Skill Development Providers

Greetings!  

My name is Albert C. Goerlitz, but most people call me Al or Mr. G.  In the fall I will be starting my 44th year teaching public school. I have taught in grades K-8 and I am currently teaching our schools Alternative Education Program for grades 9-12. 

Throughout my career I have dealt with Gifted Students as well Special Needs students. I have coached both boy’s and girl’s athletics from varsity sports down to 4th and 5th grade. I have been a leader for 4H and church youth group. I have been the Huddle leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in our town for the last 26 years.  My Parents both taught special needs children from age three to 21 and my wife and son are special education teachers as well, so from a young age on I was taught to put the needs of ALL children ahead of my own and that is a lesson my own children have learned well.  There are five children in my family and I also have three grandchildren.  

For years we have opened our home and farm to Early Childhood classes, boys without fathers, and anyone who needs a place to belong.  Many people bring their children and families to our place to see the farm, make apple cider, go on sleigh rides and have experiences with our animals. This past winter we did many horse drawn sleigh rides for those who were inclined.  As I get ready to retire from teaching, I have decided that I want to link two of my passions by using horses to work with people who have a special need. I have been doing it for years, but now I am EAGALA certified and looking forward to reaching out to people beyond my circle of friends and neighbors.  I have been honored to receive Teacher of the Year, Coach of the Year, Highest honors in refereeing, 4-H  Leadership, Teachers Union Outstanding Service Award, and I have risen to the level of president for almost every organization I have been in since high school.

I have lived a full life with the help of my parents and hardworking, loving wife Peggy.  We don’t travel much because we have everything we could ever want at home (and it is hard to find someone to do chores). My family, friends and past and present students are my joy.  They have gotten me through 41 surgeries and tough recoveries.  Every day is a blessing and I try to live them to the fullest. 

Service Array: Individual Skills Development and Enhancement 

~EAGALA Equine Specialist

~Peer Mentor

~Fitness & Athletics 

~Outdoor Activities

~Large & Small Machinery Safety

~At-Risk Adolescents

~Youth and Adolescent Guidance 

~Resilience Support 

~Adult Support

Hello, my name is Caroline!

I am from central Wisconsin and raised on a dairy farm with my four brothers and one sister. From a young age us children had our own barn chores and tasks around the house. My parents taught us strong faith filled values and also good work ethics that I am thankful for today! 

When I was preteen my family went through challenges where I suffered from trauma and brought my solid world crashing down, which I then struggled for years remembering my happy early childhood. After years of searching and healing and working through past trauma I am thankful that today I can say my family is back to being ‘healthy’ again. I have also personally navigated cultural differences and have learned how to embrace confidence in myself and be able to do hard things. From my childhood experiences and learning self-worth it has become a passion to help and support others to be the best version of themselves and being able to overcome the challenges in their lives. 

I have been with Strides since 2022 offering skill development services. I have expanded my knowledge in the mental health field and have experience in working with depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, mood disorder, parent psychoeducation, trauma and substance abuse. Working with the many various cases and being there to assist, guide and support individuals who are struggling has been both rewarding and fulfilling. I look forward to continuing to grow my knowledge and being able to assist each individual to live their best lives!

Some of my favorite things to do in my free time are:

• Hiking, kayaking, swimming or anything outdoors.
• Arts and crafts, anything creative.
• Reading upbuilding, positive books. 
• Gardening, cooking, baking and making espresso coffee. 

Service Array: Individual Skills Development and Enhancement and Psychoeducation 

 Hello, my name is Autumn. Growing up I was living in separate homes. For a while I thought it was normal for kids to go back and forth from moms to dads house. Later I found that not to be true. Living in two homes always brought two different opinions and one was always upset with the other and I found myself stuck in the middle. I was also raised in a home with an alcoholic. Because of these experiences I would like to say I’m a pretty tough person. I hope to use these experiences to help others through their own situations. 

I recently graduated from Owen Withee High School and started college at Chippewa Valley Tech where I will pursue my dream of becoming a nurse. Throughout high school I liked to keep myself busy by competing in sports year around and staying involved in clubs. I also like to help out in the elementary as much as possible. I have two younger sisters who also did sports so often I was helping at their practices and coaching their away games. I always found joy in helping kids. Outside of school and now college, I work three jobs, so you could imagine there is not much free time, but I make the most of what I have. Often you will find me hunting, fishing, or tractor pulling, but I recently took on a new hobby of racing. I like to say I am a pretty bubbly person, but that wasn’t always the case. I used to be a very shy person, I wouldn’t talk or even play on the playground with other kids. After years of persuasion, I finally broke out of my shell and now you can’t get me to be quiet. Being a peer mentor for CLTS and looking to begin ISDE for CCS has helped not only me grow but helped others. I truly enjoy what I do, and I am very excited to see this program grow. 

Service Array: Individual Skills Development and Enhancement

~Outdoor Activities

~At-Risk Adolescents

~Youth and Adolescent Guidance

Hi, I’m Ray!

Originally, I’m from a small town in central Wisconsin, but I just moved to Eau Claire to finish my studies. In just under a year, I’ll have the degree needed to become an accountant. I’ve got three other siblings and have been around a whole slew of different animals my entire life. 

My parents got divorced during mine and my siblings’ developmental years which caused us to go through a lot of stress and depression at young ages. All of this in addition to transitioning into middle and high school was very challenging, but we were able to adapt and overcome. 

