Clear Steps Recovery Staff

Since 2021 I've been working in the substance abuse field. Starting as a Tech I worked my way up to Case management and now my current role which is recovery counselor. I am CRSW trained and look forward to each day helping others work through this disease of addiction.

I have dedicated my career to working in substance abuse do to being in recovery myself. I find it a blessing to be apart of other people's journeys and to watch them rediscover their love for life and them self's.

Austin is dedicated to empowering individuals on their journey to recovery, with a strong commitment to community service and volunteerism. With years of successful personal recovery experience, I bring a deep understanding and empathy to my work.

Serving on multiple boards and actively involved in youth sports, my heart lies in supporting the recovery community. Witnessing the transformation and seeing others reclaim their lives brings me immense joy.

Cassandra Carlson has first-hand understanding of the complexity of recovery. She discovered her passion for helping others overcome addiction while starting her own journey of recovery in 2012. She went on to obtain a masters degree in mental health counseling with a concentration in addiction so as to learn the best ways to enlighten and inspire others.

Long term sobriety requires rigorous honesty, willingness and open-mindedness, and Cassandra can help every step of the way. She believes anyone suffering from the disease of addiction has the opportunity to maintain long term sobriety.

Cassandra understands the significance of individual care and compassion during early recovery. Advocating for her clients, she helps them take ownership of their lives. She believes in a wholesome approach that includes the families of her clients in order to foster a supportive environment.

Working with her clients to understand the thoughts and emotions that underlie their addiction, the goal is to learn a new, healthier, and more productive way of life.

Heather graduated from Keene State College in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an associate degree in chemical dependency. From there, Heather went on to pursue one year of special education before going to Southern New Hampshire University to work on a master’s degree in Community Mental Health Counseling, where she graduated from in 2013. Heather has worked with numerous populations including school settings, special educational settings, residential and outpatient settings for people with substance use disorders.

Heather’s passion for education and helping people with substance use disorders comes out in the teaching style she implements to help people through the recovery process, in innovative and creative ways to facilitate group topics. Heather’s primary goal in utilization of the Three Principles of Mind, Consciousness, and Thought, is to increase client’s awareness to their thinking, realize their resilience, and increase their self-worth.

Since 2009, I have dedicated my career to working in substance use, utilizing my expertise and passion to help those in need. I have honed my skills in understanding human behavior and guiding individuals towards positive change.

My love for assisting others and unwavering commitment to holistic therapy approaches drives me to provide comprehensive care that addresses mind, body, and spirit. I am deeply committed to making a difference in the lives of those struggling with substance use and promoting holistic healing for overall well-being.

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Brittney is an accomplished Executive professional who has been recognized for her passion in the field of Behavorial Health.  Brittney holds a Drug and Alcohol License as well as a degree in Human services.

Brittney has worked in Behavorial Health for almost a decade in multiple organizations and held several different leadership positions throughout her career.   She has had success as a leader,  skilled in directing high-performing teams to develop solutions and solve operational and technical problems to better serve the community.

Brittney has success in implementing systems across multiple operations with superior organizational and communication skills for her teams. She has an in-depth understanding of behavioral health and treatment performance in both individual and group settings.

Caroline has been in recovery since 2011 and she discovered her purpose/passion for helping others with Substance Use Disorders very early on into her recovery journey.

She has been working in the addiction treatment industry for 10 years helping various populations from adolescent boys to adult men/women while also working in different treatment settings (ie. inpatient detox, short term residential, long term residential, day programs, and outpatient care).

She is also a Certified Addictions Recovery Coach (CARC) in Massachusetts. She has dedicated her life to helping others fight addiction, achieve recovery, and recreate their lives.

Dr. Rick Marasa is Board Certified in Addiction Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, and also holds an MBA degree. Over his nearly 40 year career in Medicine he has extensive experience as a Physician Executive in Emergency and Urgent Care Medicine. More recently in his career, he has expanded his role to being the Medical Director of two Intensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Programs, treating patients with Substance Use Disorder.

He also serves as a Board of Directors member of several Substance Use Disorder Facilities and Organizations, including the Vermont Physicians Health Program. Dr. Marasa is proud to say he has been in recovery for over 21 years and lead the efforts to establish rapid access in the Emergency Department at Mount Ascutney Hospital to Medically Assisted Therapy for Opiate Use Disorder and rapid, definitive treatment for all aspects of Alcohol Use Disorder. Dr. Marasa is grateful and excited about working with the team at Clearsteps Recovery.

Addicton has become a rising epidemic that can affect people from all backgrounds and walks of life. Consequently, there is a great need for treatment resources. Addiction medicine has made great strides in establishing addiction as a chronic disease with known physiological changes and treatment for this disease.

I first became aware of how great the need was while working in internal medicine and found the need for additional education in the field. Since then, I have found the addiction medicine to be fascina%ng and greatly rewarding, particularly with successes in treatment. Being able to educate people about this disease and assist in their management of it is the least I can do to give back to the community.

About 9 years ago I found myself in the grips of progression and fatal addiction. At the time I was homeless and ran out of options on where to go next. April 13, 2015, started my journey to a better life. Checking myself into a detox with a backpack of clothes to my name and nowhere else to run. I had broken just about all of the important relationships in my life. Through a slow a painful process I finally did what I had avoided for so long, I looked in the mirror.

I began a long writing assignment which over time changed my perspective of life and how I view life. Allowed me to recognize what was broken so I could then began fixing and putting a new life back together. The first 4 years of my sobriety I learned a lot of what worked and what didn’t work. I tried all kinds of solutions to the problem with in me. Learning that I was still just running from myself and what goes on between my ears. Through this process I began to form a spiritual connection with something I choose to call God.

Learning that this ill feeling I had inside of me was a lack of spirit. Spirit: the non-physical part of a person which is the seat of their character and emotions. Through all this work I learned to control my emotions and act in good character. Over the past handful of years, I have had the honor of working in a treatment centers. I have dedicated my life to being a resource for those struggling with SUD in hopes to change lives one person at a time.