Contact Us
Phone: 209.313.4511
Email: [email protected]
Address: Peer Employment Learning Center
4085 Colts Way, San Diego, CA 92115
Who we are
Crestwood Recovery Resilience Solutions (CRRS) is a dedicated team of recovery professionals who celebrate and harness our collective lived recovery experience to support and inspire others on their recovery journeys. We proudly refer to this lived experience as our most vital credential—ITE, which stands for I’m The Evidence that recovery and resilience are real, as we embody this journey ourselves.
Beyond our personal experiences, our team comprises seasoned professionals with decades of expertise in delivering recovery services, peer support, mentoring, coaching, and facilitating learning across a diverse spectrum of behavioral health services. We extend our support through consultation, training, job placement, and the implementation of recovery and resilience practices within various behavioral health programs and teams. Our work spans acute care locked facilities, crisis and recovery response settings, community care environments—including mobile crisis response—and justice-involved settings.
What we do
Crestwood Recovery Resilience Solutions (CRRS) designs and delivers comprehensive curricula and training programs centered on recovery, resilience, and wellness. Our offerings serve both individuals receiving services and the diverse professionals who support them. All training sessions are live-facilitated by professionals formally trained in adult learning principles, available through in-person and virtual platforms.
We collaborate with organizations and systems to tailor and implement effective recovery and resilience learning strategies. Our flagship peer support training program has been internationally recognized and adopted as the national peer support training program in Singapore. Additionally, we are an approved training provider for California’s Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Training. Our partnerships span state, county, and provider agencies, as well as peer-run and integrated health organizations across the United States.
We believe…
- Recovery is the expectation, not the exception.
- Integrating peer support specialists throughout organizations is essential to advancing recovery and optimizing outcomes.
- Genuine peer support within integrated teams enhances recovery results.
- Behavioral health services should empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives as active community contributors.
- Recovery is possible not only for individuals but also for organizations and systems.
- Organizational recovery, like personal recovery, is an ongoing journey.
- Key Recovery pathways including hope, personal empowerment, supportive recovery relationships, recovery-oriented culture, and having a fulfilling life with meaning and purpose for individuals, families, behavioral health care settings, and the community.
- Sustainable recovery-oriented practices, inclusive of integrated peer support services, are crucial for maintaining recovery, building resilience, and enhancing long-term outcomes.
“Chris Martin was amazing, his ability to maintain the attention of participants through the various mediums, as well as his ability to make everyone feel valued was exceptional.”
– Student – D.C., Fresno County, CA
Our Team
Patty Blum, Ph.D, C.P.R.P.
As Crestwood Behavioral Health’s Executive Vice President/Chief Strategy Officer, Patty Blum’s responsibilities include formalizing and leading Crestwood’s strategic planning processes, establishing and implementing long-term and short-term goals, objectives, and expected benchmarks and outcomes. In leading Crestwood’s inclusive strategic plan, she collaborates with campuses, operations leadership teams, and executives to advance the well-being of the people we serve, our employees, programs, and the sustainability of Crestwood’s initiatives and projects. Patty has been with Crestwood since 1980 and has created the template for Crestwood’s model of care and continues to lead the growth and expansion of our services. She is also proud to be a founding member of CIBHS’ Mental Health and Spirituality Initiative.
James Ritchie, Ph.D., CMPSS
James Ritchie has leveraged his 40 years of lived recovery experience to actively train, promote, and support recovery and peer support in California and beyond. James also led the development of 15 county-run prevention and early intervention projects and programs. He has also been certified as an instructor/trainer in several Behavioral Health areas, including suicide intervention, prevention, crisis response, and Crisis Intervention Team Training for first responders. James is currently the Director of Operations on the Crestwood Recovery Resilience Solutions team and facilitates and coordinates peer support and related training across the State of California and beyond.
