Menu
Life Happens. We’re Here to Help.
Home / About/ Meet EFR
EFR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit human services organization that aims to help people manage life’s challenges to reach their full potential.
At EFR, our team specializes in prevention, intervention, and treatment for substance use disorders and behavioral health issues, all under one roof. Moreover, we provide a judgement-free environment that only seeks to help.
Due to EFR’s passion to help and commitment to best practices in the behavioral health industry, the organization continues growing to help people manage life’s challenges.
Since 1964, EFR has been a valuable source of help and expertise for individuals struggling with addiction and mental illness. Originally founded as an affiliate of The National Council on Alcoholism, the organization has continually expanded its reach and level of expertise to serve thousands of individuals, families, and businesses across the US.
EFR continually strives to meet the needs of those who use its services by growing its programs and expanding the organization’s reach to positively impact more lives.
Clinical Director
Shannon’s commitment to continuous improvement and education combined with her unique experience as both a provider and leader have made her a natural fit for the oversight of clinical operations. She aims to uphold EFR’s strong set of core values and incorporate them into the clinical setting every day. Her leadership has resulted in the delivery of compassionate, high-quality care to people seeking EFR’s support.
Early on in her career, Shannon worked for a local community mental health center where she served individuals with serious and persistent mental health issues. She went on to obtain her graduate degree and began work as a therapist. Later she was promoted to a senior leadership role, where she directed all clinical quality programming at the center.
Shannon considers her extensive experience to be a great strength. These various encounters and opportunities have made her a well-rounded, thoughtful clinical director. She meditates daily to foster her commitment to self-improvement.
I started practicing mindfulness and guided meditation about seven years ago, and this is something I strive to do every day! These quiet moments of awareness help me reflect on the person I want to be and better position me to notice the thinking that can often get in the way of being my best self.
Operations Director
Kathleen’s expertise in operations ensures that clients making the call to their EAP have a great experience and receive the help they need from EFR. She directs all operations and supervises the call center, provider relations and IT. She upholds EFR’s promise to meet HIPAA regulations and stays up to date on best practices with data security.
Kathleen started her career in Chicago where she worked in magazine publishing and eventually in the pre-press and subscription fulfillment industries in a client service capacity. Her passion for assisting people combined with her operations experience lead her to start a senior home care business. Though she shut the business down due to lack of available workforce, she realized her calling was to work in the “helping business” which is what landed her at EFR in 2015.
Kathleen attributes a large portion of her success to staying organized and paying attention to results. She depicts her favorite place in the world as follows:
High up in the mountains anywhere in the western U.S. after a long hike. I can stand in one of the most awe-inspiring places on earth and know that I am part of a small percentage of people that will stand in that spot and have that view.
Chief Financial Officer
Julie’s attention to detail and financial prowess place EFR in a position to continue the noble work of serving those affected by mental health or substance abuse. She checks all accounting records for accuracy to ensure that EFR is able to help many people for years to come.
Julie started as an accounting clerk. This role provided many opportunities to learn and grow in the financial arena. She came to EFR with a goal of becoming “one of the people that helps the people who help the people”, and now as CFO, she delivers meticulous accounting and an unmatched level of professionalism.
Julie is a hard worker dedicated to furthering EFR’s mission, but when she’s not at work, she can be found relishing life’s simple pleasures.
I enjoy walking with my dog because he reminds me to stop and smell the roses.
Business Development Director
Ketsie’s sales and marketing savvy puts EFR in a position to continue to grow its life-saving services. She works every day to further develop our branches of revenue so that EFR can serve a larger population. As the Business Development Director, she tackles problem solving by thinking outside the box and implementing innovative marketing campaigns and sales strategies.
Ketsie has always had a propensity for sales and training. She’s been able to apply her prior experience working in the health insurance and employee benefits industries to her current role with EFR. She’s enjoyed the challenge of learning a new industry and finds it rewarding to see the important work EFR does in helping people navigate life’s challenges.
Ketsie also cites relationship building as a skill she possesses, which she exemplifies by driving EFR’s solid retention rate. When she’s not juggling her many responsibilities at EFR, Ketsie can be found soaking up the sun in her happy place.
