Staff

Juvenile Services Director

Pam Miller, M.A., LMHC is a licensed therapist, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, a Florida Board Specialist for Juveniles with Sexual Behavior Problems, a Florida Board Qualified Practitioner to Evaluate and Treat Adult Sexual Abusers, and a Qualified Supervisor through the Florida Board. She has overseen The ITM Group’s outpatient services program for adolescents with sexual behavior problems since 2000. The program covers Lake, Sumter, Marion, Citrus and Hernando Counties. Pam also sees adult and child victims of sexual abuse in outpatient treatment.

Pam has specialized in the field of sexual abuse since 1984; supervising group homes for abused adolescents, directing two abuse shelters for children and providing assessment and outpatient services to child victims, adult survivors, abuse reactive children, adult offenders and adolescents with sexual behavior problems. She has served as the Clinical Director of a circuit-wide Sexual Abuse Treatment Program (SATP) covering Lee, Glades, Charlotte, Hendry and Collier Counties. Florida SATPs are the sexual abuse treatment components of Child Advocacy Centers and Child Protection Teams. In this position Ms. Miller was instrumental in designing and implementing a treatment program for sexually reactive juveniles and was a charter member of the Sexual Abuse Intervention Network in the circuit.

She has been a clinical member of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) since 1997, and has been a charter member of the Florida Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (FATSA) since the state chapter’s inception. Pam is a former board member of Florida ATSA and former editor of the Florida Forum, the association’s newsletter. Pam is also a member of The International Association of Trauma Professionals, The American Mental Health Counselor’s Association, and the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence. She served on the 2005-2006 Florida Governor’s Task Force on Juvenile Sex Offenders and their Victims and served on the Leadership Council for Florida’s Comprehensive Approach to Managing Juveniles Who Sexually Offend. These forums addressed policy and practice by reviewing the law, Department of Juvenile Justice and Department of Children and Families policy and practice, treatment programs, reporting protocol and school response regarding this population.

Pam has provided professional training in the areas of childhood sexual abuse and sexually reactive children and juveniles at the National Adolescent Perpetrator Network, Florida Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers and Sexual Abuse Intervention Network conferences. She has provided training for Partnership for Strong Families’ foster parents and therapists, Child Protection Team professionals and Department of Corrections probation and parole officers.

Rose Anna Rutledge is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator. She received her Master’s Degree from the University of Florida. She is an independent contractor who is a clinical associate with the ITM Group’s private practice business. She has over thirty years in this field and consequently, has devoted many years in the mastery of a number of mental health areas. Ms. Rutledge provides psychotherapy to adults, children, adolescents and their families and couples. Her areas of specialization include relationship problems, divorce and family conflict, adjustment, mood, thought, behavioral disturbances, addictive disorders, survivors of abuse, mild eating disorders, anger and stress management, personal growth, self-esteem, trauma, and bereavement. She is also the sole proprietor of her own independent business, Psychosexual Evaluations and Treatment. These services are not provided at our main office at 1208 NW 6th Street, Gainesville

Ms. Rutledge utilizes a Cognitive Behavioral Solution Focused therapeutic approach that constructs an individually based treatment plan to address identified problems and goals. She believes that each person she works with has many untapped internal strengths which encourages fast paced and beneficial outcomes.

In addition to her clinical work, Ms. Rutledge has facilitated numerous trainings including subjects on the Florida Baker Act, Sexual Abuse of Children and Adults, Assertiveness, Stress and Anger Management, Sexual Offender Disorders and Treatment among others.

She welcomes each individual she is privileged to work with as she views clients as resourceful, courageous and highly motivated towards living the best life possible. She also welcomes all of the many learning opportunities afforded to her through the people she serves.

CBT – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been shown to be a treatment modality that successfully addresses a wide variety of mental health problems including emotional disturbance, addictive disorders, personality disorders and trauma. CBT allows individuals to focus on how emotional distress is frequently manifested and/or exaggerated by the way we THINK about events and not necessarily the event itself. This therapeutic approach assists clients in identifying thoughts in order to examine their accuracy. Many times our thinking is “flawed” or identified as a thinking error. In recognizing these errors, clients are empowered to challenge any distorted thoughts and develop and implement alternative ways of thinking. In doing so, a significant reduction in emotional distress is achieved. Additionally, “cognitive distortions” that result in thinking errors and learned which further enhances the ability to identify problematic thoughts more quickly. Techniques acquired in CBT provide clients with tools that can be utilized outside of the therapeutic arena long after a successful episode of care is achieved.

