Executive Team
Lea Harrison
Executive Director
Jennifer Johnson
Regional Director of Nursing
Minda Jaramillo
Regional Clinical Director – North
Lea J. Harrison
Executive DirectorLea Harrison is a seasoned professional with a remarkable career spanning over 15 years in leadership and business development, predominantly in the realm of behavioral health. Her journey has been shaped by a deep-seated passion for helping individuals struggling with mental health and substance misuse challenges, fueled by her personal experiences with loss within these realms.
In her most recent role as the Deputy Cabinet Secretary at the New Mexico Department of Health, Lea provided steadfast oversight for a diverse portfolio of eight healthcare facilities. Notably, she held a pivotal role in managing critical institutions such as the state psychiatric and forensic hospital, the veterans’ home, and residential treatment centers catering to both adults and adolescents grappling with mental health and substance abuse issues. Her relentless commitment to improving the lives of those in need served as the cornerstone of her tenure.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Lea’s life is enriched by her roles as a mother to two remarkable young men, whose talents and kindness reflect her nurturing spirit. Adding a touch of vibrant chaos to her household is Joker, an exuberant dalmatian companion who never fails to keep things lively.
To maintain balance amidst her demanding commitments, Lea finds solace in various passions. An avid gardener, she cultivates life from the earth, mirroring her aspiration to nurture growth and recovery in the lives she touches. The great outdoors serve as both her sanctuary and playground, where she finds rejuvenation through exploration and connection with nature. Lea’s culinary pursuits come to life as she dons the hat of an amateur chef, crafting delectable dishes that mirror her dedication to creativity and precision. In a curious twist, her love for the thrilling and heart-pounding extends to the realm of cinema, where she is an ardent aficionado of scary movies.
Lea’s steadfast connection to New Mexico, her home for the past 24 years, is a testament to her deep-rooted commitment to her community and the people she serves. Her influence has extended beyond her day-to-day responsibilities; she is a certified crisis prevention and intervention instructor, a reflection of her dedication to equipping others with the skills to make a positive impact in challenging situations. Continuously driven to expand her understanding of human dynamics, Lea is currently pursuing a degree in organizational psychology, positioning herself to delve even deeper into the intricacies of human behavior and organizational well-being.
Lea Harrison’s journey stands as an embodiment of compassion, resilience, and advocacy in the field of behavioral health. Her multifaceted roles as a leader, a mother, a nurturer, and a student exemplify her unyielding commitment to creating a world where individuals facing mental health challenges find the care and support they need to thrive.
Jennifer Johnson
REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF NURSINGThis is just placeholder text. Don’t be alarmed, this is just here to fill up space since your finalized copy isn’t ready yet. Once we have your content finalized, we’ll replace this placeholder text with your real content.
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Ed Lyell, MA, LPCC
REGIONAL CLINICAL DIRECTOR – SOUTHEdward Lyell is a therapist with over 25 years of experience working in mental health, both as a provider (PSR, Court and Tribal Ordered Treatment, individual and family therapy and psycho-educational groups, Critical Incident Response) and in commercial insurance (both as a EAP provider and a senior director of Behavioral Health). Edward focuses on a theme repeated throughout all of the populations he served, both in the community, jail, and the boardroom: people are resilient, even when they don’t feel like it, and they all have the ability to choose a better way.
At Shadow Mountain, Edward is the Clinical Director of the Intensive Outpatient Program. His clinical philosophy is client centered and solution focused by building on small successes. He provides supervision of all staff, provides direct services in IOP and PHP groups, counseling for individuals and family members and program development.
When he is not at work, Edward is probably trying to corral his 5 children.
Minda Jaramillo
REGIONAL CLINICAL DIRECTOR – NorthThis is just placeholder text. Don’t be alarmed, this is just here to fill up space since your finalized copy isn’t ready yet. Once we have your content finalized, we’ll replace this placeholder text with your real content.
Sometimes it’s nice to put in text just to get an idea of how text will fill in a space on your website.
Traditionally our industry has used Lorem Ipsum, which is placeholder text written in Latin. Unfortunately, not everyone is familiar with Lorem Ipsum and that can lead to confusion. I can’t tell you how many times clients have asked me why their website is in another language!
There are other placeholder text alternatives like Hipster Ipsum, Zombie Ipsum, Bacon Ipsum, and many more. While often hilarious, these placeholder passages can also lead to much of the same confusion.
