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Mental Health Treatment Center Staff

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At TruHealing Gaithersburg, each staff member brings a combination of education, training, professional certifications, and hands-on experience. We approach treatment from a variety of disciplines and therapeutic modalities, allowing us to create a truly comprehensive, individualized treatment plan.

Many of our staff members are in recovery themselves and are excited to help you find the fulfillment they have found. We are real people in recovery, we have been where you are, and we are excited to help each individual find long term recovery.

Sarah Atencio

Sarah Atencio, LCPC, LCADAS

Clinical Director

I will always be a clinician at heart, but my role is more administrative as the Clinical Director. I am responsible for ensuring the integrity of our program, and making sure staff are equipped to be successful in their roles. There is nothing more rewarding than watching someone take steps to change their own life. Everyone’s story looks a little bit different, but the human experience is universal. In the eight years I have worked in the field, I have met hundreds of people I would have never otherwise met.

My favorite part of the job is being part of an amazing team! I enjoy being at work because I enjoy the people I am surrounded by. At the end of the day, I hope that I can have a positive impact on my clients and leave them better than when they arrived here.

Because the company is so large, it is rare that we cannot place a client in a facility that meets their needs. If someone needs a service we cannot provide in Gaithersburg, typically we can find another TruHealing facility that can help them. Mental health outpatient programs are hard to find, so I am happy we can provide that here. Also, you cannot find better coworkers anywhere else. They make work enjoyable!

Sarah Atencio, LCPC, LCADAS, is the Clinical Director at TruHealing Centers in Gaithersburg, Maryland. She received her Bachelor’s of Arts-Human Communication Studies from Shippensburg University of PA and her Master’s of Science- Substance Abuse & Clinical Counseling from East Carolina University.

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William Silberstein, LMSW

Assistant Clinical Director

I work with adults with substance abuse issues, anxiety-based disorders, depressive disorders, trauma, dissociative disorders, and personality disorders. I offer supportive therapy using an eclectic approach, based heavily on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), trauma-informed care, and narrative therapy. In using this base of understanding, my goal is to help clients identify and meet their own mental health needs, through validation of clients’ perspective, metacognition, and problem-solving coping skills. Undergoing this approach is my belief that everyone should be treated with dignity, listened to, and acknowledged as a valuable part of their communities. I believe every perspective matters and there is value in every person’s story and that value is lost if the story goes untold. The field of social work allows me to work with people and help them to express their stories and advocate for themselves.

It feels amazing to be a part of this company. When past clients reach out to me and talk about what is going on in their lives, that is when I know that there is some longevity and positive impact from their experience with us. I enjoy helping clients rediscover themselves. I’ve also devoted myself to understanding the areas of mental trauma, anxiety, depression, and dissociative disorders. All clients are unique, and they are more than their diagnoses. I always try to stay open minded and take the holistic approach to everyone I see.

William Silberstein, LMSW is a therapist at TruHealing Gaithersburg. Will received his Master of Social Work from Baylor University in 2021. He earned his LMSW and joined the clinical team in 2021.

Norm Friedlander

Norm Friedlander, BA, ADT

Substance Abuse Counselor

My mission is to ensure that all clients that come to TruHealing Centers are treated with kindness and respect, and I endeavor to facilitate and maintain a safe and supportive atmosphere that is conducive to their recuperation. I believe in the moral imperative “once a client always a client.” Like myself, many of the staff here are in long-term recovery. We have been there, and we get it. We believe that the opposite of addiction is connection, and we strive to connect with every person who does an intake and attends our program.

Many of the people who come to us for treatment had never heard of Gaithersburg, MD before, yet often the connection to the center and the local recovery community is so strong that they elect to remain in the area even after discharge. Seeing the light come on in a person’s eyes and the ensuing reawakening of their soul is why I never need an alarm clock to help get my day started. Working here is a privilege and one of the many gifts of recovery.

Norm Friedlander, BA, is a substance abuse counselor at TruHealing Gaithersburg. He is a lifelong Maryland resident who graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland and has an ADT status with the Maryland Department of Health as a primary substance abuse counselor.

Meghan Denslow

Meghan Denslow

Director of Operations

I have been working at TruHealing since early 2018. I started as a Behavioral Health Technician, transitioned to BHT (Behavioral Health Technician) Supervisor, Case Manager, and now I am the Director of Operations. Having experiences in so many different departments at Truhealing Gaithersburg, my knowledge has expanded in this field. I am also in long-term recovery, so I can use empathy and compassion to help guide our clients in a new direction.