I love spending time at my parent’s lake house and really anywhere with a beach and water. It makes me feel at peace and relaxed, although I do like the water activities too—riding the wave runner, skiing and boating are just as fun as sitting on the dock with my book. I have always been a lover of the sunshine!
Chief Executive Officer
Tammy’s leadership brings strategic direction to EFR. Overseeing all organizational operations, she works every day to balance margin and mission. This has been the driving factor behind her work setting and achieving goals while working with the board of directors and EFR colleagues.
Tammy came to EFR in 1996, fresh out of graduate school. She started her career as an EAP/SAP counselor and received many fulfilling opportunities leading to the professional growth that prepared her for the role as CEO of EFR starting in 2009.
She values communication and considers it her strongest skill. When she’s not working you can find her enjoying the great outdoors on two wheels.
The happiest place on earth for me is out in the middle of nowhere riding my bike, but within a few hours of a great meal! Although I don’t spend nearly enough time biking and camping, those are the times in my life when I have felt the most grounded. I love the simplicity of those days that center around the basics of life- being outdoors, moving my body, clearing my mind, and just focusing on what’s right ahead of me.
Human Resources & Community Engagement Director
Louise’s commitment to employee retention has strengthened EFR’s staff. She takes pride in her ability to simplify topics that can often intimidate employees, and she considers employee interactions to be a high point of her job. In her role, Louise also provides workplace training on a variety of HR topics to our EAP clients.
Louise began her career in Washington DC working as an HR Recruiter for the American Bankers Association. She moved back to Des Moines and worked in various HR roles throughout the city. During that time, she educated many leaders and employees about the benefits of EFR’s Employee Assistance Program. Having preached the importance on an EAP for so many years, her transition to EFR’s HR Director came naturally, and she now enjoys promoting EFR’s life changing services and providing community outreach to decrease the stigma associated with mental health services.
Louise is adaptable and resilient when it comes to dealing with change. The community engagement side of her position has been a welcome challenge where she’s been able to apply creative problem solving techniques she’s developed during her career. Above all, Louise takes on each daily challenge with a thankful heart.
My personal motto is – Practice gratitude – it’s not happiness that bring gratitude, it’s gratitude that brings happiness. As a two-time cancer survivor, I am very grateful for each day – each day may not be perfect, but I am grateful for every new day.
Board President, Transamerica Corporation
Governance Committee Chair, Delta Dental
Audit Committee Chair, Tiger Hawk Consulting
First National Bank
Hy-Vee
Finance Committee Chair, Bankers Trust
Holmes Murphy and Associates
Wells Fargo
Co-op Solutions
Retired Educator
Delta Dental of Iowa
Meriwether, Wilson and Company
Inspired Edification, LLC
Des Moines Public Schools
Are you passionate about expanding the reach of mental health and substance abuse services? EFR is seeking a diverse group of highly qualified individuals to support and promote our mission to help people manage life’s challenges to reach their full potential. If this sounds like a good fit for you, fill out the form below, and someone from our team will contact you to explore your interests and qualifications. Thank you!
"*" indicates required fields
505 Fifth Avenue, Suite 600 Des Moines, IA 50309
6th floor of the Insurance Exchange Building in downtown Des Moines
800-327-4692
Counseling Services
1001 Office Park Rd, Suite 205
West Des Moines, IA 50265
2nd floor of the building
515-471-2357
The Healing Space
1001 Office Park Rd, Suite 209
West Des Moines, IA 50265
2nd floor of the building
515-471-2357
Monday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Tuesday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Wednesday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Thursday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Friday 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
© 2023 Employee & Family Resources. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Available Here | Website Designed by Softvoya
Chief Financial Officer
Julie’s attention to detail and financial prowess place EFR in a position to continue the noble work of serving those affected by mental health or substance abuse. She checks all accounting records for accuracy to ensure that EFR is able to help many people for years to come.
Julie started as an accounting clerk. This role provided many opportunities to learn and grow in the financial arena. She came to EFR with a goal of becoming “one of the people that helps the people who help the people”, and now as CFO, she delivers meticulous accounting and an unmatched level of professionalism.
