Employee Assistance Program - Professional Staff
Dr. Foster believes in the capacity of people to create a life of satisfaction and wellbeing. He enjoys helping people discover their strengths and expand their awareness of their personal and social opportunities for contributing to themselves and others. Dr. Foster’s current volunteer activities include; mental health support for the American Red Cross, and participation on two local boards, the Bellingham Community Development Advisory Board and the Sehome Neighborhood Community Association. “I thoroughly enjoy the variety of work that providing EAP services makes possible. I like the opportunity to work with folks on range of issues and in different settings. People constantly intrigue me in their diversity of experiences and their capacity to endure and overcome adversity. The challenge of working in the EAP model has sharpened my skills at assessing and meeting people’s immediate needs”. – Vince Foster
“Clients often come to EAP ready to work. We get right into the issues. Few clinical professionals have the privilege that I do, of building a career in such a field and seeing people make such huge leaps in their personal and professional lives. It is great to see how much people can learn from their work lives, which can then aid them in their personal lives. Work sometimes imposes changes and challenges that we would not have otherwise chosen. When people remember what is most important to them, they usually do very well. The solution-focused nature of EAP and the variety of issues keeps me coming back.” - Dennis Dashiell
"Amongst previous jobs in outpatient and inpatient mental health as well as medical settings, EAP work is my all-time favorite job. People who are feeling distress often come to EAP first as we are convenient, accessible, and free. I provide a safe, welcoming and creative place where people can explore out loud (sometimes for the first time) something that doesn’t feel right or is causing pain in their lives. I have the opportunity to support people in exploring their experience, feelings, wants, options, resources, and help them develop a direction for change. Sometimes that involves referring on to longer-term resources, other times people are ready to take off on their own after their sessions at EAP. Interestingly enough, no matter how overwhelmed or lost people feel when they walk in this door, they have amazing reserves of strength and creativity as well as a wealth of experience and self-knowledge to tap into – my job is to help them re-discover that. "Amongst previous jobs in outpatient and inpatient mental health as well as medical settings, EAP work is my all-time favorite job. People who are feeling distress often come to EAP first as we are convenient, accessible, and free. I have the opportunity to support people as they explore and develop a direction for change. Sometimes that involves referring on to longer-term resources. Very often people are ready to take off on their own after their sessions at EAP. Interestingly enough, no matter how overwhelmed or lost people feel when they walk in this door, they have amazing reserves of strength and creativity as well as a wealth of experience and self-knowledge to tap into – my job is to help them re-discover that." - Linda Grant
“I love the challenge of EAP work. My central question (no matter what kind of concern is presented) is always, “How can I support this person (couple, family, or workgroup) in this time of change, conflict, or crisis?” I have the privilege of seeing people when they are at turning points in their lives, when they need to find new answers or ways of living. The answers always come from the person and their individual circumstances; my job is to help them find their own unique solution and then to believe in themselves. When I can help someone find their next steps, it makes my day”. - Tara McDonald
Leslie Clawson, LICSW, is a Washington State Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. She has a Masters degree in Social Work from California State University, Sacramento. She has a Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Davis in History. She has specialized training in the treatment of disordered eating and has worked in the Intensive Outpatient/Day Treatment level of care for a number of years. She has significant experience with women’s issues as well as mood and anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, grief/loss and bereavement. She has worked with children/adolescents, adults, groups and families in the mental health field since 2000. She also brings a broad range of experience from work in the medical field as well as teaching. She has lectured to both professionals as well as in the community. She has worked as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in a Junior College. She has an extensive background in medical and psychiatric research. She managed an NIMH sponsored twin-study between UC Davis and Harvard University, Departments of Psychiatry assessing vulnerability to Alcoholism. Leslie utilizes relational-psychodynamic, experiential, family systems, and cognitive-behavioral theories in her work. Her state license number is: LW 00009280. “EAP work is challenging and very rewarding!! Having worked in the hospital, agency and private practice settings, EAP work is quite unique. Our focus is to provide supportive, solution driven guidance at times of confusion, crisis or loss. We are here to assist clients in finding their own path to understanding, recovery and hopefully resolution during times of uncertainty and change. EAP work helps people consider alternatives for themselves and provides hope for new possibilities”. – Leslie Clawson |
Health
Promotion Northwest EAP clinical staff have training and experience in
addressing a wide range of issues in the personal and work
realms. They particularly specialize in providing training for
employers with drug-free workplace programs. Staff of HPN are
qualified as Substance Abuse Professionals to provide services
meeting the U.S. Federal Department of Transportation guidelines for
Drug Free Workplaces
Vincent
E. Foster, Ph.D., CEAP is the Director of HPN/EAP. Dr. Foster is a
licensed psychologist, and a Certified Employee Assistance Professional.
