KristyMcFetridge, Executive Director
As a Bozeman native Kristy McFetridge is committed to serving the community and individuals and families affected by domestic abuse. Kristy holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and has been involved in healing, education, and advocacy for most of her adult life. She was instrumental in the creation of MSU’s VOICE Center and prior to HAVEN was the Director of a non-profit counseling center in Kerry, Ireland. Kristy feels strongly that domestic abuse affects everyone in our community either directly or indirectly. Through her work at HAVEN she strives to strengthen a community wide approach to effective intervention and prevention of abuse, and hopes that each person will play an active role in making every home in Gallatin County a safe place.
Kelly Erickson, Legal Advocate
Kelly joined HAVEN as the Legal Advocate after volunteering for 2 years as a Crisis Line Advocate & Kid’s Group co-leader. Drawn to the mountains & her family’s vacation home, she moved to Montana from Minnesota in 2003. She enrolled in MSU-Bozeman & graduated in 2008 with a Bachelors degree in Anthropology with a focus on kinship studies. She enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, travelling & volunteering in the community.
Autumn Benedetti, Client Advocate
Autumn is a Montana native and has lived in Bozeman for six years. She graduated from Montana State University in 2010 with her B.A. in Health and Human Development, with an emphasis in Community Health & Promotion. She has been on board with HAVEN’s team for 2.5 years as an intern, volunteer and part-time employee. Most recently, Autumn was hired on full-time as the Client Advocate. She works directly with HAVEN clients and surrounding organizations. She also teaches yoga classes in the area, and hopes to help strengthen the community through both forms of health, healing and discovery. Outside of work, she embraces the full spectrum of adventure and lifestyle Bozeman offers.
Erica Aytes Coyle, Development Coordinator
Erica joined the staff of HAVEN in June 2012 after working in development at the Museum of the Rockies and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Gallatin County. She graduated from MSU with her bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Spanish, and more recently with her Master’s in Public Administration. She enjoys all the outdoor pursuits Bozeman has to offer, and loves hiking and skiing with her husband and their dog. She is always open to discussing the effects of domestic violence on communities, and hopes the Gallatin Valley will continue to come together to support victims of domestic violence.
Thomas Wells, AmeriCorps VISTA
Thomas Wells is HAVEN’s current AmeriCorps VISTA, assisting with marketing, development and educational outreach. He graduated from Montana State University in 2011 with a BA in English Literature. During college, he developed an interest in gender issues and violence prevention, which led to him to work at Montana State University’s VOICE Center, where he worked as a volunteer coordinator and later as an outreach coordinator. While with the VOICE Center, Thomas worked on furthering awareness efforts in the university and local community. He is very passionate about education, specifically in educating men about their role in violence prevention. He enjoys backpacking, science fiction, motorcycles and dogs.
Hettie Jans Wortelboer, Licensed Clinical Counselor
Hettie Jans Wortelboer has worked and volunteered with HAVEN since 2004, and worked on the issue of domestic violence since 1999. She facilitates support groups and provides individual therapy for women with a history of domestic violence. After returning to school and studying with her children at the dinner table, she received her Master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Great Falls, and has a BA in Psychology and a BS in Sociology. Hettie has a busy private practice in Livingston working mostly with children with a history of abuse and neglect. Hettie also runs two support groups for HAVEN: “I absolutely love working with the women in group and it is wonderful to be able to facilitate the healing process. Women in the group are so strong and supportive of each other, allowing and respecting each individual process.” She adds with a smile: “Contrary to some beliefs, we do not spend a lot of time talking about the abusive partners, but focus on how to move on, heal the pain, and grow into that potential of strong, compassionate, and wonderfully creative women.”
Ania Bartkowiak, Support Group Facilitator and Weekend Crisis Line Advocate
After three years of co-facilitating our women’s support group with our licensed counselor, Hettie Wortelboer, we are proud to announce that Ania Bartkowiak is leading the group on her own. As a loyal group attendee in the past, she is excited to be volunteering her time as a facilitator as a way to give back to the community that nurtured her in her time of need. Ania is currently studying to receive her graduate degree in marriage and family therapy at Montana State University. Ania is from Lodz, Poland and earned two additional masters degrees before she moved to the U.S., one in Theory of Literature and the other in Cultural Studies. Because of her extensive studies, she has had the opportunity to travel around the world. She loves living in Bozeman, MT which she believes is “more than just mountains, but full of great people”. She believes that she owes a lot to this community and we are grateful that she has decided to give back by facilitating our Monday night support groups.
Megan Selheim, Community Education Specialist
Megan splits her time between HAVEN and Help Center 211 as the Community Education Specialist. Megan started her advocacy and education work at the VOICE Center at Montana State University, and has also worked at the Student Assault Resource Center at the University of Montana. She earned an MFA in documentary film from MSU. She’s lived in Bozeman for four years, and is excited to get to know the people and communities outside of Bozeman. She will talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere about how we’re going to end domestic and sexual violence.
Lotus Torre, Evening Crisis Line Advocate
Lotus started volunteering at HAVEN during the summer of 2012, and was hired on as the evening advocate shortly thereafter. Raised in the Bozeman area, Lotus attended MSU and majored in sociology. She has always had an interest in working with non-profits and is excited to be part of the HAVEN team. Prior to working as the evening client advocate, she worked at a Montessori school in Livingston and was a Senate intern in Washington, D.C.
Alex Mufson, Volunteer Rural Support Group Facilitator and Crisis Line Advocate
Alex graduated from the University of California in Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Feminist Studies. She also received a certification in domestic violence advocacy while working with a women’s center in Santa Cruz, leading domestic violence support groups at the center and within local substance abuse rehabilitation programs, answering the crisis line and providing legal advocacy. Alex has also organized large fundraising efforts affiliated with various women’s shelters and campaigns for V-Day International in Chicago, New York City and Santa Cruz, CA. When not volunteering, Alex works as a horse trainer in Three Forks, MT.