Brad Schweitzer, BA, CADC, CIP, CRS

Owner/Director of Training Development & Facilitation

                                                                 Brad Schweitzer has worked within the behavioral health and drug/alcohol fields for the past 10                                                                      years. His treatment work experience includes: Associate Director of Operations, Peer Support                                                                       Supervisor, Therapist, Case Manager, Mental Health Recovery Coach, and Addictions Navigator.                                                                   He is the Owner of Behavioral Health Education Services LLC, for which he develops and                                                                               facilitates trainings focused on professional peer workers seeking Pennsylvania Certification                                                                         Board (PCB) approved education for initial and recertification purposes. Additionally, he works for Community Health and Dental in Pottstown, Pennsylvania as a Community Based Care Manager for individuals involved in the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program. Brad Schweitzer holds an A.A. in Psychology and a B.A. in Behavioral Health – Addictions. He is currently pursuing a M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Kutztown University. His professional credentials include: Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS), Certified Intervention Professional (CIP), and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC). He has been a presenter at the 2018 and 2019 PCB Annual Conferences. As an individual in long-term recovery, he has a personal understanding of the struggles those in early recovery experience finding an individualized recovery pathway, and accessing the services they desperately need to support and enable long term recovery success. His focus on the development of quality professional education offerings helps to fulfill one of his passions; to thoroughly train individuals seeking Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS) certification. He takes great pride in preparing CRSs to collaboratively work with individuals to overcome personal barriers to recovery and access resources needed to promote and strengthen their ongoing recovery.

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Phillip Bennett, CRS

Training Facilitator

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                                                  Phillip Bennett has worked in the Drug and Alcohol Recovery field since 2015.  His treatment                                                         

                                                  experience includes: House Manager, Case Manager, Recovery Support Specialist, and                             

 

                                                  Counselor’s Assistant. Additionally, Phil works for Caron Treatment Centers in Wernersville,                                                          

                                                  Pennsylvania.  His credentials include Certified Recovery Specialist. He is also a PCB approved                                                       

                                                  CRS training facilitator and has been since 2016.  As a person in long term recovery, Phillip understands

 

                                                  the day to day struggle of early recovery, and how to navigate challenges that may arise in long term

 

                                                  recovery as well.  This experience allows Phil to help other persons in recovery overcome those

 

challenges to achieve long term recovery. .

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Don Altemus, MS, CPS, CRS

Training Facilitator

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                                                  Don’s experience includes training, coaching, motivational speaking and he’s a person with lived

 

                                                   experience who has assisted people working on their recovery for the past 15 years. Don has presented

 

                                                   on an international level in advancement of peer support, community inclusion and self-direction. Don

 

                                                   holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science in

 

                                                   Behavioral and Addiction Counseling from Drexel University. He is a Certified Life Coach, Certified Peer

 

                                                   Specialist and Certified Recovery Specialist with a specialty in self-direction. Don volunteers his time to

 

                                                   give back to his community and currently serves as a member of the OMHSAS Adult Advisory       

 

                                                   Committee, Board Member for the Chester County MH/IDD Advisory Board and Board Pennsylvania

 

Certification Board. Don is also a well-versed instructor for QPR Suicide Prevention and acts as an adjunct trainer/peer experience

 

presenter for Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) to police throughout the state of Pennsylvania.  Don takes pride in utilizing a path of

 

self-direction with his clients allowing them to discover their own strengths on their unique path to recovery, self-direction and

 

personal growth.

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Patrick Marison, CRS

Training Facilitator

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                                                Patrick Marison completed the Certified Recovery Specialist certification in June of 2017. He worked in

 

                                                the drug and alcohol field for 15 months as a CRS at Creative Health Services in Pottstown, PA, assisting

 

                                                clients in developing a program of recovery and connecting with community resources while supporting

 

                                                them in their pursuit of recovery. During this time, he accepted a position as a CRS Trainer at Behavioral

 

                                                Health Education Services. In this position, he presents the PCB-approved curriculum for the CRS

 

                                                certification, teaching individuals seeking the credential the multiple pathways to recovery, effective

 

                                                techniques to engage clients at all stages of change, the laws of confidentiality, and how to use the lived

 

                                                experience of a person in long-term recovery to benefit those seeking treatment and recovery. In addition

 

to the Certified Recovery Specialist credential, Patrick Marison also holds an Associates of Science degree from Reading Area

 

Community College. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science with a focus in Cellular/Molecular/Microbiology from Kutztown

 

University. Upon completion of this program, he intends to continue his education, ultimately pursuing an advanced degree in

 

Neuroscience.  His experience as an individual in long-term recovery has motivated Patrick to help others struggling with substance

 

use disorders by sharing the knowledge and skills he has acquired in his own journey of recovery. After completing his Associates of

 

Science, he has switched fields professionally from Behavioral Health to Life Sciences, working as a Lab Technician as well as a CRS

 

Trainer. His long-term plan to pursue his passion for both fields and to research the neuroscience of addiction to further understand

 

how addiction affects the brain and develop new treatments and techniques to increase the effectiveness of treatment and raise

 

awareness of the struggles individuals with substance use disorders live with every day.

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