Since then, our bonds have grown stronger than ever and we now have the abilities to help others cope with stress, mental health challenges, and suicidal ideations. By the time I made it to college, I was finally able to embrace who I am and help others find themselves.

I have been providing skill development services through Strides since 2022. In that time, I’ve been able to learn how to work with people experiencing mental health and mood disorders, ADHD, autism, traumas and substance abuse. In addition to that, I’ve become a big advocate for members of the LGBTQ+ community. As always, I’m constantly looking for ways to improve and grow and encourage others to do the same.

My favorite hobbies include:

• Fitness, Athletics, and Nutrition
• Being outdoors or with nature
• Learning new board/video games
• Cooking and Baking

Service Array: Individual Skills Development and Enhancement

Hey there, my name is Shanae! 

I would love to tell you a little bit about myself; I was born and raised outside of Rice Lake, WI on a farm. Though this wasn’t your usual Wisconsin farm, it was a commercial contact turkey farm. Oh sure we had some of the typical farm animals: horses, cows, dogs, rabbits, but turkeys for sure outnumbered us all by the thousands!

Through my high school years, after I had milked Frida the milk cow and my school work was finished, I attended night classes at my local college where I started learning sign language. This adventure led to working with individuals with hearing impairments and mental health through Barron county. 

After several years of working with many different individuals I decided to venture back to night school and start my studies for nursing. After graduating high school I completed my first course that certified me as a nurse’s aid, but I felt I needed to explore this field before I pursued it any further. Through my time of “testing the waters” as a CNA, my husband and I celebrated our first year of marriage and we found out our first baby was on the way! Today we have a healthy family of five kids with two boys and three girls from 11 to 5 years old. We love having many adventures and enjoy learning inside and outside as a homeschooling family. 

From every year to every day, it has been a gift to live, learn, and meet people. I have had the joy to have careers as a business woman, community and healthcare worker, ministry and instructing positions. 

Some of my favorite things to do in my free time are: 

• Go hiking as far as a trail will take me. 
• Travel on new routes with my road bike.
• Read and read some more.
• Spend time and explore with my family.
• Working on projects with my kids or reading stories with them.
• Finding a quiet room to play my cello and fill the space.
• Being creative by painting, writing, building, planting or whatever strikes my fancy.

Fun Facts:

• My first hourly job was at 8 years old, driving skid steer for the neighbor.  
• I like all foods but anything with artificial banana flavoring I just cannot eat.
• A day without water is never a thing for me.
• I enjoyed swimming so much as a kid that I swam in Lake Superior during the month of March and got hyperthermia because I didn’t want to get out… Okay, as I think about it I still love swimming so much that the month of March might not keep me out now as an adult, though now I have learned my limits! 

Service Array: Individual Skills Development and Enhancement and Psychoeducation 

~Outdoor Activities

~At-Risk Adolescents

~Youth and Adolescent Guidance 

~Resilience Support 

~Parenting Support

Hello, my name is Justine! I love using my certified emotional support dog to help those in need! I grew up around family members who struggled with mental illness. This created a desire to learn how to help people in those same situations. I Started with nannying jobs for children who had hearing impairments and autism. In the healthcare field I began as a CNA, and then moved on to being a Respite provider, before realizing my life experiences could be perfectly suited for helping others with Skill development work. Recently, I began to work as a parent coach. I have a goal to complete the Peer Specialist Certification in order to extend help to more adults who have experienced similar challenges and trauma. 

In my life I have had the benefit of others’ compassion, patience, love and kindness when I’ve needed healing the most. I’ve learned to use my mental perseverance caring for others and I’m passionate about using the same effort I was given into helping each person who crosses my path.

    While working as a CNA I had the opportunity to work in the psych ward, dementia units, nursing home and rehabilitation units. Through this I’ve obtained my CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention) certificate and have learned to see things from my clients’ perspectives. I currently work with Luna (pictured), an emotional support dog, who I love to bring along with me to help my clients. 

    In my spare time I am a mother of a toddler who is right by my side as much as possible! He is definitely a momma’s boy! Typically, you can find us on a lake kayaking/paddle boarding, playing in the dirt with Tonka trucks, watering our garden or playing at the park. In addition to that, I set aside time for myself around nature, music and singing, outdoor activities, working out and doing art projects! I enjoy what life has to offer and am grateful to have additional opportunities to help others do the same!

Service Array: Individual Skills Development and Enhancement and Psychoeducation 

~Outdoor Activities

~At-Risk Adolescents

~Youth and Adolescent Guidance 

~Resilience Support 

~Parenting Support

Howdy, my name is Seth!

I am from southeastern Wisconsin and was raised by my Mom and Dad with my two brothers. My parents taught me to be strong in who I am and showed me how to have a great work ethic. My brothers and I are all very close in age so with them we learned how to work together even with opposite opinions. From a young age my brothers and I were always involved in sports and other extracurriculars. I moved up to the Eau Claire area back in 2022 to find out what I want to do with my life, and it has brought me here. I will be going back to school in fall of 2025 for animal science and use my degree either for an animal specialist or become an agricultural teacher. My goals and aspirations are to help people find who they are and what they want to be. I know that everybody comes from different backgrounds and may need some support through their journey, I know I did. 

Some of my favorite things to do in my spare time are:

• Anything outdoors (Hiking, fishing etc.)
• Anything to do with animals!
• Crafting and or creating projects
• Cooking and baking 
• Board games    

Service Array: Individual Skills Development and Enhancement and Psychoeducation 

~Outdoor Activities

~At-Risk Adolescents

~Youth and Adolescent Guidance 

~Resilience Support