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SAMHSA is accepting applications for up to $15.6 million to fund Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP Act) grants
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for up to a four year total of $15.6 million to fund STOP Act grants aimed at preventing alcohol use among underage youth in communities across the nation. The STOP Act program was created to strengthen collaboration among communities, the Federal more
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About CTS
We are Your Platform for Professional Development.
We offer a variety of Prevention trainings through Coordinated Training Services (CTS), HIV-related trainings through the Texas HIV Connection, and Workplace Wellness Professional Development trainings through Alliance Work Partners (AWP). Learn More About Us >>
We offer a variety of Prevention trainings through Coordinated Training Services (CTS), HIV-related trainings through the Texas HIV Connection, and Workplace Wellness Professional Development trainings through Alliance Work Partners (AWP). Learn More About Us >>
About Our Staff
Meet the Team!
Terry Cowan – CEO of Workers Assistance Program
Ann Starr – Vice President Enterprise Services
Debra Ellison – Grants Operations Director
Samantha Thompson – CTS Director
Scott Shipman – CTS Manager/Training Coordinator
Travis Fowler – Training & Development Specialist
Brad Lindgren - HIV Connection Program Director & Trainer
Joseph Duarte – HIV Connection Training Specialist
Tara Cowan – PAL® Manager
Tory Gant – PAL® Training Director
Maggie Cowan – Office Manager
Capri Guerra – A-Team
Terry Cowan
CEO
WAP's Chief Executive Office since 1984. He is one of the original employees from WAP’s startup in 1977. Successful in the employee assistance programs and risk prevention training businesses for over 30 years, he brings an entrepreneurs' approach to non-profit management. Terry is active in Central Texas environmental, water quality and community work to address people's basic essential needs. Terry also served the community as an elected official, winning seven elections as a Councilman and Mayor of a small Texas town. He was active in Austin's counter-culture during its hey-day and earned a Bachelor's Degree with Honors and Lyndon Baines Johnson Master of Public Affairs degree at University of Texas at Austin. Terry is a union member and loves his job at WAP most of the time.
Terry Cowan – CEO of Workers Assistance Program
Ann Starr – Vice President Enterprise Services
Debra Ellison – Grants Operations Director
Samantha Thompson – CTS Director
Scott Shipman – CTS Manager/Training Coordinator
Travis Fowler – Training & Development Specialist
Brad Lindgren - HIV Connection Program Director & Trainer
Joseph Duarte – HIV Connection Training Specialist
Tara Cowan – PAL® Manager
Tory Gant – PAL® Training Director
Maggie Cowan – Office Manager
Capri Guerra – A-Team
Terry Cowan
CEO
WAP's Chief Executive Office since 1984. He is one of the original employees from WAP’s startup in 1977. Successful in the employee assistance programs and risk prevention training businesses for over 30 years, he brings an entrepreneurs' approach to non-profit management. Terry is active in Central Texas environmental, water quality and community work to address people's basic essential needs. Terry also served the community as an elected official, winning seven elections as a Councilman and Mayor of a small Texas town. He was active in Austin's counter-culture during its hey-day and earned a Bachelor's Degree with Honors and Lyndon Baines Johnson Master of Public Affairs degree at University of Texas at Austin. Terry is a union member and loves his job at WAP most of the time.
Ann Starr, BS Education MSW
Vice President Enterprise Services
Ann’s educational and professional background has provided her with opportunities to work with state government, Fortune 500 companies as well as small to medium sized organizations. Ann has over 25 years of experience working in the private sector primarily for Fortune 500 companies. Ann began her career after graduate school as an employee relations specialist for Motorola. She founded and developed the first in-house employee assistance program for Motorola and became a sought after expert on designing and implementing these programs. In addition to managing the employee assistance program, Ann was also a practicing clinician and counseled adults and adolescents.
Subsequently, Ann went to work for Dell as a Human Resources manager where she eventually was promoted to a Director of Human Resources. During her tenure with Dell Ann held a wide variety of positions where she was responsible tor administering human resources policies and procedures including employee relations, compliance, training, recruiting and retention programs. As a business partner, Ann consulted with executives in all aspects of the business including international HR in Europe and Asia, sales, IT, finance and manufacturing.
