Meet the Team at Banyan Treatment Centers

Chris Jones is a former NFL player for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders. He was offered a five year, $15 million contact with the Eagles, and with receiver Irving Fryer combined for 158 catches which remains top in Eagles history for a receiving team. However, with a promising NFL career ahead of him, a tragic knee injury cut his career short. Ultimately Chris entered a downward spiral of addiction, going into a deep depression that led him to heavy drinking and prescription medication abuse. Now years sober, Chris works at Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches (part of the Banyan Treatment Center family) as a Program Director, where he helps others to overcome the same demons that he once faced.

Shawn was born in New York City, relocating several times, with a final Florida destination in 2003. He attended Pittsburgh’s Taylor Allderdice High School Honors Program prior to relocating to Boca Raton, FL and graduating from Boca Raton High School in 1989. Shawn has a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Florida Atlantic University and a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Barry University in Miami in 2010. Shawn received a PhD in Philosophy (with attention to Clinical Social Work and Human Behavior) from Barry University in 2018.

Shawn began as a Behavioral Tech at Fair Oaks Hospital immediately following high school graduation. At that time, Fair Oaks was a private pay facility for celebrities and the upper-class populations. Fulfilling a dream, he left the field for a creative career in classical theater performance spanning fifteen years between New York City and Orlando, FL. This venture also resulted in the writing and production of several plays and books. While developing a career in observational stand-up comedy, the necessity and love to understand the motivations of people kept leading him back to researching the psychology of people. The researching modalities of characters is extremely similar to the qualitative researching avenues of the social sciences and thus, his interest in mental health was reignited and a subsequent pursual of academic accreditation followed. Shawn was able to find a home in the growing and challenging field of addiction counseling. He soon found that his candid, direct, and genuine style of interacting with clients was a warranted and successful strategy, further motivating his pursuit of a terminal degree in human behavior.

Shawn says, “My job is simply to talk to people. I have fun interacting with those who are neglected the opportunity to share their troubles. No one at the age of twelve says, ‘I can’t wait to grow up and become an addict”. I like to tap into that innocence and confusion and reroute the coping strategy to the use of healthy, adaptive ones that utilize strength perspective while simultaneously being very candid with my observations. People deserve that truth; they pay for that service. To neglect them of that service mirrors the neglect they received in their earlier years.”

Shawn’s favorite part of his job is the energy transmitted via oxytocin when the awareness of those suffering is increased. Experiencing the ‘AHA’ moment in another human being validates his purpose in the world and attributes to the fulfillment of the human potential and experience in others. “Human beings do they best they can, given their level of awareness; I enjoy increasing that awareness.” Shawn’s goal for his career at Banyan is to advance the capabilities of eradicating maladaptive obsessions and compulsions to whatever heights the facility allows him to attain.

Sam was born and raised in South Florida. Sam attended Palm Beach State College and received his associate degree in public safety, while becoming a certified EMT and Firefighter. He later received his Nursing degree. Sam has over 10 years' experience in the health care field with the last several years devoted to both mental health and substance abuse treatment. Sam is a skilled leader who inspires his team of nurses to provide compassionate and empathetic care to each individual who comes through our doors. He is responsible for overseeing the nursing operations at Seaside and ensuring that clients receive the highest quality care. Sam works closely with his team to help develop individualized treatment plans for each client taking into account their unique needs and circumstances. Sam is a lifelong learner and enjoys staying up to date on the latest advancements in medicine. When he is not working Sam enjoys spending time with his family and staying active. He loves fishing, boating, hiking and is a true South Florida sports fanatic.

Jennifer is a native to Florida, born on Hypoluxo Island before moving to Jupiter. She earned her Master Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University in 2009 while working as a Behavioral Health Technician at a local mental health facility. Jennifer, an EMDR certified Licensed Mental Health Therapist, has over 10 years' experience providing therapeutic services to clients struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. She utilizes an integrated therapeutic approach that is client-centered, solution focused, and specific to the individual and their needs. Jennifer believes in providing a supportive, compassionate environment to facilitate clients with exploring and resolving obstacles to their growth and healing.

Amanda was born and raised in Miami, FL. Amanda received her Bachelor's and Master's in Social Work from Florida State University. Amanda has been with Seaside Palm Beach since 2016, with over 10 years of experience of working with different populations, including women with complex trauma, young adults aging out of foster care, homeless individuals, and families. She has worked in a variety of settings: mental health hospitals, outpatient in-home services, and treatment facilities. Amanda is EMDR and ART trauma therapy trained and works with individuals with unresolved trauma related to their substance use patterns. Amanda is passionate about exploring ways that clients can increase resilience, and self-esteem, and work towards self-forgiveness.

