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Topic: Human Services

Shawn Worthy

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Shawn Worthy, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Human Services at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Worthy began his career as an instructor at Northern Illinois before working in many clinical settings for behavioral and therapeutic services. He joined MSU Denver in 1995 and received tenure in 2002. Worthy has served as the chair of the Human Service Department, as well as the interim vice president of the Student Services Division and has also worked as the director of Mentoring and Summer Bridge Programs with Student Services at MSU Denver. He currently serves as the MSU Denver NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative. Worthy has also worked as a clinician and psychotherapist at the Children’s Hospital of Denver and The Urban League of Denver.

He has done research and published work extensively about sports psychology on how all levels of skiers cope with fear. Additionally, Worthy has conducted research on domestic violence, teen suicide and other issues related to children and families. He has worked clinically with adults and teens infected with HIV. Worthy has researched, published and presented at many conferences and workshops striving to understand diversity as it pertains to engaging people of color. He currently serves on several community boards and commissions, which focus on youth and violence.

Worthy received his doctorate and master’s in clinical psychology from Northern Illinois University.

Mark Stephenson

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Mark Stephenson, MPA, is a affliate professor member in the Department of Human Services and Counseling – Fire and Emergency Response Administration program at Metropolitan State University of Denver. His areas of expertise include incident command, fire, hazardous materials, tabletop exercises and interfacing with state and federal agencies. He currently teaches Fire-Related Human Behavior, Fire Dynamics and Fire Prevention, Organization and Management.

Prior to joining MSU Denver, Stephenson worked for 36 years in fire service. He served as deputy chief, was a founding member of a hazardous-materials team and spent time as a paramedic. He served as an EMS bureau director, exercising oversight of the paramedic program. Stephenson also served as chief of planning, on-line battalion chief, shift commander and deputy chief of Administration Services. He eventually returned to the line as chief officer and finished out his last few years in fire service as battalion chief.

He is an active volunteer in the community and chairs the Aurora Federal Credit Union Board of Directors. Stephenson also serves as the chair of the Board of Directors of the Aurora Community Mental Health Center and is an active advocate for mental-health care in the community. Stephenson has been awarded the Exemplary Employee award and Citation for Actions award for working on an underground-interstate-pipeline fire.

He received his Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado. He also holds several specialty certificates.

Nancy Rich

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Nancy Rich, M.A., is an affiliate professor in the Department of Human Services in Counseling at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her areas of expertise include psychology and counseling for first responders, trauma, crisis intervention, emotional ramifications of terrorism, first responder stress and emergency mental health. She teaches Advanced Behavioral Analysis, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma Informed Care, Trauma Resilience to Terrorism, Disaster and War, Psychopathology and the Mental Health Clinician, among others.

Rich has been teaching at the college level for 30 years. Prior to joining MSU Denver, she worked as an instructor at Red Rocks Community College, Saint Anthony’s Hospital Paramedic School, and Denver Sheriff’s Department Academy teaching a variety of subjects in criminal justice and emergency response. Rich also has years of experience in the mental health field working as a program manager and clinical supervisor for trainees. She has earned the Outstanding Contributions in the Field award from both the American Critical Incident Stress Foundation and the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. She also received the Lifetime Achievement award from the Internation Critical Incident Stress Foundation.

Her areas of research include mental health issues within emergency response personnel, crisis intervention, and disaster response. Rich is the author of “Critical Incident Stress: An Occupational Hazard” published in Colorado Trooper. She is the co-author of “Summer Therapeutic Program – STEP: A Hospital Alternative for Children” published in Behavior Modification Approaches To Parenting. Rich has given nearly a dozen presentations and appearances to speak on topics like The Columbine Shooting and Hurricane Katrina.

Rich earned her Master’s degree in psychology from University of Northern Colorado in 1980. She earned two Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Kansas – one in human development and the other in sociology – in 1971 and 1968, respectively. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor and a certified trauma specialist.

Ann Obermann

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Ann Obermann, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of social work at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Since 2016 she has taught courses in direct family practice, family therapy, trauma, mental health assessment, trauma interventions and child maltreatment. In addition, she enjoys training child welfare and mental health professionals on topics such as trauma, adolescent development, leadership and supervision as well as family engagement.

Obermann is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Colorado and has extensive social work practice experience working in human service management, community mental health and with at risk families and adolescents in both child welfare and mental health environments. She also managed an intensive evidence based program where she created and facilitated different trainings for online social work instructors to prepare them for socially just educational experiences. Obermann is also the coauthor of the book, “101 Careers in Social Work”.

