Working in the field of substance abuse and addiction treatment as well as living the experience himself, Spencer Baker has explored a variety of pathways to recovery including, but not limited to:  Twelve-Step Recovery, SMART Recovery, Medical Assisted Treatment (MAT), Adventure and Outdoor Therapy, Art Therapy, and has a thorough understanding of both in-patient and out-patient treatment settings.  Spencer’s work experience in the field includes recovery home management, in-patient residential supervising, addiction and recovery education, curriculum planning, and recovery coaching. 

While Spencer has training as a Chemical Dependency Counselor’s Assistant (CDCA), a certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRS), and a Recovery Coach trainer, he maintains that his best learning experiences have come from learning by engaging in his own recovery and being “in the trenches” with others who are recovering. While his personal recovery will always remain his number one priority in life, he has found his purpose in life helping others who face the same challenges as himself: recovery from substance addiction, wellness in life with mental health disorders, the barriers of being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, and balancing holistic health through the struggles of everyday life.

Spencer has been a part of the Packard Institute for three years in a variety of capacities and he is currently a Certified Recovery Coach Training educator for the agency.  His ultimate goal for each individual he serves is to give them access to knowledge, skills, and tools to meet their own autonomously-made goals for wellness.

Keri Countryman holds a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, is a licensed chemical dependency counselor assistant and is also an Ohio-certified Peer Supporter, and she is currently working towards licensure as an independent chemical dependency counselor. 

She has worked in the behavioral health field for more than 15 years, and has been on the team at Packard Institute for 3 years. S

Keri lives her own recovery program and is well versed on the many different paths to wellness. 

Because of her personal experience, she is driven to support struggling souls on their individual journeys toward health, wholeness, and recovery by helping them find the courage and strength within.

China Darrington, BFA, CDCA, OPSS, is the current Project Coordinator for the Summit County Opiate Task Force. She is also the head of her own agency XIX Recovery Support Services.

She has been an Ohio Child Welfare Training Program (OWCTP) trainer since 2010, training child welfare workers and foster/adoptive/kinship caregivers what they need to know to help work with substance-involved families and has received the “Rising Star” award in 2014 and the NEORTC “Trainer of the Year” award in 2017.

In addition to working with the Casey Family Programs on their Birth Parent National Network and the Birth Parent/Foster Parent Partnership, she trains in substance abuse, mental health, recovery support services, trauma and human trafficking. But her favorite role? China is a dynamo single mother and loves advocating in our community.

In his role as a Packard Institute Recovery Coach, Rick uses his voice to share his loses and life experience of addiction and recovery to help others find sobriety. Here is Rick’s story: “I started drinking and smoking pot in high school, states Rick.  “After high school, of course, I went on to college and drank more. That’s where I met my first wife, had two children and turned off my drinking. (For the most part). Ten years later I got divorced and the drinking started up again. Over the next ten years I had the ability to turn my drinking on and off.

After an accident, my daughter was prescribed opiate pain pills, and after too many months the doctor took her off her perception. But by this time, she was addicted—and turned to the streets as many do.  On August 11, 2011 at the age of 32 she overdosed on Fentanyl. Being a heavy drinker most all of my life this crushed my soul, and I went to the dark side of alcoholism. I drank for three and one half years 24/7. Lost everything but my wife, and with a lot of help and work I began to saw hope and got sober.”

Rick Harig hopes his story will inspire you.  “I realized sharing my story could help others find sobriety. If you’ve seen lost—you can see hope. God showed me the need to restore family ties for alcoholics and addicts, in recovery giving all involved a new hope for sober living.”

Don (Donnie) Legg has been in recovery since 2006 from his battle with addiction. Don obtained his Associate's degree in psychology in 2013. In 2015, Don interned at The Packard Institute for his Bachelor’s degree in Human Services with a concentration on addiction counseling and crisis intervention which he received in February of 2016.

Don is also an ordained minister who co-facilitates a Celebrate Recovery meeting at Cornerstone Church in Mogadore, Ohio. He is also the youth ministry leader at Cornerstone and facilitates a middle school learning environment on Sunday mornings.

Don credits his relationship with God as the catalyst for his recovery and his faith continues to be the positive driving force in his life. Don also has the ability to set aside his own beliefs to meet people where they are at in their own recovery. Don feels that “We exist to help others and love one another as much as we can to make a positive impact in as many lives as possible.”

David Monter holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Akron. Having “crashed and burned” on his first trip through graduate school, David has returned for round two, where he is currently completing his degree in Social Work.

With both personal and professional experience in addiction, David is a passionate advocate for the recovery community and understands the inherent value of treating everyone with dignity and respect. Having discovered the immeasurable benefit of physical activity with regards to his own recovery, David is a strong supporter of the mind-body approach to addiction treatment and fully supports a holistic approach to recovery.

David spent his formative years “bumming his way through life” until he discovered his true passion in the social services field.  Since then, he has at various times worked in AOD treatment and detox centers, community mental health and in vocational rehabilitation. 

Our founder is an original "Dogtown" skateboarder, U.S. Army paratrooper, and has over a hundred marathons and ironman triathlons under his belt. Having done his Master's studies in counseling at Ashland Theological Seminary and the University of Akron, and his Doctoral studies in clinical psychology at California Southern University, he has been in the trenches since 1992. Raynard has two daughters, Sonja and Magdalena, and is a person in long-term recovery. Read more.

Angela Ratliff began her near decade of service as a Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant and then graduating with an Associate of Applied Science. She later became an Ohio Certified Peer Recovery Supporter and Ohio integrated model Peer Training Facilitator.

Angela Radcliff identifies as a person in long-term recovery from not only substance use disorders, but also mental health challenges.

She has dedicated her personal and professional life to helping others to overcome these co-occurring struggles.

As a single mother in recovery, Angela understands overcoming adversity.

Jennifer J. Reed is a Ph.D. candidate in sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, college instructor, and curriculum developer. After growing up in Columbiana County, Ohio and becoming a teen mom, she earned her B.A. in psychology at the University of Mount Union and M.A. in sociology at the University of Akron.

While in Las Vegas, she participated in sex worker outreach and HIV prevention planning. Jennifer was on the ground floor of founding the Packard Institute, Inc. in 2007 where she still serves as a consultant. 

In 2016, Jennifer was trained in the CCAR model as a certified recovery coach and joined the leadership team of Ohio CAN (Change Addiction Now). She has been a certified practitioner of hypnosis, Reiki, and Rapid Eye Technology for over 10 years. Her specialty is addressing underlying issues whether individual, social, or political. She earned her CELTA certification in 2017 to better serve students and clients with different first languages. Jennifer is a proud mom, grandmother, and avid scholar-activist. “Together, let’s solve this!”