Parallel parenting is successfully used to assist highly conflicted families in decreasing the level of emotional distress that results in parental turmoil and an inability to reconcile individual differences. A Parallel Parenting approach allows each parent to structure a home independent of the other and assists children in adapting to each parental household. In doing so, children are freed of anger and animosity so prevalent in situations that make the likelihood of co-parenting or collaborative parenting impossible.

Rose Anna Rutledge, MHS
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
FL MH 3166
Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator 00027
National Board of Forensic Evaluators

Dr. Jennifer Sager is a licensed psychologist with over 15 years of experience in the field. She is a private practitioner and independent provider for The ITM Group in Gainesville, Florida. She provides psychotherapy to adults and conducts psychological evaluations, psychosexual evaluations, child dependency evaluations, intelligence and psychological testing. Dr. Sager’s areas of specialization for therapy include relationship issues, personal fulfillment, depression, anxiety, trauma recovery, sexuality and gender identity/ transition. She also has extensive experience working with personality disorders, mild eating disorders, identity issues, stress management, bereavement, self-esteem, career issues, personal growth and self-understanding. In addition to counseling, Dr. Sager provides Psychological Evaluations, Executive and Academic Coaching, Organizational Consultation, Specialized Training or Workshops, and Keynote Presentations.

She has published articles and presents nationally on multicultural issues, including Multicultural retention programs and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered issues. As an author, she has published “The Psychology of Transgender”, a book chapter featured in The New Goddess: Transgender Women in the Twenty-First Century (2006) and the book Becoming Multiculturally Responsible on Campus (2007).

Wendy Fletcher-Shannon M.S., Ed. S. LMHC, is a native Floridian. She completed her BA degree in Psychology at St. Leo University, MS in Human Services with a specialization in Community Counseling Psychology at Springfield College and has an Ed. S. in School Guidance and Counseling from Argosy University.

Having spent time working in community mental health and the public school system she has over 25 years experience in working with children, adolescents and adults. Additionally, she is a qualified supervisor for registered mental health interns. Wendy also holds clinical membership with ATSA and is a member of the American School Counseling Association.

Areas of Interest

Professional interests include child and family welfare, educational consultation, individual and group therapy. She also provides counseling for adolescents and adults, educational consultation; as well as, facilitating groups in theft fraud intervention, substance abuse, anger management and sexual offending.

Approach to Therapy

Wendy’s approach to therapy is “meeting the clients where they are”. She infuses multi-modal therapeutic techniques that facilitate clients’ progress in self-awareness, skill development and personal growth. Therapeutic modalities used include Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT).

Dr. Vermont holds a BA in Psychology from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, a Masters of Science in Clinical Psychology and a Doctorate of Psychology from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

She has received specialized training with populations that include children, adolescents, families, and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She has also received training with juvenile sex offenders, psychological testing, outpatient adult counseling, and substance abuse counseling.

Dr. Vermont also works as a psychologist for the Union County Schools in Lake Butler, Florida as a contract psychologist, providing the school system with educational and psychological testing as well as counseling for pre-school through high school children.

Craig Batchelor, LMHC MA MS received his Master of Arts Degree in Professional Counseling from South University in 2008 and his Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida in 2001. Craig also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Legal Studies from the University of Central Florida and has been a License Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) since 2011. Craig has over a decade of experience working with youth and families beginning in 2001 as a Child Protective Investigator with the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Following DCF, he worked as a Master’s level counselor treating youth who had been abused, neglected and abandoned referred from the child protection system. In 2007, Craig began treating juvenile sex offenders while working at a high and maximum risk residential facility in Okeechobee, Florida. In 2011, Craig became the Clinical Director at Union Juvenile Residential Facility in Raiford, Florida. At this facility, he is credited for designing, implementing and overseeing the juvenile sex offender treatment services to the youth at the program. At the end of his tenure at Union, he became the Executive Director overseeing all operational and clinical aspects of the program. Craig also has been a clinical consultant and negotiator for several Intent to Negotiate (ITN) proposals written for the Department of Juvenile Justice to provide clinical services to residential facilities. He is also a certified peer reviewer for the Department of Juvenile Justice Bureau of Monitoring and Quality Improvement. Craig is currently a clinical member of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) and the American Mental Health Counselor’s Association (AMHCA). He is also a qualified supervisor for the state of Florida for registered mental health counselor interns who are obtaining their hours to qualify for licensure. Craig’s style of therapy is client-centered, cognitive behavioral and reality based treatment utilizing motivational interviewing to assist in the therapeutic process. Mr. Batchelor provides adult sexual abuser assessment and treatment services for The ITM Group in Chiefland, Live Oak and Ocala.

