Our Military Team
We have now added two full time, highly skilled professionals to our Veterans Outreach Program. They are standing ready to receive referrals as we expand our treatment options. LEAP Military Services Providers know that by linking their client’s values and learning style to their treatment plan, service members, veterans and their families can more quickly and completely understand and integrate new perspectives and behaviors into their lives.
Dona Kingsley, LPC, Clinician, Director
Dona retired from the United States Navy after serving 20+ years of active duty. Seeing a need for mental health services within the military, she completed her Master’s degree in counseling and became a Military Interventionist. In that capacity, she has delivered mental health services around the globe at different military installations. She was most recently assigned to Okinawa, Japan, and returned to Charleston in August 2019. She became EAGALA certified in September 2019 and is now a full -time member of our Veteran’s Outreach Program team. Dona’s focus has primarily been helping active-duty service members deal with PTSD and other stress disorders, as well as military life issues that occur within their families. She brings her excellent experience and skill set to serving Veterans.
Dona understands military life ‘from the inside-out’, and will be developing innovative programs using the equine model to better serve our Veterans, active duty service members, and their families.
Rex Kingsley - Equine Specialist
Rex was born and grew up on a farm and understands the land and the animals in an intuitive way. A career military man, Rex retired from the United States Navy as a Master Chief. He served on numerous assignments and deployments during his 27 years of service, and jokingly quips that his primary responsibility was to “keep the ship floating”. He constantly applies this philosophy to the LEAP program. Besides being a member of the LEAP Military Services treatment team as a certified EAGALA Equine Specialist, Rex has become responsible for maintaining and improving the LEAP treatment facility.
As an E-9, Rex managed large groups of enlisted men and women and developed exceptional ‘people skills’. He is now working full time with LEAP in The Veterans Outreach Program as an Equine Specialist on the team and particularly enjoys delivering services to our adolescents.
