Our Team of Providers

Founder & Executive Director of the Foundation for Family Life, (former South Dakota State & University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor), leads development of Foundation initiatives and collaborates with providers and partner programs delivering services (Family Life Coach Institute, Family Life Center, Redwood Recovery, MentorWorks, FatherWorks, NativeWorks, etc.). For three decades Dr. White has focused on strengthening family life through several areas including coaching, mentoring, responsible fatherhood, substance-abuse prevention, & evidence-based risk-prevention programs. He is especially passionate about his work with developing family life coaches around the world (familylifecoachinstitute.org). He worked with Dakota & Lakota tribes to develop a culturally-specific, family-oriented alcohol, drug, & suicide prevention program called Takoja Niwiciyape: Giving Life to the Grandchildren. His experience with design & implementation of fatherhood programs has been key to the successful, federally-funded MentorWorks reentry program (transition from incarceration) that significantly reduces relapse & recidivism. With 40 years of sobriety, Dr. White understands the devastating cycle of addiction & incarceration & how to help those ready to change their destructive life patterns. He served a Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ in Denver, Colorado (1986-1988), earned Bachelors (1992) & Masters (1994) degrees from Utah State University, & a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University (1997). He co-founded the Dakota Fatherhood Initiative & co-authored the book Why Fathers Count (with Sean Brotherson). He & Alice, his wife of 34 years are the parents of 8 children (7 girls, 1 boy: ranging in age from 16 to 32) & 7 grandchildren.

Casey Telford is the Program Supervisor for our MentorWorks healthy transition homes and Redwood Recovery substance-abuse treatment program. He is a certified Peer Support Specialist, Targeted Case Manager, and MRT instructor (Moral Reconation Therapy), He works with clients directly along with the treatment team to facilitate the progression from intake to graduation. With 5 years of sobriety and graduating the MentorWorks program in 2019 himself, he understands the challenges of recovery. He believes that quitting drugs and/or alcohol is the easy part. Everything that comes after that is the true challenge.

Casey is happily married to his wife Danielle. They have 3 beautiful daughters Amber, Harlowe, and Lylah. He spends every day continuing his recovery journey to be the best possible man and father when given the chance to reunite with Harlowe and Lylah.

Hi, my name is Buddy and I am a certified CPSS / Case Manager at Foundation for Family Life. My interests are art, music, and fitness. One day I hope to become a tattoo artist and own a business revolving around making art and music in all its forms. I came into the recovery world about 5 years ago, but have been sober for a little over 2 years. It took me a lot of trial and error before it finally stuck, but I couldn’t be more grateful that it did. Now I spend my days giving back to the community that was once so giving to me. I wouldn’t be here today without the support I have received here myself and now I get to be that for others. The sense of family and support around here is unlike anything I’ve experienced anywhere else. What separates us from others is the sense of community we have. We understand what it is like to go through recovery because we all are in recovery ourselves. We don’t give up on people because we understand that it takes time to change those behaviors that are so heavily engrained in us. I look forward to continuing the work I do here because it is so important. I’m proud of who I am today and the work that I get to do here at Foundation for Family Life.

My name is Jason Hodges and I enjoy Fishing and camping, when I have the chance I like to weld and build things. I also have 4 years of recovery and really enjoy life now.

What I most enjoy about working here are my experiences I can share with our clients and how I can relate to what they are going through, I hope by seeing where I have come from it can empower their recovery journey.

My name is Joshua Brinkerhoff, I’m 41 years old and the proud father of seven children. Most of my
interests are intertwined with the activities my children participate in. Whether that be theatre,
coaching, golf etc. Most of all I take a lot of pride in what my daughter and her friends call, a “Dance
Dad”.

What I enjoy most about working at the Foundation for Family Life is the community. The pouring out of
support, understanding and care that we all have for one another and growth, not only in the clients we
support but also in my personal life. Being able to share the struggles I had with addiction, how I was
able to reclaim my life and the steps I take every day to continue building upon those successes. The
thing I look forward to most of all in the future, being blessed to watch the clients I work with build
confidence in themselves, putting in the time and effort necessary to complete this chapter of their lives
and watching them finish a completely different person than the one who first came in the door.

