Social Model Recovery Systems is happy to congratulate Elaine Hansen on becoming the new Program Director of Stepping Stones.
Elaine began working at River Community Covina in March 2022 as a Primary Counselor in the co-occurring outpatient program. She later took on additional roles as Safety Officer and MAT Champion before becoming a Primary Counselor in the River Covina AOD program.
In August 2025, Elaine was promoted to Program Manager. In that role, she learned more about the administrative side of the program while continuing to work closely with participants and staff.
One of her favorite parts of being a manager was helping staff grow. She enjoyed encouraging them to reach their goals, continue their education, and explore new career opportunities.
Elaine also loves learning and growing in her own career. As an MSW student, she looks forward to bringing what she is learning into her new role. She is honored to join Stepping Stones and become part of the residents’ recovery journeys.
During her time at River Community Covina, Elaine learned that strong communication and teamwork can make a real difference. As she begins her new role, she looks forward to getting to know the Stepping Stones residents and staff, hearing their ideas, and learning from their experiences.
Ellaine is especially grateful to Gloria Loera, who believed in her from the beginning and encouraged her to continue her education. She also thanks Denise Hernandez-Felice for inspiring her to pursue social work and keep moving forward in her career. She is also grateful for every SMRS employee she has met and learned from. Each connection has encouraged her to become more involved and continue growing within the Agency.
As Elaine begins this new chapter, she hopes to bring support, teamwork, and encouragement to Stepping Stones. Her personal message says it best:
“Gold stars! Gold stars for excellence, gold stars for support, gold stars for encouragement, and gold stars for success!”
Congratulations, Elaine, on your new role!
