A Sober Way Home's Professional Treatment Staff

Directors

Pete Stewart, Executive Director
Pete is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the day to day logistics as well as providing and maintaining a safe, consistent and appropriate residential environment for A Sober Way Home clients. His attention to detail, strong leadership skills and ability to effectively communicate his experience, strength and hope have made him a valuable and respected member of our team.

Jody Pegram, Executive Vice President

Jody entered into the recovery field in the late nineties. Beginning with Stebanger homes in Palm Beach, FL, he was integral in the development of C.A.R.E. in southern Florida and appointed associate director/founder in 1999. His insight and creative ability have earned him positions at multiple facilities in a broad range of capacities: Notably as Director of Coral Reef Counseling, Executive Director of Addiction Management, and Consultant/Therapist at Blackwater Outdoor Experiences where he was responsible for developing and instituting their extended care treatment planning.

At A Sober Way Home, he brings his considerable experience along with an authenticity and uncanny ability to express his passion for recovery to our staff and clients. His creative and precedent setting approach have made him a sought after member of the national recovery community. Mr. Pegram is a welcome addition and we feel blessed to have him on board.

Medical Staff

Don Damstra, MD, FASAM - Medical Director
Don Damstra has been a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) since 1968 and is a fellow of the society. He is board certified in Addiction Medicine. He attended medical school at Northwestern University and has been licensed to practice medicine in Michigan, Illinois and currently, in Arizona, Don has more than 40 years of experience in the field of addiction medicine with a passion for the care of alcoholics and addicts. He also adds experience in medical management.

Don has worked as clinician and Medical Director in several addiction treatment settings in Michigan and Arizona. He has served as a consultant to the Arizona Health Department and the Veterans Administration, and he is a former member of the Arizona Department of Transportation Medical Advisory Board, and a consultant to the Arizona Emergency Medical System.

Sally Kinsley - Medication Support Staff

Contracted Medical Staff

Ray Lemberg, Ph. D.

Dr. Ray Lemberg has 33 years of experience as a clinical psychologist treating children, adolescents, adults and families. He graduated from the University of Maryland and completed internship at Springfield Hospital, Sheppard Enoch Pratt Hospital, John’s Hopkins, and JFK Pediatric Hospital. As a consultant to A Sober Way Home, Dr. Lemberg provides psychological testing and assessment to assist in diagnosis and treatment planning.

Michael W. Carlton, MD - Consulting Addictionologist
As the CEO and Founder of Phoenix Recovery, Dr. Carlton has admitting privileges at all the major Phoenix-based hospitals and can provide detox services when needed. As a physician certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Dr. Carlton has the knowledge to diagnose and treat specific problems and to medically manage addictive disorders.

As Medical Director of several Phoenix area treatment centers, he has medically managed over 25,000 individuals withdrawing from drugs and alcohol. Dr. Carlton completed his four-year dual residency training in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and two years of a specialty fellowship in Medical and Industrial Toxicology. He has over a decade of experience in the treatment of addiction. He has given educational lectures and seminars throughout the Southwest. Dr. Carlton has published numerous articles and has extensive knowledge in the fields of Addiction, Toxicology, and Medicine.

Dr. Robert Upchurch

Licensed Naturopathic Physician. He graduated in 1986 from John Bastyr University with a degree in Naturopathic Medicine and has practiced in Arizona for the past 16 years. He has a general practice but specializes in using natural hormones.

Therapists

Dale Ryder, LCSW - Clinical Director
Dale Ryder is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Board of Behavioral Health Examiners in Arizona. She has been working in the field of Criminal Justice and addictions for the past 20 years. Her journey in working with families, and those who struggle with self defeating patterns, has opened up an avenue for long term change when they can identify unmet needs and ways to confront self limiting behaviors.

Recovery is not only an individual goal, but a family goal and a community goal. Many aspects of the person's life are affected by substance dependence and abuse. Dale utilizes a systems based approach to therapy, looking at all aspects of the client’s world. Dale's unique skill set includes a strong work and leadership ethic.

Greg Struve, MA, LAC

Greg Struve is an AZ Licensed Clinical Counselor, as well as a Certified Post-Induction Treatment Therapist (trained by Pia Mellody). Greg specializes in the areas of Chemical Dependency, Sex Addiction, Trauma Issues, and Family Dynamics as they relate to Addiction.

Greg’s rare ability to hold our clients’ attention by easily communicating, in layman’s terms, extremely complex addiction and spirituality theories have made him “a client favorite”. Before arriving at A Sober Way Home, Greg honed his skills as a Family Therapist, at The Meadows. While there, Greg developed his talents as a speaker, group leader, and individual therapist in all areas of recovery, including alcoholism, drug addiction, sex addiction and trauma.

Greg is also an Adjunct Instructor at Grand Canyon University and Rio Salado College, where he keeps his finger on the pulse of the latest counseling theories, addiction trends, as well as family and multi-cultural counseling techniques.

James O. Thomas, LISAC (Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor) - AZ Board of Behavioral Health, Ordained Minister, Provides assessment services to local courts.

Marguerite Gundacker, MA, LAC

Marguerite has a Masters in Community Counseling from Northern Arizona University and is less than one year away from attaining her licensure as an independent counselor (LPC). She has experience as a lay counselor, working with women’s trauma issues and group work while in the United States Air Force; during which time she had the opportunity to travel extensively in Europe, Japan, and Hawaii. More recently, she has experience (post-graduate) with adults and adolescents in crisis settings and residential treatment. Marguerite specializes in a family systems approach, especially in reference to substance recovery and trauma issues. She enjoys group work and has presented on topics such as PTSD, Girls Circle, and DBT. She is an important addition to our team.

James Hopper, BHP

As a behavioral health professional, Jim takes a frank, direct approach to recovery using his education and personal experience to assist others’ quest for meaningful sobriety. Following undergraduate and MD degrees at the university of New Mexico, Jim completed a six year residency at Tulane university in New Orleans. He then relocated to New Mexico where he practiced medicine/surgery for 20 years. He surrendered his license due to alcoholism/addiction. He has now dedicated his life as a chemical dependency therapist and has been providing treatment services for the last 6 years.

Bonnie Bianchi, LISAC

Jim Thomas, LISAC

Barbara Rye-Ryan, MA, LPC, LISAC

Tamlin Allbritten – Art Therapy

Donna Cannava – Holistic / Meditation Therapy