Brian Virgin is the Program Director of At The Crossroads. As a founder and co-owner of At The Crossroads, Brian has been with the program since its inception in 2005. While working at an adolescent residential treatment center, he and Michael Alger noticed the dearth of supporting programs for the young adult population. Together, they created At The Crossroads to fill that need and help bridge the gap for families.

Brian has been affiliated with the human service field since 2003, when he began working in residential treatment at an adolescent facility. He later worked as a bilingual eligibility specialist with the Economic Services Division of Mecklenburgh County in North Carolina.

Brian is fluent in Spanish and has served as a volunteer with the Spanish Action Coalition, teaching Hispanic Youth the English language. In 2008, after starting At The Crossroads, he completed studies to become a Licensed Substance Use Disorder Counselor in Utah and retains this licensure to this day. Brian has served in all capacities in At The Crossroads and brings his passion for quality care and treatment to the residents he feels privileged to serve. Brian is married to Shannon Fischer, his wife of nine years, and together they have three children.

Shannon was born and raised in Charlotte NC. She met her husband in St George Utah while attending Dixie State University in 2001. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to attend esthetics school and go on to own and operate a clothing boutique for many years here in St George. She has a love for getting to know people and embraces any opportunity to put her creative abilities to the test.

Shannon has been part of the At The Crossroads family since its inception in 2005. She has played a vital role behind the scenes and now she is truly relishing the chance to be at the forefront with all of our families and clients.

Shannon has spent years building relationships and making connections in the St. George community. She is looking forward to helping ATC clients navigate their Independence by helping with mock interviews as well as be a consistent touch point for them and remain a steady person in their support system.

Misti grew up in Morgan, Utah on the family farm and graduated from Morgan High School, she earned her Bachelor degree from Brigham Young University in Human Biology.

She recently resigned as the Foundation Director of Building Utah Youth a non-profit that designs and promotes teen leadership/personal growth training. She enjoyed working with teens and watching them find their inner strength and potential.

She held her position with BUY from 2009 until 2014 and has seen over 500 teens go through their program. This has given her the insight and passion of helping young people.

In her spare time, she enjoys running, skiing, the family farm, sports and traveling. Her motto in life is “We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing”! In 2014, she made St. George, Utah her permanent residence.

Tina was born and raised in Beaver, Utah. As the oldest of five children, Tina gained a true respect for hard work and service towards others.

She has been working with ATC since 2009, after she, her husband Eric, and their daughter moved to St. George. Since then, Tina has fallen in love with both her job and the Southern Utah area. She works with the ATC administrative staff, and handles clerical work, student accounts, and more.

“I think Crossroads is a great opportunity to give young adults a bright, stable, and healthy future. I really love my job; I get to combine what I do best with what I like to do, helping other people. The students are great to work with as well as my co-workers.”

Krysti grew up in California, she moved to Utah to pursue a degree in Behavioral Science from Utah Valley University. During her junior year she transferred to Washington State University where she graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Social Science. After taking a few years off for her family Krysti received her Masters Degree of Science in Psychology with a specialization in Educational Psychology.

Krysti is married with three kids. Her husband recently retired from the US military. During her husbands military career she had the opportunity to live in various states and overseas, which has been an education in itself and provided opportunities to work in different areas in the human services field.

She has worked for a private residential facility for children and adults. Krysti supervised a residential facility in the Utah Valley for six years. She has also worked for many years in the educational field. Krysti enjoys working with youth and the rewarding opportunities provided by the field of human services.

David is a husband and father of 4. Before starting his family, David graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Speech Communication and Family Studies.

While at Utah, David was a member of the men’s basketball team and pursued a career in the sport. After numerous injuries with the NBA D-League, David stepped away from basketball and was introduced to ATC August 2017.

David is passionate when it comes to service and believes the best way to build character is through assisting those in need.

My name is Ryan Forbes. I go by “Forbes” (in order to not be confused by the ocean of Ryan’s) but feel free to call me Ryan.

I began doing therapeutic groups, staff development and program development with ATC in the spring of 2008 and started working full time with them in fall of 2013.

In addition to my experience with ATC, I have also worked in the Community Mental Health system for 20 years. During that time I served on a variety of committees for the state of Utah and International Center for Clubhouse Development based in New York City. I have also done a short stint in Wilderness Therapy with Wingate as a primary therapist.