Obermann received her Ph.D. in social work from the University of Denver in 2017, her master’s in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2002 and her bachelor’s in social work from St. Olaf College in 1997.

Tricia Hudson-Matthew

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Tricia Hudson-Matthew, Ed.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Human Services and director of the Center for Addiction Studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She teaches about Legal and Ethical Issues in the Helping Profession, Family System, Motivational Interviewing Conflict Resolution, and Decision-making Skills.

Hudson-Matthew performs clinical work at a private practice with individuals with substance abuse, couples counseling, and children ages 5 and up as a certified play therapist. Prior to joining MSU Denver, she worked as a therapist and clinical case manager at the Mental Health Center of Denver. Hudson-Matthew was also the clinical director and child and family therapist at the Council on Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

Her scholarly interests are in ethics between therapists and clients, mental health, and addictions. She has given presentations and published her work about mental health, ethics, domestic violence, self-esteem, addiction, grief and loss, and motivational interviewing techniques.

Hudson-Matthew received her educational doctorate in Counseling Education and Supervision from Argosy University in 2012, a master’s in Clinical Behavioral Healthcare from the University of Northern Colorado in 2004 and a bachelor’s in Human Services from MSU Denver.

Scott Heiss

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Scott Heiss is an affiliate faculty member the Department of Human Services – Fire and Emergency Response Administration program at Metropolitan State University of Denver. His areas of expertise include fire department administration, structural firefighting, incident command and fire department physical and mental wellness. He currently teaches Personnel Development for Fire and Emergency Medical Services.

Prior to joining MSU Denver, Heiss served as the Division Chief of Safety and Training for the Denver Fire Department. During his time at the Denver Fire Department, he also worked as a firefighter, lieutenant, captain, and assistant chief/district chief. Heiss also worked within a partnership between the Denver Fire Department and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, where he developed and taught classes on mental health awareness for those in the line of duty.

He currently serves as a member on the board of directors for Building Warriors, a mental health counseling organization for first responders. Heiss received his bachelor’s degree in education from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 1985.

Anne Hatcher

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Amy Dore

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Amy Dore, DHA, is a professor of health care management at Metropolitan State University of Denver teaching both undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Health Professions. For more than 18 years Dore has taught courses in health disparities, human resources, practice management, research and leadership. Her expertise includes long term care/aging services, health disparities and workforce development.

Dore’s research interests are varied and include aging services, senior and caregiver health, rural health and diversity issues as well as student competency assessment and outcomes. During her academic career Dore authored and co-authored several case study responses, book chapters and original case studies. She is co-author of the textbook Cultural Learning in Healthcare: Recognizing and Navigating Difference.

Dore received her Doctor of Health Administration from Central Michigan University in 2009 and received her master’s degree in health care administration/management from the University of Denver in 2001. She received her bachelor’s in health care administration/management from the Metropolitan State University in 1996.

Larry Curry

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Larry Curry, Ph.D., LCSW, CAC III is a licensed Clinical Social Worker, and a former professor in the Department of Social Work at Metropolitan State University Denver. He is a national and international speaker trainer and presenter in the areas of child welfare, family preservation service and addictive behaviors. He also specializes in domestic and internal adoptions, and cross cultural adoptions.

He is also the Founder/CEO and Clinical Director for The Curry Center, LLC located in Aurora Colorado. This agency operates as a private outpatient mental health clinic, offering in home services to some of the most troubled families and children within the Denver/ Aurora communities.

Annie Butler

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Lynann “Annie” Butler is a professor in the Human Services Department and interim chair of the Rita and Navin Dimond Department of Hotel Management at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a Certified Addictions Counselor Level III and received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Colorado State University and a master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Colorado at Denver.

She founded Professional Counseling Services, Inc. in Denver in 2002, providing a six-week intervention program for students facing suspension from high schools in five different school districts. She has worked in the field since 1991, and has shared her “wisdom, mistakes and humor with students” at MSU Denver since 2002. In 2012, she was the Human Services nominee for the US Professor of the Year Award, and has also received the Teaching Excellence Award from the Faculty Senate at MSU Denver.

On her recent sabbatical, she traveled to Laos to research Hmong refugees and the Hmong Cultural Center in St. Paul, MN, the largest comprehensive museum about the “secret war” in Southeast Asia, which began in 1963. She has recently completed and submitted Walking With Tigers, a book about a Hmong refugee whom she first met while recruiting guest speakers for her classroom.

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