Because You Matter

Megan is a second-year MSW student based in Tippecanoe County. She is originally from Lake County. She has experience working with children, teens, and parents in mental health settings.

Megan uses a strengths-based and resilience-focused approach. She incorporates encouragement and motivational interviewing to support client goals. She creates a welcoming space where clients feel heard and empowered. She believes clients are experts in their own lives.

Hallie Gust is a Master of Social Work student and Wraparound Facilitator. She has experience in family systems, care coordination, and strengths-based intervention. She supports clients in building coping skills and emotional awareness.

She helps clients develop communication strategies and navigate complex needs. Her approach is supportive, collaborative, and client-centered. She works effectively with individuals and families.

Melissa is a Master of Social Work student at Indiana University. She has over 15 years of experience in social work settings. She has supported individuals and families across diverse systems of care.

Her experience includes community mental health, hospitals, private practice, and child welfare. She has worked in schools, foster care, and managed care systems. She is passionate about advocacy and expanding access to mental health services. Social work is her calling, grounded in compassion and empowerment.

Gretchen Hall is an MSW student practitioner. She supports individuals through life transitions and complex emotional experiences. Her focus areas include perinatal mental health, addictions, and women’s health.

She also works with depression, anxiety, grief, and loss. She values clients’ lived experiences and promotes resilience and self-compassion. She creates a supportive, nonjudgmental therapeutic space.

Kristin has been part of Because You Matter since it began. With over 20 years of clinical experience, she is dedicated to mentoring and guiding future practitioners as the program’s clinical supervisor and practicum instructor. Currently a doctoral candidate, Kristin is also an emerging scholar with a research focus on digital equity and rural telehealth.

Jenny has been with BYM since 2023 as a practicum student and then task instructor. Now in private practice, Jenny serves as our designated intervention trainer, bringing real-word experience to teach our students evidenced-based best practices. She is passionate about access to rural mental health services and has a huge heart for Because You Matter.

John Keesler’s work focuses on strengthening rural community workforce development, with an emphasis on expanding capacity to address mental health needs. His research and practice center on building sustainable systems that support providers and improve access to care in underserved communities.

David Wilkerson focuses on advancing rural access to digital technologies that support mental health services and community-based care. His work explores how technology can be integrated with trusted local networks to expand reach, improve engagement, and strengthen outcomes in rural settings.