Carolina House Staff
Carolina House's experienced treatment team endorses self-responsibility, encouraging each patient to take an active role in recovery through honest assessment of current functioning and through full program participation.
Stacie McEntyre, MSW, LCSW, CEDS - Executive Director
Stacie McEntyre is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist (CEDS). She joined CRC Health Group, Inc. in 2006. Having specialized in the treatment of eating disorders since 1991, Stacie serves as Co-chair for the Certification Committee for the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals. She joined Duke University's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) in 1998 as the Coordinator of Eating and Body Image Concerns Treatment Team, and worked with the Duke University Medical Center's Out-Patient Eating Disorders Treatment Team. After receiving her Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia in 1990, she served as the Coordinator of outpatient services for The Women's Center at Ridgeview Institute in Atlanta and as Coordinator of the Eating Disorders Program at The Clark Center in Savannah, Georgia. Stacie's professional interests include promoting eating disorders certification for treating professionals, presenting at national conferences, and treating the individual and the family system/primary support systems with a philosophy of mutual respect, mindful awareness, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy-based effective skills training.
Chase Bannister, MSW, MDiv, LCSW - Clinical Director
Chase comes to the staff of Carolina House after completing residencies in clinical social work at the Duke University Medical Center and Duke University Counseling and Psychological Services. He is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of North Carolina, earning concurrent graduate degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work and The Divinity School at Duke University. While working as a staff therapist at Duke University, Chase completed comprehensive training on the treatment of persons with eating disorders and pursued clinical interests in treating depression, anxiety, grief and loss, and the broad range of emotional, behavioral and interpersonal concerns that arise out of chronic illness and recovery. Chase employs a wide range of therapeutic modalities in individual, family and group therapy, including insight-oriented, cognitive-behavioral, dialectical behavioral, and cyclical psychodynamic modalities. He brings to Carolina House a great interest in the intersection of spirituality and emotional/behavioral health, leading innovative group therapy experiences that encourage patients to authentically encounter the relationship of spirituality/faith traditions to their physiological and psychological well-being. Outside of his clinical work, Chase is a self-described "music nerd," and sings regularly with area professional choral music ensembles.
Laurea Glusman McAllister, MSW, MDiv, LCSW -
Staff Therapist and Coordinator of Program Services
Laurea comes to Carolina House after earning dual degrees in social work and theology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work and The Divinity School at Duke University. Through her training in social work, she completed a clinical internship at Family Counseling Service, a community mental health agency in Durham, NC. She has experience and training in treating persons with a variety of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, trauma recovery, and self injury. She uses a combination of insight oriented and cognitive behavioral approaches in her practice. She is also interested in the incorporation of dialectical behavioral approaches into her clinical work. Laurea became interested in the treatment of eating disorders through her work as a youth minister in the Episcopal church, when she worked with a number of adolescent women who struggled with body image and disordered eating. She is interested in the intersection of spirituality and mental health, specifically how one's religious framework may be both a resource for healing and a hindrance to recovery. She holds a certificate in Gender, Theology, and Ministry from Duke Divinity school, through which she studied how certain worldviews or cultural understandings can be devastating to women and to women's bodies.
She is also interested in educating faith communities on mental health and how they can become communities for healing. In her personal life, Laurea enjoys cooking, reading, making beaded jewelry, gardening, singing, and spending time with friends and family.
Sammy F. Banawan, Ph.D. – Staff Therapist
Sammy comes to the Carolina House after spending three years as a private practice psychologist in Durham, NC where he treated a variety of disorders including Borderline Personality Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder. Prior to his private practice career, Sammy spent two years at the Duke University Medical Center in a post-doctoral fellowship where he ran a federally funded multi-site study jointly with Dr. Marsha Linehan and her group of researchers at the University of Washington, in addition to his duties a clinician. He also completed his internship at the Duke University Medical Center where he received intense training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and was supervised by a number of leading therapists in DBT. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia and his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He has spent the last 7 years of his career learning about and refining his use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for a variety of populations including college-aged patients, patients with substance use disorders and various other Axis I conditions. He maintains a small private practice for outpatient work at his Durham office or at www.durhamdbt.com.
