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.

Sarah Bourgeois

Senior Prevention Educator

Sarah joined the Council for Prevention October of 2017. Sarah received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Community Health from SUNY Potsdam. as a Senior Prevention Educator, Sarah teaches evidence based programming throughout Warren and Washington Counties to students K-12. Sarah is also a TIPS trainer, an educational training program given to individuals working in establishments that sell and serve alcohol to customers. Sarah also leads staff trainings and maintains WITNYS for the Council for Prevention. She also writes the annual report for OASAS. 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 joined the Council for Prevention July of 2019. She 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. Gillian was a classroom based Special Education Teacher prior to her role at the council. As a Senior Prevention Educator Gillian creates connections within the school districts of Warren and Washington county along with fostering working relationships with school admin to schedule our programming, creating modifications and accommodations as needed for students, and coordinating the prevention educators schedules. She also mentors teachers with Positive Action and PAX, implements a number of our evidence based programming in schools including teen Mental Health First Aid, Alcohol Literacy Challenge, Too Good for Drugs, Botvin Life Skills Training, LionsQuest, It’s Real: Teens and Mental Health, and more. Gillian is a trainer in youth Mental Health First Aid, Suicide Safety for Educators and Staff, Tending the Roots, SAFETalk, and ASIST. Gillian is a Co-Coordinator for the Warren and Washington Counties LOSS Team. She also is a cowriter on the annual report for OASAS and heads the Youth Substance Use and Mental Health biannual survey and reports for school districts within both counties. In her spare time Gillian enjoys spending time with her two dogs and everything travel related.

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.

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.

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 currently leads programming in teen Mental Health First aid, Too Good for Drugs, Vape Escape, and more. Sarah 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.

Courtney Gifford

Program Coordinator

Courtney joined the Council for Prevention September of 2019. 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. As the Program Coordinator, Courtney leads Outing Programs, as well as being an Active Parenting Trainer and Teen Intervene Guide. She also 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.

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.

Drew Aldrich

Peer Engagement Coordinator

Drew first found Hope and Healing as a resource to begin upon his own recovery journey. There, as a participant, he realized his passion for being there to help individuals find their own path through recovery. Through lived experience he strives to help individuals navigate a lifestyle of maintained recovery. Drew graduated from SUNY Adirondack with an associate’s degree in 2018 and plans to return to school in the near future. Outside of the work week Drew enjoys hiking; playing and watching soccer, music, painting, writing, playing PC games and relaxing with his loving and devoted cat, “Carl”.

Richmond Principe

Street Outreach Coordinator

Richmond joined Hope and Healing as our Street Outreach Coordinator in the Spring of 2024 with a deep passion to connect with those in the recovery community.  He meets fellow peers where they are with an open mind, while creating a safe place to engage about emotional wellness, trauma, as well as being a resource broker.  He hosts a variety of meetings with different paths to recovery because he believes folks have individual needs and finding what works for them is most important.  Richmond graduated from the Recovery Coach Academy and became a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate in his journey of long term sustained recovery.  Bringing programs to local jails, colleges, reintegration programs and local non profit organizations.  Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his best friend and son little Richmond.  Being a reliable father that’s emotionally available is his proudest accomplishment in life.  Fishing, boating, lifting and riding motorcycles are hobbies that also serve as healthy outlets.   

Mikayla Montero

Peer Support

Coming Soon

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.