Kaz is a native of Palm Beach County, Florida. He graduated from Southeastern College with a 950-hour certification for Clinical Neuromuscular Massage Therapy in 2015. Kaz has worked in multiple wellness centers before working in the treatment center setting beginning in 2016. Adding to his skills and to further help his patients, Kaz became a Master Reiki Practitioner and a Certified Yoga Instructor. He brings a unique and holistic approach to his practice centered on a mind, body, spirit connection. Being an integrative therapist, Kaz can be seen working with patients in a variety of settings including physical exercise needs and recreational activities. Kaz leads weekly stretching and yoga classes, tailoring the needs of patients at every level of care. In his down time, he enjoys hiking, kayaking, other nature related activities, being around his pets, and cooking. To further his understanding of addiction and connection with patients, he is currently working towards his recovery coaching certification. Kaz is passionate about seeing his patients heal physically and mentally by using an individualized approach to make a difference.

Growing up with a father as a Funeral Director and being consistently around a lot of grief and loss, peaked an interest early on for Keith to help people. He grew passionate about psychology and making a difference. Keith graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University with an undergraduate degree in psychology, and in 2014 with a Masters in Mental Health Counseling with an addiction focus. He has been doing private practice work for the past 4 years and has been in the field of addiction for the past 14 years working in many different roles. Keith is also trained in ART trauma therapy.

In today's society, reaching out for help is a great step toward future success. Keith provides a peaceful, non-judgmental demeanor helping to encourage motivation, healthy change, and most importantly a better overall quality of life. He believes in a patient-centered approach to therapy, helping to alleviate the fears, and providing the tools needed to healthily facilitate the change patients need to make to recover. Keith has worked intensely with addiction, anxiety/depression, irregular mood, difficulty sleeping, relational problems, and grief/loss among other issues for the duration of his career.

“The reason I love doing what I do is the idea of the ripple effect. If I can help one individual through their struggles, who knows what the impact that person will have on their families, friends, employees/peers.”

Nicole received her Bachelor of Science degree in Food and Nutrition Sciences from Florida State University. Following graduation, she completed the Florida Department of Health Dietetic Internship, a 1250-hour program that includes rotations in clinical, public health and food service nutrition roles. After her internship, she passed her Registered Dietitian exam and became licensed to practice nutrition in the state of Florida.

Nicole has been working in Substance abuse and mental health nutrition counseling since 2017. She specializes in educating patients on Intuitive Eating, a way of eating to nourish the body with a non-restrictive approach. Her goal for all patients is to help them make peace with food while also establishing a routine with their dietary patterns that helps support their journey throughout recovery. Nicole is also experienced in managing nutrition related medical conditions, meal plans and eating disorders.

Sha'n got his start in the addiction field in April 2013 after years coaching sports, mentoring, and providing after school services for the youth at his local community center but felt the need for a change. He began searching for a career opportunity that would continuously challenge him to grow his skillsets, further his education, and fulfill the gratification of purposeful work. The field of addiction presented itself with open arms as he took a few courses and obtained his Florida certification as a Behavioral Health Technician, beginning his journey in the addiction field.

Sha'n is passionate about helping patients transform their trials to triumphs and tests to testimonies and says it is one of the greatest feelings in his life. It keeps him grounded, humble, and serves as a constant reminder to never take anything in life for granted. Sha'n’s favorite part of his position is the interaction and unification with patients. He says, “Addiction doesn’t discriminate and requires everyone to come together for the greater good and in the process, we become more like family.”

Sue Neering is a native of Palm Beach County. She attended Palm Beach State College and obtained certificates in Massage and Multiple Modalities, Hypnotherapy, and is a Reiki master level teacher.  Sue has been in Alcoholics Anonymous since 1986 and sober in AA since 1987. She got her start in the addiction field since recovery is her subject of study and she has been fortunate enough to work in recovery since 2009.

What makes Sue passionate about what she does is that she loves to combine body work, mindfulness, meditation and reiki into helping people recover from their addictions. Her favorite part of her position is being able to help people and make a difference in their lives. Sue’s goal for her career at Banyan is to be able to continue connecting the relationship between the spiritual, physical, mental, and the emotional healing into recovery.

