DURHAM, NC--(Marketwire - March 6, 2012) - Wellspring at Structure House, a residential program for weight loss and lifestyle change, has announced the hiring of Thomas Britton, DrPH (ABD), MA, LPC, LCAS, CCS, ACS, as Executive Director. Britton's first day was February 21, 2012.
"We are very pleased to welcome Thomas to the Wellspring at Structure House team," said Candance Henderson-Grice, MS, President of the Weight Management and Eating Disorder Division for Wellspring at Structure House's parent company, CRC Health Group. "Thomas' extensive work experience will be of great benefit as he leads Wellspring at Structure House into a new era."
Britton's involvement in the behavioral health field spans more than 20 years. Most recently, he was Western Regional Director for a comprehensive provider of substance abuse and dual diagnosis treatment for adults and adolescents in North Carolina. In this role, Britton managed the daily clinical and administrative operations for the multi-site facility, and was instrumental in the achievement of accreditation from the Commission of Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Prior to this, Britton served as the director of a 42-day residential substance abuse unit providing counseling services to adults and adolescents experiencing addiction and mental health issues. Britton also spent five years as a therapist, and has held positions as program director, teaching parent and peer educator. Throughout his professional career, he has held the belief that "all people hold the innate potential to improve their life and the lives of those around them."
As Executive Director, Britton will be responsible for the overall direction and management of Wellspring at Structure House, a comprehensive weight management program that has recently undergone a merging of two like-minded, world-renowned and scientifically-based weight loss solutions, Wellspring and Structure House. This new Wellspring at Structure House program approaches the mind, body and spirit by reinforcing cognitive therapeutic solutions to weight loss issues. Updated options include culinary experiences with professional chefs, more than 50 exercise classes, spa treatments and clinical therapies to help clients master the proven steps for living a healthy lifestyle with sustainable results that do not end when they return home. The program can be booked for a week at a time -- "weight-loss vacations" -- but program clinicians do suggest a minimum of a four-week stay for optimal results.
When asked what attracted him to Wellspring at Structure House, Britton remarked, "Wellspring at Structure House has a long history of teaching participants new skills and helping to identify what perpetuates the behaviors driving obesity. True change requires a deep exploration and resolution of old patterns of thinking and behavior. Insight, however, is not enough alone to create change. One needs to learn the skills and information necessary to act on the insights learned through therapeutic activities. I am excited to apply my experience as a leader and clinician to the ongoing evolution of clinical excellence at Structure House."
Britton is near completion of his PhD (awaiting board decision) in Public Health and Executive Management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Gillings School of Public Health, and earned his MA in Community Counseling (double masters in Addictions and Marriage and Family Therapy) from Appalachian State University, and a BA in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Connecticut. He has taught extensive interdisciplinary training on a variety of topics through continuing education classes throughout the country, and maintains several licensures and certifications, including Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, Clinically Certified Supervisor (Addictions), and Approved Clinical Supervisor (Mental Health). Britton is a 2009 North Carolina Substance Abuse Delegate and received the 2009 Curtis Glenn Southard Award in Community Mental Health Scholarship. In 2008, he was chosen to take part in the Governor's Institute in Mental Health Leadership. Britton is a Board Member and Treasurer of the Mountain Counsel on Drug and Alcohol Dependence, and was one of its founders. He is an accomplished public speaker and author with several professional publications and presentations.
"As Executive Director of Wellspring at Structure House, I am most excited by our potential to expand our services to support more individuals struggling with weight management," said Britton. "I am excited to be a part of a new beginning at Structure House that capitalizes on the success of our past and the potential of our future. Very few individuals are provided with an opportunity to be a part of such an incredible program and I consider myself extremely fortunate."
About Wellspring at Structure House
Wellspring at Structure House, an internationally recognized residential weight loss center in Durham, N.C., offers a unique, behavioral approach to weight loss and healthy lifestyle change. The program, recognized by Health magazine as "America's Healthiest Diet," integrates principles of nutrition and exercise with psychology in a treatment approach designed to transform the eating habits and lifestyles of overweight individuals. Since 1977, Structure House has helped more than 30,000 people from all 50 states and 35 nations battling obesity. The name Structure House underscores the critical role structure plays in achieving long-term weight loss.
Gerard J. Musante, PhD, one of the nation's leading experts on obesity and weight loss, is the founder and director of Wellspring at Structure House. A renowned clinical psychologist, Dr. Musante was the first person to adapt the principles of behavior modification to the eating habits of significantly overweight people and food abusers. Dr. Musante is the author of The Structure House Weight Loss Plan. For more information, visit http://structurehouse.crchealth.com.
About CRC Health Group
Wellspring at Structure House is a member of CRC Health Group, the most comprehensive network of specialized behavioral care services in the nation. CRC Health Group offers the largest array of personalized treatment options, allowing individuals, families, and professionals to choose the most appropriate treatment setting for their behavioral, addiction, weight management and therapeutic education needs. CRC is committed to making its services widely and easily available, while maintaining a passion for delivering advanced treatment. Since 1995, CRC programs have helped individuals and families reclaim and enrich their lives.