By Rebecca Smith Collin Phaup has been a board member at Next Step for five years, and president of the board for two of those years. Over the last five years, Next Step has nearly tripled its budget. County coverage has doubled. Staffing has nearly doubled,...

By Rebecca Smith Yvonnee Tatum always knew she wanted to be a counselor. “I was the kid on the playground solving people’s problems,” she chuckled. “That was me. Other people I’ve talked to in the profession, they have the same story. Then in high school, that’s when...

By Rebecca Smith Lori Dunaway smiled when she received a text from a former client who had just graduated. “She wanted to know if I was still at the school and if she could meet and talk to me,” she said. “She wanted to let me know...

By Rebecca Smith Next Step counselor Dinah Nix believes growing up with substance abuse in her own family makes her a more empathetic counselor. “A family member would take me to AA, and I was supposed to stay outside, but I would sneak back in and hide...