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.

Kelly Weld, MA, MFTi - Therapist
Kelly Weld has returned to wilderness therapy with a clinical background and a passion for family systems and working with youth. As a result, she is excited to spearhead Family Camp (our immersion program in which parents join their adolescents for a five day experiential seminar).  “There is no doubt that these kids grow in numerous ways while in the desert, but it is equally important that the entire family system develop as well.  It is paramount for students' success outside this environment,” she says.  Kelly was a field instructor ten years ago in Utah, which sparked her interest in therapy.  She went on to obtain a Masters in Counseling Psychology, and is currently a Marriage and Family Therapy Intern.  Kelly has worked in therapeutic boarding schools and residential settings for over 10 years, serving adolescents and their families. She has conducted training seminars to parents and colleagues on democratic parenting techniques, as well as principles within the Love and Logic model. As well, Kelly is a certified Secondary English teacher. She has taught in a variety of cultural settings including the Navajo Nation as well as a variety of countries abroad.  She worked for an International Traveling Program and led trips to Peru, South Africa, The Philippines, China, Turkey, etc.  “Though cultural norms do vary across the globe,” she says, “the fundamental needs of humans are the same. We all want safety, dignity, purpose, and community.”  Kelly's hobbies include sailing, hiking mountains, playing the guitar, and trail running with her dog.

Amy Bailey, B.S., CADC- Drug and Alcohol Counselor
Amy graduated with honors from Idaho State University with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She has nine years of clinical experience, over seven of which include working directly with adolescents with a dual diagnosis and/or severe emotional disturbances and their families. A Certified Alcohol/Drug Counselor, Amy comes to SUWS from four years at a drug and alcohol treatment center in Idaho. She spent her first year working with adults at the center. Later, as Adolescent Program Supervisor responsible for the adolescent unit, she also performed clinical duties including individual, group, and family counseling, crisis intervention and art therapy. While there, she developed and implemented a six-week adolescent residential treatment curriculum and behavior management level system. A Navy veteran and former drug and alcohol rehabilitation specialist for the Idaho Department of Corrections, Amy brings many skills to the SUWS team-parent coaching; individual, group and family counseling; outdoor activity experience; extensive case-management experience; program design and development; medication certification; nonviolent crisis intervention (certified instructor), and art therapy. And that's the short list!

About her work, Amy reports, "I am passionate about recovery and working with adolescents and their families. I am committed to carrying a message of recovery to others with my experience, strength, and hope." She lives in nearby Shoshone, Idaho, with her husband and son and young twins and enjoys camping, fishing, softball, horseback riding, and attending her son's numerous sports activities.

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.”

Maite incorporates her love and knowledge of both nature and animals into her work at SUWS.  She describes her experiences here as “life affirming and life altering;” this is demonstrated through her enthusiasm for working with both individuals and family systems.  She believes that wilderness therapy “inspires a perceptual change” in the individual and family unit.  This reality is reflected in a Marcel Proust quote that is the basis for her work: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”