Getting to Know: Recovery Centers of America at Westminster CEO Kat Stevens

Getting to Know is an ongoing series from Behavioral Healthcare Executive that highlights executives and organizations in behavioral health and addiction treatment who are on the rise and making a difference. Today, we meet Kat Stevens, CEO of Recovery Centers of America at Westminster, a 95-bed provider of inpatient drug and alcohol addiction treatment services in Westminster, Massachusetts.

A 16-year veteran of the addiction treatment field, Stevens recently was recognized among the Worcester Business Journal’s “40 Under 40”. She arrived at RCA Westminster in 2017 and became the facility’s CEO in April 2020. Navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stevens has guided RCA at Westminster as it has nearly doubled its capacity.

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What is your leadership philosophy?

My leadership philosophy is focused on the fundamentals of supporting the incredible team at RCA Westminster to create the most comprehensive therapeutic treatment environment. I do whatever possible to lead by example and strive to only ask of my team what I’d be willing to do myself. Additionally, I coach my leadership team to work collaboratively, utilize a team approach to accomplish tasks, and make strategic decisions for long-term goals as opposed to short-term rewards. Lastly, and most important, any and all decision making is patient-centered and fueled by our mission at RCA of saving 1 million lives from the disease of addiction.

If you could go back 5-10 years in your career, what is one lesson you’ve learned since then that you wish you could tell your past self?

I’d tell myself to take risks, make mistakes, and show vulnerability. I am grateful for the lessons I’ve learned treating and managing professionals treating substance use disorders. As a young woman starting my career, I was not always comfortable showing any vulnerability and thought that doing so would not allow me to motivate others. Over time I’ve realized that staying true to myself and maintaining integrity was paramount and that sometimes being vulnerable is part of the process of being a good leader.

If your organization achieves significant growth over the next 5 years, it will be because…

Achieving significant growth takes innovation, being flexible, and having the ability to adapt to change, all while providing strong, quality care. Patients experience unique challenges and need access to treatment tools that work for them individually. I’m proud to say that at Recovery Centers of America, the entire organization is dedicated to not only offering all of the best treatment modalities available; but we are also constantly adapting our programming with quality improvements and alternate ways to deliver care. This has led to great success for our patients and growth into new markets.

The biggest challenge facing our field as a whole today is…

The continued navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic while treating those suffering from addiction has been a tremendous balancing act for our field. Our patients already face significant barriers to obtaining treatment and maintaining recovery. With the added challenge of the pandemic, they have experienced isolation, which poses significant risks. As mental health disorders reach a crisis throughout our communities, we, as treatment professionals, must adapt to keep our patients safe and still provide both quality treatment and access to support. We have faced uncharted territory over the past 18 months, and I am so proud of my staff for persevering and providing the best care possible during really difficult times. I am proud of our patients, too, for their bravery in seeking treatment during an especially difficult time.

What challenge keeps you up at night?

What keeps me up at night is the undeniable, ongoing need for treatment that our community faces and the suffering that our community is living with. Although this keeps me up at night, it also motivates me to keep fighting to break down barriers in accessing care and develop new interventions to support the thousands of community members and their families who are in need of treatment.

What drives your personal commitment to our field? What is your inspiration?

Learning from staff members, patient families, or alumni about a treatment or recovery milestone keeps me inspired on a daily basis. I am constantly motivated by the stories of how far of a reach to others our RCA recovery community has and how many lives have been saved by the treatment we provide. Substance use disorders are prevalent and can be deadly, but stories of hope and success that I find right in our RCA Westminster treatment facility drive my continued commitment to helping as many individuals as possible escape the suffering that comes from addiction.

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GETTING TO KNOW…RCA Westminster

Website: recoverycentersofamerica.com

Founded in: 2014

Services offered: Substance use disorder treatment from detoxification to inpatient to a full spectrum of outpatient treatment, treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders, medication assisted treatment, digital health outpatient services including a new app connecting patients to clinicians for scheduling and visits, a support network of alumni in recovery, and educational, spiritual, and social content. Additionally, RCA offers free continuing education courses for addiction professionals through RCA Academy and free family and educational programming to the public including a special program for first responder families.

Number of locations: 10 inpatient facilities; 10 outpatient facilities; 5 opioid treatment facilities across Recovery Centers of America network

Number of staff: 3,056

Total RCA patient capacity: 1,436 Beds, RCA Westminster total capacity 95

Payment methods accepted: Most major insurance plans in-network

Billing services vendor: In-house and Fin Pay

EHR vendor: Avatar, a Netsmart product

Laboratory services vendor: GENETWORx Laboratories, a subsidiary of RCA and Labcorp

Marketing services provider: In-house

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Interested in having your organization and its leaders featured in an upcoming edition of Getting to Know? Email BHEGettingToKnow@naccme.com for details.