Alvin Butler is one of the partners of The ITM Group. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the University of Florida, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Rollins College, and a Master of Science in Counseling from Nova University. Alvin has over 27 years of experience in the mental health counseling field in both inpatient and outpatient settings. He started his career in the Department of Corrections where he served as a recreation program supervisor. Currently, he facilitates weekly sexual offender group therapy sessions, works with individual clients in need of general counseling services, and directs the community competency training programs, provided in the north-central Florida region. Additionally, he supervises the northern region of the ITM outpatient treatment programs for Probation and Parole Services. He has been involved in the development and implementation of several statewide projects serving as the intial Program Director for the privately contracted Juvenile Incompetent to Proceed Program and most recently as the Program Director of the privately contracted Sexually Violent Predator Program. He previously was a Senior Therapist and later Unit Director at a state-run inpatient forensic facility for the criminally insane. Mr. Butler has served on the Board of Directors for several local agencies and continues to be engaged in volunteer activities in the local area. Mr. Butler provides adult sexual abuser assessment and treatment services for The ITM Group in Chiefland and Ocala.

Wendy Fletcher-Shannon M.S., Ed. S. LMHC,

is a native Floridian. She completed her BA degree in Psychology at St. Leo University, MS in Human Services with a specialization in Community Counseling Psychology at Springfield College and has an Ed. S. in School Guidance and Counseling from Argosy University.

Having spent time working in community mental health and the public school system she has over 25 years’ experience in working with children, adolescents and adults. Additionally, she is a qualified supervisor for registered mental health interns. Wendy also holds clinical membership with ATSA and is a member of the American School Counseling Association.

Areas of Interest:

Professional interests include, child and family welfare, educational consultation, individual and group therapy. She also provides counseling for adolescents and adults, educational consultation; as well as, facilitating groups in theft fraud intervention, substance abuse, anger management and sexual offending.

Approach to Therapy:

Wendy’s approach to therapy is “meeting the clients where they are”. She infuses multi-modal therapeutic techniques that facilitates clients progress in self-awareness, skill development and personal growth. Therapeutic modalities used include Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT).

Juvenile Services Director

Pam Miller, M.A., LMHC is a licensed therapist, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, a Florida Board Specialist for Juveniles with Sexual Behavior Problems, a Florida Board Qualified Practitioner to Evaluate and Treat Adult Sexual Abusers, and a Qualified Supervisor through the Florida Board. She has overseen The ITM Group’s outpatient services program for adolescents with sexual behavior problems since 2000. The program covers Lake, Sumter, Marion, Citrus and Hernando Counties. Pam also sees adult and child victims of sexual abuse in outpatient treatment.

Pam has specialized in the field of sexual abuse since 1984; supervising group homes for abused adolescents, directing two abuse shelters for children and providing assessment and outpatient services to child victims, adult survivors, abuse reactive children, adult offenders and adolescents with sexual behavior problems. She has served as the Clinical Director of a circuit-wide Sexual Abuse Treatment Program (SATP) covering Lee, Glades, Charlotte, Hendry and Collier Counties. Florida SATPs are the sexual abuse treatment components of Child Advocacy Centers and Child Protection Teams. In this position, Ms. Miller was instrumental in designing and implementing a treatment program for sexually reactive juveniles and was a charter member of the Sexual Abuse Intervention Network in the circuit.

