ABOUT US

​Elk Meadow (EMEC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit entity established in 2024 - with its origin in Evergreen Consulting Group, LLC, the counseling practice that has been in existence since 2000. As a nonprofit, Elk Meadow has a nine member governance board and eight member advisory committee; the Board and its advisors are dedicated to ensuring that the mission and vision of Elk Meadow are protected and operationalized.  The board members and advisory committee members bring significant and diverse identities and expertise to Elk Meadow. 

 

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Dr. Mita M Johnson, Elk Meadow's Executive Director, has 33 years of experience working in behavioral health as a clinician, supervisor, curriculum developer, consultant, trainer, consultant, and mentor.  Mita is a licensed professional counselor (LPC), licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), licensed addiction counselor (LAC), approved clinical supervisor (ACS), MFT supervisor (LMFT-S), master addiction counselor (MAC), and substance abuse professional (SAP). She is EMDR trained and is trained in numerous specialized modalities for treatment.  She specializes in ethics, supervision, cultural diverse services, and trauma informed care.  She - along with all the Board and Committee members - brings diverse lived experience and cultural identities.  She loves teaching at the Master's level - supporting the next generation of clinicians entering the workforce.  She has extensive experience working with complex trauma, military members and veterans, and addictions; she has worked hard to help underserved and marginalized members of our community find their functional wellness.  She has volunteer leadership responsibilities on a licensure board at DORA, CAAP, and NAADAC.  She earned her Bachelor's in biology, Master's in counseling, and Ed.D in counselor education and supervision.  Mita is excited to work with her community partners to expand integrated care to include peer mentors and recovery coaches.  For fun, Mita loves hugging trees and her four rambunctious grandsons, making little contemporary quilts, and cooking Indian food for friends and family.

 

Tammy L. Pope, Elk Meadow's Program Director, the original owner and founder of Choice Counseling & Recovery - has 27 years of experience working with adults with dual diagnosis and co-occurring disorders. Specializing in mental health, substance misuse, and gambling addiction, Tammy uses that experience to meet individuals where they are while guiding them on their projected journey. By focusing on the whole person, Tammy has been able to put the degrees earned from an Associates, Bachelors, and Masters Degree to good use. Over the years, Tammy’s strengths as a therapist throughout her career garnered recognition with community members, organizations, the public, vendors, individuals, companies, clients, the criminal justice system, and peers alike. Tammy may spend her days at Choice Counseling & Recovery in Lakewood, CO, Jefferson County Detention Facility in Golden, CO, PGCC in Lakewood, CO, and home visits within the Denver Metro area, but it’s the love for people, community, and justice that gets her up in the morning. When she is not working, Tammy is an avid supporter of laughter and spends time enjoying comedy, music, animals, and family.

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Amada Hernandez, Elk Meadow's DUI Specialist, has over twenty years of experience working with addictions, trauma, and relational concerns.  For many years, Amada has been a DUI services provider offering education and therapy groups in Spanish and English.  She has a heart for those who are marginalized, underserved, and reluctant to seek services.  She has a undergraduate degree in criminal justice and a Master's degree in education.  She uses her care coordination skills to make sure that every one of her clients is offered equitable services that treat the whole person and family.  She has her own history of immigration, cultural trauma, relational trauma - and knows firsthand how important it is to achieve functional wellness.  For fun she practices yoga, cooks for friends and family, and pours love on her kids and grandchildren. 

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