Lynn Echols, MSN, RN
CEO
Anita “Lynn” Echols joined the team at Foundations Recovery Network in January of 2017. Born and raised in Habersham County, Georgia, she earned her BSN from Brenau University and her MSN from Piedmont College.
Echols, who became CEO at Black Bear Lodge in December of 2018, is also a registered nurse, a green belt level in Lean Six Sigma, and a fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives. Her many years of nursing in critical care, emergency medicine, and psychiatric care, as well as administrative leadership practice, serve her well in her current role.
A sense of purpose drew Echols to mental and behavioral healthcare, and she’s passionate about her staff feeling supported so that they can deliver quality patient care. Her goal is to be the leader that she would want to have, so she leads with integrity, compassion, and drive.
Echols and her husband have two adult children. In her free time, you can find her spending time with them and traveling to new places.
Darlene Engel, BSN, RN
Chief Nursing Officer
Darlene Engel joined the team at Black Bear Lodge as a staff nurse in August of 2020. She later became a Nurse Manager before moving into her current role as the Chief Nursing Officer. Darlene received her BSN from Indiana State University.
In addition to being a Registered Nurse, she is a certified Forensic Nurse Examiner who is trained in trauma-informed care and spent many years of her nursing career working in critical care and emergency medicine. She acknowledges, “I have seen the many effects that trauma along with broken spirits can have on our lives, but one thing is for sure—life is ever-changing and always has a bright horizon ahead for those seeking.”
Born and raised in Maryland, Engel has made Georgia her home away from home since 2019.
Vince Foley
Regional Human Resources Director
Vince Foley holds a BA in criminal justice administration and has worked human resources for well over a decade. In 2013, he became regional human resources director for Black Bear Lodge and Foundations Atlanta-Midtown and Foundations Roswell, two of Foundations Recovery Network’s Intensive Outpatient Programs. Raised in Homestead, Florida, Foley says he came to this line of work by “the grace of God. Someone gave me a chance to do more and be more, and I did,” he explains. He’s passionate about being able to serve both patients and employees with the compassion and dedication they deserve in order to assist them in making their lives better and more complete.
When not working, he can be found spending time with his wife and three boys. Foley also enjoys helping others.
Cassie Head
Director of Performance Improvement and Risk Management
A Georgia native, Cassie Head currently makes her home in Batesville, on the beautiful Soque River. She joined the Black Bear staff in 2013 as an executive assistant, moving to director of performance improvement and risk management in 2017. She holds a BA in business administration/accounting and an MBA, both from Piedmont College.
Head’s previous roles include manager of performance improvement for Sherwood Clinical, where she fell in love with the process of ensuring accreditation/compliance. She loves hard facts and data, so it was a natural fit. “Compliance/accreditation are what keep a company alive,” she says. “If you are following the rules and regulations provided to you by your licensing board and accrediting body, then you know that you are doing things right and that you are not compromising patient care.” Head goes on to add, “We are here for our patients, and my job is to ensure that we provide the best care possible for them. People come to us looking for hope. When I do my job to the best of my ability, I am a part of helping provide that hope, even if I never interact with a patient.”
Head and her husband have one young daughter. When not working, they shop, read, hike, swim, and adventure together. They also love being on the lake during the summer and are always looking for new adventures in their backyard.
Jennifer Hoodecheck, LCSW, MAC
Clinical Director
Jennifer Hoodecheck joined the team at Black Bear Lodge as a therapist in December 2014. She later became a clinical manager before moving into her role as the clinical director. She received her master’s in social work from Austin Peay University and her undergraduate in psychology from Ashford University.
In addition to being a licensed clinical social worker, Hoodecheck is a certified trauma therapist, having spent most of her career working with people impacted by family violence, sexual violence, military trauma, and trauma as a result of substance use disorder. “I have seen the resiliency of the human spirit and the ability of people to heal,” Hoodecheck shares.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Hoodecheck has also had the opportunity to live all over the country. She notes, “This fed my adventurer soul and love of meeting new people. I learned that no matter where I am, I can make it home.” Though Georgia has been her home since 2014, Hoodecheck still manages to head to Minnesota every summer to spend time with family on one of its 10,000 lakes.
Hoodecheck’s passion for working with others shows through, as she shares, “There is nothing better than seeing the light, the hope return in someone”. She’s grateful to work at Black Bear Lodge because of the compassionate team approach that fosters a safe place for people to recover.
When she’s not working, Hoodecheck enjoys spending time with her family and friends or hiking a north Georgia trail. A wanderlust spirit, she loves to travel and explore new places and meet new people. When she’s not traveling, Hoodecheck rejuvenates by reading, kayaking, visiting live music venues, or having a cup of coffee with an old or new friend.
Matthew Partain
Director of Admissions
Originally from West Georgia, Matt joined the BBL staff in 2015 in the patient care department, as a Residential Assistant. In long-term recovery himself, he worked as a program manager for a court approved men’s program for 3 years before moving into the healthcare sector of substance abuse treatment. After supervising the RA Dept for many years, Matt completed his bachelor’s degree in business with a specialization in healthcare management, and then moved into his current role as Director of Admissions. Matt enjoys working in the field, but especially has enjoyed being a part of a new patient’s initial engagement in our program.
Matt states, “Initial interaction is such a critical part for any experience. When dealing with substance abuse, it may be what sets or breaks a patient’s trust in our facility. It’s critical to have buy-in from those we serve and their loved ones, to give them faith that they made the right direction by coming to Black Bear. It enhances the patient experience, and that may have life-long implications when dealing with addiction. Our facility is awesome, but it’s our staff that make this mountain, and what we do here, so special. I’m grateful to be a part of that experience.”
In his free time, Matt enjoys reading and doing little art projects. His wife, an LPC, and he have two dogs, one who is partly paralyzed, and three cats, one with a seizure disorder, who round out their family. Matt states, “Some things in this world need special love and attention. It makes our hearts happy to be able to give them all they need, and more. Both in our professional and personal lives.”
Mikki Reinke
Director of Business Development
Mikki Reinke is the Manager of Business Development for Black Bear Lodge. She joined the Black Bear team in 2022. She is a seasoned professional who has over nine years of experience in business development in the addiction space and over 27 years of sales and marketing experience.
She is a top-selling sales leader and networking professional that has been successful in driving strategic growth and surpassing revenue goals throughout her career in business development. Her strengths are building and expanding new territories, nurturing lasting relationships and developing a thriving team.
Mikki has a Bachelor of Arts from Eastern Kentucky University and a Paralegal Certificate from Gateway College in Florence, KY. She is also a woman in long-term recovery. Her passion and dedication to help those struggling with addiction is what brought her to this field. She is also a mother to her son Aidan, and she enjoys travel, music and photography.
Denise Workman, DO
Medical Director
Dr. Denise Workman has been a practicing physician for over 20 years. She is dual board-certified in both Family and Addiction Medicine. She is currently the Medical Director at Black Bear Treatment Center in Sautee-Nacoochee, Georgia. Dr. Workman attended medical school at NOVA Southeastern College of Medicine in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and then returned to Georgia and completed her residency at Emory University in 2003. She has practiced in the North Georgia Mountains since then.
Dr. Workman enjoys working in a challenging environment and constantly learning. Having been raised in a military family, she has a special place in her heart for our servicemen and women and the particular challenges they face when struggling with the disease of addiction. She is proud to work for a treatment center that also values that service and wants to give back to those families.
Dr. Workman believes that the self-image drives change and that it is never too late to take another direction in life. When you change the world around you, you will also change. This is the power of addiction treatment. As a group, we give clients the tools to effect that change.