She has been a clinical member of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) since 1997, and has been a charter member of the Florida Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (FATSA) since the state chapter’s inception. Pam is a former board member of Florida ATSA and former editor of the Florida Forum, the association’s newsletter. Pam is also a member of The International Association of Trauma Professionals, The American Mental Health Counselor’s Association, and the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence. She served on the 2005-2006 Florida Governor’s Task Force on Juvenile Sex Offenders and their Victims and served on the Leadership Council for Florida’s Comprehensive Approach to Managing Juveniles Who Sexually Offend. These forums addressed policy and practice by reviewing the law, Department of Juvenile Justice and Department of Children and Families policy and practice, treatment programs, reporting protocol and school response regarding this population.

Pam has provided professional training in the areas of childhood sexual abuse and sexually reactive children and juveniles at the National Adolescent Perpetrator Network, Florida Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers and Sexual Abuse Intervention Network conferences. She has provided training for Partnership for Strong Families’ foster parents and therapists, Child Protection Team professionals and Department of Corrections probation and parole officers. Ms. Miller provides adult sexual abuser assessment and treatment services for The ITM Group in Inverness.

Jack “Benji” Stultz, LMFT has been working with juveniles for over a decade. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, Benji integrates a systemic approach with proven cognitive-behavioral treatment practices. Prior to joining The ITM Group, he was a therapist and later the senior clinician at a high-risk residential program for juveniles with sexual behavior problems. In 2008 he began conducting individual and family sessions with juveniles in Lake County, along with facilitating multiple adult sex offender groups in Orange, Lake, and Osceola counties. He is a member of both the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) and the Florida Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (FATSA). Mr. Stultz provides adult sexual abuser assessment and treatment services for The ITM Group in Kissimmee, Orlando and Tavares.

Dr. Mack received his MSW from the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Florida. Clinically, he has over fifteen years of experience working with delinquent youth and their family, sexually aggressive youth, mentally challenged youths and adults, juvenile and adult violent offenders, juvenile and adult drug offenders, and runaway teens. Dr. Mack has worked in a variety of practice settings including community mental health centers, Department of Corrections, public schools, pediatric inpatient hospitals, community centers, and the University of Florida Counseling Center. His professional and research interests include assessment and treatment of adult and juvenile offenders, social justice issues in counseling, community/institutional outreach, underserved populations, and health disparities.

Dr. Mack is a clinical member of ATSA and specializes in sex offender treatment with the ITM Group. He functions as the Clinical Coordinator of Outpatient Services in the Metro Orlando area providing treatment planning, competency restoration and group and individual treatment for adult offenders. Dr. Mack also devotes time to working with people who display sexual behavioral problems, anger management, and/or substance abuse issues. In addition to his clinical endeavors, Dr. Mack is also an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Central Florida’s College of Health & Public Affairs department of Social Work. Dr. Mack provides adult sexual abuser assessment and treatment services for The ITM Group in Orlando and Ocala.

Wendy Fletcher-Shannon M.S., Ed. S. LMHC, is a native Floridian. She completed her BA degree in Psychology at St. Leo University, MS in Human Services with a specialization in Community Counseling Psychology at Springfield College and has an Ed. S. in School Guidance and Counseling from Argosy University.

Having spent time working in community mental health and the public school system she has over 25 years of experience in working with children, adolescents and adults. Additionally, she is a qualified supervisor for registered mental health interns. Wendy also holds clinical membership with ATSA and is a member of the American School Counseling Association.

Areas of Interest

Professional interests include, child and family welfare, educational consultation, individual and group therapy. She also provides counseling for adolescents and adults, educational consultation; as well as, facilitating groups in theft fraud intervention, substance abuse, anger management and sexual offending.

Approach to Therapy

Wendy’s approach to therapy is “meeting the clients where they are”. She infuses multi-modal therapeutic techniques that facilitate clients’ progress in self-awareness, skill development and personal growth. Therapeutic modalities used include Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT).

Jack “Benji” Stultz, LMFT has been working with juveniles for over a decade. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, Benji integrates a systemic approach with proven cognitive-behavioral treatment practices. Prior to joining The ITM Group, he was a therapist and later the senior clinician at a high-risk residential program for juveniles with sexual behavior problems. In 2008 he began conducting individual and family sessions with juveniles in Lake County, along with facilitating multiple adult sex offender groups in Orange, Lake, and Osceola counties. He is a member of both the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) and the Florida Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (FATSA). Mr. Stultz provides adult sexual abuser assessment and treatment services for The ITM Group in Mt. Dora.