Christian Baker, MSW, LCSW – Staff Therapist
Christy joined the staff of Carolina House after spending two years in Richmond, Virginia where she worked at Memorial Child Guidance Clinic as a Child & Family Therapist, specializing in abuse, neglect, and violent trauma. There she employed psychodynamic and cognitive therapies using play, talk, family, art, and sand tray techniques. She also gained experience working with a broad array of mental health issues including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, depression, anxiety, and bereavement.
After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she entered the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work where she began her research in the treatment of eating disorders and completed her Masters degree. Christy is especially interested in the connection between trauma and eating disorders and also how spirituality can be helpful in the recovery process.
In her free time, Christy enjoys spending time with her friends and family, traveling whenever possible, going to concerts, and watching Tarheel sports.
John H. Blackshear, Ph.D. - Staff Psychologist
John H, Blackshear, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist, currently employed at Duke University where he is the Clinical Director of the Academic Resource Center and a part-time therapist at the Counseling and Psychological Services Center. In addition, he facilitates group psychotherapy for students on long-term suspension from the Wake County Public Schools. He also teaches courses in psychology at Shaw University and serves as an expert witness for Capital Offense cases in North Carolina. He has a small private practice in which he counsels families and couples. Dr. Blackshear received his doctorate training in Clinical Psychology from Georgia State University in 2001. He also attended Florida A&M University from which he obtained his M.S. and B.S. degrees in psychology.
Janet Lehr, MD - Staff Physician
Dr. Janet Lehr attended De Anza College in Cupertino, CA where she earned her Associate Degree in Nursing and then attended Florida State University where she earned a BS in Biology. She received her MD at the University of Florida in 1982. In 1985, Dr. Lehr completed her family practice residency at Carswell Air Force Base in Texas. She was board certified that same year. Dr. Lehr served in the US Air Force as a family physician at RAF in Upper Heyford, England and at Pope AFB in North Carolina. She has also worked at the Duke Department of Community and Family Medicine and at Duke Student Health in Durham, NC. Along with being the Carolina House physician, Dr. Lehr is currently in private practice at Integrative Physicians in Durham.
Carlotta Covington, LPN
Carlotta received her practical nursing diploma from ECPI in Raleigh, NC in 2005. Prior to joining the clinical team at Carolina House, she worked as a LPN in various areas of nursing including geriatrics, family practice, dermatology and hospice. In her previous position as a certified nursing assistant, she handled geriatrics, orthopedics, and trauma patients during her tenure at UNC. She enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.
Susan Thompson, RN, MPH
Susan received a BA from Furman University in Greenville, SC in 1974 and her RN degree from Watts School of Nursing in Durham, NC in 1984. She received a Masters in Public Health Nursing from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health in 1989. She has over 20 years of experience in psychiatric nursing, working in both public and private facilities. She has worked with children, adolescents, and adults in acute and long-term settings. She currently works as a Nursing Consultant with the NC Division of Public Health in Raleigh where she administers the state Hepatitis C Program. Outside work, Susan enjoys spending time with her family (husband and two daughters), reading, gardening, and landscaping.
Rachel Stevens, PsyD - Post-Doctoral Intern
Rachel joined the staff of Carolina House in 2008, after completing her doctoral degree in Psychology at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Rachel became interested in aiding persons struggling with eating disorders midway through her coursework at NSU when she began working as a Counselor at The Renfrew Center. As she approached the end of her scholastic career, Rachel helped to develop a pre-doctoral psychology internship program at The Renfrew Center and was one of the Center’s first interns.
Rachel has experience in facilitating and forming different psycho-educational and process groups and enjoys group therapy as a primary modality for change. While at Renfrew, she developed Cinematherapy 1 and 2, a therapeutic group which incorporates film as a vehicle to explore inter- and intra-personal issues. She also developed a beginner’s Power of Now group utilizing mindfulness as a primary building block to change.
Along with eating disorders, Rachel has experience with neuropsychological testing and has worked with children classified as Severely Emotionally Disturbed. She utilizes a variety of different psychotherapeutic modalities and techniques, including family and group therapy, insight-oriented psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and existential therapy. She is interested in incorporating Dialectical Behavior Therapy into her individual therapy as an adjunct to the mindfulness skills she teaches and practices.
