Our Caring Staff

Our Caring Leadership Staff

Continuum Recovery of Colorado’s Caring Leadership Staff is dedicated to meet everyone’s unique needs by providing a client-centered approach at our Denver outpatient facility. Our Denver outpatient drug rehab team of professionals includes a medical director and board-certified addictionologist, masters-level licensed therapists, case managers, and interventionist.

If you would like to apply for Pre-Admissions into our Treatment Program, see our Pre-Admissions Section for enrolling In Treatment.

If you have any questions about our leadership staff or our Comprehensive and Holistic Approach to Treatment, you can Contact Us to get the Information you Need!

Matt Lopez

Founder & CEO
Scott Hays

Clinical Director
Caroline Stevens

Director of Marketing & Operations
Katie Fijman

Clinician
Katie Clark

Clinician
Mark Putnoy, MSW, LAC

Clinician
Allison Harden

Recovery Engagement
Coach Carl

Fitness Coach
Gretchen Seeck

Yoga Instructor
John Burns

Tai Chi Instructor
Melissa Pond

Acupuncturist
Kim LeBrun

Acupuncturist
Christine DiFrancesco, NCPRSS, CEAC

Equine Assisted Recovery Coach

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Continuum Recovery Center Colorado BBB Business Review

Matt Lopez

Founder & CEO

Matt relocated to Colorado in 2011 after frequently visiting family here ever since h e was a child. He graduated with a degree in entrepreneurship and small business management with an emphasis in hospitality from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Through his work in the hospitality industry, Matt has learned that businesses need to put an emphasis on the customer’s experience in order to make a mark in the community. It is because of this, that Matt has a passion for including holistic activities such as, massage, meditation, yoga, fitness and ideally nature into one’s recovery journey.

Addition treatment and recovery services is something near to Matt as 2 of his grandparents suffered from alcoholism and 3 of his cousin’s suffered from a substance use addiction. He is an avid skier, golfer, adventurer, sports enthusiast and dog dad to 2 rescue pups.

Scott Hays

Clinical Director

Scott Hays, is an almost Colorado native, as well as a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Addiction Counselor. He received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Colorado State University in 2002 and a Master of Arts in Community Counseling from the University of Northern Colorado in 2006. Scott has provided mental health and substance abuse services in a variety of settings over the years. He is intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and appreciates a holistic approach to long term recovery.

Caroline Stevens

Director of Marketing & Operations

Caroline Stevens is the Director of Marketing and Operations at Continuum Recovery where she focuses on admissions, operations, marketing and patient billing. Prior to joining Continuum in October of 2021, Caroline ran admissions and office management at a teen outpatient facility, James Mason Centers for Recovery in Salt Lake City, UT. Caroline went through her own recovery journey which ignited her passion for helping and educating those in their own mental health situation.

Prior to switching careers, Caroline was a marketing and public relations professional for several notable brands such as Facebook, Intuit, Hewlett Packard, The NFL Network and Warner Brothers. Caroline was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. In her spare time, Caroline loves to explore her new state residence through good food, music, comedy, sports and the beautiful outdoors that Colorado has to offer.

Katie Fijman

Clinician

Katie is a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate, National Certified Counselor, and Licensed Addiction Counselor Candidate. She strives to provide a safe, affirming, and collaborative experience for her clients. She works very hard to meet her clients where they are in their emotional and psychological journey. She believes that therapy offers a unique opportunity to work on your relationship with yourself, which consequently improves your relationships with others. She guides clients towards deeper self-awareness and greater emotional resiliency. In her work, she emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and taking a mindful stance towards your thoughts and emotions.

Katie uses a compassionate, client-centered approach, treating you as the expert and helping you tap into your strengths to empower you to make positive changes and authentic decisions. Katie’s eclectic approach includes elements from Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Reality Therapy, Experiential Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.

