Our Staff - Spirit Lodge Drug & Alcohol Treatment

George Joseph

CEO

George Joseph took over the reigns of The Right Step in 1994, when the company had one location - a residential treatment program in Houston. With his hard work, The Right Step is now the largest provider of drug and alcohol treatment services in the Southwest, last year serving over 3500 individuals.

In 2007, George wanted to expand the continuum of treatment offered by The Right Step. He envisioned an upscale, private residential facility that took a holistic approach to recovery. It was important not only to offer cutting edge treatment and therapy, but amenities such as chef prepared meals, concierge-style services and personal trainers to make the guest's stay more comfortable.

"Spirit Lodge is the place that I would want to go, if I were to need treatment now."

George received the high honor of Counselor of the Year from National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors in 2000. With 25 years of experience in the field of treatment and recovery, George's insight, knowledge, and leadership is well regarded within the community as well as among The Right Step and Spirit Lodge organization.

Joellyn Champagne, J.D. LL.M.

Vice President

Joining the Right Step in 2009, Joellyn serves as Vice President of HR and Organizational Effectiveness.Prior to being named President of TRS, Joellyn served as the company's Chief Human Resources Officer. Joellyn is a seasoned executive with an extensive 20-year background in healthcare operations, compliance, and human resources. Joellyn has a proven track record as an internal HR leader, external HR consultant, and legal counsel as well as holding senior operational leadership positions in the healthcare industry. A strong internal change agent, Joellyn holds expertise in assessment of organizational team and individual performance issues to develop process improvements and actionable plans that achieve corporate objectives.

Joellyn's experience at the executive management level includes her position as Human Resources Leader for General Electric where she led the HR operations for North America Oil and Gas. Prior to this, she served as GE Senior Vice President of Human Resources and General Counsel for Belmont Senior Living, a developer and operator of senior living facilities throughout the United States. Joellyn brings deep experience in healthcare operations management as well having held facility and regional leadership positions in the long term care industry.

Joellyn has held public service roles including Assistant City Attorney for the City of Houston, America's fourth largest city. Having earned a bachelor's degree in health education from Nicholls State University, Joellyn went on to earn a law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. She also holds a Master of Laws degree in Health Law from the University of Houston Health Law and Policy Institute.

Jason Powers, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Prior to joining The Right Step in 2006, Dr. Powers served as an attending physician at Memorial Hermann Prevention and Recovery Center and as an assistant professor in the department of family and community medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Powers received his medical degree from Texas Tech University Health Science Center. While in school, he was the recipient of several academic scholarships including the Kellogg Foundation Academics Scholarship and the Student Senate Endowed Academic Scholarship.

Dr. Jason Powers is an Addictionologist (M.D.) and has been voted one of Houston's "Top 50 Doctors" for two years running. Dr. Powers was recently granted board certification from the American Board of Addiction Medicine. Read more about Dr. Powers' ABAM certification...

Rena Cantrell

Executive Director

Rena is the Executive Director of Spirit Lodge. She has been helping people in recovery of the disease of chemical dependency and mental health issues for over 20 years. She received her undergraduate degree from University of Texas at Dallas and graduate degree in Social Work from University of Texas at Arlington.

Rena's clinical expertise includes private practice, Vice President and President/CEO of external Employee Assistance Programs, and Clinical Director in a large drug treatment program. Rena was also instrumental in developing the extended male and female programs as well as Supervising the 24 bed Detoxification Program. Rena is a licensed clinical social worker, licensed chemical dependency counselor, and certified employee assistance counselor.

Jay Plotkin, MA, LCDC

Clinical Director

Jay brings both vision and passion to his work at Spirit Lodge. After more than 10 years in the commercial real estate industry, Jay made a decision to pursue his dream of helping those struggling with addiction. Jay obtained a Master's Degree in Addiction Studies/ Counseling from the Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies and also holds a Bachelors degree in Economics from Tulane University. Over the years, Jay has worked for the Hazelden Foundation in various capacities including development, counseling, and most recently serving as a supervisor at Hazelden's Center for Youth and Families in Plymouth Minnesota. He is a licensed Addictions Counselor who is truly committed to providing the best care for Spirit Lodge client's and their families.

