Leadership Team

Santa Clara, UT

Rick Heizer, M.S.

Partner, Program Director

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Cell: (435) 669-2539
Email: rick@snwp.com

Rick received his Bachelors of Arts degree from Augustana College in Rock Island Illinois, majoring in Geography with a minor in Environmental Studies.  Three years later Rick returned to school in Illinois and obtained his Masters of Science from George Williams College at Aurora University in Recreation Administration with a concentration in Outdoor Pursuits.  During his Masters program Rick completed an Assistantship as a Program Coordinator with Hoover Outdoor Education Center.  At Hoover, Rick developed and administrated outdoor education and adventure based programs and supervised staff facilitation of team-building and low elements courses.

Prior to Rick's masters program he worked as a Senior Field Instructor developing extensive wilderness backpacking skills, teaching youth both outdoor skills and high school level curriculum for credits.  Rick also facilitated daily therapeutic groups where he gained a broad range of clinical understanding and love for the industry.
After completing his Masters program Rick joined the Second Nature team in their first year of operation.  During his time with Second Nature, Rick has held positions as Field Coordinator, Assistant Field Director, Field Director and Program Director.  Currently Rick is an owner and the Program Director for Second Nature Entrada.  As the Program Director, Rick supervises office administration, all field related issues, Field Instructors and all safety concerns.  Rick is also responsible for developing and implementing program policies and procedures.  Rick holds advanced medical training as a Wilderness First Responder and stays informed through attending various adventure therapy conferences.

Rick is from a northwest suburb of Chicago Illinois where his family still lives.  Rick grew up canoeing with his younger brother and watching movies with his older sister.  He presently lives in St. George Utah enjoying the great southwest.  Rick enjoys traveling with his wife and two daughters to the nearby outdoor wonders like Zion National Park.  If he finds any remaining free time Rick loves to fly-fish, run and telemark ski.

Matt Hoag, Ph.D.

Partner, Clinical Director, Primary Therapist

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (801) 406-8060
Cell: (801) 201-1776
Email: matt@snwp.com

Matt completed his studies at Brigham Young University, receiving his B.S. in Psychology and Sociology, as well as his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in child, adolescent and family therapy.  Matt is a licensed clinical child psychologist who has been practicing in Utah since 1994.

Matt has specialized in the treatment and assessment of adolescents and their families, predominantly in wilderness settings. He has been working in the wilderness over the last nine years.  He worked for three years at Aspen Achievement Academy as a field therapist, assistant clinical director and director of research.  Prior to Aspen, he worked at RedCliff Ascent in southern Utah.  At both programs, Matt conducted psychological and psycho educational evaluations with adolescents.  He has also worked at both Second Nature programs in Utah, and done psychological testing at all 4 Second Nature programs.

He has also worked in private practice, children's hospitals, and a variety of outpatient and nonprofit clinics in Utah and Kansas.  He has numerous publications in several mental health journals relating to group dynamics and group psychotherapy, programs for juvenile delinquents, childhood sexual abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and the efficacy of wilderness therapy.  Matt has presented research and theory at national and regional psychological conferences.  He serves on NATSAP’s research committee, a committee designed to further research efforts within the NATSAP community.

Currently, Matt is a field therapist and Clinical Director at Second Nature Wilderness Program - Entrada.  He is the primary therapist of a group of adolescent boys and their families.  Clinically, he specializes in the treatment of depression, substance abuse, oppositional defiance, ADHD, as well as working within complex family systems.  He also coordinates the psychological and psycho educational evaluations for the 4 Second Nature programs.

He is the oldest of 5 children, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in Minnesota.   He is a Vikings and Timberwolves fan, and in general a sports fan.  He has fun collecting art and designing his arcade and theatre room.  His latest hobby is riding his Harley in southern Utah, something he tries to do year round.  He loves to spend time with his family (four daughters and one son) hiking and being outdoors. He has been married for 16 years and enjoys traveling with his wife.

