Offering the best in supervised medical care, Red Oak Recovery®’s medical team has experience in a variety of urgent care settings. With the unrelenting passion for people, their helping hands guide you or a loved one through any or all substance abuse and mental health concerns.
Brady Schroer, DO
Psychiatrist & Addictionologist
Dr. Brady Schroer obtained his Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology with an emphasis in Chemistry. He attended medical school at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. After medical school, he completed his general psychiatry residency at an internationally known psychiatric clinic. Dr. Schroer later worked in a large hospital setting for five years as a psychiatric hospitalist taking care of geriatric patients, caring for patients with psychiatric issues on the medical floors and ICU (intensive care units), detoxifying clients from alcohol and benzodiazepines, ECT treatment for depression, and served as Medical Director and Chief of Psychiatry. Dr. Schroer moved to Western North Carolina in 2007 to become the Medical Director of the inpatient psychiatric unit and the detoxification unit at one of the areas top hospitals and served for seven years in that capacity. Most recently, he has been seeing clients ages 15 and over in sober living environments, residential treatments, and other outpatient settings. He has vast experience from all different perspectives of addiction treatment and knows what it is like to be a family member of someone struggling with addiction. Dr. Schroer views addiction as a poor coping mechanism for past emotional pain and believes that the emotional pain that breeds hatred, anger, and resentment is what keeps us sick and looking for substances and behaviors to “numb it”. He is extremely compassionate and prefers to educate clients about their illness. He has learned a lot from the clients he has treated and uses that knowledge to help others move into a peaceful life. Dr. Schroer is a Christian, loves car racing, golf, photography, and being out in the great outdoors. He feels especially fortunate to call Asheville his home!
Carmon Donnellan, RN, BSN
A Michigan native, Carmon and her two children relocated to the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2007 to embrace the diverse cultures that Asheville has to offer. With a bachelor’s degree in business management already in hand, she enrolled in Western North Carolina University in 2014 to pursue a new career in nursing. After two years, she graduated with a B.S. in Nursing, while working multiple jobs to support her family. Some of her strongest memories were working with underprivileged and neglected adolescents at a homeless shelter in Asheville. Her time there sparked an interest in psychiatric studies, a field she then earned a certification as a QMHP (Qualified Mental Health Professional) for adults and adolescence. In 2016, Carmon began working with ACTT (Assertive Community Treatment Team), immersing herself into the community of clients with severe and persistent mental illness, extreme trauma, and most often – substance abuse. She worked relentlessly, seeking to help anyone she could and even spent time working at a child crisis center to better her understanding of adolescent mental health. As an avid mountain biker and outdoor adventure seeker, Carmon spends most of her free time mountain biking or trail running in the mountains. Surrounded by the oldest National Forest in the eastern United States, she has developed an intimate relationship with the outdoors and enjoys sharing her love for nature with others. Her love for cooking and healthy living has also led her into a plant-based lifestyle, one that has helped fuel her countless adventures across the country. While Asheville is home, she’s traveled to top mountain bike destinations throughout Appalachia, as well as top destinations throughout Colorado, Arizona, and her favorite – New Mexico.
Bob Cummings, CSAPC, WEMT
Recruitment, Training, and Prevention Manager
Bob has worked in the substance abuse treatment and substance abuse prevention field for over 30 years and is a Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Consultant and a Wilderness EMT. In addition to working in treatment programs, he has worked street ministry with the homeless population, was a Social Worker with child protective services, and was the owner and lead teacher of a ShaoLin Kung Fu school in Asheville, achieving the level of ShaoLin Master Instructor. As the Recruitment and Training Manager, Bob is responsible for making sure that all Red Oak Recovery® staff are the best, most competent, and the most well trained in their fields, and that they are trained in the Red Oak Recovery® system of treatment. His responsibilities include recruiting potential staff, screening them to find the best suited for the Red Oak Recovery® family, and providing the utmost in onboarding and ongoing training. As Prevention Manager, Bob draws on his certification and past work experience as a substance abuse prevention specialist. Bob spends time with schools, organizations, colleges, churches, and other venues helping community trainings and outreach to help organizations, institutions, and people to understand substance abuse and mental health issues, and how to find the help they need for themselves or their loved ones. Originally from San Diego, Bob grew up in East Tennessee and now lives in Waynesville, NC with his wife. They have three adult children between them and are enjoying the peace and quiet of an empty house. In his spare time, Bob still teaches and studies ShaoLin Kung Fu, is an ardent canoeist, backpacker, fly fisherman, and loves doing all those things with his wife in the mountains of Western Carolina.
Mitchell Schlumbrecht
Client Financial Services Specialist
A native of New Orleans, Mitchell moved to Asheville in 2004. He comes to Red Oak Recovery® having studied accounting at the University of New Orleans and has over 30 years of accounting experience. Mitchell is married and has a fulfilling life as a father to his two sons.
Kacey Byrd
Client Financial Services Coordinator
Kacey has lived in North Carolina for the majority of her life. She attended East Tennessee State University to pursue a Business Administration degree. After graduation, she returned to North Carolina and began to work in the medical field, learning about patient care and medical billing. Kacey was drawn to Red Oak Recovery® due to her passion in wanting to help others. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Zach and their two dogs, Hollie and Zeus. She also enjoys spending time at the lake, crafting, quilting, and baking cupcakes!
