Introducing the Dragonfly Team of Professionals
Glenn White —
Program Director/Founder/Co-Owner
Glenn, a graduate of Old Dominion University with a B.S. degree in Education and Outdoor
Recreation, is also a certified Wilderness First Responder and has over twenty years experience
leading wilderness trips on both coasts of the United States, as well as in Alaska, Mexico, and
Tanzania. He has designed and implemented adventure programming for college students, corporate
management teams, high schools, the general public, and has extensive experience working with
troubled adolescents in the outdoors.
Glenn’s knack for building community and helping students discover meaning in their lives
is central to the Dragonfly curriculum. Having struggled himself as a young adult, Glenn found his
calling helping young people rediscover themselves, take responsibility for their lives, and find
their own unique path. He motivates and inspires young adults using an insight-oriented approach
that allows students to discover themselves, articulating their own beliefs, values, gifts and
strengths.
In addition to mentoring students and staff, Glenn manages the day-to-day Dragonfly operations
and is responsible for staff training. He also guides students and families on wilderness
journeys.
Mona Treadway, LCSW, CADC I —
Treatment Coordinator & Admissions Director &
Co-Owner/Founder
Mona is a graduate of Portland State University with a Masters in Social Work and a graduate of
Prescott College with a B.A. in Human Development and Wilderness Leadership. She has worked with a
variety of populations, including women survivors of breast cancer and Native Alaskan teenagers
dealing with substance abuse issues. Mona has led therapeutic wilderness trips, taught college
level outdoor courses and wilderness skills such as rock climbing, skiing, kayaking, glacier
travel, and backpacking. Her graduate internships included work at Hospice, a drug and alcohol
outpatient program and as a counselor at Oregon Institute of Technology. While at OIT she received
training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Suicide Assessment and Prevention.
Mona loves working with people and is a natural-born therapist with a knack for helping young
adults "let go" and accept their situation so that they can begin building meaningful lives. Mona
has a clear understanding of family dynamics and an ability to help families move from crisis into
stability.
Mona manages treatment coordination, admissions, marketing and accounting and is responsible for
Dragonfly's family program.
Jennifer Mason, M.A —
Dragonfly Transitions Therapist
Jennifer received her M.A in counseling psychology from Lewis and Clark College. She received a B.S in nursing from Linfield College. She has over fourteen years experience working with "at risk" youth and families. Jennifer sees her practice through the lense of the family systems model. She approaches her work objectively, meeting her clients where they are and empowering them to guide their own treatment. Jennifer has worked in the county mental health setting, in schools, in residential programs, as an expert witness in the court system and most recently in young adult transition programs.
She has specialized training in EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy). Jennifer is eclectic in her approach and will often try many different techniques/styles to help clients find success. Jennifer was raised in Klamath County on a working cattle ranch. After seventeen years away she returned to the area to be near family. She enjoys hiking,rafting, camping, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Her favorite part of working at Dragonfly is the recreational time she gets to spend with the students and getting to know the families during family workshops.
Sharon Melnick, M.D. —
Psychiatrist/ Medical and Clinical Director
Dr. Sharon Melnick has provided psychiatric
services to Dragonfly Adventures since it’s inception and became the Medical Director in
January, 2005. As Medical Director, Dr. Melnick provides psychiatric oversight to the program and
Transitions students, including psychiatric evaluations, medication management, group therapy,
psychotherapy, five element acupuncture and staff training. Dr. Melnick’s program involvement
goes beyond the traditional office visit that typically occurs in most therapeutic schools and
programs. She interacts with psychiatrists and therapists who have previously worked with
Transitions students to gain insights that can be incorporated into the work the student does here
at Dragonfly. Dr. Melnick’s focus is bio-psychosocial and spiritual, using medications not to
“fix” the problem, but rather to decrease symptoms so that the individual can continue
his/her work of healing, growth and development. Dr. Melnick interacts with students on their
level, using plain language to help a student experience themselves in a new light.
