Administration
Maria Mulvaugh, LCSW
Chief Executive Officer/ Outpatient Therapist
Maria Mulvaugh has been a part of the L'esprit team since November 2015. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and a Master's in Social Work. In addition to her formal education, Maria pursued two years of higher education in the nursing program at MSU. With a wealth of global experiences, she has lived and worked abroad extensively. Maria's career journey led her into the non-profit sector, where she dedicated ten years of service before returning to graduate school to specialize in social work. Her clinical practice primarily focuses on serving adult, couple, and family populations, with a particular emphasis on court-related matters, including high-conflict divorce and custody cases.
Chantelle Plauche´, LCSW
Chief Financial Officer
Chantelle Plauché founded L'esprit in 2015. She obtained her Master’s degree in Social Work in 2006 and has since worked with a diverse range of individuals and families as a mental health counselor both in schools and in her private practice. She has formed strong working relationships with many local organizations and school and community program leaders. Through her work, she became aware of the unmet need for further youth mental health services in the community, thus, giving her the idea for L’esprit which she opened in June of 2015. Since then, L’esprit has added youth day treatment, adult day treatment, adult mental health services and chemical dependency for youth and adults under the leadership of Chantelle. When she is not working, Chantelle enjoys spending time with her 3 children, gardening, raising chickens, and traveling.
Leah Brand, LCSW
Chief Operating Officer/ Clinical Supervisor/Outpatient Therapist
Leah Brand, LCSW, is a Montana native, born and raised in the Bitterroot Valley. In 2018, Leah joined L’esprit as a CSCT Therapist at Sleeping Giant Middle School. Leah currently provides Outpatient Therapy to youth and supports L’esprit staff as a Clinical Supervisor. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Montana and after graduation, she moved to Portland, Oregon. She lived and worked in Portland for 10 years and received a Master of Social Work degree from Portland State University. During that time, she had the opportunity to work and internship in a variety of areas, including education, homeless services, pediatric oncology and the department of corrections.
Administrative Support
Jackie Saccente
Data Quality Management Specialist
Jackie Saccent began working with L’esprit in 2019 as a Substance Use Peer Support Specialist and Billing Administrator. Peer Support provides one on one interactions with peers that have overcome or are in the process of overcoming substance use and the trauma that comes with it. Her job duties include: Advocating for people in recovery, Leading recovery groups, sharing resources and building skills, building community and relationships, mentoring, and goal setting. As for billing Jackie Submits and oversees the billing for L’esprits mental health and substance use recovery programs.
Family, School & Community Treatment Staff
Brenda Stephani, LCPC
School Based Services Supervisor/Outpatient Therapist
Brenda Stephani, LCPC began her work at L’esprit in 2020. She is currently the FSCT supervisor and a therapist who provides individual, group, crisis-based, and family therapy as desired to youth within the school and community-based settings(s). She also supervises FSCT staff, maintains program requirements, maintains healthy working relationships with Livingston School District schools and serves as a representative on L'esprit leadership team. Brenda received her bachelors from Grad-Prescott college and then after she obtained her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling focusing on equine-assisted mental health. Additionally, Brenda provides training on healthy technology use, parenting with technology, and/or identifying problematic technology use in youth to L'esprit staff and community members. Brenda came to L'esprit with specific training in problematic technology use and technology addictions and continued to engage in treating technology use disorders with youth as able.
Katy McCauley, LCSW
Outpatient Therapist
Katy McCauley, SWLC is a Montana native. She began her work at L’esprit in 2020 as a Behavioral specialist and MSW intern. In the spring of 2017, Katy graduated from Montana State University, with a bachelor’s degree in both Psychology and Sociology with a focus in Criminology. Following graduation, Katy worked with adolescences in a group home setting. Katy, graduated with her Masters in Social Work in the Spring of 2021 and now works as an Outpatient Therapist with youth, while also working towards her LCSW. Katy works with adolescences and their families, providing individual, group, and family therapy. Katy works alongside a team of individuals, as the clinical lead, providing social, emotional, and behavioral support and interventions. Katy also works collaboratively with school staff, community members, and community service providers.
Jen Holland
Family Support Specialist and FSS Supervisor
Jennifer Holland began her journey at L’esprit in 2018 working as a Quality Control Officer and a Behavioral Specialist. Jennifer is currently a Family Support Specialist and the Family Support Specialist Supervisor. She graduated from the University of Madison Wisconsin with a bachelor's in Community and environmental sociology.
Alli McClennen
Family Support Specialist and Wellness Coordinator
Alli McClennen, Family Support Specialist, joined L’esprit in 2015, working as a behavior specialist in the CSCT program. Alli currently provides support at Eastside to youth and their families as a Family Support Specialist. Alli also heads the L'esprit Wellness Team. She received her Bachelors in Early Childhood Development at the University of Montana.
