our team
In 2014, friends and recovery allies Robert Hilliker and Will Davis opened The Lovett Center (now Ethos Wellness – Lovett) in Houston, Texas with the vision of having more than 20 clinicians under one roof, each with different specialties. From there, Hilliker developed Pathos, a proprietary Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) focused on an integrative path to wellness, which is grounded in a psychodynamic theory. They soon saw a need for a larger system of care, including residential treatment, detoxification and aftercare, and partnered with their friend and peer Ceci Hudson Torn to tackle how to see people through mental health and addiction recovery long-term. This spurred the creation of The Prairie Recovery Center and its parent company, Ethos Behavioral Health Group, in 2019. The trio’s caring personalities and combined background in serving communities, delivering clinical care and managing business, finance and real estate puts them in a unique position to operate treatment centers in a way that few others can. Their warmth, attention to detail and professionalism are the epitome of care.
CO-FOUNDERS AND MANAGING PARTNERS
(click profile to read full bios)
- ROBERT HILLIKER, PhD, LCSW‑S, LCDCCHIEF CLINICAL OFFICERROBERT HILLIKER, PhD, LCSW‑S, LCDCCHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER
Robert is driven by a deep commitment to serve others, and is passionate about the subject of hope and despair in clinical treatment. His over 20 years in the field of addiction and mental health encompass private practice, clinical supervision, the creation and management of clinical programming, the co-founding of The Lovett Center in 2014 and the co-founding of Ethos in 2018.
Throughout his educational and professional careers, Robert has gained valuable experience and impactful recognitions. He earned his Master’s degree from the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work, which went on to honor him as a 50 for 50 Alumni in 2019 for embodying the college’s social justice vision. Robert’s education includes a fellowship at the Center for Psychoanalytic Studies and a Postgraduate Social Work Fellowship at The Menninger Clinic, while his resume includes long standing leadership positions at The Daring Way, The Council on Alcohol and Drugs Houston and The Menninger Clinic. At the latter, he earned a Menninger Clinic Pillar Award for Integrity for his work in the Professionals in Crisis Program, an honor meant to recognize those who best exemplify Menninger’s core values: excellence, teamwork, hope, integrity and caring. The Houston Business Journal named Robert a 40 Under 40 Class of 2018 Honoree.
- WILL DAVISCHIEF BUSINESS OFFICERWILL DAVISCHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER
Will’s passion for functional, welcoming spaces to serve a variety of industries led him to a career in commercial real estate spanning over 15 years, parallel to a decade of business development and management. In 2014, he co-founded The Lovett Center with Robert Hilliker, and then went on to co-found Ethos. The driving force behind his professional journey is a passion for connecting people for a shared, greater good. His thoughtful hiring and leadership style has helped build countless strong, creative and united teams that produce positive results.
It’s the people at The Prairie Recovery Center that make a difference. Serving and helping others is second nature to each member of our team. Moreover, our team holds credentials that far exceed the norm for a residential treatment center; masters and doctoral-level clinicians, a medical director, psychiatrist, doctor, nurses and nurse practitioners are all part of our in-house, on-site team ready to care for individuals around the clock. This sets our rehab center in Austin, Texas a bar above the rest. Our clinical team is dually trained in co-occurring disorders, also known as addiction and mental health conditions combined.
MEDICAL TEAM
- GREGG WORKMAN, MDMEDICAL DIRECTORGREGG WORKMAN, MDMEDICAL DIRECTOR
- ANGELICA TELFORD, RNDIRECTOR OF NURSINGANGELICA TELFORD, RNDIRECTOR OF NURSING
- LISA CHURCH, APRN-CNPNURSE PRACTITIONERLISA CHURCH, APRN-CNPNURSE PRACTITIONER
- MONA ADAMASZEK, APRN-CNP, PMHNP-BCNURSE PRACTITIONERMONA ADAMASZEK, APRN-CNP, PMHNP-BCNURSE PRACTITIONER
- VIOLETA MARTINEZDIETITIAN CONSULTANT
- JOYCE DURON, LVNNURSING TEAM
- KRISTIE ENGELING, RNNURSING TEAM
- SARAH MEISMER, RNNURSING TEAM
- HAVIETTE WILSON, LVNNURSING TEAM
- CHANEL DUKES, RNNURSING TEAM
- LESLEY KARONIKA, RNNURSING TEAM
CLINICAL TEAM
(click profile to view full bios)
- ROBERT HILLIKER, PhD, LCSW‑S, LCDCCHIEF CLINICAL OFFICERROBERT HILLIKER, PhD, LCSW‑S, LCDCCHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER
Robert is driven by a deep commitment to serve others, and is passionate about the subject of hope and despair in clinical treatment. His over 20 years in the field of addiction and mental health encompass private practice, clinical supervision, the creation and management of clinical programming, the co-founding of The Lovett Center in 2014 and the co-founding of Ethos in 2018.
Throughout his educational and professional careers, Robert has gained valuable experience and impactful recognitions. He earned his Master’s degree from the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work, which went on to honor him as a 50 for 50 Alumni in 2019 for embodying the college’s social justice vision. Robert’s education includes a fellowship at the Center for Psychoanalytic Studies and a Postgraduate Social Work Fellowship at The Menninger Clinic, while his resume includes long standing leadership positions at The Daring Way, The Council on Alcohol and Drugs Houston and The Menninger Clinic. At the latter, he earned a Menninger Clinic Pillar Award for Integrity for his work in the Professionals in Crisis Program, an honor meant to recognize those who best exemplify Menninger’s core values: excellence, teamwork, hope, integrity and caring. The Houston Business Journal named Robert a 40 Under 40 Class of 2018 Honoree.