My goal is to maintain a safe, therapeutic environment and to promote health recovery from substance abuse and mental illness. My own personal recovery drives my passion to work here and as someone who has been to treatment myself, I am passionate about giving clients the same respect and guidance that I received. I love working here because we are truly a family who supports and believes in each other. The most rewarding part of being here is seeing families reunite, frowns turn to smiles, and light come back to our clients’ eyes.

Meghan is the Director of Operations at Truhealing Gaithersburg. She graduated from Frostburg State University in 2009 with a BA in Criminal Justice and Political Science.

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Diana Gayle

Mental Health Therapist

My name is Diana Gayle and I am a Mental Health Therapist at TruHealing Gaithersburg. I have been working here for 8 months. I practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Client Centered Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic, and am Solutions focused. My favorite forms of therapy working with clients are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Behavioral therapy treatment interventions.

Diana Gayle received her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Therapy/LGPC at St. Mary’s College of MD & Capella University in 2022.

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Maayan Aniti

Primary Counselor

I have been with TruHealing for 1 month. My Modalities practiced are group therapy and individual counseling. When working with clients I like to use an interactive cohesive approach, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), motivation building, and enjoy helping them to develop the self-confidence they need for their life after treatment. I want to give them a sense of themselves. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping others discover their potential to live fulfilling and meaningful lives. One of the reasons I love working here is because we offer both Mental Health and Substance Abuse programs. There are few options for clients with Mental Health issues these days, and we need more of them.

Maayan Aniti is a Primary Counselor. She graduated UMBC in 2021 with a B.A. in Psychology.

Mary Wimpy

Mary Wimpy

Case Manager

I work with clients who suffer from Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders. I offer supportive therapy using knowledge of resources in Montgomery County and surrounding areas. My goal is to provide my clients with the best quality services possible. I want to be able to assist my clients with opportunities to learn about recovery and the tools needed to work towards their goals while they are in treatment.

Mary Wimpy is a Case Manager. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology. Mary Wimpy received her BS in Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland Global campus in 2021. She joined the clinical team in Gaithersburg Maryland in 2022.

Why Choose TruHealing Gaithersburg?

TruHealing Gaithersburg is ready to help you or your loved one turn the page and begin a new life in sobriety. We’ll be there to offer support every step of the way. All it takes to create a new beginning in recovery is a phone call. Contact TruHealing Gaithersburg at (833) 625-0398.

Lets Recover Together.

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As we continue to grow Amatus Health, the need to stay competitive and differentiate ourselves in unique ways is crucial. Building creative approaches to reach more people will take our company to new heights. This is why I am pleased to announce that we are officially rebranding. Our new national name, TruHealing Addiction & Mental Health Treatment, will eventually replace Amatus Recovery Centers.

You may be asking, “Why are we doing this?” This new name will give us national uniformity and help brand ourselves as a whole, which will be done in phases. You will still see our existing facility names co-branded with TruHealing for the time being.

Healing is what we do. Everyone who comes through our doors is in a moment of profound struggle in their lives. We support them through a life-changing process of healing and recovery, and they leave our facilities changed. This new name is a representation of that process. As mentioned above, it also allows us to have a national brand, which will make us a recognizable name in the addiction and mental health field.

In summation, these changes present an excellent opportunity for our organization to develop our mission, vision, and purpose. I look forward to prosperous growth as we head in a new and positive direction.

Sincerely,

Mark signature

Mark Gold
CEO
Amatus Health

Dr. Adam Cusner, PhD is an organizational psychologist by training and has brought his decade-plus experience to the healthcare field serving as the Executive Vice President of Operations for a 22-facility portfolio of skilled nursing facilities, assisted living and independent living centers across Ohio and Arizona, with an annual revenue over $250MM. While serving in this position, Dr. Cusner brought accelerated growth to these facilities, while increasing employee retention and workflow optimization. Dr. Cusner has a proven track record in the healthcare industry of providing successful leadership through his financial acumen, strategic planning, interpersonal skills, along with his ability to build strong, effective teams.

 

Dr. Cusner’s credentials include a Philosophy Doctorate in Organizational Psychology (PhD) from Cleveland State University, a Master of Arts in Psychology (MA) from Boston College with an emphasis on Psychology of Work, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (BS) from Boston University with an emphasis in Organizational Behavior in Business and is a board-certified Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA). He has published and presented research articles in the field of organizational psychology at national healthcare conferences. Dr. Cusner is completing a book on organizational psychology in the healthcare field, which is expected to be published late early summer 2022. He is also a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), has served as the APA’s Division 17 communications chair, is a member of the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychologists (SIOP), and was selected as a professional reviewer for national conference research presentations.

