Behind the
Scenes

Amanda West

Executive Director

Amanda earned her Bachelors in Social Work from SUNY Plattsburgh and was excited to enter the field and explore her passion for helping others. She started her work at the Council 15 years ago as an educator. She has held several different roles at the agency until 2018 when she became the Executive Director. Amanda takes pride in providing prevention programs and resources to youth and adults within Warren and Washington Counties. She is a certified trainer in the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, as well as a Bridges out of Poverty trainer. When she’s not busy with work, she enjoys biking, hiking, snowboarding, swimming and most importantly, spending time with her family

Allison Reynolds

Assistant Director

Allison started working at the Council as an educator in 2012. She then became the Council’s DSRIP program coordinator.In 2014 she started the Warren and Washington County Suicide Prevention Coalition and Chair’s the group. She provides extensive trainings in suicide prevention, Mental Health First Aid, SBIRT, Trauma Informed Care, and Bridges Out of Poverty. Allison is currently the Assistant Director and works to meet the needs of the schools and community. She also co chairs the Warren Washington county Criminal Justice Task Force coalition. Allison enjoys hiking, skiing and being with family.

Katherine Chambers

Director of Restorative Practices

Katherine Chambers has been with the Council for more than15 years, currently as the Director of Restorative Practices; a position which has grown to include, Olweus Bullying Prevention Program consultant and Director of the Hope and Healing Recovery Community and Outreach Center. During this time she has done graduate studies at NYU and the IIRP to advance her work with at-risk and vulnerable populations; a result of this work has earned Youth Court a designation as a model program for NYS and garnered recognition from the late Judge Judith S. Kaye for innovative programming. Katherine has been certified to deliver a variety of evidence based practices as well as trainings; some of the most accessible trainings include a Restorative Practices train the trainer, Olweus trainer, Recovery Coach and trainer of the Recovery Coach Academy, Science of Addiction and Recovery, Transformation at the Intersect for OASAS, and Parenting Inside Out. Additionally, she provides data analysis of drug use, student perceptions, and community Risk and Protective domains for the school districts of Warren and Washington counties and subsequently works with a number of community coalitions to deliver services to the most at risk populations of the two counties. Beyond local coalitions, Katherine also sits on a number of regional and statewide committees and currently holds the office as President for the Association of New York State Youth Courts and has previously been an executive member of the Board of Directors for 15 years.

Sarah Bourgeois

Senior Prevention Educator

Sarah has worked at the Council for Prevention since October of 2017.Sarah received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s of science in Community Health from SUNY Potsdam. One of Sarah’s main responsibilities is the education aspect of the job, going directly into schools throughout Warren and Washington Counties to teach evidence-based programming to students K-12. Sarah is also trained in TIPS, an educational training program given to individuals working in establishments that sell and serve alcohol to customers. When not working, Sarah enjoys exercising, going out and trying new foods, and spending time with friends and family.

Gillian Knight

Senior Prevention Educator

Gillian has worked at the Council for Prevention since July of 2019.Gillian received a Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Teaching with a concentration in Elementary K-6 Education and Special Education from Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ. As a prevention educator Gillian is a liaison for SADD and Natural Helpers groups within the school districts of Warren and Washington county, mentors teachers with Positive Action and PAX and implements a number of our evidence based programming in schools including teen Mental Health First Aid, youth Mental Health First Aid, SAFETalk, and is the Co-Coordinator for the Warren and Washington Counties LOSS Team.. In her spare time Gillian enjoys going on adventures in the ADK, spending time with her two dogs, crafting, and everything Disney

Courtney Gifford

Program Coordinator

Courtney has worked at the Council for Prevention since September of 2019. She currently is the Program Coordinator at the council. Courtney earned a master’s in education for Grades 1-6 from the SUNY Plattsburgh Teacher Residency Program. Courtney has focused her educational career in Adventure Education, group management, team building and social-emotional learning. Courtney leads Outing Programs, as well as being an Active Parenting Trainer and Teen Intervene Guide and facilitates programming in various schools in Warren and Washington Counties. Courtney enjoys spending time with her family, camping, four-wheeling, crafting and rescuing the occasional animal.

Krystal Brooking

Finance Manager

Krystal has worked at the Council since February 2020. She is a finance professional that thrives on helping others, paying it forward and going above and beyond with each and every task. She values learning from others, genuine conversations and believes in kindness above all. Krystal earned her Bachelors in Psychology from SUNY Plattsburgh and her Master’s in Business Administration specializing in Healthcare Administration and Human Resource Management from The Forbes School of Business at Ashford University. Krystal has over 12 years of financial knowledge with her main focus being in non for profit accounting and management, increasing business profitability and growth as well as recognizing that human capital is a company’s greatest asset. Krystal has built multiple businesses from the ground up and puts much of her time into these ventures. Some things she enjoys are fostering relationships and kiddos, volunteering, and managing her businesses. In her spare time you can usually find her completing a project around the house, spending time with family and friends or going on a new adventure with her son.

Ashley Livingston

Recovery Advocate, CRPA

Ashley Livingston is a person in long term sustained recovery. As a founding member and current co-chair of Friends of Recovery Warren and Washington, her advocacy has been instrumental over the last decade+ in readying our communities to be supportive of recovery and educated about addiction. Her role at Hope & Healing RCOC is that of advocate, but her advocacy goes well beyond that of individuals and their recovery journey. She currently sits on the NYS Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board as well as many other local and state committees to ensure the voice of impacted persons is at the decision-making table. Ashley is a change maker for individuals, communities, NYS, and extends her knowledge, voice, and advocacy to the federal level. Ashley is passionate about recovery, public policies ensuring the dignity of all people, and her family – including her fur babies Roscoe and Princess.

