Meet Our Staff

Passionate and dedicated professionals who are committed to recovery

Guerry Dyes, LMFT – CEO Guerry has over 30 years experience in the field of addiction and was one of the original members of the clinical team at MARR. During his career, he has worked in a variety of treatment settings as a clinician providing individual, group and family counseling, a program developer, and an administrator.	Jim Seckman, MAC, CACII, CCS – Clinical Director Jim has over 20 years experience working in the field of addiction treatment in a variety of clinical settings, including inpatient, outpatient, and residential. Jim is past president of GARR (Georgia Association of Recovery Residences), has served on the Ethics Committee for GACA (Georgia Addiction Counselors Association), and conducts trainings on addiction treatment.
Michael Vaughn, MD, Addiction Psychiatry – Medical Director Dr. Vaughn graduated from Emory University School of Medicine in 1979. Following an internship and residency in Gynecology and Obstetrics at Grady Hospital, he entered practice in OB/GYN in Atlanta. Throughout his career, the psychological and emotional well-being of his patients was more rewarding to deal with than were the medical and surgical conditions he was treating. After years of successful medical practice, Dr. Vaughn decided to pursue his passion and return to Emory, where he completed a residency in Psychiatry from 2003 to 2006. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and continues to be involved in the Emory Psychiatry Department as a Clinical Associate Professor.	Doug Brush, CACII – Director of Men’s Recovery Program Doug is a member of the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselors (NAADAC), and has served as a board member of the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse (GCSA). Doug also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for C.E.T.P.A., a treatment and prevention program for the hispanic community in metro Atlanta. Doug is currently the Chairperson for the Standards Committee for the Georgia Association of Recovery Residences (GARR). Over the past 31 years, Doug has served MARR in a variety of positions including CEO, and is currently the Director of the Men’s Recovery Center.
Jessica Schmoll, MS, LPC – Director of Women’s Recovery Center Jessica began her academic career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and later obtained a master’s degree in Business/Counseling from Northeastern University in Boston. Jessica completed her master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Georgia State University in 2006, and began her relationship with MARR immediately thereafter. She began as an Assessment Counselor and, over time, held the positions of Family Counselor, Day Treatment Counselor, and Residential Manager. Now as Director of the Women’s Recovery Center, Jessica is passionate about helping women recover from trauma and addiction.	Al Young, NCAC – Director of TRADITIONS Recovery Center Al began his career serving nine years in the Marines. For the past 19 years, he has worked in a variety of positions in the addiction treatment field ranging from inpatient to outpatient, including adults and adolescents. Al joined MARR as an Admissions Coordinator in March 2008 and was promoted to Director of TRADITIONS in March 2011.
Shirley Adams, MS, LPC – Director of Right Side Up Shirley graduated from Georgia State University with a master’s degree in Community Counseling. She is a member of National Board of Certified Counselors and Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia. Shirley has 19 years experience working in various settings in the field of addiction and counseling, including residential and outpatient programs in both private non-profit and public mental health. Shirley has worked in several capacities at MARR, ranging from the Women’s Recovery Center to MARR South and the MARR Kid’s Program. Since December 2000, Shirley has served as Program Director of Right Side Up, MARR’s women and children’s residential “Ready for Work” program.	Janet Fluker, MEd, MS, LPC – Director of Family Program Janet worked as an educator in the school system and a minister in local churches before earning her master’s degree in Counseling at Georgia State University in 1996. She worked as a pastoral counselor in private practice for 12 years before joining the MARR staff. She has extensive training and experience in working with families, couples, and children, and leads workshops on topics related to family recovery.
William Anderson, LCSW, MSW – Director of Business Development During Bill’s tenure at MARR, he has held the positions as a House Manager, Primary Therapist at the Men’s Recovery Center, Group Leader at the Women’s Recovery Center, and Director of Admissions. He received his master’s degree from the University of Georgia School of Social Work. In addition to his job responsibilities as Director of Business Development, Bill continues to conduct educational lectures for the Family Recovery Center and group therapy sessions at the Women’s Center. He provides both individual counseling and couples counseling for families struggling with addiction.	Beverly Burns, MS, EdS, LPC – Family Counselor, Women’s Recovery Center Beverly entered the counseling field after a 20 year career in banking and investments. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Agnes Scott College and her master’s and specialist degree in Counseling from Georgia State University. Prior to joining MARR in March of 2007, she worked at the Gwinnett County Detention Center counseling inmates. She began her career at MARR as an Assessment Counselor and moved to the Women’s Recovery Center as the Family Counselor in February of 2008.
Patrice Alexander, MS, LPC – Family Counselor, Men’s Recovery Center Patrice began her career in 1995 working with adolescents as a mental health technician for the Deveraux Center of Georgia. In 1996, she went on to pursue a master’s degree in Counseling from Georgia State University and has since worked in a variety of capacities related to counseling and addiction treatment. Her background includes individual, group, and family counseling, facilitating parenting education groups, conducting research, developing professional presentations for local and national conferences, and providing training and supervision to interning students and other clinicians.	Susan Paa, LMSW – Admissions Coordinator Susan earned her master’s degree in Social Work with an emphasis on children and families from the University of Texas at Arlington. Prior to earning her master’s degree, she interned at a recovery program for homeless individuals. Susan has worked in the areas of early childhood intervention, foster care, and adoption. Through working with parents, who had substance abuse issues, and their children, Susan developed a passion for individuals seeking recovery and their families. Susan joined MARR as an Admissions Coordinator in 2009.
Jessica Brothers, LAPC – Senior Admissions Coordinator Jessica started as a Family Counselor in MARR’s internship program in 2009 while she was working to complete her master’s degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University. Upon completing her internship with the Family Recovery Center, Jessica realized that she had a passion for working with those suffering from substance abuse and addiction. After working with the patients’ family members, Jessica realized the importance of helping to recognize those with addiction problems and the initial process of getting them into a treatment program. She joined the Admissions Department in 2010. Jessica continues to participate in the Family Program and leads the parent support group meeting that MARR offers for parents in the community who have a son or daughter with a substance abuse problem.	Sarah Brookings, MA, LAPC – Admissions Coordinator Sarah earned her master’s degree in Professional Counseling, with a concentration in child and adolescent therapy, from Richmont Graduate University in 2010. Upon the completion of her degree, Sarah worked with adolescents and their families as a part of an inpatient/outpatient hospital program at a metro Atlanta psychiatric hospital. Additionally, Sarah has provided community-based therapy services for at-risk adolescents and their families in school settings. It was during Sarah’s time in working with families who had an adolescent with a co-occurring disorder that she began to develop a passion for providing therapeutic support, education, and information about addiction and recovery for families in the midst of crisis. Sarah joined MARR as an Admissions Coordinator in 2012.

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