Bismarck Staff Directory
Melanie Heitkamp, Executive Director, 701-255-6909 ext. 105, macmel57@mac.com
Melanie Heitkamp has been the Executive Director of Youthworks/Mountain Plains Youth Services since 1997. Prior to assuming those duties she worked as Program Manager for the agency. She has been with Youthworks since 1987. Before joining Youthworks she worked for Mercer/McLean County Social Services as the Social Work Supervisor for 7 years. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW). She has her Master’s Degree from the University of North Dakota. She has received Certification in Conflict Resolution, Community Intervention Support Groups and the Philadelphia Child Guidance Institute Structural Family Therapy. She completed the Impact Institutes Leadership Advanced North Dakota training. She has extensive experience in family therapy, individual counseling and group work. She also conducts training in Anger Management skills and Mentoring.
Doug Herzog, Development Director, 701-255-6909 ext. 103, dherzog@mac.com
Doug Herzog founded Youthworks in its parent agency, Mountain Plains Youth Services, in 1979. He is currently the Development Director. Mr. Herzog has a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. Doug chaired the National Network of Youth Services in 1986-87 and was a Board member for 7 years. He has served on numerous local, state, regional, and national organizations. He represented the United States and was a presenter at a United Nations sponsored conference on youth services held in France and participated in a professional youth worker exchange program with Germany. Prior to founding Youthworks, Doug was the Administrator of South Dakota’s Office on Children and Youth. He has been is the youth services “business” for more than 40 years.
Lauren Bosch, Licensed Teacher, 701-255-6909 ext. 104, bosch_yworks@midconetwork.com
Lauren Bosch is a Bismarck native and has worked for the agency since 1994. He is a graduate of Moorhead State University with a major in Social Studies in Secondary Education and holds a North Dakota teaching license. He has experience with a number of programs at the agency and currently serves as the Program Manager for all of the school-based programs (Turnabout, Out-of-School Suspension, and Day Treatment) as well as the Short-Term Care and Assessment Center. He also is the AmeriCorps Program Coordinator for the Bismarck office.
Mark Heinert, LSW, 701-255-6909 ext. 106, heinert_yworks@midconetwork.com
Mark Heinert is the Program Manager of the Youthworks Transitional Living programs. He has been a licensed social worker since 1991, and has been with Youthworks since 1996. Mark has been active with both the state and local homeless coalitions, serving two terms as the president of the Missouri Valley Coalition for Homeless People, Inc. Mark has previous professional experience in child welfare, with developmentally disabled adults, and as a rural social worker.
Dierdra Horner, LSW, 701-255-6909 ext. 102, dierdra_yworks@midconetwork.com
Dierdra Horner is a Licensed Certified Social Worker with her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Mary. Dierdra has been employed with Youthworks for nine years. She has had 18 years of experiences working with at risk youth and families in a residential group home setting and early on prevention. Dierdra currently works as the Diversion Program Coordinator and provides services and crisis intervention to youth and families referred by the Juvenile Court in the Bismarck office. Her role includes assessment, planning, case management, individual counseling and family mediation and referral services. The intent is to work with the families to keep youth in their home and community. In addition, Dierdra has extensive experience facilitating school support groups; including but not limited to, drug/alcohol prevention, general issues faced by teenage girls today, and an issues group for Native American Youth. Dierdra is the Coordinator for the Anger Management groups held in the community. Dierdra serves on the Bismarck-Mandan area Crisis Team and the North Dakota Coalition for Girls.
Betty Leingang, Administrative Assistant, 701-255-6909 ext. 100, youthworks@midconetwork.com
Betty Leingang has been employed with Youthworks since March 2000. She has 20+ years experience as an Administrative Assistant. Betty spent the first 18 years of her life in ND and moved to NY after graduating from Mandan High School. While in NY she worked as a Nanny, Birthday Party Assistant, as well as, a Mommy & Me helper at Whipper Snappers. Betty was employed with a Saturn dealership during her last years before returning home to ND. She is the League Secretary for the Bumpers and Bantams Youth Bowling Leagues at Midway Lanes. She also plays an active role in her church.