Dr. Melnick is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and has worked
extensively with adolescents and young adults. She completed a psychiatry residency at UCLA/San
Fernando Valley, with additional training at the Los Angeles Family Therapy Institute and the Los
Angeles Jung Institute. Before practicing in Klamath Falls, Dr. Melnick was Assistant Training
Director at the UCLA/SFV Psychiatry Training Program, had a private practice of psychiatry and
psychotherapy in both California and Montana, and worked with Clackamas County Mental Health
outside of Portland, Oregon.
“The staff at Dragonfly is caring and professional. They maintain a very
well balanced interaction with our daughter, so that she can grow and mature in the
process.”
— Father of a Transitions Student
Kelly Skidgel Elliott, MSW —
Medication Management and Therapist
Kelly has been with Dragonfly Transition for a total of two
years. She was a mentor for one year in 2006 and then spent
two years working at her children’s school. Kelly returned
to Dragonfly in June, 2009 as the medication manager. Kelly
completed her Master in Social Work program through Portland
State University in 2010. She fulfilled her clinical
practicum requirements at Dragonfly. Kelly graduated from
Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) in 2005 with a BS in
Applied Psychology and in 2006 with a BS in Communication
Studies and a Dispute Resolution Certificate. Kelly received
full funding from The Ford Family Foundation to complete
both her undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Kelly and her husband Jeff moved to Klamath Falls in 1987,
after Jeff was hired with the Air National Guard to work at
Kingsley Field. Kelly and Jeff have six children ages eight
months to 20 yrs old. Previous to attending college, Kelly
operated an in-home childcare business for 15 years and has
spent 20 years providing foster care for medically fragile
infants in Klamath County.
Kelly is highly motivated to learn and has become a
professional student of life. Kelly has experience in
behavior modification, research, attachment theory, child
development, and preparing curriculum for the classroom or
groups. Kelly likes to spend her free time at the dance
studio. Kelly appreciates a good challenge and anything that
promotes critical thinking skills.
Dawn Merrigan, B.S., CDC-III, CADC-II, NCAC-II, BCRPS —
Mentor/Addictions Specialist
Dawn is a graduate of Oregon Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology and an Associate of Arts in General Studies. Dawn is a Qualified Mental Health Associate, a Level-II Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor for the State of Oregon, a Level-III Chemical dependency Counselor through the Northwest Indian Alcohol drug Certification Board, a Level-II National Certified Addictions Counselor through the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, The Association for Addiction Professionals and a Basic Relapse Prevention Specialist through the CENAPS Corporation.
Dawn has worked for over fourteen years with adults and youth who are striving toward productive, meaningful lives. She is dedicated to the recovery process as it applies to individuals, their families and their communities. Dawn has extensive training and experience working effectively with co-occurring disorders, substance abuse intervention and suicide intervention, grief and loss, gender specific issues, cognitive restructuring, equine therapy and cultural diversity.
Dawn's goal is to be of service. She is intuitive and realistic in her approach with people. Dawn is a motivator and natural teacher who is solution oriented and able to help others draw on their own strengths, abilities and resources when facing life and the challenges within it. At Dragonfly Dawn works as a substance abuse specialist, mentor and group facilitator.
Christen Danford — Mentor-B.S.; Qualified Mental Health Associate(QMHA)
Christen is an Oregon Institute of Technology graduate with a B.S. in
Applied Psychology with emphasis on Human and Social Services and an
Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree from Central Oregon Community
College in Liberal Studies. Christen moved from Bend Oregon to the Klamath
Falls area over a year ago to complete her B.S. degree. Christen and her
husband made Klamath Falls home after both receiving employment in the
area. Christen has experience on the receiving end of Wilderness Therapy,
Family Therapy and Transitional Living from a younger sibling who has been
in the programs for a number of years. Christen is also currently working
on obtaining hours for her CADC-I certification to further incorporate
Addiction Education into her work. Christen plans to attend a Graduate
program within the next year to obtain her LPC or MSW. Before coming to
Dragonfly, Christen interned at Deschutes County Mental Health on the
adult team working with individuals who are experiencing co-occurring
disorders.
When not working at Dragonfly, Christen enjoys; spending time with her
husband and family, collecting and listening to vinyl records, painting,
reading, spending time in the sunshine, traveling, going to the lake and
camping, working on cars, antiquing, collecting modern furniture,
searching for classic cars to re-build and attending car shows. Christen
enjoys being a mentor at Dragonfly because she feels that she… “Has so
much to learn from all of the individuals here.” One of Christens’ goals
in working in this field is to... "Plant a seed. As long as I can walk away
at the end of the day and know that I made someone think and consider
different approaches, then I did my job."
