Our Team

Steve Thomason | LMSW, LCDC

Chief Executive Officer

Steve Thomason is a cofounder of Alta Loma. After working in the mental health and addiction field for 14 years he became aware that individuals with higher acuity psychiatric issues were being underserved in traditional treatment programs. This knowledge became the impetus for Alta Loma. Creating a program that focuses on individuals that have experienced multiple attempts at recovery through psychiatric hospitals and substance abuse treatment centers is his passion.

Steve is a Licensed Master of Social Work and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. A Texas native, he obtained his Master of Social Work from The University of Texas at San Antonio and his Bachelors in Psychology from Texas State University. Steve believes that a strong continuum of care after residential treatment is critical for long-term recovery. Steve brings to Alta Loma over 13 years of Clinical and Executive experience working with numerous recovery programs throughout Texas.

He is responsible for the development and vision of Alta Loma, as well as building partnerships throughout Texas to impact community awareness on dual diagnosis treatment.

Josh Barnett

Chief Operations Officer

Josh has a passion for helping individuals find their path to continued success. He brings to Alta Loma over a decade of experience working in the Substance Abuse field and has succeeded in jobs as direct care staff, business office administrator, Admissions, Marketing, and Operations.

As the Director of Operations for Alta Loma, Josh oversees daily operations and facilitates all admissions into our program. Josh is an avid consumer of all things geek culture and feels that celebrating our differences can truly bring individuals together.

Robert McCaslin

Chief Development Officer

Robert struggled with addiction from an early age, but it came truly apparent to his friends and family while he was attending the University of Denver.

Robert initially worked in sales and became very successful in his career but realized he was unfulfilled and took a side job managing a sober home. During this time, he realized his true passion was working in recovery and mental health. With this newfound passion, Robert went on to open his own sober living company and is Co-owner of Sunlight Sober Living. Robert has a true passion for recovery, mental health, and helping others.

His passion along with his wide range of personal and work experience allows him to help residents bring real change to their lives while at Alta Loma. He is currently working on getting a PRS (Peer Recovery Support Specialist) certification. After completing his PRS certification, he plans to continue his education further to become a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor.

Dr. Shiva Lam | M.D.

Medical Director

Dr. Lam brings nearly 25 years of experience in psychiatry to Alta Loma. Fellowship trained and double board certified (in both general psychiatry and child/adolescent psychiatry), Dr. Lam has served as Chief of Staff at Shoal Creek Hospital, Outpatient Director at Charter Hospital, staff psychiatrist at St. David’s Hospital, and Executive Medical Director at Austin Lakes Hospital. His distinguished career serving patients and families across Central Texas is hallmarked not only by his widely respected professional expertise but also by his genuine, warm, and kind bedside manner. Dr. Lam has extensive experience treating severe mental illness as well as substance use disorders. He will build trust with our beloved residents through in-person visits as well as after-hours care as he engages them actively in their treatment.

Deborah Sant’Anna | MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC

Nurse Practitioner

Deborah de Sant’Anna is a psychiatric nurse practitioner with 17 years of experience in the field of psychiatry. She has spent her career working with adults and adolescents in acute care, residential, private practice and corrections. Deb provides compassionate care to our residents and family members. Deb’s commitment to supporting our residents and their families demonstrates that she values holist care, recognizing the importance of involving family members in the treatment process. Her approach enhances the overall effectiveness of her care and fosters a supportive community for those in her care. Deb is a powerful force in the workplace . Deb is also an accomplished Brazilian volleyball player with international and national experience. In her free time, Deb likes to play volleyball, workout, and hang out with her friends.

Hayley Hill | MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC

Director of Nursing

Hayley is an experienced psychiatric registered nurse practioner with many years of practice in a variety of mental health settings. She has spent her career working with children, adolescents, adults, and geriatric patients in acute care, residential, detoxification and long-term care settings.

