Donald E. Stump, Executive Director

Don brings 24 years of experience with nonprofit organizations that serve youth and families in San Diego County, as well as Boston, Massachusetts. His accomplishments at Lifeline since he was appointed Executive Director in 2007 include leading the organization through a strategic planning and re-branding process and the expansion of sources of support to the organization. Prior to his appointment, Don worked with The Preuss School UCSD and with San Diego Youth & Community Services as Associate Director of Operations and Resource Development. He worked previously as the Project Director for the 41st Street and the Mid City Family Resource Centers with SAY San Diego, Inc., and as Prevention Manager, Alcohol and Drug Services with the County of San Diego, Department of Health Services. Don continues to serve as an instructor and advisor at the University of San Diego in their Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program and Governance Institute.

Don holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Anthropology from Texas Tech University and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Boston College. He also holds a postgraduate certificate in chemical dependence treatment from Boston University. He is a graduate of LEAD San Diego, the Fieldstone Foundation Emerging Leaders program, and is an active volunteer with various community organizations. With the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary, Don served as Programs chair for two years and has served on the Board of Directors for the past three years.

Deborah F. Martinez-Shriver, Director of Counseling & Youth Services (Associate Executive Director)

In her tenure at Lifeline, Deborah has also held positions as Associate Director, Director of Youth and Behavioral Health, Director of Behavioral Health, and Director of Social Services. With more than 20 years experience in the mental and behavioral health fields, she ensures the quality and effectiveness of all behavioral health programs at Lifeline, providing leadership; clinical supervision; hiring, training and orientation; and direct services as necessary. She is responsible for programmatic and fiscal oversight, records management, ensuring safety and quality assurance, and serving as liaison with funding sources.

Deborah received her B.A. in Recreational Administration from San Diego State University before going on to obtain an M.A. in Counseling Psychology. As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, she has accrued several professional certifications and affiliations and has authored curriculums on a broad range of topics in the fields of mental and behavioral health.

Tamara Marthens, Director of Behavioral Health Services

Tamara joined the Lifeline team in 2000 in the Behavioral Health Component. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, serving the disadvantaged/at-risk populations for the past 19 years. Tamara holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State Polytechnic University and a Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology from National University. She is a TERM (Treatment and Evaluation Resource Management) approved therapist, working with Child Welfare Services to protect and treat children who have been subject to, or who have witnessed, abuse. Tamara is an active CADRE member, a team that leads the advancement of understanding co-occuring disorders (substance abuse and mental health) in San Diego County and is a Domestic Violence treatment provider. She is trained in evidence-based practices such as Motivational Interviewing and Functional Family Therapy. She currently provides clinical and administrative oversight to the Behavioral Health Component and the Community Services for Families and Breaking Cycles programs.

Nicole Heesen, Director of Self-Sufficiency Services

Nicole Heesen has been employed with Lifeline since 2001, working for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program. She has experience providing case management services and clinical counseling to various populations including the homeless, domestic violence survivors, veterans, and the severely mentally ill. As the new Director of Self-Sufficiency Services, Nicole oversees Lifeline's County-funded Family Self-Sufficiency contracts and United Way Adult and youth Financial Literacy contracts, as well as various other emergency assistance contracts that Lifeline operates throughout the community.

Nicole holds her Bachelors in Psychology from Alliant International University and has graduate education in clinical psychology. She has provided trainings at North County Lifeline through the Social Work Program Training on topics such as Crisis Intervention, Goal Setting, Home Visiting, Community Resources, and Law and Ethics.

Jim Goethel, Director of Juvenile Justice Services

Jim is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities from the University of California, Irvine, and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from National University. He is currently an adjunct faculty member in the Undergraduate Psychology department at Argosy University.

Jim originally joined Lifeline in 2002 as a Youth and Family Counselor in the Breaking Cycles Project in which he earned Employee of the Year three times. Prior to joining the Lifeline family, he taught students of all ages in the Juvenile Court and Community Schools (JCCS) and in private learning institutions for learners with special education needs.  His clinical experience includes eight years of providing group and individual treatment to registered sex offenders and Drug Court participants, clinically consulting and supervising Drug Court staff, and providing individual therapy for Federal Probation. As Director of Juvenile Justice Services at Lifeline, Jim oversees the Breaking Cycles Project, CAT/WINGS, and several other programs designed to help youth and their families achieve and maintain success.