Katie Clark

Clinician

Katie is a Licensed Addiction Counselor and Certified Trauma Professional. Katie graduated with a Masters in Psychology in 2020, and shortly after pursued an addiction specific program through the state of Colorado. Katie is certified as a trauma professional through Evergreen certifications, and is currently pursuing a second Masters degree at North Central University in Marriage and Family Therapy. Katie has worked in inpatient psychiatry, child welfare, and for the past 3 years as a therapist providing both individual and group counseling services. Katie is a client centered, trauma informed therapist and utilizes a systems theory approach with CBT, MI, DBT, and SFBT practices.

She wholeheartedly believes that YOU are your most valuable and important relationship and is here to help clients love the body they are in. Her favorite things to do outside of her professional life are to spend time with her husband and five boys. She loves to be outside and doing all things sports. She loves physical exercise, so you can frequently find her in the gym lifting weights or outside running.

Mark Putnoy, MSW, LAC

Clinician

Mark graduated from the University of Denver School of Social Work with his MSW, worked as a social worker in the Cherry Creek School District, and coordinator for clinical services for the first Arapahoe County Juvenile Diversion Program. He became a Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) in the state of Colorado. He owned and operated a DUI Program called Dynamic Directions Counseling for five years. It was one of the first private providers in the DUI arena for 35 years. He received his EMDR certified training under Dr. Chandra Nagireddy EMDRIA approved facilitator/trainer for EMDR therapy. He is currently practicing trauma work using EMDR therapy for PTSD diagnosis.

Allison Harden

Recovery Engagement

Allison has spent all of her long-term recovery journey in the Denver metro area. She has been involved in many strength-based pathways throughout her journey, along with a daily foundation of the 12-step program of recovery. This foundation has taught her to build community, find peace, and to be of service to those still challenged by living sober. Through her organization Beyond Betty, she continues to support those in recovery through education, engagement and community outreach. In 2017, she completed a Master of Science from Denver University in Organizational Leadership. Allison has taken her lived experience and completed the Connecticut Community of Addiction Recovery (CCAR) training to become a peer recovery coach. Her past work experience includes representing the Betty Ford Center and Center for Dependency Addiction and Rehabilitation (CeDAR) in community outreach positions. She is married and has two children and spends lots of time walking Izzy, their little Shih Tzu Poodle. Allison loves yoga, working out, all types of music, golf, and camping every chance she gets.

Coach Carl

Fitness Coach

As a former coach in the National Football League for 11 years, as well as an extensive tenure of 18 years as an assistant coach at the major college level, Carl Hargrave coached three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, originally joining Head Coach Dennis Green’s staff as an Offensive Consultant in 2004. In 2005, Hargraves contributions helped the Cardinals’ finish the season with the 8^th-ranked overall offense in the NFL, and the #1 passing offense (4,437 yards/277.3 yards per game) for the first time in team history.

Prior to his tenure with the Cardinals, Hargrave was an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings from 1994-2001, and worked primarily with the running backs. In his eight seasons in Minnesota, the Vikings compiled a 77-51 record, made six playoff appearances, won three NFC Central titles, and twice advanced to the NFC Championship Game. During Hargrave’s stint with the Vikings, the 1998 team set the NFL scoring record with 2,563 points, a record that stood for ten seasons until then Super Bowl Champion New England eclipsed that mark in 2008. Additionally, the Vikings offense set a league record for team rushing in 2000 with 2,565 yards which still exists today. Hargrave coached in two Pro Bowls, where he tutored some of the great running backs in the NFL at that juncture. This list includes his own Minnesota Viking Robert Smith, Dallas Cowboy Hall-Of-Famer Emmitt Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Alstott, and Atlanta Falcon Jamal Anderson.

