Our Rehabilitation Team

The People Here Have Been Where You Are

Our clinical team is credentialed and experienced. What makes them different is that many of them got sober first. They are not managing your recovery from a distance. They know what it costs.

Many on our team have lived through addiction and recovery themselves. They understand the reality of getting sober and the strength it takes to begin.

Our Administrative Team

Mark S, MC

Our Founder

After many years of fighting tooth and nail, years of denial, trying to get and stay sober on my own, trying to convince myself that it would be different this time, I was given a moment of clarity to see myself as I truly was. I saw the reality of my addiction, I saw the damage that I was causing, I suddenly understood that the problems I drank about were not outside me – the problem was me – and that the change that was needed had to be me.
I was floored, I was beaten. And so, as to not leave my family the sad legacy of a dead alcoholic, I sought treatment. When I got on the plane to go, I had no real hope. I felt I could not be happy if I could not drink and knew that I could not be happy if I did. I felt damned. My life was in chaos and made no sense to me. I could not understand how this had happened.

I went to treatment. The lights began to turn on. I began to wake up. This was a great center and experience, but something was missing and I knew that this “something” was in great abundance at the ranch. With time, I understood why my life had turned out as it did, in the necessary sequence in which it had unfolded. I knew with absolute certainty that the purpose and meaning of Top of the Word Ranch was intertwined with my own. I knew what I needed to do and why I needed to do it. It felt predestined, it felt certain, and it still does. My wife and I grew up in Moline Illinois. We moved to BC Canada in 1995. We had left our old lives behind but we really never pulled up our roots. When I was invited to open another treatment center in Illinois, I was only interested if we could open another Top of the World Ranch. I am very pleased to say that what we have put together has surpassed the original vision of what could be. We have an amazing place here, the right mix of nature and high-end amenities.

There is no other center like it. Since opening our doors in Canada in 2005, I have obtained a Master of Counseling degree so that I may further help our clients because, you see, the real beauty of recovery is that by giving to others, we get more than we give in return.

I hope you choose us with the knowledge that we will offer you our best.

Justin W, MBA CADC

Director, Clinical and Operations

Justin knows all too well the pain and despair that comes with being a prisoner of active addiction. After decades of battling with addiction and many close calls he finally had a moment of clarity in which he acknowledged the fact that if he didn’t seek help he would surely die, leaving his son and family to grieve. He completed a treatment program and began the road to recovery which would ultimately lead him to a life that he never dreamed possible. Free from the chains of active addiction, Justin demonstrates his appreciation by helping others to break free from their own bondage. His heart is fully invested in seeing people rekindle their passion for life and grow into the best versions of themselves. When he isn’t working at the Ranch Justin is a regular speaker at recovery groups and he actively volunteers in the community. He enjoys spending time with his son and loved ones and taking time to appreciate nature’s beauty.

Brett V, LCPC, CAADC, MA

Chief Strategy Officer

I earned my undergraduate degree at Taylor University in Psychology and my Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Eastern Illinois University. I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor. During my master’s program, I worked at an adolescent inpatient center for substance use. Upon graduation, I started working at the Robert Young Center where I worked primarily with males from the ages of 18-99+ with a substance use disorder diagnosis; mainly dependence. In addition to working in an outpatient setting, I worked in the inpatient substance abuse unit, the inpatient mental health unit, the ED department where I conducted crisis evaluations, and individual therapy for a variety of mental health disorders. I was trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy during my master’s program, but I also utilize Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and EMDR in my treatment approach. My desire when working with individuals is to understand their basis of guilt and shame, which prompts them to hold unhealthy beliefs about themselves and therefore leads to the use of substances and then subsequently the development of addiction. In addition to my clinical work I have also had the opportunity to be an adjunct instructor of psychology at two separate collegiate institutions within the area. The Ranch allows individuals to cope with the shame and guilt that lies underneath the addiction through methods that aim at healing the individually internally. Serenity gained through the various treatment modalities offered at the Ranch is something that can be carried on with the individual when they go back to daily life. My hope is to help foster that internal healing through the journey that will be embarked on at the Ranch. I will step alongside and offer encouragement and a safe place for an individual to shed their old self, which includes destructive thoughts, self-loathing emotions, and a helpless hopelessness and realize the beauty that lies within.

Dr. Zachary Backlin

Medical Director

Top of the World Ranch operates under the medical oversight of Dr. Zachary Backlin, Medical Director. Dr. Backlin brings prescribing authority and the clinical scope to address both physical and psychiatric health needs for clients in treatment. His role covers medication-assisted treatment, psychiatric care coordination, and the medical dimensions of detox coordination and early recovery.

For clients with co-occurring psychiatric conditions, Dr. Backlin’s involvement means that medication management and mental health treatment are handled within the same program by a physician who understands addiction, not referred out or left to a follow-up appointment after discharge.

Our Clinical Team

Kelsey, MA

Lead Counselor

Sarah S, MS Ed

Counselor

Michael R, BS CADC

Counselor

Patrick B, CADC

IOP Counselor

Tamara B

Case Manager

Kevin T, CADC

Counselor

Adam W, CRADC

Counselor

Our Program Facilitators

Taelor L

Program Facilitator

Samantha H

Program Facilitator

Kory L

Program Facilitator

Ted K

Program Facilitator

Jill D

Program Facilitator

Mika O

Program Facilitator

Sarah M, CADC

Program Facilitator & Certified Yoga Instructor

Learn More About Sarah

Michael W

Program Facilitator

Kerry B

PF Lead: Native Ceremonial Leader

Travis R

Program Facilitator

Morgan C, CADC

Program Facilitator

Learn More About Morgan

Erin J, CRADC

PF Lead: Admissions

Learn More About Erin

Steven K

Program Facilitator

Josh L

Program Facilitator

Our Chefs

Travis S

Executive Chef

Josh G

Executive Sous Chef

Our Medical Team

Dr. Bruce Bassi, MD

Addiction Psychiatrist

Amanda P, LPN

Licensed Professional Nurse

Kelly P, RN

Registered Nurse

Valerie M, RD LDN

Registered Dietitian

Ericka S, RN

Registered Nurse

Jessica R., LMT

Massage Therapist

Our Intake and Billing Team

Stacy N

Intake and Billing Coordinator

Mandy A

UR Coordinator

Our Maintenance & Facilities Team

Dustin W

General Maintenance

Staff Philosophy

Why We Hire the Way We Do

A significant number of the staff at Top of the World Ranch are former clients. People who sat in the same rooms, worked the same program, and built their sobriety here. They are on staff because we believe that lived experience is not a liability in this work. It is one of the most valuable assets a treatment team can have.

Credentials matter. Clinical training matters. And the ability to sit across from someone in the worst moment of their life and say, with complete honesty, that you have been there too, matters in a way that no certification captures.

Our rehabilitation team is comprised of highly skilled and compassionate professionals dedicated to providing exceptional care and support to individuals seeking recovery from addiction. We understand the challenges that come with addiction and are here to offer individualized understanding and guidance throughout the rehabilitation journey.

Each member of our rehabilitation team brings a unique skill set and a genuine passion for helping individuals overcome addiction and achieve lasting recovery.

We offer individual understanding to our clients through our excellent, empathetic, skillful staff, who know addiction.

If you have any questions or would like more information about our rehabilitation professionals, please feel free to reach out to us. Call us at [Direct]. We are here to assist you on your journey to a healthier and happier life.