PRO.A Staff

Meet the people who run our organization and make it a community of successful recovery.

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in The Recovery Community

Meet William Stauffer, LSW, CCS, CADC

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William Stauffer has been the Executive Director of Pennsylvania Recovery Organization Alliance (PRO●A), the statewide recovery organization of Pennsylvania since 2012. He is in long-term recovery since age 21 and has been actively engaged in public policy in the recovery arena for most of those years. Mr. Stauffer is a graduate of Northampton Community College, Cedar Crest College, and Kutztown University. He is also an adjunct professor of Social Work at Misericordia University in Dallas Pennsylvania. Mr. Stauffer has over 25 years of clinical and administrative experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings. He served as the Program Director of the Halfway Home of the Lehigh Valley from 1999 to 2012. Mr. Stauffer is the former President of the Pennsylvania Halfway House Association, serving in that capacity from 2002 to 2007. Mr. Stauffer has been a staunch advocate for strong SUD Patient Privacy Protections at both the state and federal levels for many years.  He ran a recovery house taskforce for Pennsylvania that helped inform PA Act 59 of 2017. In 2018, he testified in front of the US Senate Special Committee on Aging on the opioid epidemic and older adults, and in 2019, he conducted a hearing with the PA House Human Services Committee to expand recovery opportunities for young people. William Stauffer has initiated numerous workforce expansion initiatives for persons in recovery. A major focus of his work has been aimed at moving our entire SUD care system towards a five-year care paradigm to dramatically expand the numbers of Americans in Recovery while saving lives, resources, and communities. He is co-chair of the public policy committee for Faces & Voices of Recovery and the 2019 recipient of the Vernon Johnson Award Individual Recovery Advocate of the year. Mr. Stauffer was also the 2002 Recipient of the Lecie G. Machell prize in Social Work and, prior to taking the position of executive director of PRO•A, received the Pennsylvania Recovery Organization Alliances award of the Recovery Advocate of the year, in 2008.

Meet Patricia Baranowksi, MA, CADC

Patricia G. Baranowski, MA, CADC, has been working in the field of addictions since 1989. Her prior experience includes Education and Prevention, Individual and Group Therapy, Case management, and Admissions and Aftercare Coordination, in both residential and outpatient treatment. Patti received her Bachelor of Science Degree, Summa Cum Laude, from Albright College, and went on to graduate with high honors from Liberty University with a Masters Degree in Human Services, with a Health and Wellness cognate.

Patti has worked in different capacities for the PRO-A for the past five years and has now accepted the position of Workforce Support Project Manager.  She has been instrumental in developing and implementing specialized employment programs for individuals with Substance Use Disorder and Co-Occurring Disorders to support the Workforce Support Project.  She continues to work to expanding statewide workforce trainings and technical assistance, assisting with advocacy and public awareness throughout the Commonwealth.

Ms. Baranowski is proud to have served in the US Army Reserves as a Medic and Administrative Assistant, where she received many honors during her service. She has extensive professional and personal knowledge of addiction and its impact on the family and has a passion for advocating for those affected by the disease. Having worked in many capacities in the field of substance use disorder treatment, Patti joins us with years of experience from many perspectives. Currently, she continues her counseling passion on a part time basis.

Since becoming part of the PRO•A team, Patti has worked alongside the current staff in support of the Recovery Works Summits, assisting in coordinating the conferences, and conducting Town Hall Meetings across the state, along with PMHCA, in advocating, educating, and bringing together those who continue to be negatively affected by the stigma of substance and alcohol use conditions. She has also worked in developing a new training curriculum and managing the Recovery Institute Training Program (RITP). Patti will also be facilitating trainings for our RITP. Patti believes that relationships are the foundational catalysts of change. She hopes to continue her work in support of those still suffering, and remains inspired by the courage, resilience, and hope of those she works with on a daily basis. One of her favorite quotes:

“Change is the essence of life; be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.”  Reinhold Niebuhr

Meet Nikki Weir, AAS, CRS 

Nikki is a Recovery Employment Team Lead and CRS with PRO-A. She will be covering Dauphin and surrounding counties for the Workforce Support Project. She is in long-term recovery for over 14 years. Nikki received her Associate Degree in Human Services in December 2022 from Harrisburg Area Community College.