Sean Connolly — Mentor
Sean has lived in Klamath Falls for the past 5 years. He
moved here to attend the Oregon Institute of Technology and
has since graduated with a BS in Applied Psychology.
Eventually, he plans to attend graduate school and become a
high school counselor. Before working at Dragonfly, Sean
worked in Day Treatment at Klamath Youth Development Center.
Before moving to Klamath Falls, Sean lived in and grew up in
Medford, Oregon.
Sean is very involved in the theater community of Klamath
Falls. When not working at Dragonfly, he can often be found
working in the box office of the Ross Ragland Theater. When
his schedule allows, Sean likes to be on stage performing in
one of the many community productions offered in the Klamath
Basin.
Kenneth Benson — Outdoor Adventure Coordinator and Mentor
Originally from a small town in southern Utah, and most
recently from Salt Lake City via Portland, Kenny came to
Dragonfly after eight years working with Second Nature
Wilderness Programs. Kenny started as a field instructor for 2N
Duchesne and over his time there took on increasingly more
responsibility as a Senior Staff, Assistant Field Director, and
eventually Director of Recreation then Program Director at a
residential boarding school in Provo Utah. Kenny has worked
with adolescents from their first experiences in treatment
through to their final days in a therapeutic boarding school
and has helped teens work through struggles, lapses and
success. Kenny also has expertise working with students in
environments as diverse as Thailand and Nicaragua where he
organized and ran service and recreation trips that provided
perspective for students and a chance to give back.
Kenny loves working with both students and other staff and has
a natural and easy manner that is sincere. He is convinced by
his experience that the relationships students develop while
working through their struggles are what effect true and
lasting change.
Kenny enjoys spending time with his wife and dog, on whatever
adventures they can find. He craves travel and the cultural
immersion it brings. Kenny loves to teach and brings experience
in professional photography, web design, scuba and 20 years of
snowboarding to the Dragonfly team.
Jerry Smith — Night Mentor
Originally from the bluegrass state of Kentucky, Jerry has spent most of his life in Oregon where, over the past four decades, he has devoted his efforts to the passions of service to others, nature, family, and career. With a broad background of experience in recreations and work programs as well as residential treatment and outdoor adventure therapy, he has worked with groups and individuals across all ages and abilities. Including preschool, geriatrics, chronic and long term mentally ill, developmentally disabled, young adults, and at risk youth. Helping to design and implement recreation and work related programs for local, county, state, and federal programs. He has been fortunate and blessed with numerous wonderful experiences across the years.
Hobbies and interests, past and present, include hunting and fishing, photography, gardening, music, and anything on or near the water. Favorites: saying - "it's all good", color - blue, animals - horses and dogs.
As a Certified Mental Health Associate with the local county agency, Jerry was instrumental in the creation of a vocational program for Consumers of Services and also designed a year round recreation program for the developmentally disable through a local nonprofit organization. He is certified through the state as an activity director and is currently registered with DHS as a home care provider.
Programs of academic study include psychology and therapeutic recreation at both Oregon locations and in Arizona at Northern Arizona University.
Through all his experiences thus far, he has learned the value of a good friend, the joy of a loyal dog, and the pleasure of a good book. If asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" the response would be, "I'll let you know when I get there. We are all becoming."
Ross Enyart —
Transitions Mentor
Ross was born in Oregon and lived most his life
in the valley (where it's wet). He worked as a school bus mechanic and did heavy construction prior
to returning to school to obtain a BS in Communication with a minor in Psychology. Ross also holds
an AAS in Computer Science. Ross is married and has an 18-year old son and a step-daughter with
four children who fondly call him “Umpa”.
Ross loves the wilderness of Oregon and is an avid rock-hound and fisherman. He enjoys getting
“off the beaten path” and has always considered the wilderness of Oregon as his
personal back-yard. Ross brings a great deal of knowledge of Oregon and Klamath Falls to Dragonfly.
Students often seek Ross out when seeking job opportunities.
