A Cherokee County Appalachian native, Jessica is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist Associate (LCASA) with 20 years of experience in physical and mental healthcare. She is a graduate of Western Carolina University, George W. Truett Theological Seminary,  and Baylor University where she respectively earned a BS in Sociology, Master of Divinity, and a Master of Social Work.

Following graduation, Jessica spent five years living in Waco, TX where she worked with vulnerable populations while completing her graduate education. In 2013, she returned to Western North Carolina and joined the Appalachian Community Services team. In her current role, Jessica oversees the administrative, financial, and operational aspects of ACS.

Jessica is passionate about providing compassionate, person-centered, and robust services to those living in Western North Carolina and is proud to work for an agency that promotes these values. She has special interests in working with children in recovery from traumatic events, adults managing acute mental health disorders, and advocacy for marginalized populations. 

Dr. Benjamin Crawford received his Doctor of Osteopathy in 2008 from the University of North Texas. After completing an internship in Family Medicine in 2009, he followed with a full psychiatry residency program, during which he served as Chief Resident in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the heart of providing a holistic approach to wellness, he added a graduate diploma in Theology in 2015.  

Dr. Crawford has lead a successful private practice as a Board Certified Psychiatrist since 2012. Fueled by his passion to help people, he added additional training to provide care to patients struggling with addiction. He’s grateful for the use of telepsychiatry and the barriers it has removed, allowing him to take both mental health and addiction care to communities previously unserved. He continuously seeks ways to enhance outcomes and equip patients with diverse tools, helping them discover their full potential in life.

Dr. Crawford embraces the role of Medical Director for Appalachian Community Center. His heart to educate and his sincere compassion equip him to serve the medical staff at ACS and walk jointly with them, into the challenges of tomorrow, knowing they can make a difference, in all the communities they serve.

Dr. Aldecoa relocated from Puerto Rico to Cincinnati during late adolescence and attended Xavier University where she earned a B.S. in Psychology and a M.S. in Special Education. After moving to Florida, she earned a M.S. in Psychology and Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Neuropsychology from Carlos Albizu University in Miami. She has been providing services to individuals of all ages diagnosed with mental illnesses, intellectual/developmental disabilities and/or substance use disorders for more than 30 years.

Dr. Aldecoa has been part of the ACS team since 2005 and provides a range of services to the organization. She is dedicated and passionate about inclusion and recovery and believes everyone should be provided with the opportunity to reach their maximum potential.  She strives to assist others in reaching this potential by providing direct care and supervising staff members providing this care. She emphasizes humility, kindness, compassion and equality while providing comprehensive quality care to the members of our community.

A Chicago native, Victoria has called the mountains of Western North Carolina home for nearly fifteen years.  After earning a nursing degree in 2010, Victoria worked at Murphy Medical Center before joining Appalachian Community Services in 2015.  In her free time, Victoria enjoys the great outdoors with her family, often camping and fishing with her husband and children, and volunteering in her community. The most rewarding aspect of her job is seeing the clients and residents reach their goals and experience an improvement in their quality of life.

Nan Fein joined the ACS team in 2007 after moving here from Washington state.  Nan has held many positions with ACS and currently works as the Director of Integrated Care and Community Collaboration.  She has a passion for working with community resources in rural areas and is currently focusing on assisting providers in joining behavioral and physical health care services together.  Nan completed her BA degree at Purdue University and graduate studies at University of Washington.  Nan loves living in the mountains of Western North Carolina and takes every opportunity to explore and travel with her husband and two boys.

John is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist Associate. John earned a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from Western Carolina University and a Master's of Social Work from East Tennessee State University. Born and raised in Western North Carolina, John joined the Appalachian Community Services team in 2016. John brings his experience from different welfare agencies within the region. John assumed the role of Site Director for the Macon County Outpatient Clinic in 2020.  When not at work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, traveling, woodworking, gaming, hiking, and exploring.

A native of North Carolina, Natalie's deep roots in the community and her extensive experience in the mental health field, spanning diverse areas such as Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Mental Health, Substance Use, and crisis services, make her an invaluable addition to our team. With qualifications including EMDR training and a License in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Qualified Supervisor, Natalie is well-equipped to enhance our services. Her passion for a well-rounded life, reflected in her diverse interests from playing kickball to strumming the ukulele, mirrors her holistic approach to mental health.