Michelle was born and raised until age 5 in Buffalo, New York. Her family then moved to Florida where she grew up between the Orlando and South Florida areas. Michelle graduated from Boca Raton High School. She went on to Palm Beach State College to receive her AA in Psychology. She then went on to Florida Atlantic University, receiving her BA in Psychology in 1994. She started her work in the field of mental health, working at Fair Oaks Hospital in Delray Beach, Florida as a Behavioral Health Technician, working with various adult populations in a mental health hospital setting. After leaving that facility, she went on to continue to work as a Behavioral Health Technician at another center in Coconut Creek, Florida, working with women who had eating disorders as well as co-occurring disorders. It was while working at that facility that she decided that she wanted to work on a deeper level with clients. In 1997, Michelle went back to school to obtain her Master’s degree in Social Work at Barry University while continuing to work full-time in the field. She graduated with her Master’s degree in 2000. Since obtaining her degree, Michelle has had experience in a multitude of aspects within the field of mental health doing Individual, group, and family therapy work. She worked with women and children who were domestic violence victims and sexual abuse survivors. She has also worked with children who were in the foster care system. Additionally, Michelle worked with children placed in a short-term shelter due to not being able to return home because of the Department of Juvenile Justice involvement in the home. While Michelle is not in recovery herself, she has firsthand knowledge of the disease as a family member or loved ones with an alcohol addiction. She has had several family members who were alcoholics and who have died at the hands of the disease.  Michelle came into the field of addiction as a Primary Therapist in 2015 and has been working at Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches/Seaside Palm Beach since 2016. She states that what makes her passionate about what she does is that she has always wanted to assist others in helping them find the underlying issues that are contributing to their addiction as well as helping them develop strategies and coping tools to assist with those issues. She states that her favorite part of the job is the ability to watch clients grow in a holistic way while gaining their strength and resilience.

Ingrid comes from a family of medical professionals so caring for others comes natural to her. Initially working as a nurse for 5 years, she there found her passion for therapy and decided to go back to school to get her Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Mercy College. Although spending a good amount of her life in New York, Ingrid was fond of her childhood memories from Florida and moved to the sunshine state in 2021. She considers herself an "out of the box" thinker who sees everyone as distinct and unique. Her approach is that of strength based perspective, utilizing research-based interventions and applying a humanistic approach.

Fabiola Mashburn is originally from Saint Marc, Haiti but moved to Palm Beach, FL at the age of 6. She received her degree in Business Management from Palm Beach College. Fortunately, Fabiola has not suffered from an addiction herself, but has had firsthand experiences with family members and friends who have fell victim to both substance abuse and mental illnesses.

Fabiola began working with Banyan in January 2020, initially as a Patient Accounts Counselor, assisting families navigate the financial side of treatment, while the patient focused on their program. With skill and motivation she was almost instantly promoted to finance manager. Although this has been her first experience in the addiction treatment industry, Fabiola quickly grew a passion and joy helping the clients as well as their families receive the highest level of care to ensure their success in sobriety. She finds that the transformation made by the clients is a very rewarding feeling. Fabiola’s ultimate goal at Banyan is to help as many people as possible and to ensure that she is providing the necessary tools for success to the best of her ability.

Caleb was born in Louisville, Kentucky and played football at Lindsey Wilson College, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Communication. Like many others in America today, Caleb suffered an injury on the field that resulted in the use of prescription pain medication, which eventually led him down the dark road of addiction. He sought treatment at Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches, now a Banyan facility, more than four years ago and has been sober ever since. Caleb began his career at Banyan as an Admissions Coordinator and went on to receive several promotions within the organization. He now acts as a National Business Development Representative for the state of Kentucky, where he lives with his wife and son. Caleb is passionate about his position and being able to continue his career at Banyan in his home state, saying that he feels honored to be able to help those in his community who struggle with the same issues he once faced. He has made is his main goal to help anyone seeking treatment to get the help they need.

Greg was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. In 1990, his parents decided to purchase a vacation home in Florida, thus beginning his traveling adventure to the sunshine state! Throughout his childhood, Greg grew up to love the many summer escapades in Florida and in 2001, he became a permanent resident. After many years of hands on training at several different restaurants, Greg decided to further his career by attending Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, FL. In 2007, he received his associate degree in Culinary Food and Beverage Management.

