It’s been a busy time at Evoke Therapy Programs. Steve Kirk, a longtime employee of the company, has moved into the role of Director of Admissions and Outreach and Travis Slagle has been hired to be the Clinical Director of Evoke’s Intensives program. Additionally, due to COVID travel and distancing restrictions, the company developed a new Online Intensives program that will now continue even when precautions end.
When Steve Kirk began his time at Evoke in 2006, his skill in communicating and customer relations took him directly onto the Evoke Admissions team, where he distinguished himself as a compassionate ally for struggling families. After years of expertly bringing together parents, consultants, and therapists and forming lasting bonds with them, Kirk moved into the Director of Admissions and Outreach position last month. “Steve brings a collaborative and supportive leadership style to the Admissions and Marketing team and provides our families with kindness, patience, and understanding,” says Rick Heizer, owner and Executive Director of Evoke Therapy Programs. “We are happy to have him at the helm.”
Travis Slagle, the new Clinical Director at Evoke’s Intensives program, is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and advanced certification in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics. His background includes working as a psychotherapist and program administrator in a variety of settings including wilderness, residential, outpatient, and young adult transitional living. He has published articles and presented at national conferences on topics related to parenting and identity development, brain-based psychotherapy, and nature-informed treatment. “Travis brings vast experience from his work in the therapeutic field both as a therapist and as a supervisor,” says Brad Reedy, owner and Clinical Director of Evoke. “We are excited to learn from him, and we believe his vision compliments ours as we embark on the next chapter at Evoke Intensives.”
Intensives are multi-day experiences that use various therapeutic modes to explore family-of-origin issues and provide participants with practical, meaningful understanding of their challenges in life. The program’s most recent growth came from facing adversity. As the company grappled with how best to continue to serve people with mental health needs during COVID, Evoke looked at bringing its Intensives online. Though there was some skepticism about whether seeing faces on screen instead of meeting in-person could pack the emotional weight needed for a successful experience, it proved to be unwarranted. “There were some real advantages to doing it online,” says Reedy. “We could harness the technology to find totally new ways for people to tell their stories and connect. Also, many people said they would not have been able to come if it had not been for the online aspect. I couldn’t be happier with the process and the outcome.” The move has been so well-received that Evoke will continue conducting online Intensives as a regular part of its therapeutic offerings even after travel and distancing precautions abate.
About Evoke Therapy Programs
Evoke Therapy Programs provides both outdoor-based therapeutic programs for adolescents, young adults and families and Intensive therapy programs for individuals, families, and couples. Evoke is accredited by the AEE/OBH and is a NATSAP Research Designated Program. Evoke’s outdoor programs are based in Bend, Oregon and in Saint George, Utah. Evoke’s Intensive Therapy programs are in northern Utah.