Mike Hench, MS, MBA, LMFT

Asst. Clinical Director, Primary Therapist

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Cell: (435) 669-3144
Email: mikeh@snwp.com

Mike received a B.S. degree from Brigham Young University in Family and Human Development. He continued his education at the University of Kentucky, completing a M.S. degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Mike is a licensed marriage and family therapist in the state of Utah. In addition Mike has an M.B.A. degree from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Mike's professional experience has included working in private practice, as a contract therapist with a school district and as an employee assistance professional for a state university. Mike has published on substance abuse epidemiology and prevention issues, sexual decision-making among college-aged students and helped write a curriculum for adolescent and parent communication about sexual issues called PACT (Parents and Adolescents Can Talk). He has presented at several national conferences on issues related to working with young adults in a wilderness setting.

Most recently Mike has worked as a program therapist for a residential treatment program and as the director of a competing young adult wilderness program. He has been at Second Nature Entrada since 2005. Mike's clinical specialties are in working with attachment/adoption issues, borderline personality, social anxiety, low self esteem, family relationship problems, 17 year olds turning 18, oppositional defiance and sex addiction. Mike's strengths and approach as a clinician include attention to detail, balance between confrontation and sensitivity, family systems context, creativity, narrative/solution focused approach and building rapport with treatment resistant clients.

Mike was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania and spent most of his youth in the Baltimore, Maryland area. His wife is from Sothern California and they live together in St. George, Utah with their three children. Mike still enjoys visiting the East Coast but considers the Southwest home now. He enjoys playing softball, weight training, watching professional and college sports and playing outdoors hiking, riding ATVs, mountain biking and exploring canyons.

Gail Bramlet, MBA

Office Manager

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Cell: (435) 229-5395
Email: gail@snwp.com

Gail is dedicated to the families of Second Nature Entrada, serving as our Office Manager since 2004.  Gail's experience includes 10 years working with youth and their families, 15 years corporate management, a Bachelors Degree in Psychology, and a Masters Degree in Business.  She considers her most important qualifications to be the lessons she and her husband have learned from their children and grandchildren.

Rebecca Carlin, BA

Field Director

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Cell: (801) 631-5170
Email: becca@snwp.com

Rebecca graduated from DePauw University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Spanish.   During college Rebecca traveled in Latin America.  After graduating she moved to California and worked as a teacher’s assistant in the public school system.  In 2004 she moved to Salt Lake City and began working for Second Nature in Duchesne as a Field Instructor.  

Rebecca left Second Nature in 2005 to volunteer for an eco-tourism project in Ecuador.  After six months in Ecuador, she moved to St. George, UT and began working for Second Nature Entrada as a Field Instructor.  After a year and half as a Field Instructor with Entrada, Rebecca became an Assistant Field Director.  She focused on recruiting and training new staff.  Rebecca was an Assistant Field Director for a year and half before becoming the Field Director for Second Nature Entrada.  She spends her workday supporting staff and getting out to the field whenever possible.

Rebecca grew up in Indiana where most of her family still lives.  She loves living in Utah now and spends her free time hiking and backpacking.

Clay Garrett

Associate Field Director

Clay's primary interests are science, art, music, and outdoor adventure. His careers have mostly revolved around these passions. He worked as a zoologist for twelve years and spent a fair amount of time doing fieldwork in Latin America studying venomous snakes. His specialty is chemo ecology. If you ask, hell tell you all about it. He gets a kick out of science writing and has published 40 or so peer-reviewed papers on animal behavior, parasitology, and archaeology. He’s also been drawing and painting since he was a kid and started freelancing as a science illustrator way back when... in his early 20s. He’s published hundreds of illustrations and numerous books including several for Cornell University Press. He quit doing technical illustrations some time ago and switched to fine art.  He hasn’t made a penny since.

Clay took a break from zoology in the mid 90s and threw himself into the media biz. He’s launched 3 magazines, reviewed and distributed numerous books, and worked as a science editor and publisher. During that time he also held an adjunct professorship at the University of TX in Tyler and led eco-trips on the Amazon River.

Clay began working with teens on a volunteer basis back in the late 80s. For 5 years he was Director of a BSA Explorer post and later started a grant-funded program teaching bio-ethics and field ecology to high school students. In his spare time he likes to fly-fish, carve, paint, weld, and make primitive weaponry. He’s only pro-created once, and he claims that even though his son’s fondness for rattlesnakes falls a little shy of the mark, the kid turned out ok.  Clay learned of Second Nature when he leased a house near Sundance, UT formerly occupied by Uinta field instructors. He joined Entrada in 2006 and worked as a field instructor for two years prior to becoming a Mentor and Associate Field Director. Clay is a Wilderness First Responder and certified Crisis Intervention and De-escalation Instructor.

