If you are experiencing a mental health crisis call 988 or text 741-741.

ABOUT US

We are a team of therapists, doctors, peers and technicians who provide counseling, medical, dental, and life skills support to equip the people we serve with tools to create their own paths toward mental wellness. 


We were the first in the Puget Sound region to achieve a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic designation from the federal government.

OUR MISSION

Comprehensive Life Resources provides whole health services that help Pierce County adults and youth recover from mental distress. We are an incubator for practice innovation and advocate for policies and health care reforms that improve the behavioral health system for the community and individuals we serve. We invest in and partner with youth and adults (our clients) on their path to health and well-being. 

From Our CEO Kim Zacher

It is far beyond time for this country to embrace behavioral health as a critical component of a thriving society.


A recent op-ed by the CEO of the Legal Action Center advocated that mental health and substance abuse is infrastructure that deserves the same investment as roads, bridges, and airports. They rightly point out that our “human infrastructure” is in peril and that unless we shore up human beings nothing else will matter.


Almost one in four adults in the U.S. lives with a mental illness, substance use disorder or both. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34, followed by homicide for ages 15-34. According to the CDC, in a 3-month period, patients with depression missed an average of 4.8 workdays – expand this out and it equals 200 million lost workdays each year at a cost to employers of $17 to $44 billion.


We have starved the behavioral health and safety net systems in this country for decades and we got what we paid for. Despite a vast number of effective treatments for behavioral health conditions, far too few of us get access to the best care, or any care at all, because there simply is not enough available. Less than 50% of those who experience a behavioral health issue receive any treatment.


Here at CLR we have never had better, more sophisticated treatment programs than we do today. New programs like First Episode Psychosis, Assertive Community Treatment and Mental Health Navigators in schools create opportunities for community-based care that have never existed before.


We have built a continuum of services across the lifespan that is truly impressive. We were recently awarded a 2-year, $2.4 million grant by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration to become a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC). This grant will help us meld our services with physical healthcare, including pediatrics and dental, through a partnership with Community Health Care and add specialty veterans' services through a partnership with Cohen Veterans Network.


Despite this progress and potential, we are hampered by an unprecedented workforce shortage. Our staff at CLR are talented, highly trained and educated and run towards social problems while most of the world is turning away. The amazing thing is that they are not unique – that describes the majority of the behavioral health workforce!


The last 18 months of a crushing pandemic and years of wages much lower than our physical healthcare colleagues have left our workforce exhausted and questioning how we can even begin to meet the need we see in our community. It is unequivocal that we are at a crisis point and nothing short of re-imagining our entire system can meet the moment.


So, if we were to rise to the challenge and invest in our “human infrastructure” what would we be doing?


First, we need to act on the reality that we are overspending in many areas of physical health care while underspending in behavioral health. This has been discussed at every healthcare conference for a decade, particularly when it comes to prevention and early intervention, but it continues to be true. Primary care is also critically underfunded. We know this costs more money in the long run as we wait and treat people when they are much more ill, but we lack the resolve to change broken systems.


Second, we need to make substantial investments in the behavioral health workforce. From educational access and tuition assistance to salaries, we cannot see true parity in behavioral and physical health care while underpaying our highly trained and educated workforce compared to their physical health colleagues.


Third, we need to find a sustainable payment model for our safety net community behavioral health clinics. Community behavioral health is a foundational support system for so many in our community and provides services like case management, home-based care and specialty intensive programs that you cannot get anywhere else. The CCBHC model holds great promise, but after 5 years only 21 states have formally recognized the model and it remains a demonstration project.


Finally, we need to get serious as a country about the negative impacts of poverty, racism, technology, poor physical health, and our lifestyles on our overall mental wellness. While mental illness, like other health conditions, can have some biological or hereditary components, we should not accept the level of mental distress in the U.S. as inevitable. In fact, many mental health conditions are preventable, and more serious mental illnesses could be avoided or mitigated with early interventions.


I believe we can achieve higher levels of mental wellness in this country. We can only accomplish that if we stop sweeping behavioral health under the rug and recognize it as the lifesaving system that it is for our human infrastructure.

Kim Zacher smiling and sitting on the arm of a gray couch. She is inside a bright room, wearing a dark blue long-sleeved dress with teal on the sleeves and bottom of the dress. In the background, there is a window to the left with a small green plant on the window sill, a tan-colored wooden wall, with a colorful abstract picture with a black border.

Board of Directors

Timm Dowling

President

Scott Handler

Vice President/Secretary

Chris Kreifels

Treasurer

Christie Steele

Board Member

Corey Darlington

Board Member

Jeffrey Bryant

Board Member

Jessie Wells

Board Member

Jim Wolch

Board Member

Kari Moore

Board Member

Keith Mars

Board Member

Kelsey Potter

Board Member


Tracey Sorenson

Board Member


EXECUTIVE TEAM

Kim Zacher

Chief Executive Officer

Kim has been CLR's top leader since 2016.  


“Early in my career, the residential counselors taught me so much - how to laugh and find joy in this work, how to get back up when bad things happen to the clients we care about and why donuts in the staff office are mandatory!” 

Kymm Dozal

Executive Director, Youth Intensive Services

Kymm leads the children's intensive residential treatment program.


"One of my college professors told me about a degree called social work and that I did not need to take anatomy. I was sold. I realized how this path was exactly what I was looking for."

Aaron Forster

Chief Technology Officer

Aaron oversees the Health Information and technology support teams.


