Leadership Team, Entrada

Santa Clara, UT

Rick Heizer, M.S.

Partner, Program Director

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Cell: (435) 669-2539
Email: rick@snwp.com

Rick received his Bachelors of Arts degree from Augustana College in Rock Island Illinois, majoring in Geography with a minor in Environmental Studies. Three years later Rick returned to school in Illinois and obtained his Masters of Science from George Williams College at Aurora University in Recreation Administration with a concentration in Outdoor Pursuits. During his Masters program Rick completed an Assistantship as a Program Coordinator with Hoover Outdoor Education Center where he developed and administrated outdoor education and adventure based programs.

Prior to Rick's masters program he worked as a Senior Field Instructor developing extensive wilderness backpacking skills, teaching youth communication skills, outdoor skills and high school level curriculum. Rick also facilitated daily therapeutic groups where he gained a broad range of clinical understanding and love for the industry.

Rick joined the Second Nature team in their first year of operation. During his time with Second Nature, Rick has held positions as Field Coordinator, Assistant Field Director, Field Director and Program Director. Currently Rick is a Partner and Program Director for Second Nature Entrada. As the Program Director Rick supervises all daily aspects of program operations, enforces policies and procedures and facilitates program development. Rick holds advanced medical training as a Wilderness First Responder and stays up-to-date in industry standards through attending various conferences and trainings.

Rick is from a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Rick grew up canoeing and camping with his parents, younger brother and older sister. He presently lives in St. George, Utah enjoying the great southwest. Rick enjoys traveling with his wife and three children to the nearby wonders like Zion National Park. If he finds any remaining free time Rick loves to fly-fishing, run and telemark ski.

Matt Hoag, Ph.D.

Partner, Clinical Director, Primary Therapist

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Cell: (801) 201-1776
Email: matt@snwp.com

Matt completed his studies at Brigham Young University, receiving his B.S. in Psychology and Sociology, as well as his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in child, adolescent and family therapy.  Matt is a licensed clinical child psychologist who has been practicing in Utah since 1994.

Matt has specialized in the treatment and assessment of adolescents and their families, predominantly in wilderness settings. He has been working in the wilderness over the last thirteen years.  He worked for three years at Aspen Achievement Academy as a field therapist, assistant clinical director and director of research.  Prior to Aspen, he worked at RedCliff Ascent in southern Utah.  At both programs, Matt conducted psychological and psycho-educational evaluations with adolescents.  He has also worked at both Second Nature programs in Utah, and done psychological testing at all 4 Second Nature programs.

He has also worked in private practice, children's hospitals, and a variety of outpatient and nonprofit clinics in Utah and Kansas.  He has numerous publications in several mental health journals relating to group dynamics and group psychotherapy, programs for juvenile delinquents, childhood sexual abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and the efficacy of wilderness therapy.  Matt has presented research and theory at national and regional psychological conferences.

Currently, Matt is a field therapist and Clinical Director at Second Nature Entrada.  He is the primary therapist of a group of adolescent boys and their families.  Clinically, he specializes in the treatment of depression, substance abuse, oppositional defiance, ADHD, as well as working within complex family systems.  He also coordinates the psychological and psycho-educational evaluations for the 4 Second Nature programs.

He is the oldest of 5 children, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in Minnesota.   He is a Vikings and Twins fanatic, and in general a sports fan.  He enjoys mountain biking in southern Utah and exploring the outdoors.  His has also ridden his Harley Davidson motorcycle all over the country.  He loves to spend time with his family (four daughters and one son) hiking and camping. He has been married for 20 years and enjoys traveling with his wife.

Mike Hench, MS, MBA, LMFT

Asst. Clinical Director, Primary Therapist

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Cell: (435) 669-3144
Email: mikeh@snwp.com

Mike received a B.S. degree from Brigham Young University in Family and Human Development. He continued his education at the University of Kentucky, completing a M.S. degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Mike is a licensed marriage and family therapist in the state of Utah. In addition Mike has an M.B.A. degree from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Mike's professional experience has included working in private practice, as a contract therapist with a school district and as an employee assistance professional for a state university. Mike has published on substance abuse epidemiology and prevention issues, sexual decision-making among college-aged students and helped write a curriculum for adolescent and parent communication about sexual issues called PACT (Parents and Adolescents Can Talk). He has presented at several national conferences on issues related to working with young adults in a wilderness setting.

Most recently Mike has worked as a program therapist for a residential treatment program and as the director of a competing young adult wilderness program. He has been at Second Nature Entrada since 2005. Mike's clinical specialties are in working with attachment/adoption issues, borderline personality, social anxiety, low self esteem, family relationship problems, 17 year olds turning 18, oppositional defiance and sex addiction. Mike's strengths and approach as a clinician include attention to detail, balance between confrontation and sensitivity, family systems context, creativity, narrative/solution focused approach and building rapport with treatment resistant clients.

Mike was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania and spent most of his youth in the Baltimore, Maryland area. His wife is from Sothern California and they live together in St. George, Utah with their three children. Mike still enjoys visiting the East Coast but considers the Southwest home now. He enjoys playing softball, weight training, watching professional and college sports and playing outdoors hiking, riding ATVs', mountain biking and exploring canyons.

Gail Bramlet, MBA

Office Manager

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Cell: (435) 229-5395
Email: gail@snwp.com

Gail is dedicated to the families of Second Nature Entrada, serving as our Office Manager since 2004.  Gail's experience includes 10 years working with youth and their families, 15 years corporate management, a Bachelors Degree in Psychology, and a Masters Degree in Business.  She considers her most important qualifications to be the lessons she and her husband have learned from their children and grandchildren.

