Wisconsin Voices for Recovery
Advisory Council

Advisory Council members plan and host recovery events, activities, and are active members of their communities

If you are interested in learning more about the Wisconsin Voices for Recovery Advisory Council or connecting with one of our Advisory Council members, please contact us

Amy Anderson

Amy Anderson BSW, MS, LPC, CSAC  is a dedicated therapist for the Rock County OWI Treatment Court Program. She previously served as the Human Services Program Director for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Continuing Studies; where she developed course curriculums and presented on the topics of mental health and substance use disorders. As a Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor, she worked at Rogers Memorial Hospital in Oconomowoc, specializing in substance use disorder treatment and recovery.

She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Social Work, and later a Master’s Degree in Counselor Education from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.

She joined Wisconsin Voices for Recovery in June 2018 as an Advisory Council member, and was appointed to the Intervention and Treatment Committee for the State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse in July 2018.

Susie Austin

Susie is proud to say she was a part of the original Summit in Minnesota where Faces and Voices of Recovery was born. She has been an advocate for many years. Her passion for this movement has not changed.

Susie is employed with Wisconsin Community Services as the Peer Services Coordinator for Certified peer Specialist programs Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington, Walworth, and Manitowoc Counties. She has been in the field for many years working in case management, prevention, and intervention.

Her current passion is Peer Support, advocating for incorporating Peer Support Services in numerous programs. She is a Certified Peer Specialist, a State trainer for Certified Peer Support as well as Career Coach, Recovery Coach, Life Coach, and interventionist. She is also a passionate speaker, writer, and singer.

As well as this Advisory Council Susie serves on the Substance Use Advisory Committee Waukesha County, Heroin Task force, Waukesha County Mental Health Advisory Committee, and Ministry leader for Celebrate Recovery.

Kristi Burdick

Kristi Burdick DNP, FNP-BC, APRN is a Nurse Practitioner originally from Northern Michigan, and relocated to Eau Claire nearly nine years ago. For the past six years, she has specialized in addiction medicine, offering services such as medication for addiction treatment (MAT). She prescribes all medications indicated for MAT, except methadone.

Before the closure of HSHS and Prevea Health Western WI, she worked at LE Phillips Inpatient Withdrawal Management Treatment Center and provided outpatient services with Prevea. During her time at Prevea, she served on a grant committee focused on expanding services and education for opioid use. She also educated the Eau Claire Police Department during their critical incident trainings, spoken to sober living facilities about MAT, and collaborated with local jails to incorporate MAT services.

Currently, she is employed at The Remedy Mental Health’s new Eau Claire location. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and a Master’s in Nursing for Advanced Practice Nursing from Northern Michigan University in Marquette, MI, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Oakland University in Oakland, MI.

Amanda De Leon

With more than 18 years of experience in behavioral health, Amanda specializes in Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) and advancing equitable, person-centered care for people who use drugs (PWUD). She has a strong track record of challenging systemic barriers and promoting harm reduction approaches that improve access, engagement, and outcomes.

Amanda has led and supported the development of innovative, community-based overdose prevention initiatives, including the introduction of “Hope Kits” in Milwaukee through a strategic partnership with the Milwaukee Fire Department—an effort that contributed to statewide adoption. She is also a core contributor to the Milwaukee Overdose Response Initiative (MORI), where she collaborates with multidisciplinary partners to reduce overdose deaths and strengthen post-overdose engagement.

In addition, she helped develop the Milwaukee Community Collective, which delivers harm reduction services directly to high-need communities and works to reduce stigma while building trust between systems and the individuals they serve.

Amanda holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychological Drug Counseling from Alverno College and a Master of Science in Education with a counseling emphasis from Concordia University. She is credentialed as a Licensed Professional Counselor – In Training, Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor, and Clinical Supervisor in Training.

Dan Haak

Dan Haak is a person in long term recovery.  He is the President of Contract Packaging and Recovery Support at Apricity, overseeing vocational employment, sober living, and ED2Recovery+.   Dan has been working at Apricity and Step Industries for over 25 years providing peer support to people in early recovery.

Dan joined the advisory council in 2017.    He became a certified recovery coach in 2020.  He also worked with ThedaCare and Ascension to bring ED2Recovery+ into the Fox Cities area working with the healthcare systems to provide peer support to in the hospital.

Jerry Seitz

Jerry Seitz, SAC has been employed at MMC since 2006 as a Substance Abuse Counselor. He provides inpatient, outpatient and day treatment services. Jerry graduated from the Memorial Medical Center Counselor Training Program in 2005.

Prior to joining the staff at MMC, Jerry worked at Indianhead Residential for 2 years. He was the night/weekend house manager. He also worked as a substance abuse counselor at Koinonia Residential Treatment Center (now known as Options). In 2016, he received his National Certification for addiction professionals (NCAC1).

Jerry has been with Wisconsin Voices for recovery for over 6 years. He works with the drug court program in Ashland county and serve as president of a nonprofit organization called Partners in Recovery, which has recently opened a drop-in center in Ashland WI. Jerry is in long term recovery and very active within the recovery community.

Desilynn Smith

Desilynn G. Smith is a nationally recognized community leader, behavioral health professional, and advocate with over 20 years of experience in mental health, substance use treatment, and community violence intervention.

As the Executive Director of Uniting Garden Homes, Inc. (UGHI) and Operator of its Training Academy, Desilynn leads innovative, community-based approaches that address trauma, systemic inequities, and the root causes of violence. Her work integrates behavioral health, harm reduction, and violence interruption strategies to create real pathways for healing and long-term stability.

Desilynn holds a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling with a concentration in Substance Abuse, along with degrees in Criminal Justice and Special Education. She is a licensed Professional Counselor, Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor, and Intermediate Clinical Supervisor in the State of Wisconsin, and is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and Federal Department of Transportation Substance Abuse Professional (SAP).

In addition to her clinical and executive leadership, Desilynn serves as Board Chair for the Milwaukee County Combined Community Services Board and is a member of the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board, helping shape policy and systems that impact vulnerable populations.
Known for her authentic, engaging, and no-nonsense approach, Desilynn brings real-world experience, powerful storytelling, and practical strategies to every stage. Her presentations focus on trauma-informed care, community healing, substance misuse education, and violence prevention—bridging the gap between systems and the communities they serve.

advisory-council

Wisconsin Voices for RecoveryAdvisory Council

Advisory Council members plan and host recovery events, activities, and are active members of their communities

If you are interested in learning more about the Wisconsin Voices for Recovery Advisory Council or connecting with one of our Advisory Council members, please contact us

Wisconsin Voices for Recovery
Advisory Council