Nikki has been in the Substance Use field since 2017.

She gained experience in the outpatient and prison settings initially. She ran treatment groups, completing assessments, individual counseling sessions, aftercare planning, and case management. She was also involved in networking and establishing Recovery and Reentry Support Services.

Nikki stays actively involved with 12 Step Recovery and started a meeting named The Best Is Yet To Come. She likes working out at the gym, spending time with her family, her puppy Myla, and riding her Harley.

 

 Meet Tom Rice, CRS 

 Hi, my name is Tom Rice, I am a Certified Recovery Specialist and have been actively involved in the recovery field for eight years. On July 1,2023 I celebrated eight years of continuous recovery.  My journey through recovery has taken me down many paths in life, including serving over twenty-six and a half years of incarceration for crimes directly related to my SUD’s.  I was one of the sufferers that felt totally broken and believed I could never change, that my life was a waste, and that I was destined to die either by overdose or in incarceration. Through a series of circumstances that I can only attribute to divine intervention, I was introduced to CBT therapy, which changed the course of my life. Not only did I embrace it wholeheartedly, I became a Peer Facilitator within the Department of Corrections and went on to help many other individuals like me.  Upon release, I discovered a passion for helping others and became a CRS.  I was employed with PA Counseling Services for over two years.  Today my passion is helping others that are reintegrating into society.  I feel my position in the Workforce Support Project here at PRO-A gives me a platform to make a difference. I once believed my life was one of waste and now, I see it as one with profound value and purpose.  

Meet Ruth Cerklewski

Hi. My name is Ruth A. Cerklewski. Although new to PRO-A as the Administrative Assistant, I am honored to be a part of a family/team/recovery environment.

I graduated from The University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in Information Science in 1998 and followed that career path for 16 years. I had the privilege to work for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co in Akron, OH and Rockwell Automation in Milwaukee, WI. During that time, I ran from me every chance I could, so I was lost and shattered. After hitting bottom every day waking up with a curse that I was still alive, I knew I needed divine intervention. The spiritual component of a 12-step recovery program was attractive to me so slowly my spiritual belief was restored and strengthened and gave me hope. My sobriety date and new way of living is June 23, 2018.

I am passionate about recovery, so when a friend suggested taking a Certified Recovery Specialist class, I did not hesitate to sign up and am currently attending those classes. Then when the opportunity opened for the position at PRO-A, I was ready to step into a new path of growth on my journey of discovery of the recovery movement.

Between working, attending 12-step meetings, doing as much service work within the 12-step recovery program as possible, attending a weekly book study group with eight other women in recovery, I enjoy reading and embracing the beauty of nature.

They say when one door closes and another opens, there is often an opportunity to try to succeed at something else. For me, collaborating with a fantastic team at PRO-A is another divine intervention.

Meet Brian Sweeney

Hello, my name is Brian Sweeney, and I am a CRS who has been in long term recovery since October 31st, 2019. In October of 2020 I decided I wanted to work in the social fields, and I accepted a position as a Behavioral Health Tech at a local homeless shelter that I still work at. While working for the shelter, I discovered a passion for helping others and decided to become a CRS. In September of 2024 I was blessed with the opportunity to join PRO-A as a Recovery Employment Coordinator. My favorite thing about this position is it gives me the opportunity to help others through the same struggles I went through in the past.

The gifts of recovery for me have been numerous. From connection with self, to connection with others, lots of travel to amazing places and many beautiful life experiences. Recovery is truly a gift. It is my goal to help others discover what gifts of recovery wait for them.