Bridget Derkash^LPC, LAC, Certified ADHD Clinical Services Provider^School Program Director
Bridget earned a Master of Arts degree in International Disaster Psychology from the University of Denver in 2013 and a BA in Sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2008. Bridget has therapeutic experience working with youth and families in the school settings at Aurora Central High School, Place Bridge Academy, Carbondale Community School and Glenwood Springs Elementary School. In addition to her work in schools, Bridget has worked with families and children at The Kempe Center for the Treatment and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect as an Instructor of Pediatrics, Program Manager and SafeCare Home Visitor, Coach, Trainer. Locally, Bridget has provided mental health services as the Lead Forensic Interviewer and Outreach Coordinator at River Bridge Regional Center and as the Clinical Supervisor of the Youth Recovery Center. Her therapeutic approach has a holistic framework and cognitive behavioral foundation. Bridget has published articles on Adverse Childhood Experiences, implementation of home-visiting programs and maritime piracy. Bridget grew up in Glenwood Springs and has three children. Her favorite things to do are travel, ski, mountain bike and spend time with her family.
Erin Quinn^ LCSW^School Program Supervisor/Two Rivers Community School Clinician
Erin grew up in Boulder, Colorado and attended Colorado State University for both her undergraduate and Masters Degrees in Social Work. Erin obtained her LCSW in 2020, and has had the unique privilege of gaining experience in various settings such as community mental health, residential treatment and nonprofit work along the Front Range corridor and Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado. Erin has found her niche in school-based mental health services and utilizes a spectrum of clinical training to focus on the prevention of mental health challenges and suicide in young people and their families. You might see Erin riding her mountain bike around town or playing with her husky, Grizzly. Don't hesitate to say “hi!”
Gabby Touchette^LCSW, LAC^School Program Supervisor/Yampah Mountain High School Clinician
Gabby is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed Addictions Counselor who has been working in community mental health for over 5 years. She attended the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and graduated with a master’s degree in social work in 2017. Additionally, she has a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and psychology from Indiana University. Gabby is passionate about improving the criminal and juvenile justice systems and has experience treating both adults and adolescents with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Her approach to therapy is holistic, strengths-based and person-centered and she is trained in a variety of treatment modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and EMDR. She is most inspired by seeing her clients’ resilience and capacity for growth.
Paul Hassel^LPC, CAS^School Program Supervisor/Sopris Elementary School Clinician
Paul earned his BA in Social Science at Colorado State University in 1992, and a Professional Teaching License from the teacher education school at the University of Northern Colorado 2 years later. After teaching in the classroom, instructing for Outward Bound, and a stint building cabinets, Paul returned to graduate school in 2004 to earn a MA in Counseling Psychology at Prescott College, concentrating in Adventure-Based Counseling.
Paul became a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Certified Addiction Specialist (CAS) while serving as a Primary Therapist at the Youth Recovery Center, an inpatient adolescent treatment facility housed within Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs. He went on to join the Roaring Fork Schools as a Prevention Specialist at Basalt Middle School, followed by work as a clinician in community mental health at Mind Springs Health. Paul’s counseling practice is grounded in CBT, TF-CBT, DBT, and Motivational Interviewing. Outdoor adventure, wilderness experience, and plenty of good food continue to sustain Paul’s personal, professional, and family life.
Avy Harris^LCSW^School Program Supervisor/Roaring Fork High School Clinician
Born and raised in the foothills of Colorado, Avy received her BA from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2008. After graduating she followed her wanderlust and her passion for working with youth around the world. She taught in South Korea, worked with refugees in Uganda, supported reforestation projects in Ethiopia, and eventually fell in love with experiential education. Avy spent a decade facilitating and directing international Gap Year programs, working with youth in India, East Africa, Latin America, and here in the American Southwest.
Recognizing the need for more mental health services for youth, Avy pursued her Masters of Social Work and graduated from Portland State University in 2020. Most recently she worked as a school social worker in Portland, Oregon. Her trauma-informed and culturally considerate practice is rooted in a client-centered and strengths-based approach. She draws from solution-focused, somatic, cognitive-behavioral and narrative techniques, and believes wholeheartedly in every client’s ability to find resiliency and healing.
Avy is thrilled to be returning to her Colorado roots with the Aspen Hope Center, and when she is not working she can probably be found out exploring the trails with her adventure pup.