Chris Martin, MA in Ed. & Ed, Counseling, ITE
Chris Martin is an international trainer and curriculum designer who has more than 30 years of experience as an adult educator, enabling him to design and develop effective learning programs for adult learners. Chris’s personal and professional experience brings a depth of “having been there” in both his training materials and delivery. His human enrichment materials have been used in organizations all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Singapore, and Brazil. Chris presently serves as the Director of Learning and Performance for Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc.
Theresa Sorensen, BA, CMPSS
Theresa Sorensen serves as a Director of Learning and Performance II at Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc. Having more than 20 years of experience in the mental health field and as an adult educator and developer of course curricula, she supports adult learners in both classroom and online platforms. She started working with Crestwood in 2014 and has previous experience in the field, working for Catholic Healthcare West in the early 2000s after earning her degree from California State University, Sacramento. Theresa is privileged to have the opportunity to work with Crestwood and our affiliates to support recovery and resilience, bringing attention and intention to the vital work of supporting people as they journey toward fulfilling their hopes and dreams.
Gloriana Hunter, Ed.D, MBA, CPSS
Gloriana Hunter is a nationally recognized leader in professional development for peer support specialists. Gloriana believes skill-based training is crucial for fostering a vibrant peer support workforce, and she has been creating innovative programs that have pushed beyond traditional boundaries for 20 years. In the classroom, she facilitates with humor, enthusiasm, and heart while providing practical tools and insights that apply to real-world situations. As someone with personal experience in recovery and resilience, Gloriana credits her darkest moments as the fuel that lights her path. Once a high school drop-out, Gloriana achieved a Master of Business Administration degree and a doctorate in Organizational Leadership. Her doctoral dissertation explored ways organizations enhanced career growth opportunities for entry-level peer support employees, which made her a passionate advocate for adding peer support leadership into every aspect of health care. Gloriana enjoys traveling with her family, getting lost in museums, creating digital art, and gardening.
Michael Zeeb, BA, CPSS
Michael earned his BA from Sarah Lawrence College and has a Certificate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation from the University of Arizona. He was drawn to a career in human services because he had received meaningful support during his own recovery process and wanted to give back to others. He started his career as a vocational counselor and special education teacher. From 2002-2023, Michael worked as a Peer Support Educator and Program Director at Recovery Innovations/RI International. While there, he helped develop and implement several programs, including Peer Employment Training, the Wellness City whole-health program, and the RI Career Center. He has approximately 15 years of experience supervising employees who provide peer support services. He has provided consultation to other behavioral health organizations on peer support workforce development and supervision of integrated teams. Michael currently serves as a Director of Learning and Performance II at Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc.
Ryan Cooksey
Ryan Cooksey serves as a Director of Learning and Performance I at Crestwood Behavioral Health. He began his career with Crestwood Behavioral Health in 2014. He started as a recovery coach empowering and supporting others in exploring and perusing their goals. Since then Ryan has been able to support other working multiple positions which included supporting others find meaningful roles and employment opportunities and creating a learning environment by facilitating trainings for staff and persons served. Ryan also has lived experience as he has been able to survive and overcome various of his own traumas and supporting his family members through their recovery. Ryan continues to stay committed to recovery by supporting others obtaining their Peer Support certification and finding roles in the community where people can utilize their own life experiences, strengths and abilities to make the world a place of genuine love and support.
Diana Echaves, BBA
Diana Echaves brings a wealth of experience and deep commitment to her administrative role at Crestwood Behavioral Health. She has 15 plus years of experience as an office manager, holds a B.S. in Business Administration, and is nearly finished with her MPA. From work experience with the San Diego County Probation Department to her own lived experiences, Diana is inspired to use her past to connect with others. She volunteers her time as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) with Voices for Children mentoring and advocating for youth in the foster care system. Her commitment to supporting others in recovery and her presence on the Recovery Resilience Solutions team will undoubtedly have a positive impact. Diana looks forward to making a positive change in the world, one lived experience at a time.