Gobi is a comprehensive educational program with an accessible, web-based application. But there are real people behind it. 

And we “speak teen”!

Gobi Support, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping middle and high school teens and their families rethink their relationship with drugs and alcohol. Gobi is not a treatment program. The Gobi digital platform encourages self-knowledge, reflection and problem solving to build better communication within families.

Gobi may have the answer you’ve been waiting for. Reach out. We’re here, and we’re ready to help.

Jessica Berenson, Executive Director

Jessica grew up in the Washington, DC area and graduated from the University of Chicago. After college she attended George Washington University Medical School and completed a pediatric residency at Inova Fairfax Hospital where she also served as Chief Resident and an attending physician. She ultimately decided to shift careers and go into non-profit management. For the last 5 years, she served as the Executive Director of the Matthew Harris Ornstein Memorial Foundation and attended social work school at Case Western Reserve University where she graduated from in August 2024. In her spare time she likes to run and take her dog on long walks.

Eric Hernandez

Eric was born in El Salvador and migrated to California at 12 years old where he settled in the greater L.A. area with his family. After graduating from high school, Eric attended Cal. Poly. Pomona where he played NCAA Division II Soccer and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Minor in Criminal Justice. Eric attended and graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) with a Masters in Social Work/School Counseling (MSW) in 2003.

Eric served LAUSD for 20 years in various capacities: as an Adult Education Counselor and Instructor, K-12 & Alternative Education Counselor, and various other district level positions. After an extensive and diverse experience in education and to further expand his skills and knowledge in the field, Eric returned to USC to earn his Doctorate of Education in 2015.

Eric is a firm believer in the concept of being a life-long learner and has continued his education at UCLA Extension where he is completing the Alcohol & Drug Counseling Program. In his free time Eric enjoys riding his bike to the beach, attending sporting events and concerts, watching movies, and exploring the diverse foods and culture Los Angeles has to offer. 

Board of Directors

Kim Bemus, Founder, Executive Director Emeritus, created Gobi because, as a parent of four and professional in the treatment business, he and his wife could not find any programs that were a suitable consequence for one of their children who was experimenting with substance use. He saw an opportunity to create an intervention program that would reach kids where they lived, online and through their smartphones. Kim began working in the field of addiction recovery in 2005 as the Executive Director of New Business Development for the Hazelden Foundation where he led the effort to expand Hazelden’s online business opportunities. In 2010, he cofounded Clere Consulting LLC., focusing on interventions and long-term case management for families of wealth. He is also a serial entrepreneur having started five different companies and served on the boards of over a dozen local and national nonprofit organizations.Kim is a person in long-term recovery, which means for him that he hasn’t used drugs or alcohol since August 13, 1988. 

Chris Ellis, Board Chair, is a management consultant, leadership advisor, and executive coach. As a former senior executive and managing partner of a global professional services firm, he has 35-years of experience serving many for-profit and nonprofit health services organizations, across the continuum of care, in the areas of strategy, management, culture, and operations. Chris advises and serves on boards, has taught at the university level, and is active in the behavioral health and recovery communities. He has published several books and many articles on management and organization effectiveness. Chris was educated at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and Duke University.

Adam Gordon, Secretary, is a former high school teacher and a 20+ year veteran of the educational technology industry. He is the former President of Andamio Games, which won a National Institutes of Health grant to create SoberSloth, a web-based learning game that teaches adolescents the neurobiology of addiction. Adam is currently finishing the requirements for licensure as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor.

Ken C. Winters, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist at the Oregon Research Institute (MN location), and a consultant to the Native Center on Behavioral Health at the University of Iowa. He previously was a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota, where he founded and directed the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research for 25 years. He is the co-founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Minnesota, a state-wide community coalition. Dr. Winters has received numerous research grants to address behavioral health from the National Institute of Health and various foundations during a 35-year period. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed articles and numerous other works, including Contemporary Health Issues on Marijuana, published by Oxford University Press and co-edited with Kevin Sabet, Ph.D.

Brian Nystrom Founded Nystrom & Associates and served as CEO and CCO (Chief Clinical Officer), growing the organization to over 1,800 employees and 1000 clinicians on five states and 60 sites. Brian is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW). He holds several degrees, including an MSW from the University of Minnesota and an MA from Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies; and he is a DSW Candidate at the University of Tennessee. He is a longtime clinician in the community, clinical consultant to therapists, and clinical supervisor to many clinicians. He has created numerous outpatient, community-based, and residential clinical programs focused on behavioral health and substance use disorder. He serves on nonprofit and for-profit boards and served the Minnesota Board of Marriage and Family Therapy for 16 years.

Erin Hansen has served in a variety of capacities in social services for over 20 years.  She is currently Director of Community-Based Programs at Youable Emotional Health Services, and oversees programs focused on children’s mental health and family wellbeing, spanning infancy through adolescence.  She is passionate about relationship-based family home visiting work, which promotes family preservation, and interrupting cycles of abuse and neglect often passed down from historical trauma.  She holds a Business Management Degree, Master of Social Work, and is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker.  She is also a mother to four boys ages 3-13.     

Jeff Shelstad has served the Publishing and Education Technology fields for over 35 years. He is currently VP GM of XanEdu/Scholarus’ Higher Education division, and recently served as the CEO of Reflection Sciences, an innovative University of Minnesota spin-out. He has also served as VP GM of Capella University where he managed the Schools of Education, Business, Technology, and Public Service Leadership with over 20,000 learners. Jeff was Founder and CEO of Flat World Knowledge, a venture-backed startup that grew to over 40 employees and 5,000 faculty adopters. He holds a Business degree from the UofM Carlson School of Management and an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.

INTERVENTION BOARD OF ADVISORS

Ken C. Winters, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Oregon Research Institute (Chair)

Rachel Castaneda, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, Azusa Pacific University

Jeff Lee, M.Ed., Senior Consultant and former Executive Director, International Society of Substance Use Professionals

Richard MacKenzie, M.D., Adolescent Medicine, USC (ret.)

COMMUNICATIONS PARTNERS

Robert Tisdale, Integrity Recovery Foundation

Ira Liss, Integrity Recovery Foundation