Our Team

Shanna Meyer, MA, LCMHC, MT-BC, Interim Vice President of Operations in New England

Shanna received her Master’s degree in Expressive Therapies and Mental Health Counseling, with a specialization in music therapy, from Lesley University. She holds licensure as a clinical mental health counselor in Vermont and Massachusetts and is a board certified music therapist. Shanna’s past clinical work focused on treating adolescents with complex trauma in alternative school and residential settings. This work inspired her to pursue a post-graduate certificate in post-traumatic stress studies at The Trauma Center in Brookline, MA.

In 2014, Shanna became the Director at Pelham Academy in Lexington, MA, a residential program for adolescents healing from complex trauma. During her tenure as Director, she implemented a variety of innovative programs, including an expressive therapies program and the opening of a second campus designed to support residents in the development of independent living skills and access to the community. Shanna studied with Kristine Kinniburgh to become a trainer in the ARC Framework, which informed her work at Pelham Academy and most recently her role as the Area Manager of Children, Youth & Families Outpatient Services at HCRS in Hartford, VT.

She has served as Adjunct Faculty in the Expressive Therapies Division at Lesley University since 2010 and has supervised Master’s level interns from a variety of school and clinical training programs. Shanna has been an active member of her professional community, holding a board position with the New England chapter of the American Music Therapy Association and presenting at regional conferences.

Shanna currently lives in Newbury, VT with her husband and two dogs. She enjoys singing, cooking, yoga, meditation, spending time outdoors, exploring new places, and snuggling her pups!

Stephen J. Schramm, Director of Major Giving

Stephen was with Merry Meadow Farm, now Averte for a few years in the late eighties, spent 5 years working for NH community mental health, and has been back since 1993 when he returned as a case manager, later assuming the assistant director position.

In 1999, Stephen took over the duties of CEO and became the Co-Owner in 2015.

In 2022, when Averte began their partnership with Trivium Life Services, Steve took on the role of Sr. Advisor of Strategic Partnerships. Within this role, Steve focuses on business development and philanthropy.

Stephen, lives locally with his wife Rebecca, Averte’s skills specialist, and has two grown children.  Stephen can be reached at 802-222-9394 or at Stephen@averte.com

Kristin Calderon, MBA, National Outreach Manager

A native of Staten Island, New York, Kristin now resides in Barnegat, New Jersey, where she balances her career and family life as a wife and proud mother of two children. With a strong background in business development and outreach within the behavioral healthcare industry, Kristin’s true calling lies in supporting individuals facing mental health challenges substance use disorders. She is deeply committed to removing the stigma surrounding these issues and breaking down barriers to access quality care. Outside of work, she enjoys the company of her French Bulldogs and Boston Terrier and exploring new destinations through travel. Kristin holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an MBA in Healthcare Management, demonstrating her dedication to continuous learning and personal growth.

Kristin can be reached at 802-480-1351 or Kristin.Calderon@averte.com

Noah Zind, Admissions & Outreach Coordinator

Bio coming soon!

Dr. Benjamin Shapiro, MD, Psychiatrist

Dr. Benjamin Shapiro is a board-certified psychiatrist with a passion for treating individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. He received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in applied mathematics and statistics from Johns Hopkins University and earned his medical doctorate from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He completed his psychiatry residency at Dartmouth in 2024, where he served as a chief resident.

Dr. Shapiro travels to Vermont every two weeks to provide direct care to residents at Averte, where he is deeply involved in supporting individuals with complex psychiatric needs. His work at Averte reflects his commitment to evidence-based, compassionate care that engages both patients and their families in the treatment process.

In addition to his role at Averte, Dr. Shapiro serves as the Associate Medical Director of Intensive Psychiatric Services at Mid Coast Hospital in Maine. There, he oversees psychiatric service lines and maintains an active clinical practice, including inpatient care, emergency and medical consultations, and electroconvulsive therapy. He also teaches Tufts University medical students in Maine as part of Mid Coast’s academic partnership.

Douglas L. Noordsy, Consulting Psychiatrist

Douglas L. Noordsy, MD, is Clinical Professor, Director of Sports Psychiatry, and psychiatrist on the INSPIRE Early Psychosis Clinic in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine

In addition to being the previous Medical Director at Meadow Farm since 2010, Douglas L. Noordsy, MD, was Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Psychosis Services at Dartmouth Medical School, and an Investigator with the Dartmouth Psychopharmacology Research Group. Dr. Noordsy earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at St. Lawrence University, and a Medical Doctorate at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He completed residency in Psychiatry at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and has served on faculty at Dartmouth since.

Dr. Noordsy provided psychiatric care and medical leadership at Dartmouth-affiliated CMHCs from 1989-2003. He currently serves as Attending Psychiatrist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. He is a reviewer for multiple journals, including The American Journal of Psychiatry, Schizophrenia Research, and The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Dr. Noordsy received the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 2001.

Dr. Noordsy’s research interests are in treatments for people with comorbid substance abuse and severe mental illness, and in synergistic effects between medications and psychosocial rehabilitation that may facilitate recovery from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. He is co-investigator on several randomized, blinded trials of second-generation antipsychotic medications funded by NIMH, NIDA or NIAAA comparing vocational, symptom, and substance use outcomes of various agents among individuals with both first-episode and chronic schizophrenia.

