B.B. Buskirk, DDS, MA, SUDP
Facilitator
Read BioB.B. Buskirk, DDS, MA, SUDP
Facilitator
Being a life-long resident of Puget Sound, B.B. Buskirk began his academic career as a dentist in Gig Harbor after graduating from the University of Washington School of Dentistry in 1973. In 2007, after 34 years of private practice, he retired from dentistry. From 2008-2009, B.B. attended the Hazelden Graduate School in Minnesota, graduating with a master’s degree in addiction counseling with highest honors. In 2009, B.B. joined WPHP as a group facilitator, establishing an intensive outpatient agency in Gig Harbor, and was the sole provider of assessments, group facilitation, and counseling individual clients. B.B. semi-retired in 2023 and presently facilitates a doctors group.
Melissa Denner, MS, LMHC, SUDP
Facilitator
Read BioMelissa Denner, MS, LMHC, SUDP
Facilitator
Melissa Denner has been a facilitator with WPHP since 2014 and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Substance Use Disorder Professional. Melissa’s professional experience includes working in state licensed nonprofits providing mental health and addiction treatment counseling services with a focus on co-occurring conditions. She also provides clinical supervision, training, and mentoring. Melissa is grateful to have the opportunity to facilitate professional WPHP groups and support healthcare professionals on their journey to recovery and wellness.
David Dickman, MSW, LICSW
Facilitator
Read BioDavid Dickman, MSW, LICSW
Facilitator
David Dickman has been a facilitator with WPHP since 1988 when it was known as the Monitored Treatment Program (MTP). He has facilitated groups primarily in the south end. David began his career in 1973 and spent the first 11 years directing alcohol and drug treatment facilities, first in Fremont County, Wyo., and then in Jackson County, Ore. He moved to Federal Way in 1984 and opened a private practice in general mental health. In addition, David became the Executive Director of the Washington State Chapter of NASW, and an instructor in the Seattle University Addictions Study Program where he was recruited for WPHP. He also conducted workshops throughout the West on such topics as Self-Care in the Workplace, Professional Co-Dependence, and Human Service Staff Development. David left all of the jobs except for his private practice and WPHP in 1992. His office is located in Lynnwood where he focuses on mood disorders, anxiety and stress, grief and bereavement, addictive disorders, and trauma. He lives in Mill Creek with his wife and they have a huge garden that includes 57 roses. David and his wife conduct gardening workshops and regularly have yard tours.
Aaron Faist, MA, LMHC, SUDP
Facilitator
Read BioAaron Faist, MA, LMHC, SUDP
Facilitator
Aaron Faist is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Substance Use Disorder Professional in Seattle, Wash. He served as a clinical coordinator with WPHP from 2018 to 2024. Prior to his time at WPHP, Aaron was in private practice as a mental health counselor in Portland, Ore. He also spent several years as a counselor at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s Oregon impatient treatment site Springbrook. Aaron received his Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Pacific Graduate Institute.
Dave Harris, BA, SUDP, NCAC II
Facilitator
Read BioDave Harris, BA, SUDP, NCAC II
Facilitator
Dave Harris has been a WPHP group facilitator since August 2019 and has worked in the SUD profession since 1976. Dave has worked both in inpatient and outpatient settings for more than 47 years. He has also been owner of an outpatient addiction facility which he retired from in February 2019. Dave was active in the Washington State Addiction Professional Board (WAADAC) from 1999 and completed his service in early 2024 which included serving as President of the Board from 2005 to 2009. He is passionate about his work in this field. Dave has been married for over 48 years and has a daughter and two grandchildren.
April Jones, MSW, LICSW, CDP
Facilitator
Read BioApril Jones, MSW, LICSW, CDP
Facilitator
April Jones has been facilitating groups with WPHP since January 2019. In the counseling field since 2002, she has been in private practice since 2016 working with adolescents, families, and adults in individual, group, and family therapy settings. She has also worked with adolescents at an inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Spokane, Wash., before moving to Tri-Cities to work at a community mental health center and help individuals with mental health needs. April received her bachelor’s degree in social work and a Chemical Dependency License from Eastern Washington University in 2004 and completed her master’s degree in social work in 2006.
Liz Lococo, LMHC, SUDP
Facilitator
Read BioLiz Lococo, LMHC, SUDP
Facilitator
Since the Spring of 2020, Liz Lococo has been a group facilitator for WPHP. Prior to that she served in various clinical roles within WPHP as a full-time clinical staff member. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Substance Use Disorder Professional in Washington with over 25 years of counseling experience. Prior to coming to WPHP in 2013, Liz worked in a variety of clinical settings including work with veterans, individuals in correctional and temporary shelter settings, non-profit organizations, community mental health, and substance use disorder treatment facilities.
Robert Slack, DVM, SUDP
Facilitator
Read BioRobert Slack, DVM, SUDP
Facilitator
Robert Slack is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a Substance Use Disorder Professional. He attended Washington State University, graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Slack began his veterinary career in Australia before returning to the US to join a small practice in Spokane and retired from veterinary practice in 2011. He is a published author with the books “Tails, Curious Stories of the Human-Animal Bond” and “Legacy” a history of his Norwegian ancestry. Dr. Slack currently gives presentations to local clubs about the bond we have with pets.
Jennifer Stratton, LPC
Facilitator
Read BioJennifer Stratton, LPC
Facilitator
Jennifer Stratton began working with WPHP as a group facilitator in 2021. She holds a master’s degree in counseling from National Louis University in Chicago, Ill., and has been in clinical practice since 2013. She has a private practice in Portland, Ore., where she lives and facilitates group for the Vancouver area of WPHP. Jennifer’s first clinical position out of graduate school was at Hazelden Betty Ford in Newberg, Ore., where she developed an affinity for group facilitation as a primary counselor on the women’s team and later, in the family department. Her area of specialty in her practice is in working with clients who have complex trauma, often co-occurring with substance use disorders. She is trained in Hakomi, a mindfulness-based, somatic therapy as well as in attachment-focused EMDR.
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