Mercy Expands Executive Program Team, Announces New E.D. of Counseling Services

September 22, 2016

Mercy’s Founder and President, Nancy Alcorn, with Mercy’s new Executive Director of Counseling Services, Brooke Keels

Mercy Multiplied is thrilled to announce it has expanded its Executive Program Team and named Brooke Keels the new Executive Director of Counseling Services.

“Brooke has been connected to Mercy for a long time and brings a Ph. D. and 10+ years of experience in counseling, program design and counseling supervision to this new role,” said Christy Singleton, Mercy’s Executive Director. “We couldn’t be happier about her transition into this position and the growth and depth it brings to our Mercy program!”

As a child, Brooke grew up around Mercy and remembers running the halls of Mercy’s Monroe home while her mother, Dana Owens, taught parenting classes for the residents. Since then, Brooke has served as Mercy’s Community Relations Assistant in Monroe and, most recently, as Counseling Licensure Supervisor at the Monroe Mercy home, supervising the counselors in order for them to meet state LPC license requirements.

Learn more about Brooke and her new role at Mercy in the following Q & A:

What is your education/background in counseling?

I earned a M.S. degree in Counseling Psychology from Louisiana State University – Shreveport, and a Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. I am licensed as an LPC-Supervisor in the state of Louisiana, and am currently working on being registered with the state of Tennessee.

I have been counseling since 2008, and have worked in various settings, including in-home family therapy with impoverished families, private practice, and residential addiction treatment. I have also worked and taught at the University of Louisiana in Monroe in both Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy. My focus the past several years has been on program development and design and counseling supervision.

What is the best part about/what excites you about working at Mercy?

Mercy is a place of excellence. We have a great atmosphere here. Mercy is run by a collection of smart, hardworking people who would be successful in most any setting, but they have come together to place that I understand is both a profession and a calling. In my experience, this can be a difficult combination to maneuver. Mercy’s work environment is different. It fights through normal snares of success, and it works towards self-awareness; therefore, Mercy seems to have a concentration of people reflecting these values – people who strive to work hard with the same vision of service.

I can see why Mercy has been successful in changing young women’s lives. Mercy’s program is built upon principles that work; moreover, Mercy strives to be Spirit led and open to change. Meaning, it’s a place that is continually working to become more effective in its practices. I have experienced this firsthand in my short time as Executive Director of Counseling Services.

Like any individual, I have come to Mercy with unique experiences that inform my ideas. Bringing new ideas to an already successful, well-established system can be a difficult task, but to Mercy’s credit, I have experienced nothing but freedom here to collaborate with new and veteran staff members, producing a program that remains firm to its core values, while being open to adaptation, in order to continue being effective and relevant to the ever-changing culture.

What will you specifically be doing in your new role?

Overall, I will be determining areas for development by working closely with the Executive Director of Program Operations and home staff to assess counseling and program procedures. I will also be developing ongoing requirements and trainings for counseling and support staff as well as providing oversight for licensure, certification, and accreditation as needed for each home. Mercy is committed to do whatever is necessary to serve the residents and meet their needs in order to facilitate healing, and I am thankful I get to be a part of this excellent team.

How is Mercy set apart from other programs?

I have already mentioned how phenomenal the staff and organization are, and to add to that, it is just remarkable how beautiful the facilities are. I have always been impressed with how Nancy’s heart and Mercy’s mission is to not only to lavish the residents with God’s love for them, but also to take an immense amount of pride in providing beautiful surroundings, incredible food, and life changing experiences.

As a clinician the environment is a huge part of the counseling process, as well as the context by which the facility provides for the resident. The fact that Mercy is long term, free of charge, and completely voluntary means that each resident has a choice every day whether to be at Mercy and work the program Mercy has provided. The residents are able to, at a foundational level, be empowered to make a choice for their life every single day.

For more information about Mercy’s counseling program, visit About Our Residential Program.