Kelly Jo Woodside (she/her), MS, Rehabilitation Counselor / Clinician (CRC)

Kelly Jo Woodside (she/her) is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) who comes to the counseling field after two decades working in library science and higher education. She earned her MS in clinical rehabilitation counseling at UMass Boston and is currently pursuing licensure as a clinical mental health counselor. Her work takes a recovery-oriented approach, with a focus on helping people identify and achieve their personal goals, including employment, education, independent living, and community engagement.

Kelly completed her internship at Health Care & Rehabilitation Services in Hartford, VT, where she provided community mental health services for youth. Previously, she was a consultant and trainer with the Massachusetts Library System, where her work involved learning design and career development for library staff. Kelly has also worked as an academic reference and information literacy librarian and a career resource librarian. She has an MS in library and information science from Simmons University.

Kelly lives with her partner and their two cats in the Upper Valley. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, live music, good food, and travel.

Erica Young, MA is a Clinician

Erica Young, MA, earned her Master’s degree from Saint Michael’s College. Erica worked in the public school system for over 10 years, most recently running academic programs for students with complex social emotional challenges. She has a deep interest in working with people suffering from trauma.

She has received in-the-field training in a psychodynamic, relational model of trauma-informed practice (Healing the Self), this model was recognized by the APA in 2021 as an outstanding contribution to education and training in psychology on the national level. She then went on to train and consult with others regarding the application of this model.

Erica was published in APA’s Division 39 Division Review Journal in 2021 – “The Restorative Classroom: A Psychoanalytic Playground in a Public School”, winning the Schillinger Prize for this essay. She has presented papers and cases on relationship-based, trauma-informed practice in Washington DC, Chicago, and Nashville for various national organizations. Erica enjoys spending time with her family and being outside in the beautiful Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire.

Rebecca Schramm, BSW, Skills Specialist

Rebecca has been with Averte since 2003. Rebecca began her career with the Head Start organization in the 90′s then took the Directors position with the Orange County Parent and Child Center.

Upon starting a family Rebecca chose to scale back to part time and carries a small caseload at Averte, which has now grown into more direct contact hours as well as leading and co-leading groups at several houses.

Rebecca lives in Bradford with her husband and two children.

Rhonda Orr, Market Director

After many years of successfully managing the Hanover House and Bradford House, Rhonda transitioned to Market Director in beginning of 2024.

Rhonda is an integral part of the team at Averte, and shows a consistent desire to provide both staff and residents with opportunities to grow and develop. Over the years Rhonda has engaged in professional development, and has successfully completed the management certificate course from the State of Vermont.

In her free time, Rhonda enjoys numerous outdoor activities such as camping, boating and spending time with her family.

Rhonda can be reached at 802-222-4601 or at  rhonda.orr@averte.com

LaDonna Bassett, Main Campus Program Manager

Ladonna Bassett is currently Averte’s Main Campus Program Manager. Ladonna has worked in this field for over 20 years in a variety of roles, including many years as a Residential Program Manager at Averte as well as a therapeutic activity manager.

Ladonna is passionate about guiding/teaching individuals to gain the skills and confidence needed to obtain their goals to live independently. She specializes in helping individuals develop skills to live independently in their own environment.

Ladonna resides in Newbury, Vermont with her husband. Ladonna enjoys spending time with family, sharing with her grandchildren her many talents and knowledge, may it be gardening, cooking, crafts, and woodworking, and also enjoys the outdoors.

Abigail Schramm, Birch House Program Manager

Abigail has worked on and off for Averte for the past eight years in a number of roles and in each of the houses as support staff, cook, cleaner, admission coordinator and more.

She is excited to help people find community, support and excellent treatment here at Averte. In her free time Abigail enjoys spending time with family, painting/drawing, and reading.

Cheyenne Dunnells, BS, Bradford House Program Manager

Cheyenne has been affiliated with Averte for about 4 years, working as a support staff at the Bradford House full time and then eventually part time. Cheyenne has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University in 2020 while continuing to work in the mental health field.

Before transitioning into the Skills Specialist role Cheyenne worked at Clara Martin Center as a Behavioral Interventionist, assisting children and adolescents to make positive changes in their lives. In 2024, Cheyenne transitioned to Program Manager at the Bradford House.

Having a passion for helping people lead healthy and confident lives Cheyenne became a Certified Personal Trainer and plans to bring that passion into Averte where she will lead a Healthy Living group as well as co-lead other groups.

Jeff Harris, Program Manager

Jeff is Averte’s Program Manager for the Hanover House. He started working for the company in 2010 when it was Merry Meadow Farm. After working as support staff for 10 years at the Hanover House, the opportunity to manage presented itself. With the experience & knowledge of the day to day operations of house & medications, it was a seamless transition.

Jeff lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He enjoys riding his Harley Davidson, attending concerts, camping, and working on his house in his free time.

Corey Goodrich, Facility Manager

Corey Goodridge joined Averte in 2017 as the Facility Manager.
He grew up in the construction and mechanics field. He lives in Bradford with his wife and son. He enjoys spending time outdoors, camping, and working on projects around the house.