Steve earned his B.A. in Communications (1994) and his M.A. in Substance Abuse Counseling Program (1997) from the University of Iowa. He has been a certified Alcohol and Drug clinician with the State of Iowa since 1997. He was born and raised in Iowa and has worked in the Behavioral Health Services and SUD treatment services field for almost 30 years, providing both direct patient care, clinical supervision, teaching, and addictions research. From 2019-2023, he has served as the Addictions Program Manager for the National AI/AN ATTC at the University of Iowa and, currently, as a consultant for the Native Center for Behavioral Health. He has been in recovery for almost 37 years and has committed his life and profession to helping others in the recovery process. “Persons with Substance Use Disorders, can, and do recover! However, recovery goes far beyond simply not using substances. It's really about addressing the underlying issues driving the substance use itself".