Thank you to our staff!

Director & Counselor: Carmen Larson, Executive Director, LADC
Counselor: John Zajac, Program Director, Outpatient Counselor LADC
Counselor: Steve Braukmann, Men's House LADC
Counselor: Linda Bongo, Women's House LADC
Counselor: Elizabeth Nelson, On-Call LADC
Nurse: Katherine Thomas, RN
DUI class educator: Adriene Wade Harms

Carmen Larson
Executive Director, LADC

Carmen Larson graduated from St. Cloud State University in 2011 with a Bachelor’s of Science and focus on Chemical Dependency and Community Phycology. 

Carmen Started with Rewind in the summer of 2012, she started off as the Men’s House and Outpatient Counselor, became the Women’s House Counselor in the summer of 2013 and moved into the Executive Director Position in the summer of 2015.

​Carmen has always had a passion for helping others and believes that change is always possible.

Carmen enjoys her time away from work by spending time with her family camping, riding horses and gardening. 

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John Zajac
Program Director, Outpatient Counselor LADC

John Zajac is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) and a Licensed Social Worker (LSW). John has been working at Rewind since 2015, where he started as the program director and counselor at the women’s halfway house. In 2019 he took over the Rewind Outpatient-Aftercare program where he is currently facilitating groups, case management, and counseling services. 

John’s education includes an Associate in Arts Degree which he received in 2008 when he graduated with high honors from Minnesota State Community and Technical Colleges Fergus Falls, Minnesota. John also graduated with high honors from Bemidji State University in 2010 with a Bachelors Degree in Social Work and a Chemical Dependency Minor. Over the last 12 years John has increased his knowledge and experience with multiple additional trainings, workshops, conferences, and certificates as well as very valuable learning experiences from those he works with and counsels. 

Johns past work experience includes a very rewarding time at outpatient treatment in Ponemah on the Red lake Indian reservation in Minnesota in 2010. During his time there he got to participate in several ceremonies and trainings that were native specific, gaining knowledge and experience working with the Native American population. Also in 2010, John worked at Bemidji Area Program for Recovery (BAPR) in Bemidji Minnesota. At which time he took part in the wellness court and jail program. In addition, he co-facilitated an adolescence group, duel disorder group and led an adult male anger management group. He worked at Sharehouse Stepping Stones High Intensity women and children’s facility from 2010-2015 where he counseled and facility multiple groups, managed programing and delivered case management services. 

John is influenced by a lifetime of intimate and professional experiences and knowledge as they relate to the behavior change process. John is grounded in a person centered strengths based perspective with a holistic approach to the people he works with and believes in “walking with people” not above them, utilizing an authentic and genuine person/counselor relationship. John is the creator and author of Common Sense Recovery Teachings (CSRT) and uses these teachings to help people through the behavior change process towards sustainable drug free positive behaviors for ongoing problematic behavior resolution. Johns CSRT are heavily influenced by a drug free foundation that teaches and educates on critical thinking, problematic and positive behaviors, psychotropic drugs and drug use, thinking and emotions, relationships and relationship behaviors, support networks, willingness, personal responsibility, informed consent, and personal choice.  
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John is very committed and passionate about what he does and teaches. He is also extremely grateful to be in a position to give back and help others through the behavior change process. John’s positive attitude and genuine personality is very conducive and contagious to those he is around creating a comfortable, inviting, supportive and prosperous environment. 

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Steve Braukmann
Men's House LADC

Steve Braukmann is a Licenced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) with the Men’s  Low Intensity Residential Program at Rewind.  He believes the stigmas and stereotypes associated with addiction need to be SMASHED. 

​This can be achieved through compassionate, spiritually based counseling and coaching.  His number one priority is to instill HOPE and belief that any obstacle can be overcome.  Steve graduated from Saint John’s University with a BA in communication and psychology. 

He completed the Addiction Counseling Graduate Certificate program at Minnesota State University Moorhead.  Outside of the office he enjoys outdoor activities, spending time with his blended and blessed family and considers himself a lifelong learner.

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Linda Bongo
Women's House LADC

Hello my name is Linda Bongo. I am a LADC at Rewind. Growing up with the impact of alcohol and living through the subsequent effect on my life and relationships garnered in me a desire for life to be different. When I entered Ridgewater College Chemical Dependency Counseling program it was with a desire to understand how someone could give up their family and choose alcohol. I gained much from the amazing instructors and students at Ridgewater. I had always been ridiculously shy, equating people with pain and suffering and had very low self-esteem. I found more of who I was in Ridgewater through these associations. It was a different life. From there I went on to St. Cloud State University. My goal when entering was to major in psychology, but through the twists of fate my major became Cultural Anthropology. I see this now as an extremely good fit. I loved college. My journey took many twists and turns after graduation from St. Cloud State and it was many years before I returned to my plan of becoming an LADC. Truthfully I felt I had more to learn before I could do the work I had learned so much about and more life to live before I had the substance of character I felt would be sufficient for this work. In 2014 I returned to Ridgewater College and completed the internship part of the program at New Visions in Alexandria. I worked for New Visions in the outpatient program and then in the high intensity women’s program. I met and worked with phenomenal people. As life does it took another turn after leaving my position with New Visions. The impact of chemical use on my life had not ended with my father. As many of us this follows into relationships and into the next generation. The next turn in life brought me to Rewind. One of the questions I was asked when I interviewed was “why here?” I answered simply, “Because it feels like the right place to be.” This has proven to be true as I continue to work with clients and staff at Rewind. I am grateful to be given this opportunity. The day I moved to Perham I watched an eagle fly toward a tree and break off a branch and fly away with it. It was building, and that is what we offer and support here, come and build. My life is different.

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