"I like applying my abilities and the use of technology to support programs that help the community. A lot of companies – especially in technology – don’t get see the direct benefit, and I appreciate that opportunity at CLR."

Dan Gehl facing forward and smiling. He is wearing a light blue button up shirt. He is outside in the daylight. In the blurred background, there are trees and a gray wall to the left.

Dan Gehl

Chief Operating/Finance Officer

Dan Gehl oversees the organization's finance and facilities departments. 


"It is important to me to give back to the community we live in. I am proud of our work and know that our providers are delivering critical care to those in need throughout the county. It is great working with mission-driven and caring people. There is the opportunity to make a difference every day." 

Paula Gillespie

Chief Human Resources Officer

Paula leads the team of human resources professionals.


“I joined the CLR team because I wanted to work for a place that wasn't just about making money. I wanted to be part of an organization that would make a difference in people’s lives.” 

Christine Gleason

Chief Communications & Community Affairs Officer

Chris leads the communications, development and community relations work for the agency. 


“I am honored to have the opportunity to shine light on an organization that contributes so significantly to our community's well-being, and am constantly in awe of the CLR team's deep commitment to the mission.” 

Kathy Hagen

Program Development Manager
and Implementation Consultant

For years, Kathy managed CLR's outpatient, Mobile Community Intervention and Response Team, First Episode Psychosis, Child Welfare, Program of Assertive Community Treatment, and Assisted Outpatient Treatment programs. 


"I am passionate about system advocacy and reform. I hate how our society treats those with mental illness and I am committed to reducing stigma."

Brianna Lantz

Executive Assistant & Community Affairs Strategist

Brianna provides administrative support to the CEO, board of directors, and the executive team. She also provides communication and marketing support. 


“I am grateful every day to be part of an organization that does so much for the most vulnerable in our community. It doesn’t feel like 'work' to lend support to a such a worthy mission.” 

James Pogue

Executive Director, Homeless Services

James oversees three programs: Homeless Outreach, the Foundational Community Supports team, and Forensic Housing and Recovery through Peer Services. 


"Like so many who enter this field, I had personal experience as a child of the impacts of being raised in a home with parents who struggled with behavioral health needs. This led me to want to understand why the system wasn't able to address my parents’ needs and struggles."

April Stallings

Chief Administrative Officer

April oversees policies, quality assurance and quality improvement, safety and risk management, contract and data management, and residential services.


“I was so fortunate to be raised to naturally realize that service to others is good, and that we are all equally valuable and capable of great contribution and happiness.”

Beth Stone

Executive Director, Outpatient Services

Beth oversees children's outpatient and school-based services.


“Once at CLR, it was really the work and the people here that instilled and grew my value and passion to continue to work for and serve those who are in most need in my community.” 

SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Jodie White


Executive Director, Adult Residential Services

Jodie leads the adult intensive residential treatment program - Park Place.


“I believe in recovery, and that people are capable of returning to a place in their lives where they can experience success and joy by regaining control over things they have once lost.” 

Traci Krieg

Executive Director, Adult Behavioral Health

Traci manages the adult outpatient, Program of Assertive Community Treatment and Mobile Community Intervention & Response Team programs.


“I have a passion for all populations, which has been hard in some ways because I want to work with all of them all the time. I believe in nonprofit and helping our most vulnerable populations. CLR’s philosophy of care has particularly aligned with my own.” 

Janet Diehl

Health Information Director, HIPAA Privacy Officer

Janet ensures agency compliance with patient information laws.


“We have an abundance of compassion in what we do for our patients and our staff.” 

Jennifer Sorensen

Director, Outpatient Behavioral Health Services

Jenn supervises our clinical team that supports adults in our on-site therapy programs.

Julie Bradley

Employee Support & Development Coordinator

Julie leads employee trainings and provides mentorship to interns and peers.


“From early teenage on, I have had personal experiences with both very good and very bad mental healthcare providers. This likely was the germ of an inner vision of possibility - maybe my life could be spent somehow trying to help others have their best life, or at least minimize suffering.” 

Mandy Bjork

Administrative Services Director

Mandy manages contracts, risk management and compliance.


“I love working at CLR because of the creativity, positivity, compassion, empathy, and service leadership. Much of the experiences and knowledge I have acquired over my years comes from my coworkers, and that makes me want to stay, knowing together we are making a difference for others.” 

Reneishiah Davis

Human Resources Director

Reneishiah provides HR consultation and mediation for managers and employees.


“I have always felt a desire to help people and be that source where at the end of the day, someone can leave from my presence saying that I genuinely was there for them in a time of need.” 

Shane Verhoef

Medical Director

Shane leads CLR's psychiatric medical team.


“CLR’s heart is in the right place. With most people here, there isn’t the same level of being skeptical or snarky, or jaded like you might see in other places. People here seem to find value and purpose in their job.” 

Tim Rasor

Controller

Vicki Svensson

Nursing Director

Vicki leads CLR's team of nurses.


“I chose to move across the country to be with CLR because of [the agency’s] proven history of reaching out and assisting the most vulnerable populations, which aligns with my values. Meeting the team when I visited allowed me to make a sound decision that I wanted to be part of the CLR family.”

Ashley Harris

WISe Director

Ashley leads CLR's WISe (Wraparound with Intensive Services) team.


"The stories keep me here. Watching families succeed, working with my staff, and witnessing their care and dedication to mission is just amazing.”

Whitney Faulkner

Pearl Youth Residence Program Director

Whitney leads the team at CLR's youth residential facility, Pearl Youth Residence.

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