While not personally in recovery, throughout his childhood and adulthood, he has been subjected to family and friends journeying through the life of sobriety. Greg’s culinary background consists of hospitality. He has worked in world class country clubs and corporate restaurants such as Quail Ridge, Mirasol, and Tommy Bahama. At these locations, he has held positions as kitchen manager, banquet chef, and executive sous chef. Greg started working in the addiction field two years ago and says, “Although it wasn't part of my past employment background, in my opinion, food is a universal language that we all love, understand and can enjoy with one another. Working in an addiction facility would still allow me to share my skills via food.”

What makes Greg passionate about his career is the instant gratification from the dishes he creates. He often says, “I create food for the soul”, which means that he designs and makes a plethora of different types of dishes that not only taste good but feels good as well. From Greg’s past experience in the food world, Executive Chefs are usually no longer in the kitchen creating. In his current position, he is able to cook and/or create food. Greg’s career goal with Banyan is to continue providing his culinary skills to the clients.

Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and relocated to Palm Beach from the Northeast. He completed his undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, where he double-majored in Economics and Sociology, and pursued his MBA at the Harvard Business School in Boston, MA. Prior to joining Seaside Palm Beach, his professional experience was centered on helping businesses improve performance. He began his career as a management consultant, working with clients here and abroad. He later occupied corporate leadership roles, that focused on Finance, Strategy & Operations. He brings to Seaside his personal, first-hand experience as a recovering alcoholic. His passion is to be present as a peer support for others who are committed to improving their lives and living free of the destructiveness of addiction. His journey to sobriety has not been an easy one, and he is always willing to share his own story of past unmanageability as well as the new hope he discovered when it can serve others. Chris serves as Alumni Coordinator for Seaside clients, helping support them on their road to sustained recovery through offering peer support and hosting alumni meetings. One of his favorite phrases of encouragement is "Don't quit before the miracle happens!" He believes there is a better life available to all of us who are suffering from alcoholism & addiction. He feels it's a privilege to help others experience it!

Sharon Stinnette was born in New Haven, CT and moved around during her school years, mostly along THE East Coast. She graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with her Bachelor’s Degree in business management. She struggled on and off with addiction and an eating disorder for most of her adult life and in 2007 decided enough was enough and sought help. She has never felt the need to return to active addiction. She started working for Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches and Seaside Palm Beach in 2011. She obtained her certificate as a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach and handled many Sober Escorts for Seaside Clients. She states she likes to be a voice of reason when she meets others early in recovery. She can relate as a recovering alcoholic but also as a parent of a recovering alcoholic. She states helping others achieve sobriety is very rewarding and being a part of someone else’s journey is a blessing.

I was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey and moved to South Florida in 1994 with my 2 year old son to give him better opportunities. I graduated from highschool in 1994 in Newark, New Jersey at Malcolm X Shabazz High School. I then attended Lincoln College of Technology for a degree in Business Administration, 2011. I have experienced many loved ones struggles with addiction and as a result have a special spot in heart for those suffering from addiction.

Banyan was the first treatment center to give me a chance to do what I feel I was destined to do, and that is to help others. I love to see people win against their addiction. I love helping others and seeing them reach their goals one day at a time, whether it is being able to help with a listening ear or a quiet walk to the beach.

I look forward to continuing to grow with Banyan and helping our clients as the opportunity presents itself.

Jackie is the Seaside & Linda Ln Facilities Supervisor. She is an hodophile at heart, born in the bustling city of NYC and raised in the sunshine state of Florida. Growing up with parents who traveled frequently had a significant impact on her upbringing and helped shape her into the person she is today - empathetic, adaptable, self-confident, adventurous, and open-minded. Her passion for healthcare led her to earn her CNA Certification in 1985, which allowed her to help those in need and make a meaningful impact in her community. However, her thirst for knowledge pushed her to further her education – She graduated from Florida Career College in 2015 and later from Florida State College in 2018. Jackie is dedicated to her work and passionate about helping others. She believes that her experiences have broadened her perspectives and horizons on what really matters in life, allowing her to bring a unique perspective to her work. Although she is not in recovery herself, she saw some of her family members struggle with alcohol addiction and mental health issues, which inspired her to pursue a career in this field. Her desire to help others started at a young age when she helped other students deal with bullying as a young girl. She felt the need to help them and when the bullying decreased, Jackie saw the other kids bloom. Seeing the positive impact she had on their lives was incredibly rewarding and fueled her passion to help others. Throughout her professional career in alcohol addiction and mental health, she has witnessed the transformative power of helping others overcome their struggles. The joy and satisfaction she feels from seeing individuals she has helped overcome their addictions make it all worth working in this field.