Meet Our Trainers

Your NDK training program will be conducted by one of the experts listed here:

Randy Copas
Vice President of Residential Services, Starr Commonwealth

Before becoming Vice President, Randy served as the Executive Director of the Starr Commonwealth Hannah Neil Center in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to his responsibilities as Vice President, Randy has trained for Starr Commonwealth / No Disposable Kids conducting numerous workshops at regional and national levels on peer group methods; Servant Leadership, Adultism, Working with Sexually Reactive Youth, and other treatment related topics. Randy is also a former officer of the National Association of Peer Group Agencies and Strength Based Services International.  

James Cunningham
President of Zoe Consulting and Counseling

Jim Cunningham currently is semi-retired working as a training consultant. He specializes in crisis management and classroom management techniques.  He has a Master's degree in counseling psychology and is a licensed professional counselor. Prior to retirement from full-time worked, he was employed at Starr Commonwealth for more than 28 years in a variety of roles, including 14 years as a group therapist of adjudicated adolescent youth in a medium security residential setting, six years as an assistant director of a medium security residential facility, two years as the director of a high security residential unit at Starr Commonwealth, two years as the director of Starr’s community-based programs in Detroit, and five years as the director of training for the organization. 

Dr. James Longhurst
Vice President of Clinical Services and Director of Montcalm Schools, Starr Commonwealth

Jim Longhurst's ability to connect with teens, parents and staff is a tribute to his engaging, refreshing and down-to-earth manner.  Our parents will be the first to tell you – Jim can make even the most complex issue understandable and manageable.   Jim joined Starr commonwealth in 1973 and has been involved in administering and providing clinical services ever since.  Today, Jim’s influence can be felt all across the organization where he oversees all therapeutic models in Michigan and provides clinical direction for increased quality of care.  And Jim’s influence doesn’t stop there.  His ground-breaking work on Starr’s innovative No Disposable Kids® program, with its emphasis on creating positive peer cultures in today’s schools, is receiving national attention for its relevancy and effectiveness.  His efforts with Albion Public Schools resulted in the successful – and the first of its kind – implementation of a two-year Anti-Bullying Program.   Jim received his undergraduate degree, his Masters in Counseling and his Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University.  He’s a member of the American Psychological Association, Michigan Psychological Association and the American Correctional Association.  Jim is a lead trainer for No Disposable Kids, a certified facilitator for Starr’s Oneness of Humankind initiative, and an adjunct professor at Albion College.

Linton Matthews
Director of Admissions and Customer Service, Starr Commonwealth

Involved in all aspects of the No Disposable Kids® program, Linton has been especially instrumental in the development and delivery of training modules designed to help educators accurately identify conflict cycles, as well as how to avoid these cycles. He has been conducting nationwide No Disposable Kids® training sessions for several years.   Linton started his career at Starr 12 years ago as a case manager. After advancing to the position of Relapse Prevention Specialist, he developed and implemented Starr Commonwealth’s community-based Sexually Reactive Youth program. Linton then was promoted to program supervisor before moving into his current position. During his Starr tenure, Linton has received certifications in Life Space Crisis Intervention and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention. He is also the first person in Michigan to be certified as a Juvenile Sex Offender Counselor.After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Juvenile Criminal Justice from Grand Valley State University, where he also played football, Linton received his master’s degree in Social Work from Wayne State University.

Thomas Tate
Vice President for Research, Evaluation & Training, Starr Commonwealth 

In addition to his roles with Research, Evaluation & Training, Tom serves as the Executive Director of Starr’s No Disposable Kids® program, which provides training to schools and child caring agencies who seek to improve their educational and/or therapeutic treatment environments.  Over the past thirty years of developing residential peer group programs, Tom has written numerous articles on the attributes of adults serving troubled children, strength-based assessment and intervention, and servant leadership. He is a former officer of the National Association of Peer Group Agencies and Strength Based Services International, and has presented workshops nationally and abroad to professionals working with troubled youth populations.