Jessi Herr, BA, BSN, RN
Director of Nursing
Jessi grew up in middle Tennessee and came to North Carolina when she attended Warren Wilson College, where she studied Plant Biology and Horticulture. After graduating, she worked in Asheville at Beanstreets, Salsa’s, and Lark Books. In 1999, she took a road trip and landed in Seattle, where she lived for five years. In that time, she got married, became a mom, and became certified as both a postpartum doula and a Pilates instructor. She returned to North Carolina in 2004 and started a small Pilates studio in 2005. In 2018, Jessi started the accelerated BSN program at Western Carolina University and graduated summa cum laude in 2019. Jessi was drawn to the work at The Willows because of personal experiences with loved ones struggling with mental health issues and addiction. She feels humbled and grateful to be a part of clients’ recovery and healing. She loves gardening, hiking, dinner parties, and reading. She lives with her husband, an acupuncturist, her son and daughter, a goofy golden retriever and a bossy cat, and they might have every yard game and board game ever created.
Allison Porter, RDN, LDN, RYT
Registered Dietician
A nomad by nature, Allison was born in Manhattan and lived in several major cities before settling in North Carolina. She currently resides in Wilmington and splits her time between the coastal region and Appalachia. Allison serves the clients at Red Oak Recovery® and The Willows at Red Oak Recovery® through virtual individual nutrition counseling sessions and also via occasional in-person visits. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition & Dietetics from The University of Texas at Austin in 2012 where she also completed UT’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics internship and a 200-hour teacher training in Integrative Yoga Therapy in 2013. Allison blends her knowledge of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness with her scientific background in nutritional biochemistry to provide customized integrative wellness coaching to her clients. Allison began her career in addiction medicine at a well-known treatment center located in Wilmington, NC in 2016. She also worked as the dietitian at an acute care inpatient program in Black Mountain for three years, treating patients in acute detox and in rehab. Allison also has a small private practice where she offers one-on-one nutrition counseling and private yoga instruction. Allison has a personal interest in working with the recovery community due to losing close family members and friends to untreated addiction and mental illness. Allison believes nutrition plays a huge role in emotional wellbeing and that this relationship is often overlooked. She loves educating clients on the roles nutrients play in neurotransmitter production, cognition, energy, relaxation, and sleep. She specializes in nutrition for eating disorders, autism/ADHD, depression, anxiety, and addiction. In her spare time, Allison’s favorite hobby is belly dancing. She also enjoys wild mushroom foraging and herbal medicine. Allison lives with her boyfriend, a comedian, and they love to laugh and dance together.
Forest Smock, BA, WFR, NREMT
Medical Services Coordinator
Forest was raised on a farm in southern Indiana by a family of doctors and nurses. Always around medicine and the microcosm of the cyclic nature of life that plays out on the farm daily, Forest was drawn to caring for all kinds of living being. The summer after his first year of undergrad at Wheaton College in Massachusetts, he became a certified Wilderness EMT through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). While continuing college, Forest worked as a first responder and also as a volunteer with search and rescue. He graduated in 2017 with a degree in Environmental Chemistry and Biology and moved to Asheville to work for the National Parks Services. Following his work with the National Parks Service, Forest began guiding for a wilderness therapy program taking men and women in early recovery into the backcountry. He fell in love with the work and transitioned to Red Oak Recovery® in November of 2018. While at Red Oak, he has held several positions with the company, including Medical Services Manager and Grounds Manager (for Foothills at Red Oak Recovery), clinical technician and Medical Coordinator (for The Willows at Red Oak Recovery®, and most recently has entered the role of Medical Services Coordinator for both Red Oak Recovery® and The Willows at Red Oak Recovery®. Forest spent 2020 building a tiny house on wheels which was a great adventure and huge undertaking. Now that it is done, he can be found mountain biking, cooking delicious food with his longtime partner, and enjoying all the incredible local music Asheville has to offer.
Carson Evans, NREMT
Medical Services Coordinator
After spending some time as a recreational backpacking guide in the beautiful state of Colorado, Carson wanted to combine her love of the wilderness with her passion for mental healthcare. Carson started at Red Oak Recovery® as a Recovery Guide in the summer of 2017. Over the years, Carson has served the Red Oak community in many different roles. Her favorite role is working in the medical office, caring for staff and clients alike as an EMT. Carson feels strongly about a holistic approach to medicine, and appreciates the opportunity to care for our clients during their best and their worst days. While on-campus, you can also find her helping with facilities, working to keep our campus looking its best. In her free time, you’ll find Carson running, rock climbing, or hanging with her dog, Rhett.
Elizabeth Wachacha, RN
Registered Nurse
Elizabeth has been a resident of Western North Carolina since 1999. She has spent the majority of her career working with individuals suffering from severe persistent mental illnesses and addiction. Those experiences made for a great foundation for the work Elizabeth does at Red Oak Recovery®. Throughout her career, Elizabeth has practiced mainly psychiatric and addiction nursing. Therapeutic communication and rapport building are two of her strongest skills and as an Assertive Community Treatment Team Nurse she has learned to treat her patients with holistic care. To Elizabeth, holistic care involves all aspects of the person as well as their environment and family. Working with persons throughout the various stages of addiction, from precontemplation to recovery and maintenance, gives Elizabeth the ability to meet people where they are at in their journey. Elizabeth shares that she feels lucky to work in a professional environment where the employees are genuinely invested in the critical roles they share with their clients. She is grateful for the incredibly supportive community that Red Oak Recovery® has to offer. Elizabeth is the parent of a teenager and enjoys working with young adults tremendously. An avid animal lover, she raises silkie chickens and has five dogs and one cat. Her past times include anything from spa days and shopping to hiking and floating down the river.
