Meet Our Team
ARCH Academy has assembled some of the best adolescent addiction treatment staff with proven results for our teen Drug & Alcohol Recovery Center. Here you can meet the team of ARCH Academy who work right alongside your child or loved one. We bring decades of experience and are looking forward to walking with you on your journey.
DEAN PORTERFIELD, LPC-MHSP, NCC
Dean Porterfield currently serves as the Director of ARCH Academy. Dean has been with Cumberland Heights for over 11 years. As the Director he is responsible for day to day operations of ARCH as well as overseeing program development, staff development, referral relations, research and community outreach/education on teen addiction. Dean has served as Executive Director of an outdoor therapeutic program for adolescent males for over 10 years. Dean also has served on the Board of Directors of NATSAP (National Board of Therapeutic Schools and Programs), and frequently presents at national, regional and local conferences. Dean is also an approved LPC clinical supervisor. Dean brings over 18 years experiences working with the adolescent population and their families. He believes in a strength-based approach and understands that authentic relationships with the teens and families we serve is paramount for lasting change.
CHAPMAN SLEDGE, MD
Dr. Chapman Sledge accepted his role as Chief Medical Officer at Cumberland Heights in 2009. For the previous 15 years, he had been Medical Director of Addiction Treatment Services at Pine Grove Behavioral Health in Hattiesburg, MS. Dr. Sledge is a nationally known physician in addiction medicine, served on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and regularly speaks at conferences around the country. Dr. Sledge was among the first group of physicians to receive certification by the American Board of Addiction Medicine. He also serves on the Medical/Scientific Committee of the National Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependence. Dr. Sledge is a graduate of Louisiana State University and the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He completed residency training in Family Medicine and was certified by the American Board of Family Practice in 1986.
Andrea Whitis, PMHNP-BC
Andrea Whitis is a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who works on our inpatient team. She has worked in various settings of mental health, including inpatient, outpatient, and community mental health. However, her true passion has always been working with those with co-occurring mental health and addiction issues. The most rewarding part of her job is getting opportunity to see the individuals she treats get into recovery and work through any co-occurring mental health symptoms creating roadblocks to a full and happy life in recovery.
William Branson, M.Ed, LPC-MHSP, NCC
William Branson has been with ARCH since 2017 and currently serves as the Clinical Coordinator, making sure all of our patient’s clinical needs are met. Before joining ARCH, William interned for the Cumberland Heights men’s program. William has a BA in Communications, a BS in in Psychology, and a M.Ed in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. He’s also a recipient of the George Watts Hill award for Citizenship, Academic Progress, Initiative, and Community Service. William says the most rewarding part of his job is watching patients heal and grow.
SHERRY VAUTIER, MA, LADAC II
Sherry Vautier is a Tennessee native and has been a counselor at Cumberland Heights since 2013. She has a LADAC II and a MA degree in Mental Health Counseling. Her goals at ARCH are to provide guidance and help to families who bring their loved one into our care. Sherry often says to those struggling, “I want to be your hope until you can find your own again.”
Kenneth Davis, LDAC, CPRS
Kenneth Davis is a primary counselor at ARCH, leading our fly-fishing program to connect patients with the natural world and 12-step concepts. Kenneth began working in addiction treatment in 2016, helping those struggling gain better perspective on family, spirituality, and growth. Kenneth says the most inspiring part of his job is watching positive change happen right before his eyes.
KATRINA STANFORD, MA
Before becoming a counselor at ARCH Academy in 2020, Katrina Stanford worked for 12 years in the Research Department at Meharry Medical College. During her final few years there, she was also in school full-time, working toward getting her clinical and mental health counseling degree. Katrina received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Tennessee State University. She got her Masters of Science at the University of Phoenix and Masters of Arts from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Katrina’s goals at ARCH are to positively impact the lives of those struggling with substance use disorder and provide a space for teens to be open and honest.
Christin Warren, MS
Christin has been on the ARCH team since 2019 and currently serves as a primary counselor. She has a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is working towards licensure. Christin says the most rewarding part of her job is walking alongside patients and families on their recovery journey and guiding them on a path to hope and healing.
