Elizabeth Steele, M.A., LAADC, Chief Executive Officer
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Elizabeth has been working in Orange County, California, for more than a decade. After obtaining her Master’s in Addiction Counseling from the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies, Elizabeth worked her way into a clinical leadership position at a local addiction treatment program. Afterwards, she transitioned to become the Executive Director of another local program. She is also a Board Member of the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP).
Elizabeth recently celebrated 15 years of continuous recovery and is a product of women’s treatment programming. Her lived experience elicits her passion for this life-changing work. We’re grateful to have Elizabeth at the helm as we continue our 45th year of fulfilling our mission of saving the lives of women of all ages, women with children and pregnant women affected by alcoholism, other addictions and related issues.
As Elizabeth says, “The first time I toured the campus, the power of family recovery really hit me. There was a two-year-old boy here and the nurse had put three band-aids on his leg. Of course, I was worried about what happened, and started talking to him. It turns out, he hadn’t injured himself at all. He had just wanted some colorful band-aids on his fake little boo-boos! He was smiling and laughing with the nurses – having the time of his life.
It was one thing to conceptually talk about NDFW serving women and families. But the experience of having children live on the property is even more enriching than I could have even imagined. It changes the feel of the spaces. I love seeing little ones running around the property with their moms and how much every patient and staff member loves up on them like Aunts.
I am deeply grateful to have the opportunity to lead this long-established organization and bring the mission to even higher levels, so that women who so desperately need us even as I sit and write these words have the opportunity to cross our threshold, as thousands of women have done before, and unlock a life they wouldn’t have dared to dream.”
