Clinical Staff
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Chris Edwards, Ph.D. - Licensed Psychologist / Clinical Director
Chris supervises therapists, oversees the treatment plan of every student, and provides a complete understanding of existing psychological evaluations or facilitates new testing at the optimal time during a child’s stay. He oversees the clinical training of our field staff- the direct care staff responsible for the day-to-day work with students. Chris received his doctorate in Psychology from Hofstra University in 1994 and has over 15 years of clinical experience. As the Director of the Counseling Center for Tennessee Technological University, he provided education and supervision to over 10,000 students. He also provided psychological consultation and evaluations as well as psycho-educational assessments for school-related issues. Chris was the Clinical Director for the local EMS department for Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) services. Chris served as a special staff officer to the Commander for the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment- Delta at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and provided a full range of psychological services to the soldiers and their family members within this command. He has also worked for a variety of clinical programs and has had his own private practice since 1999. Chris, his wife Melissa, 5 kids, 3 dogs, and 4 cats enjoy spending time together…family time is everything!
Mark Ellis, LMSW - Therapist
The beautiful Great Basin Desert is not new to Idaho native Mark Ellis, who grew up on a ranch not far from the SUWS facility. However, neither are Fiji, New Zealand, Tonga, Haiti and much of the United States. Mark is a man who loves to travel. Though he acquired bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Utah and Idaho, Mark has worked with youth as far away as Tonga, where he was Residential Director for an at-risk youth program. He has worked with mentally challenged clients and served as group facilitator, case manager and activities coordinator for at-risk youth. Mark has also worked as a gymnastics coach and personal trainer. Volunteer work has included a foster-care home in Mississippi and senior citizen facility in Tennessee.
“I feel the desert is a place of healing and peace on so many different levels,” says Mark of both students and staff. He is a man uniquely suited to wilderness therapy. Mark’s well-rounded background highlights many interests and abilities. He is an Eagle Scout and during college made the Dean’s List for academics, was a cheerleader and also a member of a ballroom dance team. Mark enjoys all sports and loves animals. One of his hobbies is training horses, something he still enjoys from his youth on the ranch. His favorite activity, however, is spending time with his family.
Claire Nesser, BSW - Field Supervisor
Claire has worked with adolescents for 15 years in a variety of settings, 9 of these with at-risk youth. She received her Bachelor’s in Social Work in 2002, with an emphasis in adolescent mental health from Metropolitan State College of Denver. Claire has a long history with wilderness therapy programs, beginning in 1999 as a Wilderness Therapy Facilitator in Colorado. She worked as a case manager in Community Mental Health in Washington, where she integrated wilderness experiences into therapy sessions. She is also trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
Claire started her SUWS career as a field instructor in 2003 and is comfortable in the wilderness; she has brought a unique perspective as she integrates both wilderness and therapy. As a Field Supervisor, she brings increased perspective and experience to her role. “The desert is simple, it’s real and I believe there is a lot adolescents can learn from being in an environment that they create. They make their own choices, furthering their ability to view and honor themselves as a resource to create a functional life now and for the future.” Claire has been a competitive swimmer and instructor and creates balance for herself by participating in outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, and water sports. She also loves to travel with her dogs.
Maite Biain, MSW - Field Supervisor
Maite earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature from Boise State University in 2007 and her master’s in social work in 2009. She has worked in the helping profession for many years in a variety of settings with diverse populations including geriatrics, hospice patients, refugees, adolescents, and adult mental clients.
Maite brings to the clinical team a unique mixture of both wilderness field experience and clinical experience. As a Head Instructor for SUWS, Maite spent a year in the Bennett Hills working with students in the field. She maintains a strong understanding of both youth and adolescent programs and the unique challenges and rewards of desert life.
Originally from Northern California, Maite has lived in southern Idaho for the last fourteen years, most recently in the capital of Boise, where she has strong cultural connections to her Basque heritage. Maite speaks the Basq ue language and has lived in the Basque homeland of “Euskal Herria.”
Stephanie Miller, MSW
Stephanie completed her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology from Michigan State University in 2009. This educational background sparked a strong interest in therapy, and lead to her desire to pursue a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work, also from Michigan State University. Focusing on Substance Abuse, Stephanie received her MSW in May of 2011. While at Michigan State, Stephanie was also a varsity athlete, as a pole-vaulter for the Spartan track team.
In Stephanie’s previous work, she has worked as a domestic violence advocate at the Ingham County Prosecutor’s office in Lansing, Michigan. As well, Stephanie has also worked as a mentor and advocate for adolescents who have been in contact with the Criminal Justice System, helping them to make positive changes in their lives, and avoid the same patterns of behavior which lead to their circumstances. Never one to turn down a challenge, in order to gain intense experience in the area of substance abuse, Stephanie completed an internship at the Ingham County Jail, providing individual and group therapy with both male and female adult inmates struggling with substance abuse.
However, Stephanie’s true calling is working with adolescents and youth, as well as the unique family dynamic inherent to each family, and how it effects youth and adolescents. Stephanie’s unique blend of experiences, as well as a passion for the outdoors, and passion for working with youth lends itself as an excellent fit to SUWS. Stephanie works very closely with her youth in order to find the right combination of traditional therapy and experiential therapy, including wilderness therapy, equine therapy, ropes courses, games, and appropriate group therapy activities. As well, she has found the work at the SUWS Family Camp to be the pinnacle of growth for a family. Staff and students comment frequently about Stephanie’s enthusiasm, energy, and unique ability to find the underlying source of a child’s behaviors, despite the many layers of guardedness.
On a personal level, Stephanie enjoys anything that takes her into the wilderness, and is always seeking new opportunities and experiences. She enjoys spending time with her family. Her favorite sports are basketball, football and volleyball. She enjoys running, yoga, music, movies, and reading, all of which help her wind down from a busy day. .
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