Beaches Recovery, Jacksonville University Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences Collaborate to Advance Addiction Treatment

Jacksonville, Fla. — Beaches Recovery rehabilitation center and the Jacksonville University Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences have engaged in a joint project to provide practical clinical experience to graduate students completing BRCHS’s Master of Science Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program.

JU and Beaches Recovery are affiliating to provide selected graduate student interns the opportunity to engage directly with individuals seeking to overcome addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders in clinical and research programs conducted at Beaches Recovery facilities.

While addiction to alcohol and other drugs has long been a serious societal problem, the recent announcement by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that opioid addiction has reached epidemic proportions emphasizes the need for trained healthcare professionals able to address this crisis.

Beaches Recovery Medical Director Dr. Marcus De Carvalho notes that while the U.S. has 5 percent of the world’s population, it uses more than 80 percent of all opioids made by pharmaceutical companies.

JU’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling masters program focuses on teaching students to implement empirically supported and effective therapeutic treatments to help treat and prevent mental health challenges, said Dr. Christine Sapienza, Dean of the Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences.

“Addiction counseling is certainly one critical focus of the program, and providing our students the opportunity to gain actual clinical experience in a real-world environment will accelerate their ability to contribute to the advancement of addiction treatment.”

What distinguishes Beaches Recovery, said CEO Kyle Marcotte, is that “from the start, Beaches was designed to provide progressive, evidence-based client care programs that involve a full continuum of care, including psychiatric services, individualized therapy, family therapy, education, as well as the development of healthy lifestyle skills.”

Dr. Sharon Weaver-Wilburn, Director of the BRCHS Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program said the University was impressed with the Beaches Recovery program.

“One of the goals of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program is to work to change the way addiction treatment services are taught and improve how they are delivered,” she said. “We think that Beaches Recovery will be a very good collaborator for us in this endeavor.”

For additional program information, please contact Pamela D. Adrian, MS Assistant Director, JU Graduate Admissions, at [email protected] or (904) 256-7245; or Sharon T. Wilburn, PhD Program Director, JU Clinical Mental Health Counseling, at [email protected] or (904) 256-8930.

About Beaches Recovery 

Beaches Recovery is a 90-bed treatment facility located on the beaches of Jacksonville, Florida. Beaches Recovery offers the highest level of care, giving patients the best possible resources to ensure successful rehabilitation. Residents at the Jacksonville addiction treatment center work with a therapist to select the best clinical options to meet their personal needs. Beaches Recovery therapists adapt each treatment to match the client’s culture, values, and interpersonal relationship patterns, and create a proactive, informed approach to rehabilitation and recovery. Beaches Recovery offers Primary Care, Extended Care, Transitional Living, Outpatient, Academic and Family programs that exceed industry standards and provide the highest quality, progressive care to each and every person that comes to the facility. To learn more, visit www.beachesrecovery.com.

About the JU Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences

The Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences at Jacksonville University prepares students to join a workforce community of healthcare professionals who provide exemplary service and care to a diverse population of individuals. Faculty and staff are innovative, creative and engaged in advancing the knowledge and skills to improve the delivery of health and human services. The College contains the highly regarded School of Nursing, the School of Applied Health Sciences and the School of Orthodontics. The School of Applied Health Sciences includes the Departments of Communication Sciences and Disorders; Health Informatics; and Kinesiology.