Rebecca Johnson, LPC-MHSP, ATR
Rebecca Johnson started at Cumberland Heights in 2008 as a Family Counselor, and within a few months of her time here, built a comprehensive art therapy program. Through her work, Rebecca creatively helps patients develop more insight and self-awareness to aid their long-term recovery. She encourages them to push through their doubts and vulnerabilities to see what they can accomplish. Rebecca says the most rewarding part of her job is hearing from the alumni she’s worked with.
John McAndrew
Research shows music taps regions in the mind that are conducive to treating addiction, including those regulating stress, emotion, cognitive function and physical pain. John McAndrew works with our young men to experience those healing powers in our music therapy program. John also helped launch the “Music Professionals Program,” which helps those working in the music industry find recovery from substance use disorder. John’s music has been heard around the world, and at many national events. While touring, he performs and works with recovery audiences as well. His music is in several feature films including, “One Little Red Wagon” directed by David Anspaugh.
ROYCE DOUGLAS, CPRS
Royce started working at Cumberland Heights part time for a few months before accepting a full time CA position. A year and a half later he transitioned to the Adolescent Team Leader position where he supervises the youth CA’s and helps create a safe, comfortable environment for the boys to learn about addiction, while also holding them accountable for their behaviors. Before working at Cumberland Heights, Royce worked with kids who had major behavior issues for 5 years. Royce has worked at Cumberland Heights for 5 years.
Laura Ezell
Laura Ezell is the ARCH Admissions and Outreach Specialist, currently working on getting her LADAC. She has been in the field of addiction treatment since 2006 when she started volunteering at a sober living facility. The most rewarding part of Laura’s job is being able to guide a person in crisis to a path of hope and healing. She specifically enjoys working with adolescents because of the opportunity to create change early on and potentially change the trajectory of their lives.
LOGAN BAKER, LPC-MHSP
Logan Baker is primary therapist at ARCH Academy and has worked at Cumberland Heights since 2022. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Mental Health Service Provider designation and holds a Masters of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Vanderbilt University. Logan enjoys helping his patients connect more deeply with themselves and others, heal from trauma and establish recovery through experiential, adventure, and outdoor-based therapies.
Ancillary Staff
Dr. Carlyn Daubs
Dr. Carlyn Daubs obtained her Master of Science and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of North Texas. Prior to developing a private practice that specializes on assessment, Dr. Daubs treated children, adolescents, and families in many different therapeutic settings including: a community mental health clinic, university counseling centers, a wilderness program, and a therapeutic boarding school. In addition to Dr. Daubs’ extensive clinical and assessment experience, she has also built and designed therapeutic programming for residential facilities for adolescents and their families. Currently, Dr. Daubs specializes in psychological assessment, supervision, and consultation. Her research interests include family systems, parent-child attachment, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, co-occurring disorders, addiction processes, romantic attachment, and coping styles. In her spare time Dr. Daubs enjoys running, reading, and traveling.
Dede Beasley, M.Ed, LCP, MHSP
Dede Beasley is a licensed professional counselor that serves as our Equine Therapist at ARCH Academy. Dede holds certifications with the Board for Equine Interaction Professionals (CBEIP-MH) and the Certified Horsemanship Association. Horses have been a part of Dede’s life since she was six years old, and she loves working with the young men at ARCH, helping them explore and interact with animals. Her hope for each young man is for them to discover and appreciate both themselves and others in healthy, respectful relationships that are essential for recovery.
Melissa Hancock, BA
Melissa Hancock works with ARCH Academy students on exploration through pottery. She is a lifelong artist who earned her BA in Art from Carson-Newman University in Tennessee. In the mid-2000s Melissa began working with clay and hasn’t looked back. She has taught pottery classes and painting workshops to both adult and teens through the Mud Puddle Pottery Studio and Harpeth Art Center in Pegram since 2008. Although creativity may not seem to come naturally to everyone, Melissa believes it’s an important skill that anyone can cultivate with a little time and effort. That’s her goal with her students, to help them discover and feed the creative spark that they can carry on into adulthood. Plus, it’s just fun to make stuff!
Get help today and rewrite your story
The whole staff at ARCH Academy are a Godsend! From my first call, communication with medical and counseling staff, to the joyful reunion we shared with his counselor, we felt the care and commitment to our son’s recovery.
