IRF is a Purpose Driven nonprofit offering treatment for Trauma, Addiction, and Co-Occuring Disorders to Veterans, First Responders and their Families. We address the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of the individual with virtual (online) and in person programs tailored to the individual.
We are dealing with a nationwide epidemic of Veteran and First Responder suicides as well as mental health challenges that precede the suicide attempts. There is an obvious shortage of care for those in need and as a country and community, we have to respond and serve the needs of those who have served us. It’s unacceptable as is and we intend to fill the gap of care for our Veterans and First Responders.
Overview of Statement of Faith
We believe each person is created with a purpose.
We believe through Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Maturity, we are better equipped to manage life’s inevitable challenges.
We believe our pain (past, present and future) can be used to comfort others with their hurts, hangups and habits.
Ron Gellis the CEO of Integrated Recovery Foundation. Following his years working as a psychologist in a drug rehabilitation prison, he accepted a commission into the United States Navy who accepted his request to be stationed at the Naval Alcohol and Drug Rehab (NDRC). While in the Navy he also served at the Naval Alcohol Rehabilitation Center (NARC), taught at the Naval Drug and Alcohol Counseling School (NDACS) as well as the Naval Hospital in San Diego. Following the Vietnam War, he participated in helping to discover the relationship between trauma and substance use before PTSD was even a formal diagnosis. After leaving the Navy, he set up, directed and consulted to multiple rehabilitation treatment facilities. Simply put, Addiction, Trauma and Co-Occurring Disorders has been his life and his calling. Ron currently serves as Chair of the Faith Based Working Group for the Orange County Veterans and Military Families Collaborative (OCVMFC) and a vetted psychologist for Saddleback Church.
He has an MA in Developmental Psychology. MA in Educational Psychology, PhD in Clinical Psychology, 6 years of Psychoanalytic Training and is an Unbeatable Mind Coach.
He has played Division I Soccer, run 20 marathons, competed at the CrossFit Games for 3 years as a Masters Athlete, taught scuba diving for over 20 years and has been an award winning underwater photographer.
Greg served in both State and Federal Law Enforcement for twenty years in numerous capacities to include SWAT with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and as a Special Agent (SA) with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on the Southwest Border. Greg was the DEA Liaison to the highly regarded Border Enforcement Security Task-Force (BEST) Team. Greg also served as a US Army Military Police Captain and TAC Officer (Teach – Access – Counsel) where he instructed combative, Yoga, CrossFit and leadership at the United States Army Officer Candidate School at Camp San Luis Obispo, CA. Greg currently serves as a Reserve Peace Officer and Law Enforcement Chaplain in Santa Cruz, CA, with the Santa Cruz Harbor Patrol. Greg is the Fitness Expert for Calibre Press Law Enforcement Magazine and is the Section Chair on Physical Fitness for the National Tactical Officer Association (NTOA).
Greg is Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Certified Law Enforcement Chaplain, highly respected lecturer on such topics as Leadership and God’s Grace. Greg’s weekly sermon-Podcast “The Greg Amundson Show” has been recognized as an encouraging perspective on the Word of God. Greg is a #1 international bestselling author and holds a Master’s Degree from Western Theological Seminary.
Dr. Vincent Francisco is Kansas Health Foundation Professor of Community Leadership in the KU Department of Applied Behavioral Science, and Director of the Center for Community Health and Development, a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre at the University of Kansas. In his work, he uses behavioral science methods to help understand and improve conditions that affect population health and health equity. He publishes widely in the areas of health promotion, capacity building, and community-based research and intervention. Dr. Francisco is a co-developer of the Community Tool Box a widely-used Internet-based resource for promoting community health and development. He was the founding editor of the Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, and currently still serves on the editorial board and leadership team.
Dr Francisco is a Certified Unbeatable Mind Coach as well as a certified Kokoro Yoga Instructor. In this capacity, he serves others by helping them to identify and overcome their personal challenges through the adoption and effective implementation of UM care principles and practices. This is just part of what he brings to his service on the Board of the Integrated Recovery Foundation.
In addition to his work in community psychology, he has considerable experience working in residential and day treatment programs (e.g., Spaulding Youth Center, Tilton NH; Dept of Child and Family Psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital), as well as working on primary prevention of youth violence, drug and alcohol use among teens, teen pregnancy prevention, diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention. He has been a consultant with numerous federal and state agencies on community-based and community-engaged approaches to prevention and treatment of behavioral disorders and is recognized internationally as a resource among foundations and governmental agencies.
Jeff Hughes is a retired Fire Captain with the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) with 38 years of firefighting experience. Jeff is a third-generation firefighter whose father died of occupational cancer after serving 21 years with the Long Beach Fire Department. Jeff spent 3.5 years as an Assistant Fire Training Officer and retired out of the Risk Management section as the OCFA’s Cancer Awareness and Prevention program manager with the objective to reduce exposures that lead to occupational illnesses, and to create a culture change for the health and safety for our firefighters. Jeff is currently the chair position for the working group to create the Orange County Annex for contamination reduction as well as the California State FIRESCOPE Behavioral Health Working Group to create a working plan for the mental wellness needs during incidents. Jeff currently participates in the FIRESCOPE Behavioral Health Specialist Group. Jeff has attended the National Fire Academy Managing Fire Officer Program and Safety Program-Operations. Jeff is also a qualified Line Safety Officer by the National Wildland Coordinating Group.
Born and educated in Chicago, IL, Chaplain Lyrice A. Marsh grew up in a family with historical roots in the church and provided spiritual care and comfort to those in need.
At Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, IL, Lyrice was a pen pal and prayer support for inmates at Joliet State Prison. While attending Garrett Evangelical-Theological Seminary she was recruited by the Navy and looked forward to sharing the love and grace of Christ with those she would serve. Her more that 20 years of experience allowed her to serve Navy, Coast Guard and Marine personnel around the globe and to see and experience the joys and challenges of deployments, long hours and how diet played a role on military personnel and their families.
After completing active duty, Lyrice worked as Staff Chaplain at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center and served as Chief, Chaplain Service for the Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. Those positions included helping community faith based leaders and organizations understand the services the VA offered, providing care to veterans in special community based programs, ministering to the families of the dead or dying and workshops and seminars on issues of spiritual care and ministry to the staff and families.
Lyrice is the founder of Her Comfort in the Storm, a community impact organization giving spiritual care and support to women, especially veterans and families.