STEER TEAM

Montgomery County, through its Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), has partnered with Stop, Triage, Engage, Educate and Rehabilitate (STEER) to work collaboratively with MC’s primary referral sources (Police Department, Emergency Departments, Emergency Medical Services and the Department of Correction/Rehabilitation) to provide MC residents with rapid response and linkage to treatment, coordination of services and Peer support to persons with substance mis-use and co-occurring disorders

Referral

Hospitals

Hospitals charge nurses and case managers engage with STEER when any substance misuse case comes into the hospital when the individual expresses interest in receiving treatment.

EMS

Refers residents to STEER with: non-fatal overdose and Obvious Opioid involved cases

POLICE DePARTMENT

Refers residents to STEER with:

Obvious substance misuse
Diversion- treatment over incarceration
Overdose cases that are not being prosecuted

Our Story

STEER is a 24 hour substance misuse peer support response team. We respond to triggers from Crisis Center, EMS, and the Police Department day and night

Consisting of 4 peers, an admin, and supervisor, we work 24/7 on-call for one week a month. Peers initiate wellness plans for willing recoverees, make weekly contact to help initiate change talk or recovery support. We also introduce needed resources forthe recoveree while teaching how to advocate and engage. After 6 months of engagement and wellness, case is closed successfully.

Meet the Team

Lead Certified Peer Recovery Specialist

Katie Lee

Katie is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist on the crisis intervention and overdose response team for Tree of Hope, working with the county’s STEER program as the lead peer. Her role involves providing immediate support to individuals in crisis, offering resources, and helping guide them toward recovery.

She has been working in the field of addiction since 2020 and began her journey as a Peer Recovery Specialist in 2021.

Her work is deeply rooted in lived experience, and she is passionate about showing others that recovery is possible. Katie has been sober since February 4th, 2019, and strives to lead by example in both her professional and personal life.

When she is not serving my community, you can usually find her making pottery, hiking, or at a climbing gym.

Certified Peer Recovery Specialist

Mohamed Ghariani

Mohamed is a Certified Peer Recovery Coach with Tree of Hope and a member of the Montgomery County, MD Steer Team. This is his first year as a Peer Recovery Specialist, but his passion for helping others stems from his own journey—he has been six years clean and is committed to supporting those on the path to recovery. In addition to his work, Mohamed is multilingual, speaking English, Spanish, French, and Arabic fluently. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in counseling psychology and social work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

Certified Peer Recovery Specialist

Maurice Lockett

Maurice, AKA Moe, is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist with the Montgomery County STEER Program under Tree of Hope, where he serves on the county’s Crisis Intervention and Overdose Response Team. His work focuses on providing support, resources, and guidance to individuals struggling with addiction and mental health challenges, helping them take the necessary steps toward recovery.

Being in long-term recovery since 2022, Maurice understands firsthand the challenges of addiction and the importance of having a strong support system. Since entering the field in 2023, he has been committed to giving back to his community by offering encouragement, advocacy, and crisis intervention to those in need.

When he is not serving the community, he enjoys spending time with his kids and making music. His passion for helping others, combined with his personal and professional experience, drives him to make a lasting impact in the lives of those on their recovery journey.

Certified Peer Recovery Specialist/ Admin Assistant

Mirieli Faria

Mirieli is a part time Administrative Assistant with Tree of Hope for the STEER Team. She handles all the administrative tasks for STEER and is also a Peer Specialist for Female Spanish Speakers. She has been a Peer Recovery Specialist since 2019. Being 10.5 years clean has helped aid her work in helping others in recovery. A fun fact about her is she can speak 3 languages.

Certified Peer Recovery Specialist

Mike Howe

Mike is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist on the Montgomery County STEER Team. The STEER Team operates under the Tree of Hope Association umbrella of recovery services. He has worked in this field since 2018. Outside of recovery, his main interests are his faith, family, friends, and athletics.

He spent his younger days as a three-sport athlete, have coached over 80 teams, served 27 years as an official and most-importantly enjoyed raising two sons who have had success in athletics. He has been sober for 33 years, as of Feb. 2025, thanks to the wonderful recovery community in Montgomery County.