Deb originally earned a degree in Elementary Education and has continued her education over the years earning additional certificates.  She has 38+ years of experience in the medical industry managing both psychiatric and medical surgical hospitals, physicians’ private practice, and substance use disorder facilities.

 

She spent many years working for hospital corporations that purchased failing facilities and through reorganization and training of staff, turned these locations into well managed facilities that could fully sustain their operations in both the profit and not for profit sectors. 

 

Deb began working with Substance Use Disorder facilities 20+ years ago as an accreditation specialist to obtain and maintain accreditation for the facilities within her charge.  She has both reorganized facilities and assisted in licensing and opening new facilities in several states.

 

She assisted in establishing the Tennessee Providers Group “TPOD” serving as their president for the first 2 years.  In November 2013 the “TPOD” was accepted as a member of the America Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependance “AATOD” and Deb served for 3 years as the Tennessee Board Delegate.

 

Deb is a Certified CARF Surveyor and has traveled throughout the United States for 15+ years completing accreditation surveys for organizations seeking accreditation to ensure a high standard of care for all patients enrolled in Medication Assisted Treatment and Behavioral Health Facilities.  All of the facilities have received 3-year accreditations.

 

She has been committed to the underserved populations suffering from substance use disorder and alcoholism.  She believes in Medicated Assisted Treatment and planting seeds of recovery and hope with all patients served.  Second chances are a cornerstone of her recovery beliefs and has seen many patients’ recover and thrive over the years.

 

In addition, she owns her own company DJE Enterprises, LLC assisting facilities with their accreditation needs and has worked with the National Advocates for Pregnant Women “NAPW” now called Pregnancy Justice to ensure fair treatment for pregnant women seeking treatment for substance abuse.

 

Deb is deeply spiritual, comes from a service/military family and is married to her husband Ed, a retired police officer and firefighter.  Deb is blessed with a loving husband, 2 sons, 2 stepsons, 1 stepdaughter, 13 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.  She is also a pet lover with 2 German Shorthair Pointers and 5 cats who have adopted her over the years.

 

Life is good!

In 1983, while teaching special education in Paso Robles, CA, Mike Mamot saw the need for additional residential services for children. With the help of a student loan, he created the second group home in San Luis Obispo County in 1984. From that humble start grew a nonprofit organization that became to be known as OPTIONS Family of Services.

Mike’s vision was for a continuum of services to meet the needs of the persons served by OPTIONS. Through the years, services were greatly expanded as new innovative methods to help persons with disabilities were designed and developed. The organization gained a reputation for providing services to behaviorally challenged adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and persons who had a traumatic brain injury. Services were provided in a professional manner. This is most exemplified by the fact that OPTIONS became CARF accredited for the first time in 1990. Between 1997 to 2011, OPTIONS only had two recommendations from their accreditation reviews.

The way services were delivered was important to Mike. He stressed taking an ethical approach when caring for persons served. All staff received on-going training on what it means to provide unselfish ethical services respecting the rights of all persons and treating them with dignity. It was his belief that all staff members, including himself, should be held accountable for being trustworthy and compassionate for persons served.

OPTIONS was able to grow due to creative financing and by being awarded various grants. Founded on a small student loan, Mike facilitated the sale of tax exempt bonds in order to reduce interest expense. During his tenure, OPTIONS was granted over a million dollars.

In 1990, the same year OPTIONS became accredited, Mike became a CARF surveyor. He has stated on more than one occasion that the worse CARF survey he had conducted was better than the best conference he ever attended because of the information he was able to bring back to the organization he founded. Many of the concepts and procedures that became the foundation of the services provided by OPTIONS is a direct result of what Mike saw in the field while conducting accreditation surveys.

In 2013, Mike retired as the Founder/CEO of OPTIONS. He remains active in the field by consulting and acting as an expert witness for legal cases. He has conduct over 200 CARF surveys and has trained more than 50 new CARF surveyors.

John T. Collins, II, MPH, has been a consultant since 1984, providing management and quality assurance consulting services to health and human services providers. John’s consultant practice focuses on assisting organizations prepare for CARF Accreditation. To date, every organization that has used John’s services for CARF accreditation preparation has received the coveted three-year accreditation outcome.

As part of his consulting practice, he has provided interim executive services to organization’s serving homeless veterans and people with disabilities. As an active CARF Surveyor for almost 25 years, he has conducted more than 140 CARF Surveys. Mr. Collins has held positions in both the private and non-profit sectors.

John was employed as Senior Vice President of Workforce Development and Rehabilitation Services for Goodwill Industries of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties from 1987 to 2015. The programs he led served more than 17,000 people a year. He was also responsible for the company’s strategic planning efforts and Community Relations efforts. Prior to his career at Goodwill, Mr. Collins was a Program Director for Dominican Hospital and helped start the Employee Assistance Program and a 28-day Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program. While serving in the US Army, Mr. Collins was in charge of the Army Navy Transplant Service at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

As Senior Vice President, Mr. Collins was very active in the support and implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, The Workforce Investment Act and many educational strategies. He was part of a national team selected by Goodwill Industries International to provide business and program assistance to the United Arab Emirates. He provided technical assistance to the UAE Ministry of Rehabilitation on CARF Accreditation and quality standards.

Mr. Collins is very active in community and national affairs. He served on the Workforce Investment Boards of Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo Counties as well as having served on The Monterey County Tourist and Travel Alliance, the Board of the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce and Monterey County Hospitality Boards of Directors. He was elected and completed ten years as a Trustee and past president of the board of Santa Cruz City Schools.