He also has a Certificate of Proficiency in the Assessment and Treatment
of Substance Use Disorders awarded by the American Psychological
Association’s College of Professional Psychology. He is qualified as
Substance Abuse Professionals (SAP) for the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT). He has 30 + years of clinical experience in a
variety of professional settings including; adolescent residential
treatment, in-patient psychiatric treatment, child and family therapy,
college and university counseling, public mental health services, and
employee assistance services. He has graduate training and 14 years of
experience in clinical supervision, and 12 years of management
experience. He also provides psychological consultation to the
Bellingham Veterans’ Center. 
Dennis
Dashiell, MSW, LICSW, CEAP, SAP, is a Master’s level Social Worker,
licensed as a mental health professional in Washington State and
certified as an EAP professional. He is credentialed under the U.S. DOT
as a substance abuse professional (SAP) evaluator for DOT violations.
Dennis has been a member of the HPN EAP staff since 1995 and has many
years of EAP experience serving public and private employers. Beyond HPN,
Dennis has worked in other health care programs, college and university
settings, community mental health, private practice, the US Veterans
Administration, and a multitude of non-human services jobs (agriculture,
retail, sales, food services, manufacturing). Dennis has a long history
of volunteerism with the local emergency services and industrial
critical incident support teams. At HPN Dennis specializes in team
building, coworker conflict, supervisory coaching, marital/couples work,
values/spiritual related issues, critical incident support services,
grief work, chemical dependency (and codependency), and general issues
of anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance. His Washington State
license number is LW 00005096.
Linda
K. Grant, CEAP, LICSW, ACSW, SAP, is a Washington State master’s
level Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and is recognized by
the National Association of Social Workers. She has a master’s degree in
Social Work from Michigan State University and a Bachelor’s degree in
Social Work and French from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is
qualified as a Substance Abuse Professional meeting Federal DOT
regulations to provide these services to DOT regulated employers. For
over 20 years she has worked with individuals, families and workplaces
with a focus on meeting mutually identified goals of improved health and
productivity. Her background includes work experience as a therapist and
middle manager in inpatient and outpatient mental health programs as
well as direct service and consulting in medical settings. She has
co-authored training materials on the management of hostile and
escalating behaviors and other mental health issues. Her areas of
clinical specialty are brief and crisis modalities, couples and family
counseling, mood disorders, goal-setting during life changes, work
performance, and parenting education. Linda provides consultation to
organizations in the areas of team-building, supervisory issues and
conflict resolution. Her state license number is: LW00004140.
Tara
McDonald, CEAP, M.A., LMHC, is a Washington State Licensed Mental
Health Counselor and a Certified Employee Assistance Professional. She
earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communication from the
University of Northern Colorado, and a master’s degree in Counseling
Psychology from Antioch University in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Prior to
working for St. Joseph’s Hospital, Ms. McDonald maintained a private
practice in counseling and worked as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
counselor in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has also worked as a counselor
in a domestic violence shelter, an inpatient psychiatric hospital, and a
residential treatment program for adolescents. In addition to
counseling, Ms. McDonald has served as a teacher in community,
workplace, and university settings, and as an administrator for two
nonprofit organizations. Ms. McDonald specializes in working with people
with depression, anxiety, relationship concerns, abuse and
post-traumatic stress, drug and alcohol problems, work-related issues,
stress management, and bereavement. She approaches counseling from the
perspective that a problem or crisis is often a jumping off point or an
opportunity that can help a person gain new skills, knowledge, and
deeper access to their intrinsic values and spirit. Her Washington state
license number is LH00009769.
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Health Promotion Northwest |