Andrea Dickerson is a Licensed Therapist and Certified Substance Use Counselor who has worked in behavioral health since 1997. Currently, Andrea is the Director of Behavioral Health, overseeing the Ember residential treatment programs and YSS outpatient counseling clinics throughout Central and North Central Iowa. She became a Motivational Interviewing (MI) trainer in 2006 and provides MI trainings throughout Iowa.
Andrea specializes in working with adolescents and their families and enjoys seeing the family relationships grow through therapy. Andrea is also a CARF International Surveyor, going around North America ensuring behavioral health organizations are meeting required standards.
In her free time, Andrea enjoys cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago Cubs, as well as being an active member of Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA), a global organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. She has been a member of the SI of Des Moines club since 2012 and has been actively involved at the regional level, currently serving as Co-Governor of the Peaks to Plains Region.
Through her involvement in SIA, Andrea has been actively involved in the Dream Programs, coordinating annual Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls projects, which give girls the tools they need to achieve their education and career goals, empowering them to break cycles of poverty, violence, and abuse.
When you think about teen drug abuse, illegal drugs probably come to mind. But non-prescription drugs can be just as prevalent and dangerous. Statistics show adolescents ages 12-18 had...
Did you know that by the time teens reach the 12th grade, nearly half have tried illicit drugs?1 Studies also show that 8% of children ages 12-17 have used drugs...
How big of a problem is youth drug abuse? 1 in 8 teenagers confess they have abused an illicit substance in the past year alone.1 Since we know this...
Deciding to send your teen to a treatment center can be one of a parent’s most challenging choices. But there are situations when parents have no other options if...
Teenagers throughout America are at a high risk of substance abuse, especially legal and illegal drug abuse. According to the CDC, 15% of high school students1 have used illicit...
If your teen is drinking, you should be concerned. Alcohol is the substance most commonly abused by young people, and underage drinking is a serious problem among teens and...
Teens spend most of their waking hours surrounded by their peers, so it’s no surprise that feeling liked and accepted by other teenagers ranks high on most teens’ priority...
Many parents worry about child or teenage drug use, especially as their kids develop physically and mentally. Unchecked drug use can lead to a wide range of negative physical...