Meet the Staff

Dr. Vernon Partello, MD has practiced medicine for over 2 decades. He is board certified in Addiction Medicine and Family Medicine treating both inpatient and outpatient addiction throughout his career. He has served as the inpatient medical attending and director for the Rock County Detox Center and Rock County Jail respectively. This broad exposure to addiction has afforded him a deep understanding of the medication assisted treatment options that can be offered to patients including Methadone, Suboxone and Vivitrol.  He has been caring for patients with primary opiate addiction and co-addictions for years. His goal is to treat patients with addiction issues with dignity, respect and concern for their health as they begin and recover from this difficult illness.

Dr. Christopher Harkin, MD has practiced medicine for over 30 years and has been involved in caring for patients with addiction problems his entire career. He is board certified in Addiction Medicine, Anesthesiology and Family Medicine. For the past four years, he has been caring for patients with primary opioid addiction and other co-addictions as they arise. His goal is to treat patients with addiction issues with care and compassion and help guide them into recovery. With his years of experience he is well versed in the use of Methadone, Suboxone and Vivitrol as medication assisted treatment tools he can offer to his patients as part of their treatment plan.  

Morgyn Steinbrecher, MSW, LCSW, CSAC, ICS graduated from UW-Milwaukee Graduate School of Social Work in 2011 with specialization in Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse. During her time as a dual-credentialed counselor, she has worked in numerous treatment modalities including: Inpatient, Residential, Dual-Diagnosis Intensive Outpatient, Opioid Maintenance Therapy and Outpatient Mental Health. She is specialized in the following evidence-based treatments: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Her experience is specifically geared towards an individualized approach for recovery and comprehensive training for counselors under direct supervision. Her experience has also made her invaluable to her patients who also utilize medication treatment assistance as part of their plan including Methadone, Suboxone and Vivitrol.

Michael York, SAC has been a licensed Substance Abuse Counselor in the state of Wisconsin since 2009. His experience in treating patients with opiate addiction started in 2012 at Quality Addiction Management in Beloit. York was promoted to the clinic manager position at Quality Addiction Management- Beloit in 2013 and transitioned to the clinic director position when Quality Addiction Management was acquired by Acadia Healthcare in 2015. In January of 2018 York left Acadia Healthcare to pursue other goals but has decided to return to counseling as he continues to have a strong desire to work with individuals suffering from the effects of addiction. York’s goal is to facilitate a treatment environment that promotes dignity, respect, and self-determination which will allow all patients who seek treatment at ASAP to take active role in the success of their recovery.

Alyssa RN, graduated from Edgewood College with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN). Nurse Alyssa began her nursing career working in Family Medicine giving her exposure to the full range of patient ages and ailments. She gained significant exposure and training in this environment to transition into her role as the Associate Director of Nursing for ASAP.  Nurse Alyssa is a strong patient advocate and believes in preserving human dignity, patient equality and freedom from suffering. Her goal is to break the stigma associated with opioid treatment to provide a supportive and non-judgmental environment for patients to begin their journey towards recovery and sobriety. With her impressive education and training she is comfortable with all aspects of the medication assisted treatment offered at ASAP including the use of Methadone, Suboxone and Vivitrol.

Amy graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2011.  With her studies she developed a multidisciplinary interest in neuroscience, addiction and mental health counseling. She earned an Addiction Studies Certificate in 2019 and began working as a SAC-IT. Amy is passionate about collaborative problem solving and employing Motivational Interviewing and Solution Focused techniques in sessions. Amy takes pride in advocating for others, eliminating stigma related to addiction and mental health, and finding creative solutions to break down barriers to treatment. She will be starting a graduate school program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling this summer.

Bethany graduated from Moraine Park Technical College's abuse counseling program.  She completed her substance abuse counseling internship helping patients in outpatient medication treatment programs in Madison.  She also has significant experience working with behavioral health patients with serious mental illnesses as a Psychiatric Care Technician.  She has an especially empathetic approach for patients in need of community resources and assistance.  Her personal experience in the recovery community has helped her gain insight into how to assist those in need of substance abuse treatment.

Heather has been actively involved in addiction therapy over the last ten years.  She has specialty training from her graduate studies having earned her Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from UW-Whitewater. Heather approaches addiction counseling with a trauma-informed perspective, helping patients from all backgrounds make self-directed, lasting change in their lives. She is experienced in using brief solution-focused therapy, person-centered therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness therapy in a number of settings including suicide prevention, mental health, and polypharmacy addiction.  With her breadth of training and experience she enjoys personalizing the care she provides to her clients as they recover from their addiction.

Jennifer is a psychotherapist who specializes in addiction, shame, trauma, and helping others learn the art of self-compassion.  She primarily utilizes action-oriented, evidenced-based modalities, such as Acceptance & Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, because they are highly effective and align with her belief system and core values.  Instead of expending energy resisting or denying their emotions toward a difficult concept, these frameworks encourage one to accept these emotions as an appropriate response to certain situations and to move forward regardless. This eases the conflict between how a person believes they are “supposed to” feel and how they realistically feel under circumstances to which they are exposed.

Jennifer uses a holistic approach with all her clients that is instrumental to her practice success. She understands a person is not their diagnosis. A person is not their addiction. A person is a complex individual who deserves the care and respect that she would hope to be shown towards herself or someone that is close to her. Working through shame is a process. and a journey, that is best traversed with compassion.

Michael is a graduate of U.W. Milwaukee where he earned his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Social Work. Following graduation he pursued his passion and obtained the credentialing to begin addiction counseling.  He has devoted several years  specifically to AODA counseling with an emphasis on opiate addiction. Michael is dedicated to the recovery of his clients and prides himself in the working relationships he has established over time.  He feels listening is the key to uncover the personal strengths important to his clients they wish to recover.  He feels this affords him the ability to tailor his counseling over time on their road to recovery. Michael is currently in the process of applying to graduate school at U.W. Whitewater to obtain a Master's Degree in Social Work.  With this knowledge he hopes to continue to better the lives of those under his care.

Elizabeth has worked in a variety of social service and counseling settings since 2007. She uses a solution-focused approach to help her patients identify patterns in their behavior, understand reasons for those behaviors and find sustainable ways to change. She is trained and experienced in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, psychospiritual grief counseling and using creative approaches to stress, trauma and anxiety management.