National Counseling Awareness Month - Meet Our Counselors

National Counseling Awareness Month is a month-long event that celebrates the important role of counselors in promoting mental health and wellness. It is an opportunity to recognize the dedicated professionals who help individuals, families, and communities cope with challenges and lead healthier lives. By recognizing this important profession and its impact on our society, we can continue to build a more supportive environment for those struggling with mental health issues.

The counseling profession joined the VHA in 2010 after Congress recognized LPMHCs and MFTs (marriage and family therapists) as a specific occupational category of mental specialists under Public Law 109-461.   VHA 1165 through the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention recognized LPMHCs and MFTS as two of six core mental health professions. History of the profession can be traced back to the 1900s where there was an emergence of interest in prevention of anxiety and depression and a progressive guidance movement in the schools.  Each decade as major issues changed society the counseling profession grew with a philosophical focus on humanism.  

Care was centered on the value of the person.   The industrial revolution and World War I drove forward a need for vocational guidance and intelligence testing (WWI army intelligence testing) both areas where the counseling profession was at the forefront.  World War II continued the need for vocational guidance and support of returning Veterans.  The mental health movement focused on humane treatment of individuals with mental illness also was fostered as part of the counseling profession in the 1900s. In 1946 through the George Barden Act both counseling and psychology were provided grants by the VA.  The field of counseling was solidified as a profession in the 1950s and was part of the community mental health act in 1963.  The profession continued its development in the decades following including national certification for counselors and individual state licensure. 

Current foci in the counseling profession include: social justice, inclusion in practice, trauma informed care and other topics relevant to societal change.  LPMHCs provide intakes as part of their counseling services.  They provide a range of evidence-based practices given their individual backgrounds.  Crisis intervention is provided by all licensed mental health staff.  Some of our LPMHCs also work as program coordinators which includes a range of counseling, staff training, outreach, and liaison work. 

 

Our current list of Counselors as of April 2023:

Tiffany Becker, LCPC

OPMH Clinic Manager

 Tiffany Becker is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who has been with the VA in Behavioral Medicine for a little over ten years. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Master’s in Educational Psychology from SIUC. She spent 12 years working in a community counseling agency before starting her career at the VA. During her time at the VA, Tiffany has held the positions of Outpatient Therapist, MST Coordinator, and Local Recovery Coordinator. She is currently the Outpatient Manager in Behavioral Medicine Services. Tiffany is passionate about her work with Veterans and ensuring that Veterans are getting the highest quality of care in Behavioral Medicine.

 

Lorianne Schmider, PhD, LCPC

Local Recovery Coordinator

Dr. Lorianne Schmider is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who has been with the VA in Behavioral Medicine for almost 8 years. She worked in our Marion Outpatient Mental Health as one of the clinical care coordinators until late March 2022 when she took on the role of Local Recovery Coordinator.    She completed her bachelor’s degree in Communicative Disorders and master’s in educational psychology/MFCC from California State University, Northridge.  Dr. Schmider has worked in the field since 1987.  She completed her doctorate in Counselor Education from SIUC in 1994.  Dr. Schmider worked in the local community in neuro-rehab, rape crisis center and community mental health until she joined the VA in 2015.  She has dedicated her career to reducing stigma towards mental health, building hope in recovery, understanding trauma and is passionate about serving Veterans.  She has Veterans in her extended family and her husband’s.  She is excited to be a part of an organization who can both represent compassion and dedication to quality care. 

 

Lauren Rains, LPCC

PCMHI Coordinator

Lauren Rains is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with nearly 10 years of experience. Lauren completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Kentucky (go Cats!) and her master’s degree in Counseling and Human Development at Lindsey Wilson College. Most of Lauren's career has been at Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital.  After beginning her career as a therapist on the behavioral health inpatient unit, she felt she had the experience to then accept the position of Intake Therapist in the Emergency Department. Although this was her favorite role at Mercy, the evening hours were less and less appealing. When the Outpatient Mental Health Therapist position became available, Lauren readily accepted the position to become the first individual therapist in the office. After nearly a decade at Mercy Health, Lauren accepted the Primary Care Mental Health Integration position in November 2019 at the VA where she then became PCMHI Coordinator as of last year. Lauren enjoys working closely with the PACT teams to serve our Veterans and provide brief and solution-focused treatment.

 

Denise O’Connor

Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator

Denise O’Connor is a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor with around ten years of experience. She worked as an outpatient therapist in community mental health for seven years before joining the team at the Marion VA Medical Center a little over three years ago as an outpatient therapist in Mayfield, Kentucky. She left that position in July of 2022 and is currently a Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator in Marion, Illinois. She completed her undergraduate degree in Sociology at Arizona State University and earned a Masters in Mental Health Counseling from Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky. Denise is proud to be an Air Force veteran and hopes to continue helping veterans in the criminal justice system for a long time to come.

 

Courtney Bell, LCPC

MST Coordinator

 Courtney Bell is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who has been working at the VA in Behavioral Medicine for 5 years.  She completed her bachelors and master’s degrees at Murray State University where she studied Clinical Mental Health Counseling.  Courtney completed a year internship at the Marion VAMC.  After graduation she was hired as a therapist in the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic. Courtney then transitioned to the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Specialty Clinic (PCT).  She also serves as the Military Sexual Trauma Coordinator for our healthcare system.  Courtney has a strong passion for helping Veterans build themselves back up into the best version of themselves.

 

Nikki Jeters, LCPC

SUD Therapist

 Nikki Jeters  is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with over 10 years of experience. Nikki received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at SIUC and returned years later to receive her master’s degree in Educational Psychology. Nikki has spent most of her therapeutic career serving in community agencies. She comes from a family of Veteran’s, and it was always her hope to be able to give back to such a wonderful community of people. Nikki was very happy to accept a position with the Marion VA and joined OPMH in December of 2019. Nikki has recently changed positions and is now working with SUD and is enjoying serving a new population of Veterans.  

 

Maria Dulle, LCPC

OPMH Therapist

 Maria Dulle is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who has been working with Behavioral Health for 3 years.  Maria completed bachelor’s degrees in Music and Psychology, followed by a master’s degree in Counselor Education, specializing in school counseling at SIUC.  After graduation, Maria was hired as a SUD/MH counselor at the Centralia Community Resource Center, in this role she worked with a wide range of populations; strong emphasis with k-12 students.  Maria decided to change the course of her prospective role as school counselor and pursued a new direction in VA healthcare in 2020.  Since joining the team, she has loved working with Veterans and maintains a strong desire to grow in practice to meet Veteran needs. 

 

Tracy Smith, LCPC

Homeless Case Manager

Tracy has worked in the mental health field for the past 26 years. She  is currently  Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who has been working in Behavioral Health for 7 years at the Marion VA. 

 Tracy is currently working as a Homeless Case Manager. Tracy’s educational background consists of a Bachelor’s Degree in Home Economics Education. After graduation, she taught High School for 5 years and returned to complete a Master’s Degree in Education Psychology with specialties in Substance Abuse and Marriage and Family therapy.  After graduation, Tracy was hired as a SUD counselor for youth at the Franklin-Williamson Human Services and then later was their first Full-time on call counselor.  After working at Franklin Williamson for 3 years Tracy began working as a mobile assessor for 5 years at Spirit of St. Louis Hospital in St. Charles, Mo. providing mental health services to children in the Southern Illinois area.  After the hospital experience ,she went to work at the Department of Corrections for 11 years as a Mental Health Professional.