Board Members
| President | Brent Morris |
| Vice President | Bill Hodges |
| Fiduciary Agent | Valley County |
| Treasurer | Bruce Peterson |
| Secretary |
Board Member Term Limits
Executive Members
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Brent Morris
Brent’s work history is filled with 12 years retail, 5 years auto dismantler, 5 years construction labor, 10 years human services. Brent is currently working at Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow, LIFTT, as a Peer/Transitions Coordinator. Brent had the role as a Care Coordinator for 2 years with SAMHSA, Access to Recovery, ATR grant. The grant was managed by the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders, providing addiction and mental health recovery supports to Tribes in Montana and Wyoming. Brent has been involved in the Yellowstone County LAC since 2008, ESAA Board of Directors for 2 years, Montana’s Peer Network Board of Directors and a past member of Disability Rights Montana Board of Directors. Brent is also involved with Montana Association for the Blind and National Federation for the Blind. Brent’s life is driven by his recovery, living with a genetic, progressive eye disease and a charge of vehicular manslaughter results from DUI of alcohol. Brent has a passion for giving Peer support and being an advocate to empower others to live the life they choose. Brent understands suicide, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse from lived experience. Brent enjoys working on old cars, lifting weights, and walks on the beach. Brent’s life is completed by a relationship with God which makes coping with each day’s battles possible. Yes, there is hope! Brent Morris |
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Bill Hodges Bill Hodges has been in healthcare for approximately 35 years. His first experience was with a private for-profit children’s in-patient psychiatric hospital in Billings, and then with his current employer Big Horn Hospital Association for 28 years. Bill is the outreach director which entails responsibility for public health in Big Horn County along with managing the Hospital Association Foundation/Marketing departments. Bill is currently the vice-president for the Eastern Service Area Authority, and president of the local advisory council since its inception in 2012. Bill is a past president of the Behavioral Health Council and has serviced eight years on the Council. Bill has two adult children living in Billings and Casper, Wyoming. Bill has been married to his wife Vivian for 34 years. Bill is dedicated to improving behavioral health services in Montana. |
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Valley County |
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Brent Morris is a native of Billings, MT and currently lives in Billings with his wife of 23 years and dog Bailey. Brent attended country school grades 1st through 8th, and followed graduating from Billings West High in 1985. Brent was a student at Eastern Montana College for 2 years, concentrating on addiction, mental health, and gerontology.Board Members
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Brenda Kneeland
Brenda serves on the Advisory Board for the North Eastern Montana Area Health Education Center, the board for the Custer Network against Domestic Abuse, board member for the Eastern Service Area Authority on mental health, and attends the Miles City Local Advisory Council meetings. Brenda has a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling and is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, a Licensed Addictions Counselor, and is an EMDR trained therapist. She enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with her family. She and her husband Aaron have two adult sons. |
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Bobbie Limberhand My name is Bobbi Limberhand, I’m a mother of 4 amazing children and 3 grandchildren. I am a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. I worked as a Director of the N. Cheyenne Tribe’s Domestic Violence Program for 10 years, until life changing accident with my Son becoming a paraplegic at age 16. After such time I became the biggest advocate for people with Disabilities. I then worked for the Chief Dull Knife College Vocational Rehabilitation Program for 9 years as a Job Developer/Counselor. I now serve on the ESSA Board from the Southeastern Montana/Rosebud County area. Thank you for allowing me to serve with my peers on the ESAA Board. |
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Cindy McCaffree My name is Cindy McCaffree. I am the Secretary/Support Staff for the Roundup Mental Health Center Satellite Office. I have been employed with the Mental Health Center since February 2010 and I have been an ESAA Board Member since 2017. Prior to my employment with the Mental Health Center, I worked at ST John’s Lutheran Ministries in Billings for 12 years. I have a deep passion for helping people improve their mental health, conquering their addiction issues or just making sure their day is a little brighter than before. The most rewarding feeling is when I see improvement in a person’s wellbeing and they leave my office and can look forward to the future with a smile on their face. I have lived in the area all my life and my husband and I just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. We have three grown daughters and three grandchildren. I enjoy the warm weather, being outdoors and spending time with my children and grandchildren. |
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Kristi Mobley Hello, my name is Kristi Mobley. I am the School Psychologist for Tri County Educational Cooperative in Broadus. I have worked in the Broadus Schools and surrounding rural schools for 20 years, providing testing and assessment for Special Education, consultation with parents and teachers as well as group and individual counseling. I have lived on my husband’s family ranch outside of Broadus for 24 years. In that time I have seen a great need for mental health resources in our school and community. With the help of our county extension office and local advisory clinic as well as support from ESAA our community has increased access to providers, ongoing educational opportunities and reduced stigma. I am passionate about continuing to bring mental health resources to rural Montana. I am grateful to be part of the ESAA board that helps support my goal. |