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys hiking through the change of seasons, movie-going, reading, cooking, playing with her cat, and listening to music.
Ashley Steineger, MA, LPA - Head RPA
Ashley obtained her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and was an undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is a provisionally licensed psychological associate. Ashley joined Carolina House in 2007 after graduate school where she completed her clinical internship at UNC-Charlotte’s student counseling center. Her professional interests include helping those with eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and a wide range of psychological difficulties. In addition, Ashley has a strong respect for individual spirituality and believes that everyone has the power to live a life of peace. Personal interests include reading and writing poetry, being in nature, and good music.
Paula Scatoloni, LCSW, Body Movement Therapist
Paula is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She received her Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1999. Paula has been utilizing expressive arts in the treatment of disordered eating for over eight years in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 2001, Paula co-founded 'Ai Pono, Hawaii's first intensive outpatient program for disordered eating with Anita Johnston, Ph.D (author, Eating in the Light of the Moon). Her experience in the mind-body connection includes: yoga, Metler-based creative dance, 5-Rythyms, authentic movement, expressive art therapy, and Shake Your Soul®. Paula became certified to teach Shake Your Soul®, Kripalu DansKinetics in 2006. Paula incorporates her passion for dance and her own recovery to engage women of all ages in enhancing body connection and celebrating diversity inside and out. Her on-going training in body-centered therapy explores the subtle ways in which the body communicates and fosters creativity through mindfulness of breath and movement. She is a member of Kripalu Danskinetics® Teachers Association and the International Association for Creative Dance. Paula is currently the Coordinator of the Eating and Body Image Concerns Team at Duke University, Counseling and Psychological Services.
For additional information go to www.movinginward.com.
Holly Salter, RN - Registered Nurse
Holly Salter received her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1998 and received her Master’s of Science in Nursing from The University of Phoenix in 2006. Prior to joining the clinical team at Carolina House, she worked as a Registered Nurse in various areas of nursing including neuroscience nursing at Rex Hospital, home health nursing, and mental health nursing at Dorothea Dix Hospital’s (DDH) Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility for adolescents and also the DDH Clinical Research Unit.
Shirley Austin, RN - Registered Nurse
Shirley has over 30 years of experience in psychiatry at different levels. She has worked in both private and public facilities working with a variety of psychiatric disorders. She has also worked substance abuse with acute detox, research with psychiatric patients and telephone triage with UNC Healthlink and Wake Medical Center in Raleigh.
Shirley is from North Carolina and has an ADN in nursing. In the past she was a certified water aerobic instructor. She loves reading, gardening, animals (especially dogs) and spending time with family.
She is retired after 30 years of working for the State of North Carolina. The caring atmosphere of the Carolina House enticed her to come out of retirement.
Daya Breckinridge, RN, MSN, FNP - Yoga and Mindfulness Instructor
Daya is a nurse with a long-standing interest in yoga and mindfulness practice. She has studied with Jon Kabat-Zinn and established the Mindfulness-based Stress and Pain Management program at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition, she has her own yoga studio, Yoga in the Hood, in Durham, NC. Concurrent with her work at Carolina House, Daya teaches in Duke University's Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. She brings to our program several years of experience working with clients in a residential program for women recovering from substance abuse.
Jennifer Burnell MS, RD/LDN - Registered Dietitian / Nutrition Therapist
A native of Long Island, New York, Jennifer has specialized in eating disorder counseling since 2003. Her previous experiences include Outpatient Dietitian for the UNC Eating Disorders program in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the Nutrition Therapist at the Eating Disorder Recovery Center of Athens, Georgia. Jennifer received her Bachelors in Public Health Nutrition from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and received her Masters in Nutrition at UGA. In Georgia she worked at local hospitals and in private practice teaching hundreds of clients healthy lifestyle habits in both one on one and group education settings.
