Drug Treatment Staff
Staff
Our friendly drug treatment staff is dedicated to assisting each resident on their new path to a new life of sobriety. Each resident is viewed as individuals to offer them the best possible care. Our mission at Turning Point Treatment Center is to provide a safe, nurturing, healing environment in which chemically dependent and substance abuse individuals and their families discover a better quality of life!

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS / CASE MANAGER & COUNSELOR - Jeffrey Benon
Jeffrey Benon has been working for the past ten years in the recovery field of Alcohol and Drug addiction and is a member of CAADAC and CAADE. Jeff has been trained and educated in various recovery systems such as; behavioral modification, social model and medical model. Jeff is a graduate of Saddleback College with certificates as a drug and alcohol counselor. Jeff has helped many clients overcome their addiction through teaching them chemical dependency education groups and the 12 Step recovery model.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR - Scott B. Ludvigson
Scott B. Ludvigson has worked in the field of addiction counseling since 1993 and graduated from Saddleback College's Drug and Alcohol studies program with a 4.0 GPA. Scott studied addiction at the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine at U.C. San Diego and holds a National and State Certification in Drug and Alcohol Counseling. He also carries an Eating Disorder certification, in addition to having Criminal Justice Specialist background specializing in Alternative Sentencing, DUI and Drug Court.

With an array of experience in this field, Scott has specialized in working with addicts from most social and cultural backgrounds and has more than 14 year of personal experience in the program of recovery. He has worked as a Program Director and Administrative Director designing and implementing treatment programs with an innovative touch. He borders the cutting edge for the latest treatment in detox methods to relapse prevention and uses his professional skills to assist our residents with education, insight, and counseling necessary for a healthy and successful recovery.

PROGRAM CONSULTANT - J.W. Platt
As the marketing director for St. Joseph Hospital's Family Recovery Services, Mr. Platt (Jack), redesigned the admission's process and was instrumental in the development of a day-outpatient treatment program. Jack created a program where the clinical staff interacted with the Orange County business community on a regular basis. Mr. Platt also conducted seminars and training sessions on substance abuse for the Orange County business community. Mr. Platt and Max Schneider M.D., a nationally known lecturer, developed an educational series on substance abuse for Disneyland, American Express, ADP Corp., Rockwell International, and many other major corporations in Orange County. These efforts resulted in a waiting list for admission to the 36 bed substance abuse program. As Clinical Director of Chemical dependency for Capistrano by the Sea Hospital, Jack was responsible for the highly individualized treatment planning for each patient admitted to the dual diagnosis program. Jack was able to establish the cooperation of psychiatry, general medicine for detoxification, nursing, counseling, and occupational therapy in order to develop and implement effective treatment planning. Jack gained the confidence of all those that worked with and for him.

TREATMENT COUNSELOR - Bill Lee, Certified Addiction Treatment counselor c.a.t.c and intervention specialist.
Bill has worked as a chemical dependency counselor in the medical, residential, and private sectors. However, his passion lies in doing intervention work and has devoted his life, since his own recovery, to helping others.

EATING DISORDER & MEDITATION COUNSELOR - Gina Widmer
Gina was raised in S.L.C. Utah and moved to California in June of 2000.  Prior to her move, she taught for 8 years at a Montessori and was a school director for 3 years.  She is attending Saddleback College to earn certificates in Chemical Dependency and has been working in the field of addiction for 2 years.  Currently, she is a creative art facilitator, meditation facilitator, certified clinical hypnotherapist and eating disorder counselor.

Because of her personal experience with addiction, her passion is to help those who are suffering from their addictions and guide them through the recovery process. She is excited about her choice of careers and knows she has a lot to offer those who are still suffering.

MASSAGE THERAPIST - Brook Sager, CMT
Brook Sager is a licensed and certified Massage Therapist who specializes in Deep Tissue Massage. She was trained at the Shenandoah Valley School of Therapeutic Massage where she received her certificate to practice Deep Tissue, Swedish, and Myofascial Release.  She has also taken courses in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Polarity Therapy, Joint Mobilization, Thai Yoga Massage, and Pregnancy Massage. Her massage is focused on helping the client detoxify, relax, and come to a place of well-being connecting body, mind, and spirit.

MASSAGE THERAPIST - Gregri Hanson, CMT
As an accredited Massage Therapist, Gregri Hanson has worked on various clients doing bodywork on people in recovery. Hanson is certified from the Healing Hands School of Holistic Health and specializes in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports & Shiatsu message.

CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR - Mathew Carver, Certified Instructor of Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taoist Meditation and Kung Fu
In addition to teaching full-time at his own facility, Mr. Carver has pioneered therapeutic Tai Chi and Qi Gong at several well-known and highly respected hospitals, universities and drug / alcohol treatment facilities in Southern California.

CHAPLAIN OF RECOVERY / COUNSELOR - Tim Jalowiec, B.A., M.Div
Tim has been active in recovery for 6 years, and is in leadership at Celebrate Recovery at Saddleback Church, co-leading the Men's CODA Group. Specializing in codependency and communication and is experienced in helping clients to identify, evaluate, and address the issues underlying their addictive behaviors, to set boundaries and take back their lives.

MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPIST - Lisa Mills, MFT, NCC, Clinical Therapist
Lisa Mills MFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, with a Master's Degree in Counseling from Loyola University, New Orleans and is also a National Certified Counselor. Lisa's previous clinical experience includes providing treatment in a community and residential setting to individuals, couples and families. Her specialties include working with addictions and dependency, depression, anxiety, domestic abuse or violence, marital or relationship issues, divorce and loss and grief. Her work with clients focuses on the utilization of Cognitive Behavior Therapy to make observable and measurable changes on their road to recovery. In addition to her work at Turning Point, she has a private practice in South Orange County.

STAFF PHYSICIAN - Dr. Kenneth Gheysar,M.D.
Dr. Gheysar is our full-time staff physician and is Addiction Medicine Specialist certified through examination by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). Dr. Gheysar is in charge of all initial medical assessments and sees patients for a variety of medical problems during their stay at Turning Point Treatment Center. With over 10 years of experience as a Family Physician, he has attended to numerous patients with a wide range of diseases. He treats our patients for many conditions ranging from those requiring urgent care to ones with psychiatric illnesses requiring referral, as well as formulates their detox plans for a variety of substance dependence problems. Dr. Gheysar has an open door policy and is available to meet with clients throughout the week. Dr. Gheysar has completed his undergraduate studies with honors at UCLA, prior to attending the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. After obtaining his medical degree from UCI, he went on to complete the University of Southern California's 3 year family practice residency program and is Board Certified by The American Board of Family Practice. Dr. Gheysar is also an active member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

CONSULTING PSYCHIATRIST - Joseph Pursch, M.D. (www.drpursch.com)
As Director of the Alcohol Rehabilitation Service at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Long Beach, California from 1973 to 1980, Dr. Pursch treated Betty Ford, Billy Carter and astronaut Buzz Aldrin. He served on President Carter's Alcohol and Drug Commission and Ronald Regan's Blue Ribbon Commission on Drunk Driving. In addition to consulting at Turning Point Treatment Center, Dr. Pursch sits on the Board of Trustees of the National commission Against Drunk Driving. Dr. Pursch is also the recipient of The Distinguished Service Medal from the President of the United States and has been listed in the Who's Who in America and Who's Who in American Medicine and Best Doctors in America.

CONSULTING PSYCHIATRIST - Mark Kosins, M.D.
Dr. Kosins established Affiliated Psychiatric Medical Group, Inc. in 1977. He specializes in innovative diagnosis and treatment planning for a wide variety of behavioral, learning and emotional problems for children, teenagers and adults. APMG, Inc. has a reputation for evaluating and treating difficult diagnosis and chemical imbalances that may cause underachievement, school failure, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, bi-polar disorders, panic and anxiety, aggressiveness and brain toxicity from drugs and/or alcohol abuse.