Ashley Doody

Prevention Educator

Ashley joined the Council in July 2022. She has a Bachelor’s in Adolescent Education: Chemistry from SUNY Oneonta and a Master’s in Secondary Education: Life Sciences from Western Governors University. Ashley started her career as a science teacher, working in schools in Florida, New York City, and Washington County. As an educator for the council, Ashley spends most of her time in the classroom, delivering evidence-based programs to students across grade levels. She also collaborates with our area school’s SADD chapters and Natural Helpers. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her nieces, going on road trips, and lounging with her Yorkie Poo, Cabela.

Heather Mattison

Harm Reduction Program Manager

Alliance for Positive Health – Heather has lifelong connections to family, friends, and loved ones who use drugs, have struggled with addiction, and/or thrive in their pathway of recovery. She has been volunteering more formally in the role of a recovery coach since 2018 with Hope & Healing RCOC and has worked with the Alliance for Positive Health since 2021 expanding impact across three counties. Heather is a trainer of Science of Addiction & Recovery and Our Stories Have Power as well as Nacan. She is also a developer of the Reducing Stigma to Reduce Harm training recently rolled out in rural communities and a founding member of the We Recover Together meeting. Reducing Stigma to Reduce Harm is a workshop that addresses the language and stigma associated with harm reduction as a pathway of recovery as well as enhancing relationships to create meaningful connections with people who use drugs. As a recovery peer and an ardent Harm Reductionist, Heather connects with people and their community by engaging with them and providers in candid and thought-provoking conversations around policy and human dignity. In addition to her work in the realms of recovery. Heather is a trained Lay Minister for the Methodist Church and a current school board member in her town.

Elizabeth Belair

Youth & Young Adult Peer Support, Hope & Healing RCOC

After spending years in another career path, Elizabeth found her calling as a recovery peer. She is a recovery coach and peer support for youth and young adults at Hope & Healing Recovery Community and Outreach Center. She is a SMART Facilitator and Narcan Trainer who comes to recovery as a person with lived experience. She also leads a workshop entitled Creating Connections. How much does a polar bear weigh? Just enough to break the ice!! This interactive workshop features fun relationship building activities. Elizabeth is passionate about the wellness and success of our younger people. This extends to a robust involvement with her local community as a U8 Softball Coach. Elizabeth loves her family, adventure, her recovery, and most importantly G.O.D.

Kristin Lyng

Prevention Educator

Kristin started at the Council for Prevention in July 2023. Kristin obtained a bachelor’s in child development from Ashford University and then completed a master’s in teaching through Plattsburgh and is certified in elementary education. As a Prevention Educator, Kristin implements many of our evidence-based programing in local school districts such as Too Good for Drugs, Lion’s Quest, BOTVIN, Teen Mental Health First Aid, and recently gained certification in Active Parenting. Kristin also leads one day drug prevention and awareness presentation for youth and teens in the Warren and Washington county area schools. In her free time Kristin enjoys watching her boys play sports, attending concerts, and spending time at her camp up north with her family.

Lori Prock

Coordinator for the Community Prevention and Intervention Project (CPIP)

Lori Prock joins the Council from SUNY Adirondack where she was the Director of Health and Wellness. Prior to working at the college, she worked at Saratoga County Public Health as the emergency preparedness coordinator for 4 years and previously served as a health educator and senior health educator for the county. She also worked for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and later entered into substitute teaching with many districts in the community. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of St. Rose and her master’s degree in health education from the Sage Colleges. She is also a New York State certified to teach in the subjects of health, biology and general science.

Sarah Caimano

Prevention Educator

Sarah joined the Council in February of 2024 as a Prevention Educator. As an educator, she enjoys being involved in area school districts and working with students to better themselves and their communities. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University in Environmental Humanities with a concentration in Environmental Education. Her previous educator roles have included running field trip programs at Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center and substitute teaching in many local districts. Outside of work, Sarah loves hiking, reading, baking, and playing in the drum core for a local Scottish bagpipe band.

Francine Tyler

Prevention Educator

Francine joined the Council in March of 2024. Coming from Catholic Charities of Saratoga, Warren and Washington County as a Nutrition, Outreach, Education Program Coordinator for Washington County. Prior to that Francine was a Pre-kindergarten teacher for 13 years. Bringing her years of teaching and working in the nonprofit sector and the love for the community that she was raised into the area schools to help children and adolescents learn to make good choices to sustain a healthy lifestyle in the years to come. Outside of work Francine enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, going camping with her core group of friends in the summer and watching Syracuse and Clemson College basketball in the winter.

Kelly Hungerford

Certified Peer Recovery Advocate

Kelly has 20 years of experience working with members of healing communities in a variety of ways. Mostly recently, Kelly brings her personal and professional experience to Hope and Healing supporting individuals and family members impacted by addiction and through their journey of recovery. Kelly received her CASAC-T in 2023 and in 2024 her NYS credentialling as a CRPA. She is a trained facilitator of Invitation to Change and SMART Recovery, delivers parenting skills to incarcerated parents as well as their partnering caregivers, and fosters human connection to guide individuals to and through their recovery journey. Kelly is a lifelong student, and her free time finds grounding and connection to music, collecting vinyl records, immersing herself in concerts, and sharing her love of the arts with her family.