Hargrave has been a vital component in the lives of numerous student athletes, having coached at the college level. With successful stints at Northwestern University, The University of Pittsburgh, The University of Houston and The University of Iowa, Hargrave balanced the delicate scales of athletic involvement with the priority of education. “Football is a career, education is for life,” says Hargrave. One of the proudest moments in Hargrave’s career involved witnessing one of his college understudy’s, Andre Ware, win the Heisman Trophy while at the University of Houston in 1989. During Hargrave’s stretch with the Cougars, the school set 88 individual NCAA offensive records along with 36 team NCAA marks.

Hargrave was a four-time All-Iowa Conference selection as a Safety at Upper Iowa University from 1974-1976. Hargrave enjoyed a stellar playing career in college, and the effort culminated in being drafted by the Super Bowl Champion Oakland Raiders in 1976.

Currently vetted in the Recovery Community, Carl is Owner/Coach of “Fit Four Recovery” addressing the fitness component at various Recovery Centers valley wide, where his passion for coaching has evolved from the playing field to the field of life. “I love the energy and the excitement in helping a person who has lost all hope to find a new life in sobriety.” Carl is an intricate part of the men and women whose lives are mired in the pains of addiction, encompassing all levels and ages.

“Coach Carl” is a sought-after motivational speaker who embraces his gifts to encourage, engage, and educate, empowering those around him to achieve excellence.

Gretchen Seeck

Yoga Instructor

Gretchen, a Wyoming native, has been practicing yoga since 2002. Her practice took a deeper turn as she went into recovery for alcoholism. Since May 26, 2016 she has been happy, joyous & free. She attributes this greatly to her yoga and meditation practice. Gretchen is passionate about giving that same gift to others that are struggling to find peace. From mortgage banker to mindfulness movement maker, she considers yoga & meditation a miracle worker & encourages everyone to give it a try.

John Burns

Tai Chi Instructor

John Burns graduated from high school in Denver but grew up in Texas and American Samoa, before going to university in southern Ontario, where he graduated with a degree in geological engineering. From there he worked in the Canadian Arctic and Amazon rainforest. He later transitioning in the IT field in Denver. Having been training in various martial arts for more than 15 years, he found a great deal of enjoyment teaching and sharing martial arts with others. At this point he left IT and took over running a martial arts school from his teacher in 2017. He primarily teaches Taiji and Shaolin Kung Fu to students from the age of 5 to 70s. He has trained at the Shaolin Temple and the Wudang Mountains in China, and was awarded his 3rd degree black belt by his lineage Grand Master living in Seoul, South Korea.

Melissa Pond

Acupuncturist

Specialties: Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Tension, Pain, & Digestive Disorders

Melissa, born & raised in Colorado, completed her Bachelors of Science degree in Alternative Medicine, at MSU Denver. She went on to complete her Master’s degree in Acupuncture at Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She is passionate about helping others through their healing journey in a way that addresses what is unique about them so that they are able to live out a balanced, happy life.

Kim LeBrun

Acupuncturist

Kim is nationally certified in Oriental Medicine, which includes certifications in Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, Biomedicine, and Foundations of Oriental Medicine. After attending the University of Montana, she obtained a B.S. in Public Health, Health Promotion.

Christine DiFrancesco, NCPRSS, CEAC

Equine Assisted Recovery Coach

Christine was born in upstate NY, living all over the country growing up. Eight years ago she moved to Colorado with her husband and daughter. She has always had a passion for horses. Having been a trainer and riding instructor herself, she has gained the experience necessary to do this work. Christine is in long term recovery from alcoholism. Holding two credentials as a NCPRSS (National Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist) and CEAC (Certified Equine Assisted Coach). She brought these two modalities together becoming Denver’s only Equine Assisted Recovery Coach. Christine own’s a 6 acre ranch in Elizabeth on the border of Parker, where she has 3 horses in her program. Serenity Stables offers the peace and tranquility needed for healing and quieting the mind. She brings all of her experience to the table to help clients take down barriers that hinder their recovery and personal growth, working with the Conditioned and Authentic Self. Christine and her horses take the clients hand and gently walk them to the pond so they can see their own reflection.