Ann has also been a leadership and executive consultant and coach for a variety of organizations with a primary focus on small to medium sized businesses and state agencies. In this role, Ann has focused on ways to help executives, leaders and teams be more effective in their positions as well as helping their organizations be more efficient.
Vice President Enterprise Services
Ann’s educational and professional background has provided her with opportunities to work with state government, Fortune 500 companies as well as small to medium sized organizations. Ann has over 25 years of experience working in the private sector primarily for Fortune 500 companies. Ann began her career after graduate school as an employee relations specialist for Motorola. She founded and developed the first in-house employee assistance program for Motorola and became a sought after expert on designing and implementing these programs. In addition to managing the employee assistance program, Ann was also a practicing clinician and counseled adults and adolescents.
Subsequently, Ann went to work for Dell as a Human Resources manager where she eventually was promoted to a Director of Human Resources. During her tenure with Dell Ann held a wide variety of positions where she was responsible tor administering human resources policies and procedures including employee relations, compliance, training, recruiting and retention programs. As a business partner, Ann consulted with executives in all aspects of the business including international HR in Europe and Asia, sales, IT, finance and manufacturing.
Ann has also been a leadership and executive consultant and coach for a variety of organizations with a primary focus on small to medium sized businesses and state agencies. In this role, Ann has focused on ways to help executives, leaders and teams be more effective in their positions as well as helping their organizations be more efficient.
Debra Ellison
Grants Operations Director
Debi came to Workers Assistance Program, Inc. (WAP) in 2001. She is the Grants Operations Director, which means she helps to oversee effective contract management for the CTS, Texas HIV Connection, and Youth Advocacy divisions at WAP. She is a native of Austin, Texas who obtained a Bachelors in Business and Management with a Major in Business Management from St. Edward's University. Her role allows her to interact with the different programs under WAP's umbrella, and experience how each program serves their target population.
Grants Operations Director
Debi came to Workers Assistance Program, Inc. (WAP) in 2001. She is the Grants Operations Director, which means she helps to oversee effective contract management for the CTS, Texas HIV Connection, and Youth Advocacy divisions at WAP. She is a native of Austin, Texas who obtained a Bachelors in Business and Management with a Major in Business Management from St. Edward's University. Her role allows her to interact with the different programs under WAP's umbrella, and experience how each program serves their target population.
Samantha Thompson
CTS Director
Samantha Thompson is a graduate of the University of South Florida and has also attended Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. Her unique childhood experiences growing up in Saudi Arabia, as well as her multicultural background, have instilled in her a deep appreciation for cultural diversity as well as a heightened awareness of racial and ethnic health disparities in the United States. Samantha has a passion for learning and a genuine enthusiasm for connecting with others. Her interests are varied and range from cancer biology and environmental public health to the learning sciences, including Educational Psychology, knowledge translation and information design. She is a member of the e-Learning Guild and the Colorado Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute, and spends her free time practicing Thai with her mom, and enjoying the company of her musician husband and sweet daughter, Lulu Pearl. Samantha is dedicated to WAP’s mission of creating better schools, workplaces, and communities, and loves to help any way that she can.
CTS Director
Samantha Thompson is a graduate of the University of South Florida and has also attended Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. Her unique childhood experiences growing up in Saudi Arabia, as well as her multicultural background, have instilled in her a deep appreciation for cultural diversity as well as a heightened awareness of racial and ethnic health disparities in the United States. Samantha has a passion for learning and a genuine enthusiasm for connecting with others. Her interests are varied and range from cancer biology and environmental public health to the learning sciences, including Educational Psychology, knowledge translation and information design. She is a member of the e-Learning Guild and the Colorado Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute, and spends her free time practicing Thai with her mom, and enjoying the company of her musician husband and sweet daughter, Lulu Pearl. Samantha is dedicated to WAP’s mission of creating better schools, workplaces, and communities, and loves to help any way that she can.
