The Begin Anew Crew
Our highly skilled team leans on self-development and ethics as our keys to success.
At Begin Anew we take pride on fast response to all referrals and going above and beyond for our participants.
Justin McNeal
Executive Director
Justin serves as our fearless leader and Executive Director, embodying the belief that there is no single "right or wrong" path to recovery. With personal experience in both recovery and the justice systems, he has spent the past six years developing innovative Peer Recovery Support programs tailored for justice-impacted individuals seeking recovery.
Justin’s extensive background includes years of training both the community and the Peer Recovery Support workforce, equipping them with the tools needed for success. His expertise spans justice systems navigation, building strategic partnerships, ethics, harm reduction, and curriculum development, making him a valuable resource for those seeking education and support in justice-involved recovery initiatives.
Rocky DeYoung
Lead Trainer/Sub-Contractor
Rocky DeYoung brings over 30 years of experience working inside both state and federal prison systems as a reentry specialist and advocate. He has dedicated his career to supporting high-risk, justice-involved individuals as they navigate the complex federal reentry process.
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Before stepping into the private sector, Rocky spent four years as a Reentry Specialist with U.S. Probation in the District of Minnesota, where he developed a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by people returning from incarceration.
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Delaney Hegarty
Housing Navigator
Delaney Hegarty is a recent graduate of Hamline University with a bachelor’s degree in Social Justice and Social Change. They currently serve as a Housing Navigator with Heading Home Corps at Begin Anew, helping individuals experiencing housing instability navigate barriers and connect with resources that support greater stability.
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Delaney’s passion for housing advocacy comes from their belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to feel safe, supported, and at home in their community, regardless of the circumstances that brought them there. Through their background in person-centered care, they have learned the importance of listening without judgment, recognizing individual strengths, and meeting people where they are. Delaney strives to build trusting relationships and walk alongside participants as they work toward stable housing and a future that is meaningful to them.
Kasey Chrismen
Recovery Navigator
Kasey is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) and Recovery Navigator at Begin Anew, serving through the AmeriCorps Recovery Corps program. Now in his fourth year of recovery, Kasey brings lived experience with substance use and justice involvement to his work. His own recovery journey began when someone in the recovery field reached out, believed in him, and helped motivate him to begin rebuilding his life.
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Today, Kasey is passionate about paying that support forward. Through his role at Begin Anew, he uses his lived experience and professional training to support individuals navigating recovery, justice involvement, and other barriers. He strives to offer others the same encouragement, resources, and helping hand that was once extended to him while reminding people that change and a different future are possible.
© 2035 by Sofai Strategies
Amanda Amundson
Peer Supervisor
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Amanda Amundson is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist with a Forensic Endorsement and Peer Supervisor at Begin Anew. Her passion for helping others is rooted in her own lived experience with addiction, domestic violence, and navigating the child protection system. Recovery allowed Amanda to rebuild her life, strengthen her family, and use her experiences to show others that change is possible.
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Amanda began her journey with Begin Anew as an AmeriCorps Recovery Corps member, serving two terms as a Recovery Navigator before transitioning into her current leadership role. Today, she combines her lived experience and professional training to supervise and mentor new AmeriCorps members while continuing to advocate for individuals and families impacted by substance use, justice involvement, reentry, and other barriers to recovery.
Mark Edelson - Community Engagement
William Erhart - Chair
Joe Morris - Vice Chair
Kirk Lundmark - Secretary