As the Director of Nursing at Alta Loma, her foremost goal is to provide truly individualized, holistic, and compassionate care to our residents and their loved ones alike. She values kindness, open, and honest communication and building therapeutic, healing relationships with those in her care – and recognizes the importance of doing the same with the friends and family of her patients. Hayley considers it a privilege to walk with others on their journey toward optimal mental wellness and sobriety. She wholeheartedly encourages our residents and families to contact her at any time to learn more about medications, treatment planning, convey medical concerns or simply receive extra support. Mental health work is truly a passion for Hayley, and she is deeply grateful to have the honor of serving others in this role.

Outside of work, Hayley enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and writing. She is an avid home cook and loves trying out new recipes and making every meal special for her loved ones. Hayley also adores her two family dogs, a sweet boxer and an affectionate Chiweenie.

Katie Nelson | LVN

Assistant Director of Nursing

Katie has been a nurse for over three years with experience in detox and residential recovery centers that included caring for a dual diagnosis population. She has started her LVN to RN bridge program through Galen College of Nursing. She is passionate about the mental health of others and finds it just as important as their physical health.

Katie is a caring mother to two wonderful boys. They enjoy going to the park, playing sports, and painting together.

John Lopez | PharmD

Consulting Pharmacist

Dr. John Lopez completed the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum at the University of Texas College of Pharmacy in Austin in 2004. He has served the greater Austin area as a community pharmacist for over 18 years. In 2016, Dr. Lopez expanded his scope of practice to inpatient mental health and has a goal of obtaining his board certification in Psychiatric Pharmacy in the near future. Additionally, Dr. Lopez is a certified immunizer and has participated in numerous immunization clinics throughout the community, including at Alta Loma!

Jerry Cypert | M.ED, LPC, LCDC

Director of Clinical Services

Jerry Cypert is a dually licensed master level therapist who has been working in the behavioral health field since 2006. Jerry brings a diverse background of experience which allows him to guide his team to providing spectacular care for the complex cases treated at Alta Loma. Jerry’s experience includes but is not limited to multiple modalities of psychotherapy, psychiatric inpatient treatment, and dual diagnosis treatment with adult and adolescent populations. Jerry puts great emphasis on helping people grow, heal, professional development, and education. In his personal life Jerry is a father to two beautiful young girls, a blacksmith, and a carpenter..

Jessica Brodie | LMSW

Therapist

Jessica completed her master’s in social work at University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW) focusing on Clinical and Behavioral Health. Jessica has over ten years of experience in working with mood and thought disorders such as Bipolar I & II, Schizoaffective disorders and Schizophrenia, and other complex diagnosis such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ODC), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Co-Occurring Disorders. Jessica also has extensive experience working with people who have been diagnosed with various personality disorders such and Anti-Social Personality Disorder (ASPD), Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) using a combination of evidenced based treatment (EBT) modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI) and other psychodynamic theories of therapy.

After over 10 years in the field working with adults with severe mental illness, Jessica decided to join the dedicated team at Alta Loma in Georgetown, TX. Her personal interests include visiting friends and colleagues in various parts of the world, Texas Ice Hockey, swimming, kayaking, gardening, camping, and biking with her teenage son.

Meghan Landry | M.ED., BCBA, LBA

Behavior Analyst

Meghan developed a passion for helping people overcome their challenges at a young age by doing volunteer work with individuals with disabilities. During this time she watched her younger brother struggle to learn and fit in the same way as others in society. In 2015, while finishing her last semester of her bachelor’s in Psychology, Meghan was introduced to the field of behavior analysis, which sparked an interest.

Behavior analysis uses science-backed data to help individuals overcome challenging behavior patterns and develop healthy life skills. From there she received her master’s degree from Texas Tech University in Applied Behavioral Analysis while also working as a behavior technician helping children and young adults gain important skills. 6 months later, in 2017, she became fully licensed and holds the designation of Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

While most of her work has been helping people on the Autism spectrum, Meghan knows she can be of service to a wider population. She believes most challenges people face can be tackled by learning more effective ways to communicate their wants and needs, which sometimes must be taught differently than traditional methods.

Meghan strives to help clients find the right motivation which ensures new ideas will “click” and become “ah-ha!” moments. Meghan has helped many people learn to communicate more effectively, reduce challenging behaviors, attain new life skills, and successfully interact with their environment no matter the situation.

Her end goal is to help clients to be successful and decrease challenging behaviors that interfere with their learning, communication, and everyday life.

Hannah Unruh | LMSW, LCDC

Family Program Coordinator

Hannah earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and neuroscience from Texas A&M University and her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Houston. While attending graduate school, Hannah completed a clinical internship at The Menninger Clinic in Houston, Texas, where she provided group and family therapy.

Hannah is a firm believer in systems theory and assesses environmental factors that contribute to mental illness and substance use, as well as internal factors. She implements DBT and mindfulness skills into her practice and takes a strengths-based approach.

Hannah’s professional areas of interest are substance use, mental health, and family systems. She is passionate about decreasing the stigma surrounding mental illness and works to help her clients practice radical acceptance.

“I chose Social Work because the profession calls us to be an advocate for others and because I am passionate about social justice issues.”

Hannah enjoys being a dedicated mom to her calico cat, Chicken, and exploring new places with her family and friends.

Maxie Carvajal | LMSW

Therapist

Maxie Carvajal, LMSW, is a Primary Therapist at Alta Loma Transformational Services. She earned her Master of Science in Social Work degree at the University of Texas-Pan American in 2014 and is currently working toward obtaining her licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Texas.

Maxie brings with her over 15 years of experience in social services with 11 of those years focused on working with individuals living with severe mental illness and/or substance abuse disorders in the non-profit, acute inpatient psychiatric hospital, and inpatient substance abuse treatment settings.

Garrett Lathan | LPC

Therapist

Garrett completed his Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in 2018 and became a fully Licensed Professional Counselor in 2021. He also has participated in ongoing trainings in psychoanalysis with the Clinical College of Colorado since 2020. He has significant experience helping people who experience psychosis, struggle with issues concerning substance dependence, and who are contemplating suicide find new grounding for authorizing a life for themselves that they desire. He has been an Austinite since 2000 when he moved here from Ft. Worth, TX to attend the University of Texas. He enjoys spending time with his family, throwing dinner parties (he used to be a chef years ago in St. Louis, MO) and reading and writing poetry.

Yesenia Young | LMSW, LCDC

Therapist

Yesenia (pronounced yeh-SEN-ee-uh) is a compassionate and dedicated therapist originally from Miami, Florida, calling the outskirts of the Austin area home for the past decade. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Texas State University in 2016, graduated with her Master of Social Work with Direct Practice in Mental Health & Substance Abuse from The University of Texas at Arlington in 2020.
With over six years of experience in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric hospital settings, Yesenia has honed her skills in working with diverse populations spanning from early childhood to geriatric stages of life. Her clinical experience encompasses a wide range of mental health disorders, including thought and mood disorders and crisis intervention.

Yesenia incorporates evidence-based interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) into practice. She is actively pursuing her DBT certification and licensure to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Texas.
Among her interests include spending time with her corgis, videogames, gardening and research.

Stephanie Camardella | LMSW, LCDC

Therapist

Charlotte Davis | LCDC, NCAC1

Compliance Coordinator

Charlotte brings to Alta Loma 13 years of experience in the counseling field and 21 years being in recovery. Charlotte received an Associate degree in 2006 from Odessa College specializing in alcohol and drug addiction and is a Licensed Chemical Drug Counselor as well as being Nationally Certified as an Addiction counselor.

Charlotte has worked in the recovery field and held many positions including, Direct Care Counselor, Program Coordinator, and Clinical Director. She is honored with the opportunity to participate in the healing process of many individuals and families impacted by addiction and mental health issues.

Paul Pluymen | LPC

Therapist

Paul received his bachelor’s degree from Texas State where he majored in Psychology and worked in a social cognition laboratory where he eventually published research. He then went on to obtain his M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Paul is experienced in Cognitive Behavioral and Solution Focused Brief therapy frameworks. His Theoretical foundations all come down to one idea: you must feel valued, nurtured, and supported to grow into your authentic self.

His passion and commitment to working with the population served at Alta Loma shows in his work not just with clients, but also their families. In Paul’s free time he enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons, playing the drums, and reading historical fiction.

