Doug Mackenzie, Executive Director

Doug Mackenzie has over 30 years in the addiction field from residential management, group facilitating, public speaking, and private practice. Doug is well known for his ability to connect with his clients and their families on a one to one basis or in group setting. Doug’s personal journey in recovery for the last 33 years allows him to understand what you are going through and to motivate you to get where you want to be in your life. Doug’s commitment to living in the solution is attractive personal and fun.

Susie Golemba, CCAC/CIADI

Susie is the Program Director and Lead Counselor at Options. She is a person in long-term recovery and is a mother and grandmother. Susie believes in the power of choice and the power of change. Susie has developed the Options program with the belief that recovery is possible for everyone who truly wants it. She has a strong belief that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy combined with Twelve Step programs is the most effective treatment modality for long term recovery. Her motto is "change your thinking, change your life". Susie also believes that love, compassion, understanding and respect are the key to sobriety and recovery and brings those things to each and every client who comes to Options.

Through her own recovery journey Susie has gained a solid understanding that addiction is a family disease. She is passionate about working with families, educating them, and supporting them while their loved one is in treatment.

"I am proud of our center; I am proud of our program, and I am proud of everyone who has the courage to take a leap of faith into recovery from addiction".

Shirlee Paling, CCAC

Shirlee found recovery in 2005 and with it, her passion for helping addicts. She lives each day by the 12 Steps and is always trying to find the positive in everything. Her experience, strength and hope shines through when she speaks. She brings a high level of experience from working for years with troubled youth and also in the mental health and addictions industry.

Shirlee`s compassion comes with a beautiful smile, a warm heart, positive spirit and infectious sense of humour. From the very first day Shirlee walked into Options Treatment Center she knew she was home and right where she was supposed to be. Her hope is that every client feels warm and safe and part of the Options family. In Shirlee`s spare time you will find her getting grounded hiking in the woods, paddle boarding on Okanagan Lake or listening to rock ‘n’ roll with the loves of her life, her husband and daughter.

Steve Durant, Support Worker

Steve is an avid gold miner and has been working in the recovery field for over 20 years. Steve enjoys hearing stories of clients and believes that recovery comes from working through our past and not living in guilt and shame.

Adam Preston, Support Worker

Adam Preston is an Options alumni and is grateful to be helping others during his recovery. His new way of living has brought on happiness in ways he never dreamed of. He believes that the 12 Steps are the key to recovery, and are essential for peaceful living.

Natassia Jahura, Support Worker

Through a long journey in addiction, and after several treatment programs, Natassia found her long-term recovery through the Options program. We are proud to have her as a support worker and housekeeper. She brings a gentle, calm, and honest approach to our clients and believes that the foundation she built at Options and has been the key to living her best life.

Johnny Madigan, Support Worker

Johnny came to treatment at Options in 2018 at the ago of nineteen. He has been clean and sober since then. Johnny joined the Options team in 2020 and brings his own brand of no-nonsense recovery combined with his remarkable sense of humor to our center. Johnny is a shining example that no one is ever too young (or too old) to find their purpose and passions through recovery from addiction.

Amie Hutzkal, Support Worker

Amie found recovery at Options in 2019. She is a wife and a mother of three children and is passionate about her own recovery and helping others to find freedom from addiction by living life one day at a time. Amie practices the Twelve Step principles on a daily basis and attributes this to helping her and her family find their best lives. Her soft, kind approach makes our clients immediately feel safe and protected.

Isaac Ward-Caron, Support Worker

Isaac Ward-Caron is an Options alumni, has completed his Community Support Worker with addictions specialty diploma, as well as ompleted his practicum at Options. He is extremely passionate about helping others in recovery and is in love with his new life which sobriety has given him. Isaac is determined to live each of his days by the 12 steps, and to reciprocate the support, love and care on to the clients here at Options as he once received.

Kerrie Iny, Support Worker

Kerrie Iny, with a diploma in community service work and addiction, brings her compassion, empathy, and loving energy into her role as a support worker at Options. She completed her practicum at the treatment centre and fell in love with the family atmosphere. Kerrie’s passion for supporting others in their recovery journey shines through to every individual that she meets.