 

Dr. Cusner is an advocate for his employees and is drawn to the tie between culture and quality. His extensive strategic and operational skills have delivered a high degree of success across all department levels. Dr. Cusner facilitated the establishment of an in-house financial team to provide billing and collections, accounts payable, vendor management, along with financial reporting. This provided $1.5MM annualized savings. Further, he developed department efficiencies for: Medical Staff recruitment, service-line growth, quality and safety, corporate accountability of budgetary expectations balanced with direct reporting to investor groups.

 

Dr. Cusner coordinated the financial turnaround of a 300 bed CCRC (skilled nursing, assisted living and an independent living center) in Arizona, which has been epitomized as the most financially challenging state to manage CCRC facilities. Dr. Cusner also strengthened the business growth of the Ohio facilities by 12%. He was recognized by the Governor for demonstrating a “care-conscious approach” during COVID, when Dr. Cusner carefully consolidated facility residents to accommodate staff and improve clinical care. Dr. Cusner demonstrates a results-driven culture by delivering a high-quality level of care and employee engagement.

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Yaffa Atias is the Director of Special Projects at Amatus Health. Atias is a leadership professional with a decade of experience in healthcare. She holds a BA in interdisciplinary studies from Thomas Edison State College, and a Master’s in Healthcare Management with a concentration in project management from Stevenson University. She completed her graduate capstone at Mosaic Community Services, now an affiliate of Sheppard Pratt.

 

In her role at Amatus, Atias leads and manages interdisciplinary team projects, creates solutions for any operational gaps, and continually strives for quality improvement in all processes. Atias led the organization’s COVID-19 preparedness strategy, resulting in all facilities remaining operational, and in 600 employees being retained as staff without resigning out of fear. In her role so far, she implemented licensure for three new states.

 

Atias believes Amatus Health and TruHealing stand out because every employee, from corporate to center staff, has a real passion for helping people. Atias shares this passion, “My natural compass always tugged me to behavioral health. I’ve always been fascinated by the human psyche. I have also been intimately privy to those suffering from mental illness and substance use. I later understood that my experiences weren’t unique, and quickly realized how pressing the need really is to effectively prevent and address. Moreover, how life-changing proper intervention truly is.”

 

Atias was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in Israel and Maryland.

Melissa McCarthy is the Vice President of Business Development at Amatus Health. With a decade of experience in the behavioral healthcare and addiction treatment industry, McCarthy is passionate about recovery. She has her finger on the pulse of marketing trends, with the end goal of helping businesses grow so they can serve more people in need.

 

McCarthy has worked at large enterprise recovery centers across the country spearheading business development teams. She has a wide range of experience, including transforming a third-party digital marketing and client acquisition services company into a full-continuum behavioral healthcare provider, managing several successful rebrands, and growing annual revenue fivefold.

 

As VP of Business Development, McCarthy leads a team of over 20 business development professionals nationwide. She manages client acquisition, coordinates in-service trainings with various referents and hospitals, and presents at conferences on addiction and mental health disorder treatment.

 

“Sadly, many individuals die waiting for access to life-saving behavioral healthcare services,” says McCarthy. “I am in relentless pursuit of better—better access, better care delivery and better outcomes. I consider it a privilege to work in an environment where miracles unfold daily.”

 

McCarthy lives in Maryland with her daughter.

Hometown: Saugus, MA

 

Passions & interests: The greatest passion of mine is being able to dig into the work with men in early recovery. There is nothing better than witnessing and being a part of the change. My journey in long-term recovery has taught me to value the little things in life that I am now able to do. I love to do anything that allows me to be present with my wife, family, and friends. My wife and I enjoy traveling, trying new foods, and taking long motorcycle rides with our friends. If I am not on the road working or with my wife, I am studying or playing softball.

 

The best part of my job is being able to show up for my team and clients; they all mean the world to me. I get to brainstorm and strategize with tons of different personalities. A lot of the team does not know, but I love learning from them. If I am not learning something about our industry or workplace, I am certainly learning how to effectively collaborate with different types of individuals.

 

Together, we can change the narrative and be a part of the solution to better treat those trapped in the problem.

Allison was born in Columbus, Ohio and was raised in South Florida. She graduated from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. After college, Allison started working at the largest talent agency in the world, William Morris Endeavor. There, she learned marketing from top leaders specializing in global PR and endorsement campaigns, in both the Latin and English markets.

 

Through strategic public relations and creative campaign concepts, Allison has secured more than 200 national broadcast and print media placements for behavioral healthcare organizations. She brings over 15 years of marketing and PR experience, with a strong background in leading communications strategy for addiction treatment and behavioral healthcare facilities. In her role as VP of Communications, she oversees branding, public relations, social media, marketing, events, and content creation.