Emily Yanish, LPC, 701-255-6909 ext. 110, eyanish_yworks@midconetwork.com
Emily Yanish is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She received her undergraduate degree from St. Olaf College in 2003, and her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Counseling from the University of St. Thomas in 2007. Emily currently works as the Runaway Program Coordinator in the Bismarck office and provides services to runaway and homeless youth and families, including case management, advocacy, referrals, and individual and family counseling. In addition, Emily coordinates Bismarck’s Short Term Care and Assessment Center, including the Shelter Care and Attendant Care programs, and supervises the Peer Mentoring program. Emily has been employed with Youthworks since December 2007.
Anita Tipton, LSW, 701-255-6909 ext. 101, anita_yworks@midconetwork.com
Anita is a Licensed Social Worker with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Mary. She has been employed with Youthworks since the Spring of 2008. She was previously employed as a case worker for Community Action and as a residential supervisor for H.I.T.
Sheila Lindgren, LSW, 701-255-6909 ext. 112, lindgren_yworks@midconetwork.com
Sheila Lindgren graduated in 2003 from the University of Mary with a Bachelors Degree in Social Work. Shortly after graduation, she obtained her LSW. Sheila has worked with Adult Protection Services at WCHSC before her employment with Youthworks in 2008. Sheila currently does Independent Living in the Transitional Living Program at Youthworks.
Michael Trahan, 701-255-6909 ext.122, mtrahan_yworks@midconetwork.com
Michael has joined Youthworks as the new Youth Cultural Achievement Program (YCAP) Coordinator, which provides services and crisis intervention to American Indian youth and families referred by the Juvenile Court in the Bismarck office. He is an enrolled Salish from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Western Montana. He earned his Bachelors degree in Psychology from Jamestown College and his Masters degree from The University of Montana in Clinical Psychology. He is currently a Doctoral candidate at The University of Montana, specializing in acculturation and acculturation stress. He has spent most of his professional life working with American Indian adolescents and adults on his own reservation (Flathead) and the past 3 years on the Standing Rock reservation. His clinical interests are utilizing alternative psychological interventions, as well as, conventional interventions to combat depression, anxiety, stress, and reactions to trauma and enhance positive coping styles to address psychological difficulties. He has experience in conducting interventions such as, Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) with American Indian adolescents. He also has experience in providing psychological assessment, evaluation, and interventions (individual, couples, group) to children, adolescents and adults from a culturally relevant perspective.
Amy Jacobson, LSW, 701-751-4526, jacobson_yworks@midconetwork.com
Amy Jacobson is the social worker for the Out of School Suspension Program. She has been employed with Youthworks since 2009. She received her undergraduate social work degree from Minot State University in 2009. Amy has previous experience facilitating Family Group conferences for at-risk youth and their families.
Nikki Binegar, Licensed Secondary Teacher, 701-255-6909 (Shelter) or 701-751-4526 (OSS and Day Treatment), binegar_yworks@midconetwork.com
Nikki Binegar is a licensed teacher and currently leads the education component for the Out of School Suspension program at Youthworks. She is also the Personnel Manager in the Short-Term Care and Assessment Center. Nikki has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Mary and a Bachelor’s of Art Degree in Psychology and Sociology from Minot State University. She completed the Impact Institutes Volunteer Management North Dakota training. Nikki has been employed at Youthworks since 2009.
Annie Raatz, Licensed Social Worker, 701-255-6909 ext. 108, araatz_yworks@midconetwork.com
Annie Raatz is a Licensed Social Worker in the 2nd Chance Program. She received her Bachelors in Social Work from Minot State University in 2010. She has been employed by Youthworks since November 2010.
Jeanette Gravseth, Accountant, 701-255-6909 ext. 111, jeanette_yworks@midconetwork.com
Lynn Fischer, Data Processing Coordinator, 701-255-6909 ext. 114, lfischer_yworks@midconetwork.com
Lynn Fischer has been employed with Youthworks since April 2008. She attended Bismarck State College and North Dakota State University. She has 12+ years experience as Administrative Assistant, bookkeeping and income tax preparation.