Jason Sibley

Field Director

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Cell: (435) 669-3580
Email: jsibley@snwp.com

Jason graduated from Providence College in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. Prior to joining Second Nature he coached basketball and worked with troubled youth in a school setting.

In 2007, Jason joined Second Nature Entrada and worked as a Field Instructor for three years. While working in the field, he became a Mentor Instructor and spent much of his time coaching and teaching newer members of the staff team. In his current position, he oversees the field department and facilitates instructor development. Jason is proud to work "both for and with a refreshingly motivated, supportive, and creative group of people all on some level striving to help other people".

Jason enjoys southern Utah and it's 300 sunny days a year to play outside. He pursues backpacking and mountaineering feats whenever he is able, while also enjoying reading, debating history and discovering new forms of music.

Nick Pellitteri

Assistant Field Director

The outdoors has been a strong influence in Nick's life. Growing up in the forests of Southern Wisconsin, Nick was first introduced to nature through hunting trips with his dad, family camping trips, and his time with the Boy Scouts. This passion continued through high school and college. During this time, Nick spent his summers working at various camps as well as working with both the Boy Scouts of America and the National Park Service on Trail-crews.

Nick graduated from the University of Wisconsin Madison with a double major in Recreation Resource Management and Forest Science. Nick is a state and nationally licensed Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, an Eagle Scout and has been trained in wild-land firefighting.

Second Nature has been Nick's home since 2007. After a stint as a Park Manager for the Dane County Wisconsin Parks Department, Nick decided he wanted a job that would combine his love of the outdoors and work directly with youth. Second Nature combined both of those interests. In his time here he has spent three years as a Field Instructor and prides himself on sleeping outside more nights than in his bed.

Nick has a strong love for music and played in several bands during his college years. One notable band, "Red Chemist," was nominated for a Madison Area Music Award (MAMA) for "Best New Band." After college, Nick was a registered member of the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA). These days, snowboarding is one of Nick's greatest passions but it has earned him more bumps and bruises than accolades.

Emily Douglas

Medical Coordinator/Nurse

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Email: entradamedical@snwp.com

Emily graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor in nursing.  She brings over 10 years of experience in psychiatric and pediatric nursing to Second Nature.  Before moving to southern Utah Emily resided in Salt Lake City and worked nine years with adolescents in Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) custody or Youth Corrections in a residential setting with the largest mental health provider of the Greater Salt Lake City area.  During those nine years she was actively involved in direct care, trainings with psychiatric technicians on administering medications, Basic First Aid and CPR American Red Cross instructor, and served on the DCFS Advisory Board- multidisciplinary team that advised DCFS on how to improve medical care and monitoring for children/adolescents in the foster care system. Emily has also worked as an outdoor personal trainer for adolescent females with anorexia and bulimia in partnership with the University of Utah Eating Disorders Clinic, was a charge nurse for an acute inpatient psychiatric hospital, and completed her nursing internship focusing on dual diagnosis at a Methadone Clinic and Homeless Outreach Program.
 
Emily’s professional goals are to provide highest standard of care for the participants at Second Nature while reassuring parents that their child’s health is a priority.

Josh Nelson, BA

Logistics Coordinator

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Email: joshn@snwp.com

Josh graduated with a B.A. in English Literature at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.  After graduation he began working at Second Nature Entrada as a backup driver doing field support.  Josh was supposed to start law school in Michigan in the fall of 2006, and decided to stay at Second Nature due to his passion for working with people in the wilderness.
 
Originally Josh started at Entrada as a backup driver doing field support, and in the fall of 2006 was made the Logistics Director.  Currently he manages the comings and goings of the students and clients at Entrada, and oversees the field support department.
 
Josh and his wife Tanya have been married for seven years and have a two-year-old daughter.  Josh is the oldest of four children and grew up in northern Utah.  Raised in a family that spent a lot of time in the outdoors camping, hiking and playing, Entrada feels like the perfect fit for Josh.  In his free time he loves to ski at Alta and Sundance and spend lazy days with Tanya sitting in the sun at Lake Powell or Newport Beach.

Katelyn BeVard

Assistant Field Director/Recruiter

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Email: katelyn@snwp.com

Katelyn grew up just outside of Washington D.C. in McLean, VA. She attended Penn State University, earning a Bachelor's degree in both Public Relations and Journalism, with a minor in business. She was a varsity athlete for five years playing for the Women's Tennis Team.

From a young age Katelyn enjoyed playing sports, being outside and going on yearly father/daughter camping trips. These passions led her to take an Outward Bound Instructor Course after graduating college, where her love for the outdoors grew as well as a new found passion for backpacking. This, in addition to the desire to live in the Southwest, first brought Katelyn to Utah. She began working with Second Nature in May of 2009 as a Field Instructor where she became a Level 4 and took on the role of managing the staff team while also coaching lower level staff. She left the field in April 2011 to become a Parent Coordinator with Entrada where she enjoyed supporting families and sharing her knowledge of the program. In her current position, Katelyn coordinates the hiring process and trainings of new Field Instructors.

In her spare time Katelyn enjoys running, reading and watching hockey. She "rocks the red" for her home team, The Washington Capitals and enjoys sharing this passion with her family, whom she visits in Northern Virginia as frequently as possibly. She lives in Washington, Utah with her Fiancée and two dogs: Ralph (the pug) and Savannah (the mutt).