Nate Barrere
Family Support Specialist
Nathaniel was born and raised in Montana, he spent his childhood in Livingston and later moved to the west coast for 15 years. He worked in mental health in Oregon for 3 years as an in-home direct support professional for individuals and families with developmental disabilities before deciding to move back to Montana to be closer to family. Nate started working with Lesprit in early 2022 as an FSS behavior specialist and supports youth and their families in school as well as out in the community. Nate has worked closely with many developmental disabilities including Autism spectrum disorder, as well as various medical disabilities for individuals in need of direct support. He is nearing completion of his BA in media arts and communications online with SNHU, and plans to start his own creative studio.
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Allison Peterson
Family Support Specialist
Alli Peterson joined L’esprit in the spring of 2023. She serves as a Family Support Specialist at Winans Elementary School. Alli has a bachelor's degree in psychology and is currently working towards her master's degree in counseling with hopes to become a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.
Montana Assertive Community Treatment (MACT)
Janella Johnson, LCSW
MACT Team Lead
MACT Outpatient Therapist
Janella Johnson, LCSW, began her work at L’esprit Behavioral Health Center in 2018 as a case manager, mentor, and working with adults with severe disabling mental illness in the Adult Day Treatment Program. She graduated with her Masters in Social Work in 2019 and now serves as an outpatient therapist with a focus on working with adults with SDMI and has been trained in implementing EMDR. Janella also works as the Community Outreach Coordinator for L’esprit, actively participating in community coalitions for suicide prevention and crisis response. Additionally, she serves as the chairperson for the Park County Human Trafficking Task Force where she collaborates with leaders throughout the state on combating and ending human trafficking through prevention, protection, and prosecution.
Ellen Morris, SWLC
MACT Team Lead
MACT Outpatient Therapist
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Ellen received her Master of Science in Social Work with a concentration in Evidence-Based Interpersonal Practice from the University of Tennessee in 2022. She went on to begin her career in Social Work at Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital before joining L'esprit as a member of the MACT Team in October of 2022. Ellen is passionate about community health, social justice, and yoga.
David Drake, LCSW
MACT Team Member
David Drake joined the L’esprit Mental Health Agency in 2015 as an outpatient therapist. David is a MACT Team Member as well as the a Clinician at L’esprit's main location, which includes intern supervision and training of new employees. He graduated with a Masters in Social Work from the Walla Walla billing program and also received a Masters in Scandinavian Literature from the University of Wisconsin. During David's internship at L’esprit he worked as a youth mentor, adult mentor, youth case manager, and adult case manager. He also served as a CSCT Therapist in Sleeping Giant Middle School for one year before shifting into Outpatient Therapy and Adult Day Treatment. Moreover, David is an avid hiker, likes to play the drums in a local band, and is also a serviceable cook.
Case Management
Kelsey Denison
Case Manager Supervisor
Kelsey Denison started working at L’esprit as an administrative assistant and a case manager in 2021. Kelsey graduated from Montana State University with a bachelor's in Family and Consumer Science. She then went on to study at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa, completing courses in sustainable community development and working with the vulnerable population experiencing extreme poverty. Additionally, the last three years Kelsey was living on Maui Island, working at Head Start as a Family strengthening Manager, served as a volunteer AmeriCorps member, and in Tijuana Mexico helped build homes for the local community and orphanage.
Marial Carrillo
Case Manager
Marial Carrillo has her Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education and completed her Bachelor's in Infant and Child Mental Health in June of 2023. Marial joined L'esprit in September of 2022 as a Case Manager. She was born and raised in Alaska and later moved out of state in 2016 to begin her college journey. Her mission and hope is to leave a positive impact on everyone she comes in contact with.
Substance Use Recovery Program Staff
John Thomas, LAC
SURP Counselor
John Thomas started at L’esprit in 2020 at the Adult Day Treatment program his senior year practicum. After graduating John transitioned to the Substance use recovery program where he now provides outpatient counseling for substance use and addiction. He is focused on improving harm reduction services and education in the community to combat drug-related overdose and death. To that end John is now a certified Naloxone Master Trainer, which can provide trainings on the use of Naloxone to reverse opioid overdose and can dispense it to the public.
Outpatient Therapists
Ashly Holland Fry, SWLC, LAC
Outpatient Therapist, SURP Counselor, Prime Life Instructor
Ashly Holland Fry was born and raised in Montana and enjoys hiking, motorcycle riding, music, and anything outdoors. Ashly began working at L’esprit in 2020 where she is completing her first-year internship acting as the Prime for Life instructor for MIP and DUI classes. She graduated with her master's degree in Social Work at Boise State University, ID. Previously Ashly was a substance abuse prevention specialist for Southwest Chemical Dependency Program for seven years. Her duties included managing a substance abuse prevention block grant, in-school drug and alcohol prevention education, teaching alcohol serve-safe class to local alcohol retailers, and more. In the future, Ashly's goal, when she completes her education, is to work with individuals that are suffering from substance and gambling abuse as well as those that have experienced trauma.
