Staff

Mike Joly

CEO

Michael Joly is the CEO of MJ Resource Management, with over 20 years of experience in addiction and mental health recovery. Mike has devoted his entire career to helping individuals and their families heal and recover from substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.

His passion for recovery is unparalleled. He has built a wealth of knowledge and experience that translates across many disciplines.

Michael is actively involved in bringing community awareness to living a positive and healthy lifestyle by working as a substance abuse and prevention consultant to various educational and healthcare systems. His expertise has provided him guest appearances in major media outlets throughout the United States. Michael is also a prominent figure in the South Bay recovery community. He is heavily involved with numerous non-profits and gives back through a variety of impactful organizations. Michael’s experience and love of helping others allow him to bring his own unique brand of passion, enthusiasm and warmth to prospective clients and their families.

Scott Dohren

Director of Operations And Compliance

Scott Dohren attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a focus in Business Administration. He also holds a CADC-II certification in addiction studies.

Scott has a tremendous amount of experience with both administrative and interpersonal aspects of behavioral health. His background in the field of behavioral health extends to counseling, mentorship, outreach, admissions, and business development.

Scott’s leadership and passion in the field of wellness has played a fundamental role in the expansion and development of MJ Resource Management Inc.

In his free time, Scott enjoys maintaining a healthy exercise regimen, attending concerts, spending time in nature, and traveling with his wife Karen.

Howard Barker

Director of Digital Marketing

Howard Barker works to engage, educate, and support the South Bay community for MJ Resource Management. He is focused on spreading education and awareness on issues surrounding mental health and substance abuse as well as helping families navigate the difficult waters of getting a loved one help. Howard has spent the past 7 years working with young adults and their families, being a support during times of crisis.

Emily Pedersen

Director of Clinical Education

Emily Pedersen holds a Master’s degree in Education and a Master of Public Health degree with a certificate in health inequities from Johns Hopkins University.

As a former educator with a strong professional background in public health research, Emily has extensive experience partnering with communities to improve health and educational outcomes. She has served as a teacher, team-lead and professional curriculum developer for Baltimore City Public Schools as well as a senior research coordinator for the Johns Hopkins Department of Epidemiology and is passionate about connecting great providers in the behavioral health space.

Sara Ghassemy

Director of Business to Business Development

Sara has over 5 years of experience working directly with individuals struggling with co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness. Sara is a graduate from Pepperdine University with her Masters in Clinical Psychology and a secondary degree in Advanced Addiction Studies. Sara’s work experience has been centered in the psychiatric hospitals, facilitating the transition of care for patients struggling with substance use into residential treatment. She is skilled in motivational interviewing, admissions/assessment, and navigating clients into clinically appropriate treatment.

Sara has been inspired to work in the mental health and recovery field through her innate passion to care and advocate for others that cannot do so for themselves. She is a firm believer that breaking the stigma of addiction through compassion and empathy will save and transform many lives through the process of recovery.

In her off time , Sara focuses on her own recovery through intense physical activity and outdoor hobbies. Hiking, backpacking, surfing, rock climbing, and running are among the few activities she is immensely passionate about.

Daisy Barajas

Director of Finance

Prior to MJ Resource Management, Daisy Barajas spent years working on the administrative side of substance abuse treatment. She is highly organized and has spent years honing her customer service skills as well as being a certified paralegal. She has an impeccable attention to detail, and loves helping companies operate at peak efficiency behind the scenes. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and trying new food.

Monica Juarez

Director of HR and Payroll

Monica serves as the HR Manager for MJ Resource Management and its affiliated companies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in Human Resources from CSULB. She is currently in the process of obtaining her master’s degree in business administration with a focus on human resources from CSULB along with a certification as an SHRM-CP.

Her own experiences with family in addiction and recovery has given Monica the passion to help people recover from addiction and mental health. In her spare time, Monica enjoys going to Disneyland, watching the latest comic book movie, or laying out by the beach.