Please join the Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness team in celebrating Dana Williams as the program’s new Director of Business Development. On January 1st 2018, Dana joined the Blue Ridge team as an Admissions Director and has always been a steadfast advocate for the clients and families she has supported. She has spent nearly 15 years working in admissions for various therapeutic settings. In her career, Dana has learned from some of the most experienced and talented professionals in the field and has witnessed the evolution of therapeutic wilderness programming, personnel and clients.

Dana first stepped into the industry in 2008 as an Admissions Coordinator, where she familiarized herself with the admissions process while assisting 4 different programs. She was then promoted to the role of Admissions Counselor, and began directly supporting parents and families in crisis. In 2012, Dana was presented with the opportunity to work with an Educational and Therapeutic Consulting Firm. She spent the next five years growing the depth of her knowledge of the clinical issues that present for adolescents and young adults as well as the different types of available treatment.

Families, students and others who have interacted with Dana in the past 15 years have been able to witness her respect and compassion. Blue Ridge Executive Director, Danielle Hava LCSW, speaks to her experiences with Dana: “I’ve known Dana professionally for over 10 years, and from the minute I met her I instantly felt connected to her. If you know Dana, you know you could easily find yourself telling her your life story and walking away from that meeting feeling like you just made a new close friend. Her ability to engage and connect with families, referral partners and professionals with genuine curiosity and enthusiasm is both uplifting and contagious.

Blue Ridge has been so lucky to have Dana in our admissions department. She has enrolled hundreds of families and worked with countless Consultants over the last 4 years. Her step into the Director of Business Development role is a natural and exciting evolution for us and I can’t wait to see how she will approach the work while embodying our mission of helping all families and individuals thrive.”

As Director of Business Development, Dana will use her experiences and passion for connection to nurture relationships with referring professionals, manage Blue Ridge’s outreach efforts, and support the Blue Ridge Admissions Directors in providing sincere and thorough guidance to each individual. As a leader and role model, Dana will continue to contribute to Blue Ridge’s positive and supportive culture, ensuring the highest level of customer service in each department and helping ensure that marketing, admissions, and clinical efforts are in alignment with organizational values. Dana shares her thoughts on her new position and responsibilities: 

“I am beyond excited to represent Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness as the Director of Business Development. This role will allow me the opportunity to be able to share our mission, our talented team, and current program information with our amazing referring partners in an even bigger way. I cannot wait to build more relationships, collaborate, and learn more from the amazing talent in our industry. Since joining this dynamic team of professionals on January 1st, 2018, I’ve been inspired by the desire to provide the absolute best care we can for every client and family. The authenticity and heart Dan McDougal and Danielle Hava exude for this work is felt in every department, every interaction, and every decision — and I just can’t be prouder to be a part of it!”

About Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness and Emerald Arrow are honored to participate in the healing and recovery process for individuals and families like Dawn’s. To read the full story, purchase a copy of Chasing Carson online by visiting Amazon or Barnes and Noble. To learn more about Emerald Arrow: A Bold Path for Young Adults, visit the program’s website at www.blueridgewilderness.com.