Dr. William McCreight MD

Medical Director

Dr. McCreight is the Medical Director and Addictionologist at Spirit Lodge. He received his Medical Degree from the University of Texas and completed his residency at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin. He is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Board of Addiction Medicine.

With sixteen years in the field, Dr. McCreight continues to be committed to helping those dealing with addiction.

"It's a challenge and a pleasure to work with people struggling with chemical dependency and watching them recover. I value the opportunity to educate people about this devastating illness."

Dr. Brian Earthman MD, PA

Psychiatric Services Director

Dr. Earthman employs a comprehensive treatment approach to the guests at Spirit Lodge which includes: counseling, lifestyle changes, medication, if needed, and new technologies such as micro - current therapy through Alpha Stim.

As the Psychiatric Services Director, Dr. Brian Earthman focuses on neurobiology and how chronic use of chemicals affects the brain's function. He enjoys being in a position of learning and applying the information to those who can benefit from proven developments.

Dr. Earthman received his medical degree from Texas Tech School of Medicine, and his Bachelors in Biology at The University of Texas at Austin. He has served in the U.S. Army Reserves since 2001 and has completed tours in Iraq and Kosovo.

Dr. Deborah L. Stote PhD

Psychologist

Dr. Stote’s therapeutic philosophy is twofold.  First, psychological therapies that are supported by scientific evidence usually work best.  The data are clear: addiction is a neurobiological disease that can affect people from all walks of life and there are reliable, effective treatments available.  Second, a balanced lifestyle promotes a healthy brain and soundness of mind.  Good nutrition, regular exercise, spirituality, work, intellectual stimulation, hobbies, and a robust social life all contribute to how we ultimately experience our environment.  Keeping that experience on a positive plane is the foundation of recovery.  Spirit Lodge richly supports this philosophy.

Dr. Stote received a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the Department of Psychology at the University of California at Los Angeles, with an emphasis in neuropsychology.  She completed her clinical training and formal internship with the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP), which coordinates substance abuse research and treatment within the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine and the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.  ISAP is one of the largest substance abuse research groups in the United States.  Dr. Stote has worked extensively with substance dependent individuals for several years, both in residential and outpatient settings and in her private practice in Austin, TX.  She has also served on the faculty at UCLA and The University of Texas at Austin and is actively involved in research. For more information on Dr. Stote Click Here.

Michael Carter

Executive Chef

The cuisine at Spirit Lodge reflects the geographical spectrum of Chef Michael Carter's 25 years of training and work. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu's California Culinary Academy in San Francisco in 1994, Michael worked at restaurants in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Yosemite, California. He then went on to Santa Fe and Houston before making his way to Austin, Texas. This is where he found a calling as an instructor at Le Cordon Bleu's Austin campus before joining the team at Spirit Lodge. Chef Carter is certified with the American Culinary Federation, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and is a Certified Nutritionist, Supervisionist, and Chef - all Proctor Status with the National Restaurant Association.

"I hope my food will comfort the guests here at Spirit Lodge; My goal is to conform to their needs, and confirm their worthiness. Every client here has the ability to succeed, and I can think of nothing more personally rewarding than being able to help them do just that."

In addition to preparing and planning the menu, Chef Carter also teaches the bi-weekly cooking lessons to guests.

Andrew Giles

Sous Chef

Andrew graduated from Le Cordon Blue in Austin, Texas with specialized degrees in French Cuisine and Applied Sciences. He has had the privilege of working all over Texas including resort - hideout town, Lajitas, and historic Uvalde, where he was the Executive Chef for a corporate hunting lodge and retreat which specialized in wild game and southwestern cuisine. Andrew also had opportunity to travel throughout Europe on a self-guided journey of culinary research. During this time he also wrote reviews for local restaurants affiliated with the Michelin star rating program. Andrew has been cooking professionally for 12 years. His passion and enthusiasm for cuisine is infectious to both guests and staff alike, making the cooking classes at Spirit Lodge a popular feature of the program.