Recovery Centers of America Appoints Distinguished Mental Health Experts

Dr. Hyong Un and Dr. Peter Vernig bring decades of patient and provider experience to RCA’s new outpatient mental health treatment program and existing behavioral health services

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — America’s mental health crisis shows no signs of slowing down and Recovery Centers of America (RCA) is greatly expanding services to address the need for treatment by appointing two esteemed experts in the field of mental health treatment for your leadership team.

Dr. Hyong Un, Medical Director of Recovery Centers of America

“RCA’s mental health program provides effective and compassionate care to people living with mental illness.”

Dr Hyong UnRCA’s new medical director, has decades of experience in psychiatric health care and has been a leading writer on mental health in fortune magazine Y US news and world report. Now, he leads the development and implementation of RCA’s enterprise-wide integrated behavioral health strategy. This includes the expansion of RCA into outpatient mental health services specially designed to treat patients who have mental health problems as a primary diagnosis. Dr. Un also oversees RCA’s acclaimed inpatient and outpatient services for patients with a primary substance use disorder (SUD).

Prior to joining RCA, Dr. Un was director of psychiatry for Aetna/CVS and led the creation of Aetna’s comprehensive behavioral health program for the more than 1 million health providers of the insurer throughout the country. Dr. Un received his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and completed his residency at University of Pennsylvania Hospital.

“RCA’s vision for integrated behavioral health services is accessible, precise and personalized,” said Dr. Un. “World-class mental health care demands precision with diagnosis, treatment planning and delivery. All three elements must align to meet the patient where they are with their recovery needs and their readiness for change.”

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Join Dr. Un, dr Peter Verning, has been appointed as Vice President of Mental Health Services. Dr. Vernig will oversee the expansion of mental health care across the organization, including outpatient, inpatient and digital health. Before joining RCA, Dr. Vernig was clinical director at Friends Hospital in Philadelphiathe oldest private psychiatric hospital in the country.

Dr. Vernig is well known in the mental health field and speaks extensively on the treatment of mental illness, emerging health trendsand modern behavioral health strategies.

“The focus of RCA’s mental health program is to provide effective and compassionate care to people living with mental illness in a structured program that meets individual patient needs,” said Dr. Vernig. “We have seen the need for mental health services grow exponentially. This was before the COVID pandemic, and the fear, isolation and uncertainty of recent years have accelerated this trend. We have developed new RCA programs to help our patients address their mental health needs, whether or not they have a substance use disorder.

More than 44 million Americans experience some type of mental health disorder each year. To address the scale of this growing problem, Drs. Un and Vernig’s comprehensive structured mental health program is offered on an outpatient basis for patients with many different forms of mental illness. Evidence-based care is available for patients with bipolar, depressive, anxiety, trauma, personality, and many other mental health conditions who experience a wide variety of symptoms.

“Symptoms and signs of mental health conditions are really difficult for an ordinary person to discern,” explained Dr. Un. “Very often, it evolves slowly, in a way that feels like it’s just stress or just me adjusting to a relationship problem. When we start noticing that we’re not relating to others the way we used to, our sleep patterns, energy and appetite have changed, or if we just don’t function well in school or at work, those are all signs and symptoms that we could benefit from an evaluation. Watch video of Dr. Un’s comments here.

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As with RCA substance use disorder treatment, mental health care is affordable and covered in-network with many private insurers.

RCA’s New Mental Health Outpatient Treatment Program is available now in Pennsylvania and in Indiana, with additional shows expected this year across the RCA network. Care is available with highly-skilled psychiatrists, therapists, and counselors who can treat patients in their homes or dorms across the state through virtual care, hybrid options, and in-person at select locations.

Dr. Un and Vernig also oversee RCA’s successful inpatient programs to treat mental health disorders that coexist with SUD. I call the balance program, this treatment option is available at many RCA inpatient and outpatient treatment centers across the country and has been widely acclaimed by patients and families throughout the RCA network. The program uses dialectical behavior therapy to address the needs of patients. “Many people in recovery from drugs and alcohol also live with the challenges of mental illness. This can make staying healthy long-term more challenging. By focusing on both, we aim to treat not just the symptoms of mental illness patient’s substance use. but also the source,” Dr. Vernig said.

ABOUT RCA:

Recovery Centers of America is dedicated to helping patients achieve a lifetime of recovery through evidence-based drug and alcohol addiction treatment and mental health care. RCA has ten inpatient treatment centers in the United States in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, IndianaY Illinois. RCA also has outpatient programs near all inpatient facilities and centers that offer drug addiction treatment (MAT) programs in New Jersey (included Somerdale, Camden County, TrentonY wooden bridge) Y Pennsylvania (Lansdowne), RCA also offers telehealth treatment services Patients can get immediate mental health treatment and substance use disorder care by calling 1-800-RECOVERY.