Scott Shipman
CTS Manager/Training Coordinator
Scott attended Southwest Texas State University, graduating in 2002 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. In addition, over the past 10 years he has attended and participated in myriad on the job training and professional development courses focusing on subjects ranging from conflict resolution and employee relations to creative business thinking and personal development like the classic Seven Habits of Highly Effective People course. Scott has over 15 years experience in the customer service fields, ranging from direct customer interaction to account management. Over the course of this career he has held customer service liaison positions for companies across the board from grocery stores to insurance companies and education facilities. He also has five + years of training experience for peers and youths. As a trainer at a workers compensation insurance company he provided internal support for such diverse departments as the Legal Team, Procedural Hearings Team, Imaging Correspondence Team and the Special Investigations Team. In an educational capacity he has been a teacher for workshops covering normal office programming such as Microsoft word, as well as an education outreach company specializing in SAT and ACT prep work for college bound students.
Brad Lindgren
HIV Connection Program Director
Brad started with the HIV Connection in September of 2006. His background in the HIV field began in the fall of 1997. He volunteered doing street outreach and harm reduction to the homeless and IDU populations in the Austin area. Because of his desire to help others, he began working full time doing street outreach/harm reduction and as an Advocacy/Outreach caseworker. Brad also completed the hours necessary for his LCDC. In 2004, Brad was placed on the Texas Department of Health PCPE registry. His commitment to the community and others along with his background in substance abuse makes him an asset to the team.
CTS Manager/Training Coordinator
Scott attended Southwest Texas State University, graduating in 2002 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. In addition, over the past 10 years he has attended and participated in myriad on the job training and professional development courses focusing on subjects ranging from conflict resolution and employee relations to creative business thinking and personal development like the classic Seven Habits of Highly Effective People course. Scott has over 15 years experience in the customer service fields, ranging from direct customer interaction to account management. Over the course of this career he has held customer service liaison positions for companies across the board from grocery stores to insurance companies and education facilities. He also has five + years of training experience for peers and youths. As a trainer at a workers compensation insurance company he provided internal support for such diverse departments as the Legal Team, Procedural Hearings Team, Imaging Correspondence Team and the Special Investigations Team. In an educational capacity he has been a teacher for workshops covering normal office programming such as Microsoft word, as well as an education outreach company specializing in SAT and ACT prep work for college bound students.
Brad Lindgren
HIV Connection Program Director
Brad started with the HIV Connection in September of 2006. His background in the HIV field began in the fall of 1997. He volunteered doing street outreach and harm reduction to the homeless and IDU populations in the Austin area. Because of his desire to help others, he began working full time doing street outreach/harm reduction and as an Advocacy/Outreach caseworker. Brad also completed the hours necessary for his LCDC. In 2004, Brad was placed on the Texas Department of Health PCPE registry. His commitment to the community and others along with his background in substance abuse makes him an asset to the team.
HIV Connection Training Specialist
Joseph brings both PBC (Protocol Based Counseling) and outreach experience to the Texas HIV Connection. He received his Bachelor’s degree in German from the University of Texas at Austin and has a minor in Mexican American Studies. After volunteering as a hotline crisis counselor for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) in New York City, he moved back to Austin where he resumed his work in the HIV field with the C.A.R.E. Program. After a year of outreach work, Joseph moved into the testing and counseling field, where he found his passion for helping others as it pertains to HIV prevention and risk reduction counseling. Although he formally left the Outreach Team, he continued to reach out to the MSM population via the Internet. Joseph is PBC certified and a Training Specialist with hands-on experience and also manages the Texas HIV Connection facebook group.
Travis Fowler
Training & Development Specialist
Travis recently brought his training expertise from the corporate classroom to the world of EAPs. After successful Corporate Training roles in S&A Group and Fired Up inc. he now serves Alliance Work Partners in the field of professional development. He is a member of both the American Society for Training and Development and the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. He applies his strong interpersonal communication skills to achieve lasting impact in the workplace and classroom.
Tara Cowan
PAL® Manager
Tara received her BFA from the University of Texas at Austin with Highest Honors and has been working full-time at Workers Assistance Program since 2008. She has worked many jobs in this company, and is currently the Conference Director for the WAP family (Coordinated Training Services, the Texas HIV Connection, Youth Advocacy, Alliance Work Partners, and PAL®). Tara is a member of the Graphic Artists Guild and manages the PAL® facebook page. In her spare time Tara loves to travel, to crochet scarves, to learn new skills, and to play in the sunshine with people she loves.
