Leadership Team

Jeff Herman, Chief Executive Officer

Jeff Herman, MBA, RN has 30 years of experience in the healthcare field, 25 of those years being in behavioral health. Jeff was previously the CEO and Managing Director for The Meadows Psychiatric Center and Universal Community Behavioral Health in Central Pennsylvania. He also served as the CEO for the Human Development Center in Duluth, Minnesota and has experience in a full continuum of behavioral health services including inpatient, day treatment, outpatient, crisis stabilization, mobile crisis, community-based care, and substance abuse treatment. Prairie St. John’s, located in Fargo, provides mental health and substance abuse treatment for all ages in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
• Diploma in Nursing, St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
• Master’s Degree, Master’s Of Business Administration from Rosemont College, Rosemont, Pennsylvania

Licensure

• Registered Nurse in Minnesota, North Dakota and Pennsylvania

Carol Frovarp, Chief Financial Officer

Carol Frovarp began working at Prairie St. John’s in July, 1997 as a payroll specialist. Over the next 10 years she learned as much as she could about the finance department advancing her way to Controller, and then on to Business Office Director.

Over the past 20 years Carol has served in most areas of the finance department and is now
the CFO at PSJ.

Carol enjoys working with everyone in the company and feels a strong sense of satisfaction knowing that her work at Prairie St. John’s helps us to continue to meet the needs of the community and be the place that people come to when they want to get back to life.

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree, Accounting
• University of Mary

Jennifer Faul, Chief Operating Officer

Jennifer has worked for more than 11 years in the Fargo-Moorhead area, addressing issues that concern children and adults who deal with mental illness and addictions. Her experience includes settings such as inpatient psychiatric care, intensive outpatient substance use disorder for adolescents and clinic care. She has been with Prairie St. John’s for more than ten years. Her philosophy of care can best be summed up by the well known Making a Difference story, involving the child who was seen throwing sand dollars into the sea. There were so many sand dollars on the beach, it seemed an insurmountable task and an elderly man observing the child asks, “What possible difference can you make by doing this?” The child returning the sand dollars to the sea responds, “I made a difference for that one.” As Jennifer shares, “In this world there are many stranded sand dollars. My goal is to offer to each person or family I serve the hope and healing the sand dollar found. Instead of water, skills and therapies offer the relief.” In her time away from Prairie St. John’s, Jennifer enjoys running, kayaking, canoeing, camping, antiquing, gardening and time with family and friends.

Education

• Master’s Degree: Social Work, University of Minnesota St. Paul, Minnesota
• Bachelor’s Degree: Social Work, Minnesota State University-Moorhead Moorhead, Minnesota

Licensure

• Minnesota State Board of Social Work Examiners
• North Dakota State Board of Social Work Examiners

Racheal Glynn, Director of Nursing

In March of 2017, Racheal Glynn was selected as the Director of Nursing at Prairie St. Johns, in Fargo, ND. Prior to this, Ms. Glynn spent the last 13 ½ years working at the VA, 12 of which were in Boise, ID. Ms. Glynn and her husband have three children, two daughters and one son. Her family enjoys any and all outdoor activities.

Education

• Master’s Degree: Nursing, University of Phoenix
• Bachelor’s Degree: ASN and BSN; Boise State University, Boise, Idaho

Amanda Richter, Director of Clinical Services

Amanda Richter is the Director of Clinical Services at Prairie St. John’s. Amanda’s approach to behavioral healthcare is person-centered with emphasis on treating the whole person. Amanda believes interpersonal relationships and system interaction are important factors in maintaining emotional wellbeing.

Education

• Master’s Degree: Social Work, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Licensure

• ND State Board of Social Work Examiners

Elysia Agnew, Director of Assessment and Intake

Elysia Agnew started her career at Prairie St. John’s in 2003 as a Behavioral Health Technician since then has worked her way up the ladder to Director of Assessment and Intake. “I’ve found nothing more rewarding than being a part of stabilizing a patient’s crisis and guiding them to the help they need. I look forward to watching patients leave our facility with a sense of hope and relief because they have found a path to a better place. Becoming the Needs Assessment Director has provided me with the opportunity to manage an entire department of professionals that have similar goals and share rewarding experiences with patients”. Elysia’s professional goal is to obtain her Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) Licensure.

Education

• Master’s Degree: Counseling, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota
• Bachelor’s Degree: Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota

Licensure

• LPC, North Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners

Monica McConkey, Director of Business Development

Monica McConkey has more than 20 years of experience in the behavioral health field as a counselor, program supervisor and administrator. Her work has primarily been with the child and adolescent populations. Monica’s focus throughout her career has been to increase access to, and remove the stigma often attached to mental health services.

Education

• Master’s Degree: Counseling, Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Bachelor’s Degree: Psychology, Southeastern University, Lakeland, Florida

Licensure

• LPC, Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy

Michelle Parkinson, Director of Human Resources

As the Human Resources Director at Prairie St. John’s, Michelle is responsible for providing the overall human resources leadership to the facility. She oversees the development and implementation of policies and programs including, but not limited to, recruitment, retention, legal compliance, organizational development, employee benefits, employee relations, employment practices and procedures, employee communications and employee events. Michelle serves as consultant to Executive Committee, Leadership Team, supervisors and employees on personnel issues and is responsible for fostering a workplace environment consistent with the values and mission of Prairie St. John’s.

Michelle started at Prairie St. John’s in 2010 and has more than 17 years of human resources experience in the healthcare industry. She served as the Human Resources Officer at DMS Health Technologies in Fargo for eight years. Before that time, Michelle served in a variety of human resources positions at Lutheran Health Systems including their corporate office in Fargo; an acute care hospital, physicians clinic and nursing home in Spearfish, South Dakota; and a 40 bed acute care hospital in Fallon, Nevada.

Outside of Prairie St. John’s, Michelle enjoys spending time with family and friends, shopping, photography and scrapbooking.

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree: Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Minnesota State University-Moorhead, Moorhead, Minnesota

Certifications

• SPHR – Senior Professional in Human Resources

Tim Mathern, Director of Public Policy

In his position as Director of Public Policy, Tim Mathern works with government agencies and private organizations regarding public policy concerns of behavioral health. Tim has been a North Dakota State Senator since 1986 and has more than 30 years experience as a social worker and agency administrator. He is well equipped to guide Prairie St. John’s efforts with regards to public policy.

Tim says, “My professional goals are to work with others in creating a world where each person has access to affordable, timely health care. This requires proper reimbursement to health care providers so that comprehensive services are available. Like other illnesses, mental illness and addictions can be treated. We need supportive public policy to ensure treatment is available. Every person has intrinsic worth. Sometimes, mental illness or addictions make it difficult for this intrinsic worth to shine. At Prairie St. John’s, we have the opportunity to help our patients discover their worth and experience a life of improved mental health and freedom from addiction.”

Education

• Master’s Degree: Public Administration, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Master’s Degree: Social Work, University of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska
• Bachelor’s Degree: Sociology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota

Licensure

• North Dakota Board of Social Work, LCSW

Board Activities

• University of North Dakota Medical School
• Advisory Council
• Commission on National and Community Service
• Prairie Roots Food Cooperative

Memberships

• Council of State Governments
• Mental Health America
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• National Conference of State Legislatures
• National Association of Social Workers

Prairie St. John’s provides a number of services for children, adolescents and adults facing mental health issues, substance use disorder or co-occurring disorders. For a confidential, no-cost assessment call 701-476-7200 anytime, day or night.