Kandace Garcia, LCDC-I
Director of admissionsKandace grew up in West Texas and thankfully landed in the Texas Hill Country in 2012. She is a dog mom and Triathlon Sherpa and loves animals, fitness, music, and pizza.
Kandace is a licensed chemical dependency counselor intern and has worked in the substance abuse and mental health industry for five years. She now attends a university where she is working on a degree in neuroscience to further her scope in the industry. Kandace is passionate about education and helping people and their families recover.
Timothy Lane
Lead admissions coordinatorTim was born and raised in West Texas. Early on, he fell victim to the opiate epidemic. Starting in his teenage years, it followed him for more than a decade into his adult life. After many failed attempts, he found himself in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. It’s where he found personal recovery and his love for helping others get sober.
For the past five years, he has been dedicated to helping people get the best help possible. Tim has worked in numerous roles in the substance abuse space, including admissions, operations, and direct care staff. He is passionate about recovery, music, football, and the outdoors.
Tori Leake
admissions coordinatorTori grew up between New Mexico and West Texas and greatly respects the region. She loves traveling with her wife, spending time with fur babies, and being of service. She is an avid Astros fan.
Tori brings a unique understanding and skill set to the Shadow Mountain team as she has family members who have suffered and recovered from substance use disorders while overcoming her own obstacles in life. Her care and compassion for people are reflected through a commitment to cultural diversity and helping others find their way to recovery while expertly supporting families through their own journeys.
Albuquerque Recovery Team
Santa Fe Recovery Team
Rio Rancho Recovery Team
John Beemer
Case management/Alumni CoordinatorJohn comes to Shadow Mountain after spending nearly 24 years as a Chemical Dependency Counselor in Maryland and the Del Mar Va area. He has worked in various treatment modalities during his career, including private practice, residential, and non-residential.
He brings vast experience to Shadow Mountain. His skills encompass a broad clinical background as well as administrative. His passion is in the area of relapse management and addiction education. As Shadow Mountain transitioned to a formal treatment program, John was a key member.
He served as Program Director at the Taos campus and subsequently was asked to serve in the same capacity at the Albuquerque campus. He returned to Taos in December 2017. He now serves as the Senior Staff member and Recovery Advocate Manager in Taos.
Brent Hutcheson
Registered NurseBrent Hutcheson, RN, is originally from South Carolina. He graduated from Clemson University and joined our Shadow Mountain Recovery team in January.
He brings experience from a Men’s Ministry Recovery Center in Columbia, S.C., and a Wilderness Therapy Program in Old Fort, N.C.
Brent leads a wellness program within our community and is also WEMT certified to provide medical support on off-campus excursions.
Christy Brown, MSW, LCSW
Clinical DirectorChristy, a native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, completed her master’s degree in social work at New Mexico Highlands University. She has an independent license as a clinical social worker (LCSW).
She has experience working as a behavioral health therapist, tribal social worker, residential therapist, clinical supervisor, and director. She integrates cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapies as evidence-based frameworks to help clients develop skills in changing behavioral, emotional, and thinking patterns associated with using drugs or alcohol.
She helps clients challenge negative and self-defeating thoughts, improve impulse control, and increase their self worth with emotional intelligence and shame resilience.
Paul Donato
Case ManagerPaul is a Case Manager with Shadow Mountain Recovery Treatment Center. His goal is to assist every client meaningfully while showing them that recovery is possible. Paul has a degree in Human Services and is working on receiving a degree in Social Work, emphasizing mental health and substance abuse.
Paul is also in the process of getting his LSAA (licensed substance abuse associate). He is extremely passionate about recovery and helping people to better their lives. Paul has worked with people in recovery for more than six years and has been with Shadow Mountain Recovery since December 2019.
He is a native New Mexican. When he’s not at work, Paul enjoys exploring New Mexico through camping, hiking, and playing disc golf.
Recovery at Shadow Mountain
Shadow Mountain Recovery Centers provide safe, effective treatment options for people with substance use disorder and addiction. Our comprehensive programs address any mental health disorders that occur alongside addiction with the support of our compassionate team of expert mental health professionals. By combining evidence-based treatments with personalized care, we strive to maximize your potential for positive transformation, helping you overcome addiction and empowering you to live the life you deserve.
Begin Your Healing Journey
