Leadership
Team

Joel Hanson, MD is board certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine. He completed a BA degree in Spanish from the University of Utah, followed by medical school in Rochester New York, then specialty training at the University of Utah in internal medicine and psychiatry.

Dan’s 30+ year career in food service started in his teenage years in a variety of delis, bakeries, diners and fast food restaurants in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. He achieved his first management position at the age of 18 as the store manager of a deli. He then earned an A.A.S. in Culinary Arts at Iowa Western Community College and worked in a variety of hotels, country clubs, casual restaurants, fine dining steakhouses. He moved to Utah in 2002 and immediately fell in love with the land and the wonderful community of people he met. In 2003 he started as Executive Chef at a non-profit called One World Everybody Eats. One World was dedicated to eliminating hunger, eliminating food waste, and making sure people had healthy fresh organic options available. Dan was happy to be a part of something that was making a big impact in people’s lives and it led him to dive deeper into his own curiosity about the connections between food and health. After 5 years he opened his own catering business, where relationships with local farmers and producers grew year by year and he began a weekly home delivery service. After 8 years of running his catering business, he found Corner Canyon, which was a great fit for him because it was a natural continuation of what he had been doing for years by providing delicious, healthy meals that nourish the mind, body and spirit. Working at Corner Canyon has rejuvenated Dan’s desire to learn more about the connection between food and health and he enjoys educating people about food, growing a garden, cooking, and how to facilitate changes in their diet for their mental and physical health.

Melissa began her professional career in 1991 as a therapist for at-risk youth in custody of the State of Utah. Since her early beginnings she has served in several different capacities, including private practice, wilderness therapist, runway shelter therapist, and clinical director. Melissa is currently the Marketing Director at Gateway Academy, a distinguished adolescent residential treatment facility she co-owns. Melissa was initially the Admissions Director where, she carefully evaluated each applicant. She played an active role with the Gateway team to determine the best treatment program for each boy. Melissa believes it takes a village to achieve success, and credits those she has worked with over the years in making her a better therapist and person. For Melissa, there is no panacea—no single therapeutic approach— that can successfully treat all issues. She knows that adopting one therapeutic style may seem easier, but it just doesn’t work. For her, each client is different from the next, with individual issues to sort through and deal with.

Michelle is a co-owner/co-founder of Corner Canyon Health Centers, LLC. Michelle has been an attorney for over twenty-three years. For more than a decade, Michelle was a family law and criminal defense litigation attorney. It was during her time as a criminal defense attorney that she witnessed, more often than not, clients struggling with addiction issues that would ultimately lead them into the criminal justice system. Michelle, having represented hundreds of defendants, has first hand knowledge of how addiction can not only impact the life of the individual client, but also impact the lives of client’s families, loved-ones and society. She is also very cognizant that the criminal justice system is ill-equipped to adequately address the complexity of addiction and yet the majority of crimes committed begin with the disease of addiction.

Karen has been working with at-risk youth and their families in multiple disciplines since 1995. Karen’s career has been singularly focused on bringing meaningful, positive change to struggling families. With the right support, at the right time, in the right way, Karen believes she can help young adults accomplish far more than they ever thought possible in truly becoming their best selves.

Julie has been a mental health mentor since 1989, and family systems therapist since 1994. She co-founded ChoicePoint Therapeutic Services in 1997, an outpatient program that served adolescents and their families involved in the Juvenile Court System. In 2002, she co-founded Gateway Academy, an adolescent boys program in Salt Lake City, Utah.

As a licensed clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, and family and juvenile law attorney, Michelle has spent her entire career working to enhance the healing and wellbeing of juveniles, young adults, and their families. Her experience includes working as a therapist in a full continuum of mental health services beginning in Child Protective Services in California, psychiatric social work at the Utah State Hospital, treatment of substance abuse and trauma in a day treatment program, and specialized assessment and treatment for adolescents in residential, correctional, and out-patient settings.