Addictions Recovery Center

Christine Mason CADCII, NCACII, Executive Director, is state and nationally certified as a chemical dependency counselor and interventionist. Christine has worked in the Jackson County non-profit community for 30 years, beginning at Legal Services as a paralegal in administrative law. She has worked in the substance abuse treatment field for 20 years; as a counselor, program manager and deputy director and for the past 12 years as the Executive Director of Addictions Recovery Center. As an interventionist, Christine works with families and “intervention teams” to provide them with the tools and instruction necessary to inspire their loved one(s) to accept help for their addiction issues. 

Edward Burns CADCII, CGACII. Ed is Deputy Director and is state certified as a chemical dependency counselor and gambling counselor.  Ed has worked in the substance abuse treatment field for 15 years and at the ARC for 8 of those years; as a counselor, program manager and currently as Deputy Director for the Addictions Recovery Center.  He is a part of the Executive Management team, and oversees the facilities, and the facilities staff including the unit staff, cooks, maintenance, and customer service staff.

Carolyn Verner MS CADC I, Outpatient Counselor, is state certified as a chemical dependency counselor and specializes in co-occurring disorders.  Carolyn has worked in the addictions field for 4 years, all at Addictions Recovery Center.  She studied at Southern Oregon University, earning a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies and her MS in Applied Psychology: Mental Health Counseling. As part of her studies, Carolyn was a counseling intern at a local middle school, and accomplished her practicum at the ARC. She has volunteered in the community with  Crisis Intervention Services, Family Focus Children’s Program, Adult and Family Services, and Headwaters.

Heather Craig, Accounting Controller, has worked at the ARC for the past two years. She received her AA from RCC and went on to graduate from SOU’s Business Administration-Accounting, CPA track. Heather has extensive customer service experience with corporations such as Sprint, the Boy Scouts, Harry & David, and most recently, LaClinica. She is a member of the Executive Management team, and oversees the workings of the business office.

Dr. Jim Shames, Addictionologist, as Medical Director for Addictions Recovery Center, Dr. Shames is responsible for the development and oversight of all medical services, policies, procedures and compliance with Code of Federal Regulations, Oregon Administrative Rules, Oregon Revised Statutes, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and recognized trade standards. He holds Faculty appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor at Oregon Health Sciences University and Clinical Faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Shames has 38 years medical practice in community health and addiction and has been in Southern Oregon since 1973. He currently serves as Medical Director for two Southern Oregon Counties (Jackson /Josephine), is a Certified Instructor in Neonatal Advanced Life Support as well as certified in Advanced Trauma Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support, with appointment at 3 area hospitals. (If that weren’t enough he’s just a plain old nice guy!)

Danelle “Danni” Swafford Admissions Coordinator for Addictions Recovery Center has been with the agency since 2005. She is responsible for admissions in the residential unit as well as the outpatient program. Utilizing her knowledge of standards for security, ethics and confidentiality as well as funding streams, Danni ensures that our services are delivered with maximum efficiency, minimizing the time clients must wait to access treatment. Her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Southern Oregon University equips her with the organizational skills needed for the fast pace of the front office, and her warm personable demeanor makes for an easy rapport with our clients and associates alike.

Darryl S. Inaba, PharmD, CADC III Director of Clinical and Behavioral Services Recognized internationally as one of the foremost authorities on drugs and addiction, Dr. Inaba has authored hundreds of technical articles, served as scientific consultant on dozens of award winning educational films, and is a popular speaker at workshops and conferences nationwide. He is the former CEO and President of San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, an organization he helped found in the 1960’s. Over the past 40 years, Dr. Inaba has received more than 70 commendations, awards, and honors in recognition of his work in education, substance abuse treatment, drug prevention and community service. Dr. Inaba lives in southern Oregon while maintaining Associate and Adjunct Professorships at the University of California San Francisco, University of Utah, and College of San Mateo. Dr. Inaba states, “My own experiences have convinced me that accurate non-judgmental and comprehensive knowledge about psychoactive drugs and their effects is the most effective method of preventing substance abuse problems.”