Stephanie Castro | CTRS, TRS/TXC

Health and Wellness Coordinator

Stephanie is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist in the State of Texas. She was born and raised in Austin. Post high school graduation she obtained a scholarship to play volleyball at Huston-Tillotson University and had the opportunity to also play for the USA international Volleyball League in Scotland. She graduated with her Bachelors in Kinesiology at Huston-Tillotson University and continued her education at Texas State University to obtain her master’s in science and Leisure Services to become a Recreation Therapist. She has been a certified Recreation Therapist for 10 plus years working with all ages in mental health, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and community settings. She is also certified in instructing Chair Yoga, Chair Chi, Drumtastic (drumming while performing rhythmic movements), and is currently studying to be a certified brain injury specialist. As a recreation therapist, she uses activity-based interventions such as music, art, sports, and other leisure activities to help enhance the clients’ physical abilities, independence and their overall well-being. Additionally, she also coaches a juniors volleyball club in the springtime. Her interests are being in the outdoors, rock climbing, volleyball, exercise, and engaging in other activities with her son.

Kelsey Michalewicz | RD, LD

Dietitian

Kelsey Michalewicz is a registered and licensed dietitian. She is the owner of Texas Total Health, Inc., a contracting nutrition services company. Kelsey and her dietitian teamwork with many mental health and behavioral health facilities in the Austin to Temple, Texas areas.

Her company participates in wellness fairs and mental health charities. Before starting her business, Kelsey worked as an eating disorder dietitian in San Antonio. Kelsey has a true passion for the mental health field of nutrition. She has worked in the mental health, and behavioral health field for 14 years.

Kelsey knows the role nutrition plays in mental health and substance abuse recovery. She enjoys sharing nutrition education with her patients, co-workers, family, and friends. In her spare time, she loves cooking at home with her family and introducing new foods to her children. Kelsey also loves hiking, biking, running, yoga, and playing with her kids and dogs.

Carter Dyson | Business Office Manager

Health and Wellness Coordinator

Having grown up with a brother who is on the spectrum and struggled with mental health issues, Carter has firsthand experience of having a loved one with unique challenges. After his own struggles with substance use disorder in early adulthood, Carter began his journey of recovery from substance use disorder.

With his own unique experiences, this has given Carter a passion to help both families and individuals that struggle with mental health and substance use disorder.

Carter holds Bachelor’s in Global Healthcare Policy & Management from Concordia University. Outside of his professional endeavors, Carter is a fan of the NBA and the Dallas Mavericks.

George Stark

Admissions Specialist

George Stark has had a passion for helping others from an early age. Initially having a career in IT, he was not fulfilled in that role and entered the behavioral health field. After working in direct client care, George made the shift to case management. After years as our Case Manager, George shifted into our Admission Specialist position where he is helping individuals navigate their path to recovery.

Outside of work, George is a dedicated father to his son. Hockey is one of his hobbies, where he finds both a challenge and camaraderie on the ice. When time allows, he also enjoys hitting the golf course, soaking in the tranquility and strategy of the game.

Austin Crowe

Admissions Specialist

Austin has accumulated six years of diverse experience in the mental health field, during which he has held various positions that have enriched his understanding and skills. In his current role as an Admissions Specialist, he leverages this extensive background to provide exceptional support and guidance to patients and their families. Austin’s compassionate and informed approach ensures that each individual feels heard and valued, fostering a supportive environment from the very beginning of their journey toward recovery. His deep commitment to improving mental wellness is evident in his professional demeanor and dedication. By meticulously addressing the unique needs and concerns of each patient, Austin plays a pivotal role in facilitating the admissions process with empathy and professionalism.

Outside of his professional life, Austin maintains a balanced and active lifestyle. He enjoys going to the gym, which helps him stay physically fit and mentally resilient. Additionally, he engages in various outdoor activities and sports, reflecting his love for nature and physical activity. This well-rounded approach to life enables Austin to bring a positive and energetic presence to his work, further enhancing the support he provides to those in need.

Joe

Therapeutic Staff

Joe is a local rescue that provides our residents with all the snuggles and playtime they can handle. When they aren’t engaged in these activities, they can be found napping or gnawing on a chew toy of their choosing.

We encourage our residents to experience the soothing demeanor Joe displays.