Tory Gant
PAL® Training Director
Tory comes to the Workers Assistance Program, Inc. with an extensive background in youth development and peer mediation. Tory’s educational background comes from extensive study in psychology at Lubbock Christian University and his training as an ordained minister. As a youth director, Tory spent seven years doing outreach on the streets of the Austin, Texas area where he accomplished such things as helping gang members to overcome their destructive lifestyles. This outreach required developing relationships with these troubled teens and in a sense, becoming "family" to them. Through his efforts, several gang members were transformed into positive role models. He has also spent countless hours feeding the homeless and sharing hope with those who were seemingly hopeless. Tory has over ten years experience in facilitating peer leadership, low ropes course and peer mediation to at-risk students. He has been a keynote speaker at numerous conferences and in-school youth development groups across the Nation. His unique style of speaking brings humor as well as drama to his presentations. He endeavors to instill joy, and more importantly, a sense of value to his audience.
Maggie Cowan
Office Manager
In addition to being the Southpark Office Manager and Supervisor of Record, Maggie has spent 20 years as a counselor in the Alcohol and Drug Addiction field, 5 years as a behavioral Special Ed Teacher and many moons ago traveled the United States, lived in communes, was a go go dancer in Los Angeles. Her most important role at the Southpark Office is taking care of the entire office, supervising about 15 employees and you will often talk to her when you call the office. She is a lover of plastic pink flamingoes, her wonderful husband and beautiful step-children and grandbabies.
Capri Guerra
A-Team
In November of 2007, Capri was hired on as the Receptionist and soon promoted to Administrative Assistant to Business Development for Alliance Work Partners. Her other duties are providing general administrative assistance to the Account Management Team, Coordinated Training Services and the HIV Connection. In her spare time she is a full time mother to her daughter Ariana, who is the love of her life. Most recent hobbies are fitness and working hard to finish building her new home.
PAL® Training Director
Tory comes to the Workers Assistance Program, Inc. with an extensive background in youth development and peer mediation. Tory’s educational background comes from extensive study in psychology at Lubbock Christian University and his training as an ordained minister. As a youth director, Tory spent seven years doing outreach on the streets of the Austin, Texas area where he accomplished such things as helping gang members to overcome their destructive lifestyles. This outreach required developing relationships with these troubled teens and in a sense, becoming "family" to them. Through his efforts, several gang members were transformed into positive role models. He has also spent countless hours feeding the homeless and sharing hope with those who were seemingly hopeless. Tory has over ten years experience in facilitating peer leadership, low ropes course and peer mediation to at-risk students. He has been a keynote speaker at numerous conferences and in-school youth development groups across the Nation. His unique style of speaking brings humor as well as drama to his presentations. He endeavors to instill joy, and more importantly, a sense of value to his audience.
Maggie Cowan
Office Manager
In addition to being the Southpark Office Manager and Supervisor of Record, Maggie has spent 20 years as a counselor in the Alcohol and Drug Addiction field, 5 years as a behavioral Special Ed Teacher and many moons ago traveled the United States, lived in communes, was a go go dancer in Los Angeles. Her most important role at the Southpark Office is taking care of the entire office, supervising about 15 employees and you will often talk to her when you call the office. She is a lover of plastic pink flamingoes, her wonderful husband and beautiful step-children and grandbabies.
Capri Guerra
A-Team
In November of 2007, Capri was hired on as the Receptionist and soon promoted to Administrative Assistant to Business Development for Alliance Work Partners. Her other duties are providing general administrative assistance to the Account Management Team, Coordinated Training Services and the HIV Connection. In her spare time she is a full time mother to her daughter Ariana, who is the love of her life. Most recent hobbies are fitness and working hard to finish building her new home.
Professional Services of Workers Assistance Program, Inc.
4115 Freidrich Lane Suite 100 Austin , Texas 78744 Toll Free: 877-CTS-1533 | Fax: 512-338-0939
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