of mental illnesses and patients struggling with addiction. In particular, AAC uses research-driven treatment methodologies that have proven to be highly effective for treating drug dependence, chronic alcoholism, and behavioral health concerns. In a drive to capitalize on its recent successes, AAC aims to continue expanding to open new treatment centers while further improving the quality of its services.

Founded by an Experienced Team

Michael Cartwright, a mental health practitioner with over 20 years of experience, founded AAC in 2007 with the mission of helping adult patients by providing high-quality and compassionate care. His participation in supervising 15 federally funded studies on mental illness had taught him that there were broad areas of the mental health field that were entirely unaddressed. Cartwright saw an especially significant need among patients with co-occurring mental disorders, and he aimed to position his company to address these issues through all available means.

Cartwright experienced his own struggles that he had overcome by the beginning of his professional career. Drawing from this personal experience, he knew that co-occurring disorders were a severe issue that most treatment providers ignore. For instance, many patients who have depression often turn to alcoholism, and this, in turn, can later lead to a further spiral of descent. AAC was founded with the mission of helping patients with co-occurring disorders to return to normal life and to get out of what can seem like an impossible trap. Over time, AAC learned highly effective approaches to helping patients with co-occurring disorders and related difficulties, and it consequently expanded rapidly in the years following its initial founding.

Facilities Across the U.S.

AAC was founded with the understanding that it would be a national company that would focus on the geographical markets that are in the greatest need of its services. As a result, the company decided to open its headquarters in Tennessee, a state where it does not have any treatment centers but where its executive team can remain close to its other treatment centers across the country. Overall, AAC has treatment centers in New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Texas, Nevada, Florida, and California. In future years, AAC will continue to move into new markets as additional opportunities are uncovered in the marketplace and as more funding becomes available.

A Publicly Traded Company

In the mental health field, most providers are small local companies that lack the resources of a national network. American Addiction Centers, on the other hand, takes a more growth-oriented approach that focuses on leveraging the expertise available across all of its locations. In today's data-driven economy, AAC has significant scale advantages that its competitors do not have, and it is better able to address a national audience that often finds providers through the internet. Consequently, AAC made the decision to become the first provider in the addiction treatment industry to become publicly traded. With a more visible profile and better access to capital, the company has been able to grow in ways that its competitors have been unable to match.

New Treatment Centers

Shortly after going public, AAC made the decision to begin acquiring companies that match its general strategy. In December 2014, the company took over Recovery First, a substance abuse company based in Florida, for $13 million. The treatment center in Fort Lauderdale owned by Recovery First was already generating $7 million per year in revenue, and it was near two other facilities that AAC owned in Florida at the time. AAC also made investments in other treatment centers across the U.S. in subsequent years.

A Focus on Raising Awareness

Additionally, the company acquired two digital marketing companies, Taj Media and Referral Solutions Group, in 2015. Digital marketing expertise helped AAC to increase its visibility among patients looking for solutions online. A focus on digital marketing also led AAC to begin leveraging Michael Cartwright's expertise in conducting research studies that could be published online to increase visibility. Many of the studies that the company has since published have led to advancements that have significantly helped mental health patients while aiding them toward discovering new treatment options.

AAC's Unique Approach

AAC applies an interventional approach that focuses on using all interpersonal resources in a patient's life, such as family, coworkers, and friends, to encourage successful treatment. Most people are ultimately driven by the social pressures in their lives, so interventional medicine can help patients on a day-to-day basis to get the help they would not be able to get on their own. AAC's interventional approaches can also help family members who have been struggling to get a loved one to seek the assistance they need. The company can send a treatment specialist out to a patient's home in an attempt to encourage the individual to seek help, and it can also contact the patient over the phone. By working holistically to address the human side of addiction treatment, AAC has been able to realize more success than conventional providers.

Veterans Addiction Study

In 2019, American Addiction Centers received significant media coverage for creating "Veteran Mental Health and Substance Abuse in America," a study on the mental health of U.S. veterans. The study found that binge drinking among veterans had increased significantly in the period between 2013 and 2017. Moreover, the study also found that drunk driving was also on the rise among veterans. With millions of veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and other severe issues, the groundbreaking study was important for helping to bring attention to struggling veterans who are often ignored.

Services Tailored to Veterans

After releasing its study, AAC increased its focus on helping veterans to get the mental health treatment that they need. For veterans, AAC uses a compassionate approach that is focused on getting patients lasting results. Veterans with PTSD are particularly difficult to help because many of them have been struggling for over 20 years, and they have often failed repeatedly to find a solution. AAC has medical staff dedicated specifically to veterans, and these staff members are encouraged to conduct their own research while on the job. Consequently, the company has been able to discover innovative approaches to helping veterans that are not practiced by other providers in the industry.

Far From Finished Documentary

In a further attempt to raise awareness, American Addiction Centers launched "Far From Finished," a new series of documentaries that offer an in-depth view of how struggling patients are able to recover from severe mental health issues. For instance, one episode of the series follows a 14-year-old drug user named Dominic Grefsrud. Although Grefsrud was very young at the time when the documentary was filmed, he had already used methamphetamine, alcohol, and other illicit drugs. Unfortunately, his addiction eventually led to him turning to dealing drugs in an attempt to get the funds to buy the substances that he needed. With the help of AAC, Grefsrud was able to return to normal life before the substances were able to destroy his future. The series by AAC was released for free on its Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts.