ABOUT US
OUR approach
Who We Are
Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition was founded in 2018, to help combat the epidemic of Substance Use Disorder (SUD or addiction). It is an educational organization that connects community partners, advocates for changing practices, and promotes opportunities for recovery.
our story
What We Do
Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition believes in a “warm hand-off.” Every encounter with an addicted person should be an opportunity to connect them with treatment, counseling, medication and sober housing. We work to ensure no one struggling with addiction is turned away without being referred to treatment.
We advocate for modified practices in medicine, the legal system and other areas to address addiction as a disease. In addition, we provide educational materials and hold meetings and forums to teach about addiction, and thereby remove stigma, shame and secrecy from it.
Why We Formed
1. SUD is expensive to our communities.
Many current practices in encountering and dealing with addicted individuals involve simply a “revolving door” approach that uses time and resources but does not solve problems. When the fundamental disease of addiction is not addressed, the efforts of police and medical and jail personnel bring no long-term benefit and have to be repeated.
2. SUD or addiction is a disease, and not a moral failing or character flaw as has been thought throughout history.
Today, studies of brain science have concluded definitively that addiction changes the brain in ways that impair self-control. The American Medical Association, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Surgeon General and essentially all other reputable professional medical groups name addiction as a brain disease.
3. The current SUD epidemic is the largest disease epidemic in American history.
Drug overdoses killed 80,391 Americans in 2024 (not counting deaths from tobacco and alcohol) and many more people died of indirect, addiction-related causes. This number represents more deaths of Americans than occurred in the entire Vietnam War, Iraq War and Afghanistan conflict combined! Between 1999 and 2024, more than 1.3-million Americans died of drug addiction. Today, an American dies of addiction every 6.5 minutes or 220 people per day.
In Memoriam
John Douglas Gerlitz
1989-2011
Dustin Thomas Johnson
1988-2011
James Erik Stenehjem
1978-2014
Trevor Matthew Hummel
1990-2022
Cannon William Cartier
2000-2021
John Lukus LaSalle
1991-2011
Alexander Horton Lay
1997-2021
Brad Jensen
1979-2014
Austin James Newell
1991-2020
Lost too soon...forever in our hearts!
Washington Recovery Alliance
Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition believes in a “warm hand-off.” Every encounter with an addicted person should be an opportunity to connect them with treatment, counseling, medication and sober housing. We work to ensure no one struggling with addiction is turned away without being referred to treatment. We advocate for modified practices in medicine, the legal system and other areas to address addiction as a disease. In addition, we provide educational materials and hold meetings and forums to teach about addiction, and thereby remove stigma, shame and secrecy from it.
Board of Directors
Jason Bliss
Vice-President
Jason Bliss is the Executive Director of the Washington Alliance for Quality Recovery Residences formed in 2017 to promote the establishment of high quality community based recovery residences in Washington. Jason was formerly the Regional State Coordinator for Oxford House, Inc.
He has been in long term recovery since 2010. Jason serves on several boards and has coordinated with substance abuse organizations, housing organizations, law enforcement, drug courts, CPS, and the Department of Corrections to build and maintain a strong recovery network for our community.
Cameron Fordmeir
Cameron Fordmeir is the Regional Administrator for the Substance Use Disorder Recovery Navigator Program with Greater Columbia Behavioral Health, and oversees the Recovery Navigator Programs in 9 eastern Washington counties. Cameron was previously the Manager of Crisis Services, Prosecutorial Diversion Program, Jail Mental Health Services, and Mobile Outreach Team with Lourdes Health.
Cameron has lived in Kennewick, Washington his entire life, and worked in Behavioral Health for over 20 years assisting community members living with chronic mental illness and severe substance use disorders.
Michele S. Gerber, Ph.D.
President
Michele Gerber retired from the Hanford Site after a long career in World War II and Cold War history. She researched and documented the nuclear and radiochemical wastes that resulted from those wars to assist in Hanford Site cleanup.
In retirement, she devotes her energies to the causes of addiction treatment and recovery and is a parent advocate. She has lived in Richland, Washington since 1987.
Elisabeth Holt
Treasurer
Elisabeth Holt serves as the Tri-Cities Manager for Baker Boyer Bank. Prior to joining the bank, she spent nearly a decade as Vice President of the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce.
A proud Tri-Cities native, Elisabeth represents a second of three generations to graduate from Kennewick High School. She is also an alumna of Columbia Basin College and Washington State University Tri-Cities. Elisabeth has an extensive background in fundraising, event planning, management, and volunteer coordination.
Cathy Kelly
Cathy Kelly is a lifelong resident of the Tri-Cities community. After graduating from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Communications, she came back and built a career in television advertising.
For the last 30 years, Cathy has immersed herself in the non-profit sector in service and philanthropic endeavors, primarily with the Academy of Children’s Theatre and other local arts organizations. In 2021, Cathy joined the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition to support the efforts to establish the Columbia Valley Center for Recovery.
Through her own and her family’s struggle with addiction, Cathy has firsthand experience and understanding of the devastation of this disease and the need for quality support services here in our community.
John Penney
John Penney holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Addiction Counseling and has 8 years of experience in behavioral health. He has worked in both inpatient and outpatient services, and brings in-depth knowledge of best practices in behavioral health services.
A Marine Corps veteran, John recently served as the Benton County Veteran Service Officer, navigating treatment and other healthcare options for our community’s veterans. He is currently a partner in Washington Monitoring Behavioral Health, LLC.
Nancy Roach
Secretary
Nancy Roach is a retired educator and co-founder of Tri-Cities Prep. She is a trained spiritual director and holds a Masters in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University.
Nancy and her husband Mike have raised seven children in the Tri-Cities where they have lived since 1979. As a parent advocate, Nancy has personally experienced the need for addiction treatment and recovery services in the Tri-Cities and is fully committed to assist in expanding those services.
Danielle Stenehjem
Substance Use Disorder Professional
Danielle Stenehjem holds a Master’s Degree in Behavioral Health from Eastern Washington University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Washington State University. She is a Substance Use Disorder Professional.
Mary Rosen
Mary Rosen worked as the Controller for Garrett Electric for 20 years. Previously she had more than 15 years of financial and administrative experience in the federal government and 5 years of experience in the private sector.
Mary was introduced to substance abuse disorder when she adopted two drug-affected children who, after many years of addiction, are both in recovery today. Mary serves on many boards active in bringing help and hope to our community.