- LESLIE MEEKS, LCSWEXECUTIVE AND CLINICAL DIRECTORLESLIE MEEKS, LCSWEXECUTIVE AND CLINICAL DIRECTOR
- ALANA SMITH, LCSW, LCDCFAMILY THERAPIST/PRAIRIE FAMILY PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTALANA SMITH, LCSW, LCDCFAMILY THERAPIST/PRAIRIE FAMILY PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
Alana Smith is a graduate of the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Her career has been dedicated to the treatment of those with substance use disorder (SUD) and the corresponding impact on families.
At national conferences, Alana has presented on aspects of denial, grief and family healing as related to SUD. In residential treatment centers, she has served as clinical director and family program director and has had various roles in program development and staff training. Currently with a Texas-based private practice, she has also developed the family program and facilitates family therapy for us here at The Prairie Recovery Center.
Alana’s clinical training in Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) and Coherence Therapy informs her work with those impacted by SUD to move beyond a mere behavioral approach into one that is more emotionally experiential and healing-focused.
In 2018, Alana completed a year long travel and volunteerism sabbatical which included traversing India and trekking in Nepal. She currently lives in San Diego, CA.
- HEATHER MARTIN, LCDCSTAFF THERAPISTHEATHER MARTIN, LCDCSTAFF THERAPIST
- HELENE JOBE, LPC, LCDCSTAFF THERAPISTHELENE JOBE, LPC, LCDCSTAFF THERAPIST
- JULIE CUNNINGHAM, LCSW-S, LCDCFAMILY THERAPISTJULIE CUNNINGHAM, LCSW-S, LCDCFAMILY THERAPIST
Julie is a long-time veteran in the behavioral and mental health professional community. It is her mission to change the way we view relationships and how we treat the individuals who are affected by addiction and mental health issues. For over 25 years, Julie has been helping individuals, couples, and families who are interested in creating lasting positive change. Julie uses a combination of evidence-based approaches which are client-centered. Drawing on her rich body of experience, Julie is able to connect with and create authentic relationships with her clients. Additionally, Julie is a Level 3 trained Gottman Method couples therapist. Valuing and supporting diversity allows Julie to work with a wide range of couples and partners from all walks of life. By engaging couples in a unique way, Julie is able to cultivate a deep understanding of partnership systems and work to effectively improve contact, communication, understanding, and intimacy. Julie believes that each person and family system is unique with their own set of challenges and strengths, which can both complicate and enhance the paths to healing and recovery. She knows that healing and recovery are possible for anyone who is suffering and will not give up until a successful path is found for her clients. Julie graduated from Columbia University with a Master’s degree in Social Work. She also has advanced training in Motivational Interviewing, Relapse Prevention Counseling, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and has worked extensively with people who are struggling with addiction and who are dealing with childhood trauma and/or mental illness. In her free time Julie enjoys spoiling her two dogs and two accidental cats, painting, tinkering and belly laughing with the people in her life who get her.
- MATT RUSSELLSPIRITUAL CAREMATT RUSSELLSPIRITUAL CARE
BIO COMING SOON
- SHAWN SLOBE, LMSWWEEKEND WORKSHOP FACILITATORSHAWN SLOBE, LMSWWEEKEND WORKSHOP FACILITATOR
BIO COMING SOON
- TYLER WARD, LCDCSTAFF THERAPISTTYLER WARD, LCDCSTAFF THERAPIST
PATIENT CARE ASSISTANTS
- GARI BETH CHRISTENSENLEAD PATIENT CARE ASSISTANTGARI BETH CHRISTENSENLEAD PATIENT CARE ASSISTANT
- RAYLAND DENNISPATIENT CARE ASSISTANTRAYLAND DENNISPATIENT CARE ASSISTANT
- UNDREKA MONTGOMERYPATIENT CARE ASSISTANTUNDREKA MONTGOMERYPATIENT CARE ASSISTANT
- MELANIE JAMISONPATIENT CARE ASSISTANTMELANIE JAMISONPATIENT CARE ASSISTANT
- WILL ANDERSONPATIENT CARE ASSISTANTWILL ANDERSONPATIENT CARE ASSISTANT
- TOMAS GARZAPATIENT CARE ASSISTANTTOMAS GARZAPATIENT CARE ASSISTANT
- CANDREA “PAIGE” LESTERPATIENT CARE ASSISTANTCANDREA “PAIGE” LESTERPATIENT CARE ASSISTANT
- MERCEDES SEARCYPATIENT CARE ASSISTANTMERCEDES SEARCYPATIENT CARE ASSISTANT
FACILITIES & HOSPITALITY
- DANNY RIEBELINGFACILITIES DIRECTORDANNY RIEBELINGFACILITIES DIRECTOR
Danny learned carpentry from his father at an early age, which eventually led to his expertise in the field. Over the course of his career, he has had the opportunity to construct, remodel, reshape and transform diverse spaces in Houston’s Medical Center, the historic Houston Heights and Round Top.
Daniel currently resides at his country place in Fayette County with his wife Andrea and their dog Glory. He is involved with various fundraisers in the Round Top area, among them the Family Library. His many interests include gardening, cooking, music, social gatherings and volunteer work.
- KATIE EDENFIELDHOSPITALITY
- LESLIE KENTHOSPITATLITY
- KEITH PARKERFACILITIES
- DUSTIN PACEFACILITIES
CULINARY
- ED THOMPSONHEAD CHEF
- LINDA LAAKECULINARY TEAM