Our History
Next Steps for Change was created because there was a service gap in our communities. We have minimal inpatient treatment options and COVID made it next to impossible to get into a treatment facility when a person was ready. Overdose deaths almost doubled in LaCrosse County from 2019 to 2020 and substance use has increased in both LaCrosse and Monroe Counties in 2020 and has continued. In addition, COVID was extremely hard on people with Substance Use Disorders with not being able to connect to meetings, supports, treatment options and increasing use due to the stress the global pandemic brought. Something needed to be done, therefore Next Steps for Change was created. Peer Support provided one on one support to individuals when it was needed and has shown to be a very effective way to help people with their recovery.
Mission
Through the use of Peer Support, we empower individuals who use substances to find their own pathway to recovery. As an organization, we aim to foster a compassionate community and train recovery coaches who inspire hope and drive change.
Natalie Morescki
Founder & Executive Director
Natalie Morescki, M.A.C.P., RCP-F, is the founder and Executive Director of Next Steps for Change, Inc. She holds a Master’s degree in Community Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Natalie is a certified Recovery Coach Professional and trained Facilitator (RCP-F), as well as a certified Narcan trainer.
Natalie has spent her career supporting individuals and families affected by substance use. Early on, she worked with children of substance abusers in various capacities before serving as the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club in Sparta, Wisconsin, for six years. With a strong passion for education, she also taught as an adjunct professor in the Psychology Departments at both Western Technical College and the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where she led courses in Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Effective Behavior and Addictive Behavior.
After two years as a stay-at-home mom, Natalie became the Drug-Free Communities Coordinator for Couleecap. In that role, she spent a decade leading prevention efforts in partnership with the Monroe County Safe Community Coalition, focusing on alcohol and other drug abuse (AODA) prevention across Monroe County, Wisconsin.
Since 2020, Natalie has been building Next Steps for Change, a peer-led organization that empowers individuals to pursue recovery through peer support. Her passion for this work was first ignited while writing her Master’s thesis on women in a substance abuse unit at a Connecticut women’s prison. This passion has grown as she has raised her two adopted boys, both born to parents with substance use disorders. Their journey has been one of the driving forces behind Natalie’s mission and the creation of Next Steps for Change, Inc.
Executive Board
Kevin Croninger
Board President
OPEN
Secretary
Crystal Layland
Treasurer
Board of Directors
Advisory Board
