KAREN Consultants

Each of the two...

KAREN Consultants is the brainchild of Karen Dennis and Karen Morgan.  Between the two of them, they have over 35 years of experience in the addiction field.   This is their story.

In 1984, the Dennis family moved to Memphis, TN.  In March 1985, she began working as a counselor at Memphis House, a long term treatment rehabilitation program for young adults.  A few months later, she was given the additional responsibility of managing the family program.  In 1987, Karen was promoted to program director and became  responsible not only for the Young Adult Program, but for clinically supervising staff.  During this time she was fortunate to work with some of the best addiction counselors in the Memphis area. 

In 1998, Karen resigned from Memphis Recovery Centers (formerly Memphis House).  She has worked with several programs since then, including BabyLove and Grace House of Memphis. 

Karen opened her private practice, Sundance, in 1997.  Her primary focus has been professional development and clinical supervision, facilitating workshops, and consultation.  In addition, she has provided outpatient counseling and recovery coaching for those impacted by their own or other's alcohol and drug use, abuse or addiction.  This private practice closed when KAREN Consultants was formed.

 A past board member of the Alcohol and Chemical Abuse Rehab Center, she has also volunteered her services as nurse and clinical supervisor to that agency.  She is the chair of Southwest Tennessee Community College's Advisory Committee for the Alcohol and Drug Certificate Program.

After joining the West Tennessee Chapter of the National Association of Addiction Professionals (NAADAC), Karen served as education coordinator for many years.  She held the position of chapter president in the early 90's.   In 1994, she was awarded the chapter's Professional of the Year award, and in 1997 she was given the Vicky Vincent Life Time Achievment award.  Although she is not as active today at the local level, she maintains her support of the Tennessee Chapter of NAADAC as a conference committee member for several years.  In addition, she is a member of the NAADAC Trainers Academy and is an approved  NAADAC Education Provider.

Karen is a past member of the Tennessee Certification Committee, now the Licensure Board.  Having served as an orals examiner for many years,  she currently is an Orals site facilitator/manager for the Tennessee Addictions Licensure Board.

Karen Dennis currently holds a Tennessee state license as a practical nurse and in addictions (LADAC).  Her original Tennessee state certification (CSAC) was granted in 1987.  Nationally certified as an addiction counselor level II (NCAC II) through NAADAC, she also holds certification as a criminal justice specialist (CCJS) through the National Association of Forensic Counselors, and has national certification through the Kelley Foundation as a Relapse Prevention Specialist.  She is a Tennessee Addiction Counselor Board Qualified Clinical Supervisor.  

Since KAREN Consultants is located in Mississippi, Karen is currently seeking Mississippi state certification in Prevention, Addiction, and Criminal Justice.  She is attending a Department of Transportation (DOT) Substance Abuse Professional (SAP)training in September and will then be able to work with DOT . 

HERSTORY 

KAREN MORGAN started on the road that would one day lead her to the Addiction field in 1989, when she attended the Columbia School of Broadcasting.  She received her degree in Announcing and spent the next few years working in radio.  The communication skills she developed during this time prepared her for the transition into the field of Addiction.

In 1992 Karen responded to an inner longing to contribute significantly in the area of recovery from addiction.  This she did in large part due to her own personal experience with the devastating effects of the insidious disease of addiction.  She took her first steps in this direction when she accepted a counseling position at Memphis Recovery Center.  It wasn't long before she realized she had found her true calling.  

Under the direct supervision of her mentor, Karen Dennis, she earned her license to practice alcohol and drug abuse counseling (LADAC) in Tennessee. Shortly thereafter she began conducting workshops to aid others in receiving and/or maintaining licensure.

In 1997  she was given the additional responsibility of facilitating multi-family groups with parents of addicted adults.  What Karen most enjoyed about her years as a counselor for Memphis Recovery Center was educating families and the addicts themselves about the disease of addiction and it's impact on family and community.

In 1998 she was hired by Midtown Mental Health Center to provide addiction and case management services to addicted and mentally ill clients.  Part of her responsibilities included providing community prevention outreach services to those at high risk for addiction.  This is where her love of working with the adolescent population began.

Due to family obligations and personal time constraints,  Karen left the field of Addiction in 1999 and took on the full time task of parenting her two young sons.  During this hiatus Karen seized the opportunity to  concentrate on increasing her education and skill level by obtaining her Associates degree in Psychology and her Bachelors degree in Marketing.

In early 2006 Karen returned to the field of Addiction at Grace House of Memphis  with a renewed enthusiasm for helping others recover from the devastating effects of the disease of addiction.

Partnering with Karen Dennis in the formation of KAREN Consultants affords Karen a unique opportunity.  She will combine her knowledge and skill of Broadcasting and Addiction Counseling to educate the community, and promote health and wellness.

Karen is currently working for South Memphis Alliance as the Director of Program Development where she works with foster youth and their families providing them with substance abuse prevention and counseling.