Brenda Lipp, Family Counselor, 701-255-6909
Kay Karnik, Family Counselor, 701-255-6909
Kay Karnik, a licensed social worker and licensed professional clinical counselor with 38 years of experience, recently joined Youthworks and is providing individual and family counseling and case management services for the Day Treatment Program. She also provided family counseling services through the Youthworks Family COOP for the last two years. Kay received her BA in Social Work and MA in Counseling at the University of North Dakota. Prior to joining Youthworks she worked in a variety of settings to include hospitals and social service agencies.
Rebecca Doll, Family Counselor, 701-255-6909
Phil Kambeitz, Group Facilitator/Educator, 701-255-6909
Deb Noyes, Social Worker (Day Treatment), 701-255-6909 ext 107, dnoyes_yworks@midconetwork.com
Fargo Staff Directory
Andrea Nordick, Program Manager, 701-232-8558, anordick@ideaone.net
Andrea Nordick joined Youthworks as the Program Manager of the Fargo-Moorhead office in 2010. Although Andrea was born and raised in Moorhead, she attended college and began in her professional career in Minneapolis. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with majors in psychology and youth development and later finished law school at Hamline University. Andrea came to Youthworks with experience in legal aid service, volunteer management, community organizing, and youth group coordination.
Kris Haycraft, LCSW, 701-232-8558, khaycraft@ideaone.net
Kris Haycraft is a Licensed Certified Social Worker with her Masters Degree from the University of Minnesota. Kris is the Transitional Living (TLP) and Parenting Pathways Program Coordinator in the Fargo-Moorhead Office. Kris has been employed at Youthworks since 2000. Prior to her role as the TLP/Parenting Pathways Coordinator, Kris has worked with a wide array of both court involved and transitional age youth through the diversion program at Youthworks, foster parenting and work with the Juvenile Court. In her role as the TLP and Parenting Pathways Coordinator, Kris provides case management, counseling, crisis intervention, aftercare, advocacy and outreach to homeless clients in Fargo.
Kathy Faeth, Administrative Assistant, 701-232-8558, youthworks@ideaone.net
Kathy Faeth has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Secondary Education. She taught Business and English classes for six years in rural North Dakota. Returning to Fargo, she continues to teach computer classes for Adults and Senior Citizens. Kathy received her Associate Degree in Developmental Disabilities and worked in the field for 20 years. She currently works part time for Moorhead’s Park and Recreation Department and started working at Fargo Youthworks in October of 2009.
Rhonda VanNorman, MS, LMFT, 701-232-8558, rvannorman@ideaone.net
Rhonda VanNorman has a Master’s Degree in Child Development and Family Science with a focus in Marriage and Family Therapy from North Dakota State University, and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in both Minnesota and North Dakota. Rhonda is currently the Youthworks Diversion Program Coordinator working with youth and their families who have been involved with the Juvenile Court System. Prior to her employment at Youthworks, Rhonda worked for Christian Family Life Services, was an Intensive-in-home Therapist for the Village Family Service Center and Lutheran Social Services of MN, and spent one year as the on-site Professional for the Pelican Rapids School System. She now provides individual and family therapy, crisis intervention and outreach services for Fargo, Jamestown, Valley City, and Wahpeton.
Danelle Klaman, LCSW, 701-232-8558, dklaman@ideaone.net
Danelle is the Out of School Suspension Coordinator. She is a Licensed Certified Social Worker in North Dakota and completed her undergraduate degree in social work at Minnesota State University Moorhead and received her Master’s degree in social work from the University of Minnesota in 2001. Prior to her position at Youthworks, Danelle worked as a Program Supervisor and Adoption Social Worker for the Adults Adopting Special Kids program with Catholic Charities North Dakota, providing adoption services to children from the public welfare system. She also serves on the Executive Board of the North Dakota Conference on Social Welfare.
Jessica Fleck, LCSW, 701-232-8558, jfleck@ideaone.net
Jessica Fleck is the Runaway Program Coordinator in the Fargo office and provides services to runaway and homeless youth and families, including case management, advocacy, referrals, and individual and family counseling. Jessica Fleck is a Licensed Certified Social Worker with her Master’s Degree from the University of North Dakota. Jessica has been employed with Youthworks since 2009. In her role at Youthworks, Jessica provides case management, individual and family counseling, crisis intervention, aftercare, advocacy, and outreach services. Prior to her role at Youthworks, Jessica worked as a Foster Care Case Manager for Grand Forks County Social Service Center.