Ashley McLeod, Client Support Administrator

Ashley is a wife, the mother of three children and is in long-term recovery. Ashley began her journey of recovery as a client at Options and says she "felt defeated and lost but when she came to Options, she gained hope and faith and felt accepted for the first time in her life".

As our Client Support Administrator, Ashley is often the first voice you will hear when you reach out for help. Her soft, understanding demeanour makes people comfortable from the very beginning of their journey. Her understanding of our program and of the Twelve Steps makes her an integral part of our center. She is Certified Administrative Assistant and is also a Certified Health Care Assistant. Ashley is a huge part of our team, and we are very proud to have her working with us.

Dan Welte, Chef

Dan heads up our nutrition team and has years of experience in the culinary arts. Originally from South Africa, Dan studied Culinary Arts at Westminster Kingsway College in London, England. Dan has a strong background in sports performance nutrition and brings his extensive knowledge to each and every one of our clients. After spending five years travelling the globe, experiencing different cultures and cuisine, Dan has settled down in Kelowna and has become an integral part of our Options Team. Dan believes in in the healing power of proper nutrition as a catalyst to wellbeing.

Erika Dempster, Client Support Administrator and Support Worker

Erika is an Options Alumni, and we are proud to have her on our team. Through her recovery, Erika has learned how to live her life to the fullest. She has a passion for helping others and understands that recovery must come first in her life. Her long-term goal is to become an addictions counselor and continue to help others as she was helped. Her soft demeanour and attention to detail makes Options a warm, comfortable place for our clients.

Carolyn McLeod, Client Support Administrator

Carolyn is often one of the first people you will meet when you come to Options. Carolyn has twenty-plus years of experience in Office Administration and brings her warm, caring, and welcoming presence to our center. Carolyn is a mother and grandmother and has experienced the family disease of addiction first-hand. She offers a unique perspective to our clients, as she has gone through her own journey with family members. She understands how addiction tears families apart and how recovery can bring them back together.

Patrick Pearson, Support Worker

Patrick is often the first person you will meet when you come to Options. He spends his time greeting new clients at the airport and seeing them off again when it’s time to go home. He takes our clients to outside meetings, doctor’s appointments, and anywhere else they might need to go. In 2020 Patrick found recovery after decades of addiction. He has devoted his life to helping others, is warm and kind and has his own brand of gentle humor. He is a husband, father, and grandfather, and says that “he is having the best time in his life”, owing it all his recovery. Patrick is a huge part of the Options Family and is a shining example of how recovery works and that it’s never to late to change!

Aftercare Team for Options Treatment Center, Kelowna, BC

Doug Mackenzie, Executive Director

Doug Mackenzie has over 25 years in the addiction field from residential management, group facilitating, public speaking, and private practice. Doug is well known for his ability to connect with his clients and their families on a one to one basis or group setting. Doug’s personal journey in recovery for the last 26 years allows him to understand what you are going through and to motivate you to get where you want to be in your life. Doug’s commitment to living in the solution is attractive personal, and fun.

Susie Golemba, CCAC, CIDAI, Program Manager

Susie is the Program Director and Lead Counselor at Options. She is a person in long-term recovery and is a mother and grandmother. Susie believes in the power of choice and the power of change. Susie has developed the Options program with the belief that recovery is possible for everyone who truly wants it. She has a strong belief that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy combined with Twelve Step programs is the most effective treatment modality for long term recovery. Her motto is "change your thinking, change your life". Susie also believes that love, compassion, understanding and respect are the key to sobriety and recovery and brings those things to each and every client who comes to Options.

Through her own recovery journey Susie has gained a solid understanding that addiction is a family disease. She is passionate about working with families, educating them, and supporting them while their loved one is in treatment.

"I am proud of our center; I am proud of our program, and I am proud of everyone who has the courage to take a leap of faith into recovery from addiction".