Sara Carroll

Recruiter/Associate Field Director

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Cell: (435) 669-3580
Email: sara@snwp.com

As an undergraduate, Sara attended the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities with a focus on Outdoor Recreation Management.  Prior to employment at Second Nature she worked to provide programming for one of the nation's largest youth serving organizations.

In 2006, Sara moved to St. George Utah and worked as a Field Instructor for two years.  Currently in her position as Associate Field Director / Recruiter, she spends much of her time hiring new employees and coordinating trainings.  She says she enjoys working for Second Nature Entrada because "the environment is such that people of diverse backgrounds can bring their creativity and individual experiences to the table and be heard.  This produces a treatment team that is both inviting to work with and effective for the client."

In her free time Sara enjoys competitive kickball, kite flying, pushing the limits of coffee drinking and sweating to the oldies.

Emily Douglas

Medical Coordinator/Nurse

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Email: entradamedical@snwp.com

Emily graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor in nursing.  She brings over 10 years of experience in psychiatric and pediatric nursing to Second Nature.  Before moving to southern Utah Emily resided in Salt Lake City and worked nine years with adolescents in Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) custody or Youth Corrections in a residential setting with the largest mental health provider of the Greater Salt Lake City area.  During those nine years she was actively involved in direct care, trainings with psychiatric technicians on administering medications, Basic First Aid and CPR American Red Cross instructor, and served on the DCFS Advisory Board- multidisciplinary team that advised DCFS on how to improve medical care and monitoring for children/adolescents in the foster care system. Emily has also worked as an outdoor personal trainer for adolescent females with anorexia and bulimia in partnership with the University of Utah Eating Disorders Clinic, was a charge nurse for an acute inpatient psychiatric hospital, and completed her nursing internship focusing on dual diagnosis at a Methadone Clinic and Homeless Outreach Program.
 
Emily’s professional goals are to provide highest standard of care for the participants at Second Nature while reassuring parents that their child’s health is a priority.

Josh Nelson, BA

Logistics Coordinator

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Email: joshn@snwp.com

Josh graduated with a B.A. in English Literature at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.  After graduation he began working at Second Nature Entrada as a backup driver doing field support.  Josh was supposed to start law school in Michigan in the fall of 2006, and decided to stay at Second Nature due to his passion for working with people in the wilderness.
 
Originally Josh started at Entrada as a backup driver doing field support, and in the fall of 2006 was made the Logistics Director.  Currently he manages the comings and goings of the students and clients at Entrada, and oversees the field support department.
 
Josh and his wife Tanya have been married for seven years and have a two-year-old daughter.  Josh is the oldest of four children and grew up in northern Utah.  Raised in a family that spent a lot of time in the outdoors camping, hiking and playing, Entrada feels like the perfect fit for Josh.  In his free time he loves to ski at Alta and Sundance and spend lazy days with Tanya sitting in the sun at Lake Powell or Newport Beach.

Tabitha Scarbrough

Family Coordinator

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435)674-9309
Email: tabithas@snwp.com

Tabitha joined the Second Nature Entrada team in January 2007. She is the family/parent coordinator for tha adolescent groups. In addition to her role as family coordinator, she oversees the curriculum program and the research study at Entrada.

Tabitha received her Associates of Science Degree from Dixie State College and is currently enrolled at Utah State University pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Business Management.

Tabitha enjoys spending time with friends and family, gardening, boating and snow skiing in her time off.

Tara Cook

Parent Coordinator

Phone: (435) 674-9310
Fax: (435) 674-9309
Email: tarac@snwp.com

Tara joined the Second Nature Entrada team in June 2008.  She is the family/parent coordinator for the adult groups.  In addition to her role as family coordinator, she coordinates the mentor program for our location. Tara thoroughly enjoys working with families, and her until my employment at Second Nature, would spend time volunteering for a youth outdoor camp in Allenspark, CO, as a counselor for 5th – 9th grade students.  Tara enjoys hiking, camping, reading and spending time with her husband and four children.  Tara’s education is in the Social Sciences, with her primary focus in Sociology and Pre-law.