Eva Miller, MPS, ATR - Art Therapist
Eva Miller is a registered art therapist. She obtained her Master’s degree in Art Therapy & Creativity Development from the Pratt Institute program. She has over ten years of experience providing individual and group art therapy to children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. Her work has taken place in a variety of settings to include schools, psychiatric hospitals, community support agencies, rehabilitation facilities, group homes, and clinics. Eva is one of the co-founders of the N.C. Art Therapy Institute, and believes in the healing power of the arts. Eva holds an undergraduate degree in studio art from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She enjoys using collage and pastels in her personal artwork, and lots of color!
Alison Rhyne - Intake Coordinator
Alison began working at Carolina House in 2006, serving as a Residential Patient Assistant. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a BA in Sociology and Psychology, and received honors distinction for her academic achievements. Previous to her work at Carolina House, Alison was employed by Wake County Public School system as Assistant Director of the Before and After School Program. She interned for the N.C. Governor's Crime Commission and received an award for her published journal article. She also has 5 years of experience volunteering at a local suicide prevention and crisis intervention hotline. In her spare time, Alison enjoys going to the beach, reading, practicing yoga, crafting and cooking.
Chris Minor - Office Manager/HR Coordinator
Chris has worked in the medical field for over thirty years as practice manager and certified medical assistant. Most recently, she was the office manager at a private psychiatric office in Raleigh for seven years; prior to that, Chris was the Practice Manager/CMA at a family practice office in Chatham County, North Carolina for twenty-two years. Chris has completed a certificate program in healthcare management from Saint Joseph’s College.
Ana Carla Smith, MD - Staff Physiatrist
Dr. Smith attended the University of Miami, earning a Bachelor's of Science degree in Biology and Psychology, and continued on at UM for her Doctor of Medicine degree, which she received in 2003. She moved north (to "The South") and completed her post-graduate trainings in General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. She has worked extensively with the Duke Outpatient Eating Disorders Program, treating children, adolescents, and adults with eating disorders, as well as a variety of psychiatric concerns. She has a specific interest in the overlap between eating disorders and anxiety disorders, including OCD and PTSD. She has also conducted research on the impact of eating disorders and their treatment on families, specifically studying the effect of anorexia and bulimia on siblings of patients with these disorders. When not at Carolina House, she sees patients in her private practice, Developing Minds, where she does medication management and psychotherapy with children, adolescents, and adults with a wide variety of psychiatric conditions. She lives in Durham, North Carolina with her husband and dachshund, and enjoys reading, gardening, and traveling in her spare time.
Marsha Cheese, LPN
Marsha received her nursing training and diploma from Nassau Tech B.O.C.E.S. in Westbury, NY in 1997. She has gained 12 years of nursing experience in home care, recovery room, psychiatric, and geriatric care. She also has hospital and correctional facility experience and she is also I.V. certified. In her spare time she enjoys cooking and spending time with her family.
Misty Ash - Professional Relations Coordinator
Misty earned her Bachelor's degree from East Carolina University where she majored in Hospitality Management and minored in Business Administration. Prior to joining the Carolina House team, Misty earned professional and marketing experience as Sales Event Manager. Outside of work, Misty enjoys spending time with friends, family and pet Pugsley.
Dani Black - Chef
Dani has over 25 years of experience in a wide variety of restaurant situations, including owning and operating a restaurant, helping to create The Refectory at Duke University, as well as private catering and consulting. She began training as a chef by cooking from scratch with fresh produce from the farmer's market, and selling at market. She has a deep interest in the community and interconnectedness of food production, markets, eating and cooking, and a strong belief in working to have a good relationship with food in our world. She loves teaching and encouraging people to grow, cook, and enjoy food. As a single mom of two daughters, she's learned that for most of us, real-life cooking needs to be realistic and economical, but also healthful and yummy, which can be achieved with incredibly fresh food, simply prepared.
RPA - Residential Patient Assistants
Residential Patient Assistants (RPAs) are the front-line staff at Carolina House. Our RPAs are well educated, many of them with undergraduate or graduate degrees focused in mental or behavioral health. Their training and experience is matched only by their compassion, integrity, and commitment to the well-being of our patients. RPAs spend a great deal of time with our patients providing around-the-clock and consistent support and supervision all the while modeling effective ways of caring for self and relating to others. RPAs are valuable members of the treatment team who help to create a successful, healing, and meaningful treatment experience at Carolina House.