Ross feels privileged to be able to work at Dragonfly Transitions. He enjoys the family
atmosphere of the program and the teamwork and professionalism of the staff.
Sarah Geyer —
Transitions Mentor
Sarah is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Professional Counseling
through Grand Canyon University and holds a BS in Applied Psychology from
Oregon Institute of Technology. She has worked with youth and young adults
for 15 years as a mentor or teacher in a variety of settings. Sarah grew
up in Missouri and has also lived in Arizona. She has been in Oregon for 10
years.
Sarah and her husband John have lived in the Klamath Basin for 8 years and
have horses, cows, chickens, rabbits, and dogs. They enjoy the outdoors in
many ways like hunting, fishing, camping, and horseback riding. Sarah is
a step-mother of two and has a grandson.
Sarah leads an Independence Group that teaches students the skills they will
need once they are on their own. This group covers prioritizing, job
searching, budgeting, household upkeep, and other various skills.
Sarah has always had a desire to teach and finds mentoring a rewarding
experience. She loves coming to work. Sarah has a strong belief that
every person can accomplish anything they desire with the right skills, a
good plan and a firm foundation.
“The world steps aside for anyone who knows where they are going.”
— Anonymous
Shannon Mason —
Transitions & Addictions Mentor
Shannon "grew up" in the Detroit area of
Michigan. At the age of 18 she moved to Flagstaff, Arizona. She received a bachelor's degree
from Northern Arizona University in 2000. Currently, Shannon is enrolled at Klamath Community
College, taking courses in preparation for the Nursing Program at OHSU.
In 2004, Shannon arrived in Klamath Falls as a student of Dragonfly. She spent her teenage
years and early adulthood battling issues of depression and anxiety which, though
'self-medicating', developed into alcoholism and drug addiction. In 2006, Shannon returned to
Dragonfly as an active member of the recovery community, volunteering to host an open
discussion group on problems and solutions with drug and alcohol abuse. She brings to Dragonfly
her story: what it was like then, what it is like now, what she had to do in order for that
change to happen what she has to do in order to truly "grow up". She believes her struggles and
victories allow her the caring, tolerance and understanding to be a great addition to the
team.
Anna Budden, Mentor
Anna earned her BS in Psychology and AAS in Medical
Office Systems from Oregon Institute of Technology. She
has an AA in Accounting from San Jose City College and
attended The International Peoples College in Elsinore,
DK, where she studied cross cultural differences. Having
worked for County Mental Health, she offers knowledge
about medications, clinical services and psychological
issues. She plans on pursuing a Masters in Social Work.
Anna is married and has four children. She has been a
foster parent and served as a respite care provider for
both children and animals. She was born in Denmark and
is fluent in Danish. As a young girl, her family
immigrated to California, where she grew up. After
marrying, she and her husband built a house in the
country where they are currently raising their children.
During her free time, Anna enjoys traveling, scuba
diving, life guarding and spending time with her family.
She has traveled to many parts of the world and
appreciates diversity and cultural differences. Anna has
a passion for helping not only people, but all living
things.
Phil Ouellette —
Night Mentor
Phil is a recent graduate of the Oregon Institute of Technology with a degree in Applied Psychology. Prior to OIT, Phil attended school and played baseball at Lane College (Eugene Oregon) as well as Saint Martin's University (Lacey Washington). When not at work, Phil spends his time on the Oregon Tech campus as the assistant baseball coach, preparing the Owls for the 2010 baseball season. Phil has lived in Klamath Falls for 4 years now and loves the crisp air and sunshine it offers almost every day. At home, Phil enjoys spending time with his three dogs Bo, Boss, and Bailey.
"How do you go from where you are to where you want be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it."
Matt Schoch —
Farm Director
Matt is a graduate of Ohio University and has a degree in Outdoor Education and Camping.
After graduation Matt traveled west from his home state of Ohio to work for various
wilderness and residential therapeutic programs and has spent the last two years working on
small family farms in both Oregon and Wisconsin.
Having once mentored for Dragonfly Transitions, Matt has returned as the director of the newly added farm project. When not
playing in the dirt, Matt also enjoys playing music, and spending time with his partner Alyssa
and their two dogs, Twilight and Emma Lou.