 

In her spare time, she loves cooking, boating, yoga, and traveling. She and her husband Bryan reside in Boca Raton, Florida.

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Avi Burstein is VP of Clinical Services at Amatus Health. He manages all therapeutic programming at all facilities nationwide.

 

Avi is originally from New York, and graduated from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. He brings over 13 years of experience in the Behavioral Healthcare Industry, in both the public and private sectors. He is passionate about therapeutic communities and the fellowship they foster between patients. Through his work in LGBTQIA, urban, rural, and religiously observant populations, Avi recognizes that each patient is unique. Therefore, he strives to ensure clinical approaches, staffing, administration, and education meet the expectation of each community Amatus Health serves.

 

“Our work must also include ending the societal stigma surrounding such conditions by building safe and supportive networks that include clients’ families whenever possible,” Avi said. “By valuing change and owning imperfections, we can strive to be better providers and walk through the door of recovery with our clients.”

Avi Burstein is VP of Clinical Services at Amatus Health. He manages all therapeutic programming at all facilities nationwide.

 

Avi is originally from New York, and graduated from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. He brings over 13 years of experience in the Behavioral Healthcare Industry, in both the public and private sectors. He is passionate about therapeutic communities and the fellowship they foster between patients. Through his work in LGBTQIA, urban, rural, and religiously observant populations, Avi recognizes that each patient is unique. Therefore, he strives to ensure clinical approaches, staffing, administration, and education meet the expectation of each community Amatus Health serves.

 

“Our work must also include ending the societal stigma surrounding such conditions by building safe and supportive networks that include clients’ families whenever possible,” Avi said. “By valuing change and owning imperfections, we can strive to be better providers and walk through the door of recovery with our clients.”

Marty Markovits is the Chief Information Officer at TruHealing. He oversees the people, processes, and technologies of the whole organization to ensure the business is running smoothly.

 

Markovits grew up in Brooklyn, NY (which he calls “the greatest city on Earth”) and graduated with a degree in Clinical Psychology from Queens College.

 

Markovits is a veteran in Information Technology within the healthcare field. He ensures that IT processes are simple, cost-effective, and secure. His expertise spans the entire healthcare domain, from billing and claims, to clinical, to Human Resources. He says, “My passion is to provide fully automated and operationally meaningful Business Intelligence analytics, with absolute data integrity.”

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Hometown: Savannah, GA

 

Passions & Interests: I spend my time outside of work with my wife and children and am actively involved in various community needs and causes.

 

The best part of my job is knowing that we are creating a safe, healthy, nonjudgmental environment where people can come and better their lives. There is nothing more satisfying than helping others learn to live again and piece their lives back together as they become strong, productive members of society.

Together, we can bring families back together and promote healing and well-being.

MARK GOLD, CEO OF AMATUS HEALTH BIOGRAPHY

With over 16 years of proven executive leadership and driving company growth, Mark Gold’s momentum for success isn’t slowing down anytime soon. He serves as the CEO of Amatus Health, one of the fastest-growing, behavioral healthcare organizations in the country.

Possessing an excellent handling of clinical compliance and high performance standards, Mark established 14 CARF/JCT accredited addiction and mental health treatment centers and three ancillary healthcare businesses. Mark’s natural leadership skills as well as his creative thought process to generate new revenue strategies make him one of the most sought-after professionals in healthcare. Mark has a track record of leading organizations to outstanding ROI on overall portfolio performance. In addition, his expertise includes workforce planning, growth revenue, high client and investor satisfaction.

Aside from daily business oversight, Mark invests in his staff and helps build their professional development. His commitment to his colleagues and employees toward advancement and inclusiveness helps them achieve goals, builds connections, and provides a competitive advantage in the healthcare field.

Corporate and Charitable Leadership

Mark has been instrumental in building healthy communities and providing access and quality healthcare to underserved populations. His service in the community is a testament to his passion and selfless dedication to the cause of eradicating addictive disorders and stigma.

He launched several prevention and education programs and created the first-ever “Social Justice” scholarship fund of over $750,000.00 to help communities of color into inpatient drug treatment. Mark says, “The best part of my role is the knowledge that what we do impacts countless lives, with far-reaching effects,” he said. “It is incredibly rewarding to be part of a team that guides individuals onto a safe and accessible path to healing and recovery.”

He is a board member of Ahavas Chaim, a non-profit that offers at-risk teenagers crisis intervention and mental health support. He is also a committee member of the organizations Bonei Olam and Chai Lifeline Mid-Atlantic.

Personal and Educational Background

Mark studied Talmudic Law at Yeshiva’s Mir Yerushalayim in Israel. In Mark’s free time, he loves snowboarding, boating, and spending time with his wife and children.