Julie is a hard worker dedicated to furthering EFR’s mission, but when she’s not at work, she can be found relishing life’s simple pleasures.
I enjoy walking with my dog because he reminds me to stop and smell the roses.
IT Director
Josh’s vast knowledge of all things Information Technology keeps EFR’s network healthy, and puts EFR in a position to grow our mental health and substance abuse services. Behind any well-run company or organization there’s an IT person that trains users, troubleshoots issues, and implements security measures, and for EFR that person is Josh!
Josh began his career 13 years ago as a tech support rep for Mediacom where he honed his customer service skills and developed an understanding of the user’s perspective. He went on to hold various other roles with a couple different companies, which kept him on his toes. He was always learning something new and retaining it for future use. Josh believes each job was a valuable learning experience and has contributed to making him the competent IT support person he is today.
Josh works hard every day to make sure EFR’s user base is comfortable coming to IT with any issue. In order to make that possible, Josh finds patience to be one of the most important skills he possesses. His extensive IT knowledge comes into play when dealing with tricky issues – he always strives to reach a resolution quickly and efficiently. When he’s not juggling IT tickets at work, Josh records his surroundings using his love of photography.
[I’m happiest] being behind the camera, taking landscape photography, or capturing moments happening around me. Our life is history, and being able to record it for my future family to experience, or the world to see, is just a feeling you can’t get anywhere else but behind the camera.
Clinical Director
Tina’s oversight and support of EFR’s program managers ensures efficiency and effectiveness at every level. She makes sure her team has the tools needed to perform their jobs.
Tina spent 10 years of her career working at another agency, where she discovered her passion for working with children and families. She did direct care in the YESS shelter and other outpatient therapy, but aimed to do more through a supervisory position. She began that journey supervising young clinicians and providing oversight to programs designed to help others. Tina discovered her love for developing staff and programs to meet the needs of communities, which is why she came to EFR to continue this work.
Tina connects well with others and is a good listener. She considers herself to be level-headed and rational which has allowed her to manage others reactions and emotions well. In addition to these strong leadership qualities, Tina is also open-minded, coachable, and teachable, but she also possesses qualities of a great teacher and motivator. When asked about her personal motto, Tina states:
‘It is what it is.’ I live by this motto to remind myself of what I can control and what I cannot control. This allows me to let go of the things I cannot control in that moment. I don’t dwell on mistakes- but rather take note and do better next time. Likewise, I don’t have a lot of regrets but rather experiences that I have learned from
Human Resources & Community Engagement Director
Louise’s commitment to employee retention has strengthened EFR’s staff. She takes pride in her ability to simplify topics that can often intimidate employees, and she considers employee interactions to be a high point of her job. In her role, Louise also provides workplace training on a variety of HR topics to our EAP clients.
Louise began her career in Washington DC working as an HR Recruiter for the American Bankers Association. She moved back to Des Moines and worked in various HR roles throughout the city. During that time, she educated many leaders and employees about the benefits of EFR’s Employee Assistance Program. Having preached the importance on an EAP for so many years, her transition to EFR’s HR Director came naturally, and she now enjoys promoting EFR’s life changing services and providing community outreach to decrease the stigma associated with mental health services.
Louise is adaptable and resilient when it comes to dealing with change. The community engagement side of her position has been a welcome challenge where she’s been able to apply creative problem solving techniques she’s developed during her career. Above all, Louise takes on each daily challenge with a thankful heart.
My personal motto is – Practice gratitude – it’s not happiness that bring gratitude, it’s gratitude that brings happiness. As a two-time cancer survivor, I am very grateful for each day – each day may not be perfect, but I am grateful for every new day.
Student Assistance Program (SAP) & Outpatient Counseling
Maddox*, an elementary-aged student, struggled with anger outbursts, physical aggression, and difficulties with problem-solving. After spending years off-and-on in therapy seeking treatment with various providers only to remark that “none seemed to want to listen,” Maddox’s parents sought SAP services through their district.
Today, Maddox is completing his SAP sessions and moving towards outpatient counseling. He has reduced his anger outbursts and has learned skills to help him successfully navigate challenging days.