I love baseball hats and am always wearing one. I have more than I would freely admit but I can go almost 4 months without wearing the same one. As I grew up, a fitted baseball hat represented accomplishment as only the All-Star Team ever got them. So, I made it a goal to get as many as I could growing up. That childhood goal has spilt over into my adult life and now has become a hobby.

Finish each Day and be done with It! – Ralph Waldo Emerson

My Strengths:
Achiever, Learner, Activator, Positivity and Context

Mike received a BS degree in Family and Human Development from Brigham Young University in 1998, an MS degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Kentucky in 2001 and an MBA degree from Arizona State University in 2006. Mike has been a licensed marriage and family therapist in the state of Utah since 2004.

In 2002, Mike spent three years gaining experience and working toward his clinical licensure at an adolescent residential treatment center. From 2005-2012 Mike worked with young adults as a wilderness therapist with Second Nature (now Evoke). Wilderness therapy helped Mike fine tune his assessment skills and gain greater respect for the restorative power of nature and its ability to heal and transform. Mike enjoys in particular working with young adults who have come to ATC having had this experience. After spending years working outdoors, Mike was interested in continuing his work with young adults but also wanted to experience working with clients and developing relationships over a longer period of time than what wilderness treatment offered. He moved out of Utah in 2012 and took off all the way across the country to Portland, ME where he worked as the clinical program director at Foundation House, an extended care sober living program. In 2014, Mike missed family and the desert of the Southwest and returned back to St. George, UT where he connected with a long-time friend, Brian Virgin. During his days at Second Nature Mike had referred clients to ATC over those years and had the opportunity to remain as a contracted therapist with ATC after his clients completed wilderness treatment. Mike’s familiarity with ATC and his years of experience working with young adults made working at ATC full-time the perfect fit. He has been with ATC now since 2014 and has been an instrumental part of the growth of ATC over that period. Mike most enjoys working with oppositional defiant individuals who require support with such clinical issues as ADHD, addictive behavior, executive function deficits, and anxiety.

Mike has lived on and off in Utah since the early 1990s. He is however originally from the East Coast; born in West Chester, PA and raised in Towson, MD just outside of Baltimore. He has made several cross country moves during his adulthood but always seems to find himself back in Utah’s red rock country. Mike is an avid sports fan, particularly Baltimore area sports teams and his college alma maters. Mike enjoys music and is a huge fan of the Seattle Sound, also known as grunge music, that surfaced in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s. He enjoys spending time outdoors exploring canyons, rappelling, hiking and stand-up paddle boarding. Mike lives with his soon to be wife, Tareyn, his step-son, Everett, and they split custody with his step-nephew, Hudson. The two young boys keep Mike on his toes and feeling young.

Kelly always wanted to be in the psychology field but her lack of confidence in her academic ability stood in her way. At age 37 she went back to school and began the process. This was in 1997. In 2002 she graduated with an MS in psychology and then went on to specialize in Marriage and Family therapy. She began her working career in a residential treatment setting for adolescents in 1997. August 2008 her life was dramatically changed when she lost her 26-year-old son in a car accident. What she has learned through this journey has forever shaped how she works with substance use, mental health, and families. Kelly’s son and living daughter along with seven grandchildren are the inspiration in her life. She has worked with teens, young adults, and families. She has been clinical director of an IOP at Las Vegas Recovery Center, and outpatient services for Eagle Ranch Outpatient Services. She started a non- profit to help those who can’t afford treatment for their teens and young adults. She enjoys working with individuals and families and loves watching the growth in others. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, traveling, tennis, and being with family.

Education:
Bachelor of Science Degree from Southern Utah University – Graduated May 2000
Master of Science in Psychology from Palo Alto University – Graduated May 2002
Marriage and Family Therapy from Regis University 2005 – 2008
PhD in psychology Walden University – Dissertation researching: Evidence-based practices among
treatment providers who treat substance use disorders.
Trainings and certifications:
Certifications in trauma – IATP
TF-CBT
Attachment, Trauma, and Psychotherapy. Neutral integration as a pathway to resilience and well-being,
Dan Siegel, M.D.
Emotionally Focused Therapy, Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
DBT, CBT, MI, ASAM assessment, and TSF

Valerie is a registered nurse and has been working as the medical coordinator at ATC since 2018. She attended school at Utah State University and Dixie State University, where she graduated with her nursing degree.

Valerie loves working with people and enjoys the different aspects of her job at ATC, from being involved with the students’ medical care to spending time with them in other settings. She teaches monthly health classes and holds activities that encourage physical fitness.

Valerie enjoys the outdoors, sports, music, and spending time with her husband Kory and their four fabulous children.