My name is Chuck Conover and I am 51 years old, I grew up in Sandy, Ut where I played football, basketball and baseball at Jordan high school. I went on to play baseball at the College of eastern Utah for one year and then transferred to the University of Utah where I played football. I have 2 children ages 23 and 20 and I love spending time with them and watching their journey as a proud Dad.

The things I most enjoy about working here are the relationships that I have built and continue to build. I love being a steady figure in these guys life as they navigate each turn in their recovery, I try to listen to what they have to say and give them feedback from my perspective and my experiences.

I am a dedicated and compassionate professional with a strong academic foundation in Marriage and Family Studies, graduating with a Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University–Idaho in April 2025. I have been married for 25 years and have 3 children. In my free time I enjoy reading, baking, running, and being outdoors. My passion lies in strengthening families, empowering individuals, and promoting healthy relationships through evidence-based practices and collaborative support.

I hold multiple specialized certificates in areas including Human Services, Family Theory and Research, Advanced Marriage and Family Functioning, and Marriage, Family, and Human Relations. As a Certified Family Life Coach, I bring theory-driven problem-solving skills and a client-centered approach to help individuals and families navigate challenges and reach their goals. My strengths include effective communication, teamwork in online environments, time management, and leadership. I am deeply committed to making a positive difference in the lives of those I serve and am always seeking opportunities to grow and contribute within the field of family life education and coaching.

I graduated from the U in 1999, and started working at the Utah Alcohol Foundation, which started my journey into the recovery arena and I have been here since. I got my SUDC in 2002 and my ASUDC in 2006. I worked with women at House of Hope for 9 years and then moved to Valley’s CORE program working with men and have found I enjoy working with men and have tried to stay working with men. I love doing research about many different topics and I raise dogs, tiny maltese/poodle/yorkies. I enjoy many hobbies that keep me busy when not working so I am never bored.

Corinne Sullivan, BCNP, ASUDC is a Board-Certified Naturopathic Practitioner and Holistic Psychotherapist with 25 years of clinical and educational experience. She specializes in integrating functional medicine, naturopathy, and holistic psychotherapy to support mental health, addiction recovery, and whole-person wellness.

Corinne focuses on identifying root causes of emotional and physical imbalances while helping individuals build resilience, self-awareness, and sustainable lifestyle changes. She is passionate about advancing integrative, preventative approaches to mental health that promote long-term wellbeing and person-centered care.

I grew up in Salt Lake County, Utah, and have always been a service-oriented person. Over the years, I have volunteered with several local organizations, including Primary Children’s Hospital, the Humane Society, and Thanksgiving Point. In my free time, I enjoy crocheting, spending time with my family, being a cat parent, and reading self-help and personal development books.

I earned my associate’s degree in Social Work from Salt Lake Community College, where I also completed the coursework required to become a licensed substance use disorder counselor. I completed my internship at Redwood Recovery, where I now work supporting individuals in their recovery journeys. In my practice, I am dedicated to helping people rediscover purpose, build resilience, and create meaningful change in their lives. I look forward to continuing to expand my therapeutic skills while helping individuals move toward hope, stability, and a life aligned with their core values.

Jeff has lived in the intermountain west for 30+ years- spending time in southeast Idaho, Davis, Cache, and Salt Lake Counties. He graduated from Utah State University with a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling, and has worked in the mental health/ addiction field since receiving an ACMHC. He also has graduated from Idaho State University and BYU-Idaho. As a previous employee of Utah State University, Bear River Mental Health, and the State of Utah, Jeff is skilled in utilizing CBT, DBT, ACT, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). Jeff is married and has 4 adult children and 4 adult step children. He remains an avid bicyclist, and for nearly 10 years has ridden a 50-mile bike ride around Bear Lake each Fall with his Dad.