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Harry Owczarek Hey, I’m Harry and I’m the associate pastor at Faith Alliance Church where I work with all ages, kids, youth, and adults. I have a wonderful wife, Teshia, and 3 little boys, Harrison, Oscar, and Leo. We have lived in served in Montana since August 2015 and have really found home! I have a strong passion and desire to see people live life to the fullest and grow. Mental health has impacted many people in my life and it pushes me to reach out and extend any help I can. My hope is to see more and more people break free from their mental health issues and seek to live each day better than the last! This will only happen if we do it together! |
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Lawrence B.G. Rhone, I am a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina. I currently reside on our farm in Flaxville Montana (northeast corner of Montana). We transplanted to this region in 2013. I am the owner of Rhone’s Farm & Retreat LLC (since 2016), a veteran’s solution resource in transitioning from active service to civilian life. We work with the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), to provide mentorship for former service members (Warriors) in navigating their transition from the battlefield or active service, to a farm or ranch setting. I am also the founder of Rhone’s Warrior & Community Resources (nonprofit) founded in January of 2018. This entity serves as a Warrior and Community resource in navigating all phases of life events, through advocacy, coaching, support in farm & ranch activities, and education on topics of various community and government services. Our specific area of concentration is Veteran’s Advocacy. I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s in social work (two semesters remaining) and will continue, to a Masters in that same field to become a counselor, through Brescia University of Kentucky (non-traditional student). I am an Office of General Counsel accredited Claims Representative, and a member of the National Organization of Veteran’s Advocates (NOVA). I am a Defense Language Institute Certified Translator (German). I am a United States Army Veteran (1980 to 1991). My life story is one that is diverse in nature and has afforded me a tremendous capacity to empathize with numerous cultural backgrounds, in numerous geographic locations. I have had the opportunity to experience the different social layers that exist in the United States, Germany (26 years), Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, France, and Great Britain, as a civilian. The capacity I have acquired provides me with unique insight on how fortunate we are to live in the State of Montana and this great country, the United States of America. My passion is serving my community. Specifically, I seek to serve the Veterans from every generation, in navigating the process of accessing their earned Veteran’s Administration benefits through active “boots on the ground outreach”. Educating my community on this select group of individuals and developing innovative solutions on how to implement them is our mission. The cornerstone of every single part of what I strive to achieve in serving, is “Suicide Prevention through Engagement and Advocacy”. My experience with Mental health has been hands on, starting with the diagnosis of my younger brother as a paranoid schizophrenic with manic episodes in 1998, culminating in his death in July of 2015. I have also advocated for and mentored several armed forces brothers, and one sister, as they navigated similar circumstance. These experiences have afforded me increased capacity to empathize with family members and professionals in handling the challenges that one is confronted with in finding treatment, healthcare, counseling, and everyday routine life solutions. |
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Kristy Mobley |
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Karalee Mulkey |
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Janice Reichelt Janice Reichelt, R.N. has been actively involved in the mental health movement since 2006. She is a proponent of having all persons functioning to their utmost capability and she believes in the “Olmstead Act” that legislated that person’s should be maintained in the least restrictive environments that their conditions allow. Thus she has had a fulfilling, life-long career rehabilitating and stabilizing persons. Her agency also does the hospice duties in her county. Janice graduated from Montana State University in Bozeman as a registered nurse in 1980 and has worked for the Phillips County hospital since 1983 in Malta, Mt. and she continues to manage the Home Health Dept. there. She has been married for 40 years to her husband, Curtis, and they enjoy farming together after work! The younger generation, of her family, have all migrated to the Denver area and they visit them there often. Janice is a secondary consumer, who has learned the ropes the hard way after a son was diagnosed with a mental illness that required a number of hospitalizations, institutionalization, court interactions, medication issues, therapist changes, money issues, stigma, life rebuilding tasks, pain, suicide thoughts and attempt, etc., etc. This led to her current efforts to improved, early access to treatment for persons in Montana and a belief in the need for an enlightened public through education. The work is not done! |
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Bruce Peterson |
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Brenda is the CEO at Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center. Prior to her employment with EMCMHC, she worked in private practice as well as for the Montana Department of Corrections at Pine Hills where she provided therapy and oversaw the facility’s treatment programs.
