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Aquila Recovery Staff

Senior Leadership Team

Jody Pegram

Executive Director

Jody is an International Certified Gambling Counselor (ICGC-II) and entered into the addiction recovery field in the late nineties. Beginning in Palm Beach, FL, he was integral in the development of C.A.R.E. in southern Florida and was appointed associate director/founder in 1999.

His insight and creative ability have also earned him positions in a broad range of capacities in the Behavioral Health field: Consultant/Therapist, Director, Executive Director of Addiction Management, and is responsible for developing and instituting extended care planning at notable addiction treatment centers around the country.

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Bobby Coffey

Executive Director

Bobby Coffey's business career began over 40 years ago, advising businesses in the design of health and welfare benefit programs.

His personal recovery journey began over 30 years ago, and for more than 20 years, he has been actively involved in advocating for individuals, in or seeking recovery from substance use disorder. His testimony before the DC City Council played a pivotal role in the repeal of discriminatory insurance regulations, which subsequently led to the implementation of SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) in hospital emergency rooms across the District of Columbia. Moreover, he has advocated before the Department of Health and Human Services for the inclusion of peer support services in the Affordable Care Act and the Food and Drug Administration for the expanded use of Medication-Assisted Therapy (MAT).

Bobby is an active member of the recovery community. He co-founded the DC Recovery Community Alliance (DCRCA) and served on the national board member of Faces & Voices of Recovery.

In 2011, Bobby left the insurance industry and established the Aquila Recovery Clinic, an intensive outpatient addiction treatment center located in Washington, DC and Northern Virginia.

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Clinical Team

Emmy Bean

Clinical Director/IOP Counselor

Emmy is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Substance Abuse Counselor. She completes assessments, facilitates outpatient group therapy sessions, and meets with clients individually, striving to provide a therapeutic atmosphere that enhances and promotes recovery and growth. She is experienced in working with co-occurring disorders, medication management, and community-based mental health and substance abuse programs. Prior to moving to Virginia, she held a private practice and worked with Child Protective Services to provide counseling services.

She received a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a Master's Degree from Troy University (Alabama). She maintains licensure in Hawaii, Texas, and Virginia in both mental health and substance abuse counseling, and has had the opportunity to work with a diverse clientele as the wife of a military retiree.

Emmy Bean

Omoronike Hamilton

Senior Counselor/IOP Counselor

Ms. Hamilton provides co-occurring capable treatment to include outpatient, intensive outpatient, and continuing care to individuals with substance use and mental health disorders.

She develops and leads a curriculum for group treatment to include cognitive behavioral therapies, trauma informed counseling, stages of change therapy, and individual supportive psychotherapy.

A nationally recognized trainer in several behavior health specialties, Ms. Hamilton graduated from Howard University, received additional training at George Washington University and Johns Hopkins University, and served in a number of Greater Washington facilities, including Second Genesis, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC Department of Mental Health, Avery Road, and Tri-Area Rehabilitation.

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Kerrie Laughlin

IOP Counselor

Kerrie brings nearly 20 years of experience providing mental health and substance use treatment services to a wide range of age groups and diagnoses in clinical, residential, school, and community settings. She obtained a BA from Mary Baldwin College in 2005 with majors in both Psychology as well as Religion and a minor in Asian Studies. Kerrie also completed a MA in
Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2014 at South University. Kerrie is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Provider, and a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor in the State of Virginia. She has specialized training in EMDR, DBT, CBT, MET, ABFT, and play therapy. Kerrie uses a strength-based, individualized, and client-centered approach to providing trauma-informed care. Kerrie has extensive experience in working with individuals, groups, and families. Kerrie has a meaningful interest in cultural inclusivity and has endorsement as a trainer for CBMCS and OWL. 

Outside of the clinical space, Kerrie enjoys modular building with Lego, off-roading in her Jeep, international travel, and outdoor cooking. Kerrie identifies her core values as ethics and inclusivity. These serve as the thread throughout
the fabric of her clinical presence. Kerrie is motivated for human services by watching the spark of awareness arise in clients and supervises.

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Marilyn Stark

Counselor

Marilyn earned her Master’s degree in Counseling at Virginia Tech Northern Virginia campus, where she spent some time working with returning Peace Corps volunteers and in a Fairfax County CSB outpatient substance abuse treatment program. Marilyn is a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor and recently earned certification as a Mindfulness Based Therapist. She has worked in a variety of treatment settings, including residential, hospital-based, government programs, and non-profit agencies. Her experience includes group, individual, and family counseling, case management, and work with clients with co-occurring disorders, SMI (serious mental illness) diagnoses, and those experiencing homelessness.

Marilyn takes a holistic approach to counseling, focusing on the individual’s strengths and their ability to achieve wellness in all aspects of life. She uses various modalities in therapy, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing and Stages of Change. She believes that change is possible in anyone’s life, and brings her optimistic approach to her work, with trust and collaboration as the basis of the therapeutic relationship. She considers it a privilege to be part of the recovery journey of each person with whom she works.

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Administrative Team

Amy Levinrad

Admissions Coordinator/Administrative Assistant

As the face of Aquila Recovery of Virginia, Amy strives to assist all callers in their journey of recovery. She enjoys helping people begin the process of turning their lives around and developing office procedures to make it easier for them to meet their goals.

Amy has held a variety of administrative positions in the telecommunications and media industries primarily. In addition, she has assisted teachers for eight years as a classroom substitute and a high school teaching assistant. This experience opened her eyes to many assorted ways of learning and living and she worked with assorted levels of students.

Her working career started after obtaining a Master’s in Business Administration in Seoul, Korea after an undergraduate degree in International Business Management from Oklahoma State University. She is active in the community and as a Special Olympics assistant coach.

She has enjoyed getting to know many people and supporting agency personnel in her position at Aquila and continues to strive to offer the best customer service possible

Amy Levinrad