Vice President of Clinical Services
Dr. Dave Helgeson, Ph.D., LSAC, SUDP
For more than thirty years, Dave has worked in behavioral health with one guiding belief: everyone deserves a genuine chance at recovery. His approach is simple and unwavering: no wrong door, and every client, every time.
In 1996, Dave served as a counselor in Multnomah County’s STOP Court, the first drug court west of the Mississippi. He later helped launch the STOP II Program, founded on what was then a novel idea: people with past drug-related felony convictions should not be excluded from treatment, opportunity, or hope.
Dave went on to hold public-service leadership roles with Multnomah County in clinical services, managed care, quality improvement, training, and regulatory compliance. This work strengthened his commitment that all we do should be grounded in listening to clients and families, honoring the expertise of their own lives, and building systems that respond with dignity and foster hope.
During his more than ten years with Lifeline Connections, Dave has served as a clinician and in progressively responsible leadership roles across Therapeutic Specialty Courts, Youth Services, Jail Transition Services, Urinalysis and Clinical Laboratory Services, and Residential Services.
As Vice President of Clinical Services, Dave is committed to developing strong clinical leaders and building compassionate, sustainable systems in which excellent care can thrive. He believes leadership means ensuring that staff have the support and resources to do their best work and that clients remain connected to care, especially when life becomes complicated.
Dave earned his bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, graduate studies in health psychology at Portland State University, and earned his doctorate in psychology from Walden University.
