September 17th marks ten years of PACE Recovery Center. For the past decade, our cutting-edge, evidence-based programming has helped over 1,000 young men turn their lives around. We would like to take this opportunity to celebrate our staff, our programs, and the history of PACE Recovery.
A Decade of Life-Changing Care
PACE is actually an acronym—when broken down, it contains our motto: Positive Attitude Changes Everything. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing since our founding in 2012. Helmed by Founder and Executive Director Lenny Segal, MSW, MBA. PACE Recovery Center offers a variety of programs tailored to the needs of young men in Southern California and beyond.
From the very beginning, PACE’s recovery team strove to become one of the top drug and alcohol treatment centers in the country. Their dedication and clinical expertise began making waves in the community almost immediately. Word spread, and just two weeks after our grand opening, the house had already filled (and so had the waiting list). This rapid expansion catalyzed the opening of another facility. Today, we have five residential properties that are all state licensed and CARF accredited. PACE is licensed to treat both primary mental health and substance use disorder. To offer our clients the complete continuum of care, we also run several outpatient programs.
As the years passed, PACE helped more and more men struggling with addiction and behavioral health issues. This continuous growth inspired the creation of niche programming unrivaled by any other center in the country.
Unique Programs to Treat the Whole Person
As PACE began dealing with more clients, leadership sought to dig deeper, treating the variety of external factors affecting those hoping to overcome addiction. Men were particularly vulnerable to substance use disorder after a significant loss or traumatic event, for example. They also experienced difficulties as children of adoption, overwhelmed students, and young men with undiagnosed mental illnesses.
To overcome these obstacles, PACE Recovery Center expanded its treatment team to include industry-leading specialists like Neuropsychologist Joanna Savarese, PhD; DBT Therapist Lisa Bahar, M.A., LMFT, LPCC; Nutritionist Kim Conrad, CPT; and Adoption Trauma Expert Brett Furst, PsyD, LMFT. Other staff additions include Clinical Director Will Sanchez, LMFT, SEP; Director of Mental Health Samantha Meyer, PhD; Clinical Psychologist Helen O’Mahony, PhD; and a vast network of primary therapists whose work focuses on trauma, grief, and other niche areas.
We now have a team of 65 employees who support our clients and their families. Together, these clinicians and staff members provide the structure and know-how necessary for in-depth, effective treatment.
Unique programs offered at PACE Recovery include:
- Inpatient mental health care: The highest possible level of care for those struggling with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, and other severe mental illnesses.
- PACE Academy: A path for young men seeking to succeed in their academic pursuits, including preparation for high school, GED testing, community college, four-year university programs, graduate school, and CAADAC certification.
- Adoption-related treatment: Addresses the unhealthy coping mechanisms and inconsistent attachment styles common to men adopted as children.
- Trauma-first programming: Helps clients to process unresolved traumatic events (whether recent or in the distant past).
- Relapse prevention: Both our longer-term programming and clinical interventions are designed to aid those who have recently used drugs or alcohol after a period of sobriety.
PACE Recovery: Southern California’s Top Addiction Treatment Center
After ten years of clinical excellence, PACE’s team looks forward to a bright future.
“The last ten years have been nothing short of amazing. In my wildest dreams, I never could have forecasted the successes we have had. My motto—which I heard when I got sober 23 years ago—is to do the next right thing. I will continue to practice this for our next ten years. I am incredibly humbled by my amazing treatment team, many of whom have been with me since our inception, and by the professionals and families who have entrusted PACE with their clients and loved ones.”
– Lenny Segal, MSW, MBA
Executive Director and Founder of PACE Recovery Center
PACE Recovery Center offers a truly innovative, highly effective approach to addiction treatment and mental health care. As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of our founding, we hope that this observance will encourage more young men to find recovery within our walls. No matter what challenge your family is facing, we’re here to help, 24/7. Contact us today to learn more.
