating addiction and mental health disorders responsible for addiction. As an Addiction/Substance Abuse Counselor, she performs diagnosis and treatment of addiction to alcohol and drugs. Addiction/Substance Abuse Counseling is a medical specialty dedicated to researching and treating all types of substance addiction disorders. Significant diseases and conditions treated by Addiction/Substance Abuse Counselors include alcohol and drug addiction. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Addiction/Substance Abuse Counselors include conducting patient interviews, administering drug tests, creating treatment plans, participating in therapy sessions, and referring patients to other medical specialists as needed.

Brittany completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology specializing in substance abuse from Perdue University, Masters in Psychology specializing in Addiction from Perdue University and Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling from Grand Canyon University. Brittany has more than 8 years of experience in providing counseling services to both the Mental Health and Substance Use population, as well as more than four years experience working as a Clinical Supervisor providing guidance and supervision to others in the field. She is also on the STAR Behavioral Health Providers for Military Personnel.

Jessica Hudson has been a member of KAV Health Group since 2021, Jessica has experience providing SUD counseling services for clients and running SUD therapy groups. Currently, she welcomes and trains all new employees, helps counselors manage their caseloads to reach the best client results, and aids clients getting set up for counseling. Prior to KAV, she worked in jail services providing individual and group counseling and planning for inmate exit and release. She earned her bachelor’s degree in behavioral science with an emphasis on trauma, and is working towards a master’s degree in addiction studies.

Krista has worked in the addiction and recovery field since 2019. She currently coordinates compliance for sober living housing and helps clients address barriers they face in their day-to-day lives. She also assists with KAV administrative needs.

Dorothy R McNeil (Dottie) is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor with over 18 years of experience specializing in mood disorders, depression, crisis stabilization and management, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders. Dottie treats patients between the ages of 16 through the lifespan utilizing Reality Therapy, Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed, Culturally Literature, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her approach with clients. Dottie has experience with counseling adolescents, adults, seniors, families, couples, and groups in both clinical, community, and outpatient settings. In her clinical work, Dottie is well versed in both traditional therapeutic techniques as well as evidence-based practices, Thinking for a Change, Trauma-Informed Practices and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR). In her free time, Dottie enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also loves reading and traveling whenever she can. Dottie has a Master Degree of Philosophy in Forensic Psychology from Walden University, a Master Degree of Science in Education and Allied Professions from University of Dayton. She received her Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Urbana University

Steven Carpenter has been a member of KAV Health group since October 2020. During his time here, he has managed Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) groups and served as a primary counselor for patients. Prior to joining KAV, Steven helped build an addiction program where he oversaw daily activities and measured outcomes. He has also worked in residential male addiction treatment and as a primary intensive outpatient counselor. Steven holds a degree in chemical dependency counseling and mental health technology, and is licensed by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Board as a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor II. In his free time, Steven enjoys playing guitar, attending spirituality meetings, and working on vintage cars.

Rachael completed her BSN at Ohio University and her MSN at Purdue University. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society and The American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Her background in addiction medicine began many years ago while working with the first Drug Court in Butler County. Rachael is an avid fan of the Cleveland Browns and has a passion for sharks. You’ll find that she’s always coming up with creative ways to celebrate the greatest week of the year — Shark Week.

Tara VanGundy, Family Nurse Practitioner, obtained MSN from University of Cincinnati in 2012, currently practicing geriatrics and addiction medicine. When not working, she enjoys spending quiet time with her family.

Since 2021, Angela has been supporting KAV Health Group clients on their journey to recovery. Angela began working as a substance abuse counselor for teens and adults, with a primary focus on female clients. She has an associate degree in chemical dependency, mental health, and developmental disabilities from Columbus State in Columbus, Ohio, where she graduated cum laude in the field of applied science.

Mindy Willis is a Clinical Trainer at KAV Health Group. She has been a part of KAV since January 13th 2020. During her time here at KAV she has furthered her education from a Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant to a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor tier two. She graduated magna cum laude from Southern State Community College with an Associate in Applied Science. Prior to KAV Mindy worked as Liaison for community action children and family/teachers. Mindy currently focuses on helping her patients understand the cycle of addiction and how to gain independence in their own lives.

Sarah has been working in the field since 2015. She received her Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant (CDCA) license from the state of Ohio in 2017 and earned an Associate Degree from Ohio Christian University in 2019. Prior to coming to KAV, Sarah worked at treatment centers in Ohio and Kentucky. Sarah began working in the field as a recovery support specialist before getting her CDCA and was a SUD housing manager for a treatment facility. Sarah also spent 2 years serving as a representative on the Portsmouth Municipal Court’s Drug Court in Scioto County, Ohio Sarah maintains strong ties to the recovery community on the local, state and national level. Sarah enjoys working in the field and has a passion for helping others. Her greatest satisfaction is seeing clients succeed and reach their full potential

I have held a Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant license (CDCA ) since 2016. I started my journey in the SUD field working for a non-profit sober living facility. Since that time, I have worked in correction-based treatment, residential and outpatient services. I have an Associate of the Arts degree. I am a senior at Cleveland State University where I will earn my bachelor’s degree at the end of the year. I plan to go on to grad school in order to continue my education and career in this field. Working with people in recovery is an amazing experience. I get to be a part of people taking their lives back. This is more than a career; it is a passion.

Lidia Berrone has been an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (NP) since 2002, specializing in ICU and cardiac care. She worked in a pain management office for 12 years, where she also treated patients with substance use disorders (SUD) using suboxone. In 2020, Lidia earned her certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and has since worked in various facilities treating patients with mental health (MH) issues and SUD.

Kandiss Messer has a background in ER/Trauma nursing and Veterans Affairs. In April 2024, she became a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and is eager to provide care to patients from diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

Engel is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and graduated with a Master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing in 1995, after receiving her Bachelors of Nursing in 1994.  She has worked in a variety of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings. She has extensive training and experience in working with clients with mental disorders as well as substance use disorders. She has a passion for working with clients in their recovery journey. Additionally, she has been a buprenorphine provider since 2018. She is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a Certified  Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatry.