Welcome to the Heartland Wellness Center experience. We are a unique blend of qualified professionals who have come together to answer one primary question. Can we provide an environment where clients are empowered to embrace an authentic connection to healing and recovery?
CONTACT US:
Tel: (219) 690-7025
Fax: (219) 696-1550
2068 Lucas Parkway
Lowell, IN 46356
101 Beverly Dr Ste A,
Chesterton, IN 46304
Jaime leads with compassion and understanding, creating a judgment-free space for healing and growth. With personal experience in the challenges of addiction, she empathizes deeply with the pain faced by individuals struggling with substance use and the heartache of parents longing for their child’s safety and well-being.
Having witnessed firsthand the impact of addiction on families and relationships, Jaime is driven by a profound desire to help others navigate their journey to recovery. Her dedication to fostering hope and resilience inspires her leadership at Heartland, ensuring that every individual feels supported on their path to healing.
Belinda brings warmth, compassion and a genuine care to Heartland Wellness Center. She has the uncanny ability to “make you want to tell her things”. Belinda’s background and knowledge can get anyone on the path to true healing.
Claire is a Licensed Social Worker who believes that each client is the expert of their own life. She uses a variety of tailored approaches to meet every client’s unique needs, ensuring that their work together is meaningful and effective.
Claire’s greatest passion is helping others find their path to wellness. She aims to show that no one has to remain in the dark—they can embrace the light. She finds immense joy in seeing others grow and heal and feels deeply honored to walk alongside her clients on their journeys.
Julianna is a compassionate leader with over 20 years of experience fostering strong relationships and supportive environments. As Heartland’s Director of Human Resources, she brings empathy and understanding to her role, drawing from her personal experiences to support the organization’s mission. Having seen the transformative power of recovery, Julianna is deeply dedicated to helping others on their path to healing.
A Northwest Indiana native, Julianna has a strong connection to the community and a deep understanding of the vital role mental health services play in the lives of individuals and families. She is committed to hiring compassionate, skilled staff to support those in recovery while creating a positive and empowering workplace for her team.
In her free time, Julianna enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, dining out, attending sporting events, and working on DIY projects. Her dedication to compassion and resilience shapes both her personal and professional life, helping her build a workplace culture grounded in care and understanding.
Derek Blagojevic, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a thriving passion for helping individuals reach their therapeutic goals. He specializes in addiction counseling, as well as the treatment of OCD and anxiety. A graduate of Campbellsville University in Kentucky, where he earned his Master of Social Work, Derek has extensive experience working with adults facing emotional, behavioral, and addiction-related challenges.
Derek takes a holistic and strength-based approach to therapy, integrating Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and mindfulness techniques. His focus is on empowering clients to explore their identities beyond societal and cultural expectations while developing tangible coping skills to navigate life’s complexities. Derek’s goal is to guide individuals on their recovery journey toward meaningful personal growth, fostering a life free from limiting expectations and full of possibility.
Katie began her recovery journey in 2019 and has since become deeply involved in the 12-step community. As she got better, she developed a strong passion for helping others. She knows what it’s like to feel hopeless and out of options, but she’s here to tell others that no one is truly hopeless. With the right tools and support, anyone can make the decision to change their life.
Katie is honored to play a small part in her clients’ journeys. She believes “We do recover.”
Jessica is a caring and compassionate provider who values the individuality and complexity of every person. She is dedicated to understanding each client’s unique life goals, challenges, and desires, and is committed to providing the support necessary for achieving health and success in behavior change.
Jessica believes that, with the right support, everyone is capable of mental wellness. While medications can be helpful, she views recovery as primarily about learning to change ineffective behaviors. At Heartland, she is here to guide individuals on their journey to a life of wholeness and recovery.
Kaley is a PMH-NP with a passion for mental health and recovery treatment. She believes in a respectful, compassionate, and direct approach to establishing professional relationships with her patients.
Kaley utilizes a holistic, patient-centered approach, integrating the latest evidence-based interventions and treatment options. She empowers her patients to actively participate in their healing process by providing them with education and resources to develop and execute personalized care plans.
With a background in acute inpatient psychiatric care and outpatient psychiatric and recovery services, Kaley specializes in the treatment of mental health disorders across the lifespan. Her experience includes diagnosing and managing mood disorders, psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and behavioral disturbances related to neurocognitive and autism spectrum disorders.
With 15 years of experience in social services, Eric brings a friendly, empathetic, and kind approach to his work. He is dedicated to lifting others up, focusing on their strengths, and helping them navigate through
their challenges. Eric believes that addiction and mental health recovery require a non-judgmental and supportive approach, and he is committed to supporting both clients and staff on their journey.
Eric is also passionate about raising awareness of the valuable services Heartland offers to the community and ensuring that everyone has access to the help they need.
Kesha, a childhood trauma survivor herself, understands firsthand the loneliness that often accompanies such experiences. She wants her clients to know that they are not alone and that she is here to walk with them through their recovery journey.
While knowledge, skills, and therapeutic interventions are essential, Kesha believes that the key to effective therapy lies in building a strong rapport and trust within the therapeutic relationship.
Jen believes that everyone has value and deserves a chance to heal. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, she has learned that the most profound thing people seek is simply to be heard. Jen is committed to helping others carry their burdens, ensuring they don’t have to face life’s challenges alone.
She is passionate about providing a supportive space where individuals can find the opportunity to heal and grow.
Rhonda became a mental health professional because she experienced firsthand the power of someone believing in her. At a time when her voice felt unheard, one person acknowledged her perspective and helped her see her own value. Now, she is passionate about offering that same support to others, especially those who are scared but still take the courageous step toward healing.
What Rhonda loves most about her work is witnessing individuals face their fears and embrace growth, despite the challenges they may face.
Nikola is a Licensed Social Worker and a graduate of Indiana University Northwest’s Master of Social Work program. He has always had a strong connection to his local community, volunteering with various community development organizations and serving as an intensive youth advocate for youth on probation through AmeriCorps as a Community Service-Learning Fellow.
Nikola is passionate about challenging the stigmas and stereotypes surrounding mental health and addiction. He strives to promote community growth and learning, aiming to dispel the misconceptions that often hinder successful outcomes for individuals and families dealing with mental health or addiction challenges. Nikola believes in seeing individuals for who they truly are, working from that understanding, and fostering the value of human relationships.
He feels that there is immense power in people coming together to learn and grow, and he is proud to be part of the team at Heartland, where that growth and success can take place.
Diana, raised in Will County and a graduate of Romeoville High School, has experienced firsthand the devastating effects of addiction, including the loss of her brother and other loved ones. After witnessing how addiction can tear a family apart, she decided to dedicate her life to helping others battle substance abuse.
Diana began her journey in 2015 at an Intervention company and has since earned her CADAC-II certification. Her passion for helping others has only grown, and she finds the most rewarding part of her job is seeing clients transform from their first day to the completion of their recovery, knowing the positive impact Heartland has had on their lives.
Diana lives by the motto: “Work like you don’t need the money.”
Lisa is an LMHC-A who approaches challenges with compassion and humor, helping client’s problem-solve and empower themselves. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to guide individuals in understanding their motivations and improving their lives.
Lisa believes that trust, kindness, and respect are fundamental to building a strong therapeutic alliance and helping clients grow.
Dr. Pranger is passionate about helping individuals resolve past trauma and understand its effects on mental, emotional, and physical health. Her training includes providing behavioral health services at medical facilities specializing in chronic pain and health conditions.
When working with clients, Dr. Pranger’s approach is rooted in compassion and nonjudgment, creating a safe space for clients to explore challenges related to emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. She earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in clinical psychology, with an emphasis on primary care, from Adler University in Chicago. Dr. Pranger is currently completing her postdoctoral fellowship at Heartland Wellness Center.
Justine struggled for years before finding her way to recovery in 2018. She always told herself that if she ever made it out of that despair, she would go back to school and become a therapist to help others facing mental health and addiction challenges. In 2019, Justine entered the MSW program at Indiana Wesleyan University. While attending school, she worked as a recovery coach and completed two internships at inpatient rehab facilities.
For Justine, this work gives purpose to the pain she experienced in life. Her journey brought her to a rewarding career helping others, turning her dreams into reality through continued hard work in recovery.
Justine is passionate about forming trusting relationships with her clients through an empathetic and non-judgmental approach. She has a working knowledge of various evidence-based treatments (CBT, DBT, ACT, etc.), the Twelve Steps, and multiple pathways to recovery. She is dedicated to helping families and individuals in vulnerable situations rediscover their spark and grow in their creativity, spirituality, and physical and mental wellness.
Justine’s goal is to bring greater understanding to families, friends, and the wider community to help end the deadly stigma surrounding mental health and addiction.
Emily has known her entire life that she wanted to help others and be a light in someone else’s darkest place. To pursue this passion, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychological Sciences from Ball State
University and a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a focus in Trauma-Informed Care from Valparaiso University.
Her desire to help others grew as she gained experience in addiction recovery, individual and group counseling, and behavioral mental health, including trauma, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and mood and personality disorders. Emily believes in versatility, knowing that no two people are the same. She uses a variety of counseling techniques to create a warm, safe, and supportive environment where clients can express themselves openly and freely, with approaches tailored to each person’s unique needs.
Your story matters to Emily, and she is committed to walking with you as you pave a healthy and happy path forward in life.
Melanie is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) in Indiana with specialized training in EMDR and a Master of Science in Education, focusing on Mental Health Counseling and Addictions from Purdue University Northwest. She is pursuing a Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision at Walden University, with an emphasis on trauma and crisis.
Melanie is passionate about providing a safe, supportive space for clients to explore and achieve their goals. She primarily practices from a Cognitive Behavioral approach, incorporating other methods tailored to client needs. Her expertise includes working with adults, particularly suicide loss survivors, and addressing trauma, grief, depression, and substance use.
Jordan brings a compassionate and empathetic approach to her role as Intake Coordinator at Heartland Wellness Center. Having grown up in an environment deeply impacted by addiction recovery, she possesses a personal and profound understanding of the challenges faced by individuals and their families.
Jordan is dedicated to connecting with clients on a personal level, offering a non-judgmental and supportive presence. Her favorite part of the job is witnessing the incredible growth and transformation that clients experience as they progress on their recovery journeys.
Passionate about creating a welcoming and safe space, Jordan ensures that clients feel understood and supported. She believes in the power of recovery and is honored to be part of a team that makes a meaningful difference in people’s lives every day.
