Welcome to our Cumberland Heights Blog. Here you will find inspirational real-life stories, addiction and recovery resources, program highlights and more.
When most people hear the word “addiction,” they think of cocaine, meth, heroin and other illicit substances. It’s rare for prescription medications to come to mind, especially sedatives. These drugs are central nervous system depressants, often prescribed to manage anxiety or insomnia in patients. However, with misuse or prolonged...
Caffeine and Cigarettes: A Recovery Stereotype It’s not uncommon for coffee and cigarettes to come to mind when you think about the early stages of recovery – and it may not be incorrect. One Nashville study found that there’s some truth to the old association between AA recovery meetings and...
As women we spend so much time taking care of others. We make sure our children are fed, bathed, entertained, comforted and educated (yes, school has become our job now too with the pandemic). Many of us have full time jobs, friends who need us, spouses who rely...
Is There Such a Thing as an Addictive Personality? For as long as substance use has existed, people have wondered whether certain character traits can predict whether a person will become an addict. The answer? No. Research has found no universal “addictive personality” common to everyone with a substance use...
Remember the days when the message being sent to Americans about substance use was “Just Say No”? In 1980, marshaled by former First Lady Nancy Reagan, this campaign was targeted at children to promote resistance skills to peer pressure. Although these motives were virtuous at heart, they did little...
As we look forward to this Independence Day weekend, our staff encourages you to celebrate your own independence: freedom from drugs and alcohol. Individuals who have overcome the struggles of addiction to live full lives in recovery should take this opportunity to reflect on their accomplishments. We’re proud of...
In cooperation with the National Council for Behavioral Health, pharmacy giant Walgreens has just completed its initial phase of Mental Health First Aid training. This endeavor was announced last May as a part of Mental Health Month. This education has been provided to all of the company’s health outcomes...
Japan is one of the most overworked nations in the world. If you don’t believe me, there is literally a word that translates to “death by overwork”, that word is Karoshi (過労死). The major causes of death from karoshi are heart attack and stroke due to stress and starvation diet....
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Americans have found themselves working remotely, unemployed or furloughed for the foreseeable future. This is of particular concern to those working in the recovery space. Research shows that a significant link exists between national trends of unemployment and addiction. Today,...
The novel coronavirus has completely shifted the world of behavioral healthcare. Many individuals, especially those who are immunocompromised or elderly, have decided to forgo in-person treatment in favor of outpatient telehealth programs. These newly popularized services have spurred many questions from potential patients. Chief among these: Is teletherapy confidential? Does...
There are many distinctions that make Nashville a popular city for tourists, transplants and locals alike. For instance, the famous Nashville Hot Chicken grew from a modest mom and pop joint to a national icon. The popular Broadway Street, where aspiring musicians and celebrity performances can be heard playing...
The term "sleep disorders" refers to disruptions in a person’s quality and quantity of sleep. Individuals with insomnia may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or reaching a deep level of restorative REM sleep. Regardless of the details, the outcome is the same: a person wakes up in the...
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CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER
Cinde Stewart Freeman is Cumberland Heights’ Chief Clinical Officer and has been with Cumberland Heights for 25 years. During her tenure Cinde has served in nursing, clinical management, and administrative roles.
Cinde is a bachelor’s prepared nurse with a master’s degree in counseling. She served on the Board of Directors at both AWARE and Thistle Farms. Cinde has developed and presented professional trainings on a wide variety of clinical skills, as well as process improvement, clinical supervision, and workplace wellness. She is an Oral Examiner for the Tennessee Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors and a Qualified Clinical Supervisor for the LADAC.
Cinde received her bachelors in nursing from Western Kentucky University and her masters from Trevecca Nazarene University.
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING OFFICER
Cindy Patterson accepted her role as Chief Development and Marketing Officer in 2019.
Cindy has more than 16 years of experience in non-profit fundraising, most recently serving as Development Officer for United Methodist Higher Education Foundation. Prior to that she was V.P. of Development for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, a position she held for 10 years after serving as Development Director for NashvilleRead. Before her many years in fundraising, Cindy was the Manager of Premium Services for American Airlines.
Originally from the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area, Cindy holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Kentucky University.
CHIEF COMMUNITY RECOVERY OFFICER
Randal Lea is a licensed addictions counselor with thirty years of clinical and administrative experience, half of it at Cumberland Heights. Lea received master’s degrees in counseling from Trevecca Nazarene University and in psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Mr. Lea has been a frequent presenter on such topics as Assessment, Ethics, Dreamwork, and Trauma. He is a certified practitioner of DreamTending and a Qualified Clinical supervisor.
Previous to his current role as Chief Community Recovery Officer, Mr. Lea served eight years as Assistant Commissioner with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. In 2008, he was recognized by the Praed Foundation as a national “Systems Champion” for implementing a statewide children’s assessment for DCS. He also received the “Friend of Children Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2010 from Tennessee Voices for Children after seven years on their board and was recognized in both 2000 and in 2015 as “Professional of the Year” by the local chapter of NAADAC.
CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER
Kathryn Mastin, Cumberland Heights Chief Human Resources Officer since 2015, has spent more than 30 years as a Human Resources professional. Most recently she served as the Human Resources Director at Parallon, one of the country’s largest revenue cycle partners, with more than 15,800 employees serving hospitals and physician practices.
“My goal at Cumberland Heights is to help provide the best possible care for our patients,” said Mastin. “The way I’m able to contribute is by taking care of our employees so they can carry out our mission.”
Mastin is affiliated with the United Methodist Church where she serves many roles and sits on the board. She’s also on the regional board of directors at the Center for Youth Ministry Training where they find new ways to minister to young people. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee.
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Robin Cox is the Chief Financial Officer at Cumberland Heights, the Southeast’s premier alcohol and drug addiction treatment center. Robin accepted her role at Cumberland Heights in 2006.
Robin previously worked as Controller at Accu-Crete, Inc., a concrete contractor based in Washington D.C. She is currently responsible for business accounting activities including, preparing financial statements, creating an organization budget, and managing payroll. Robin is an advocate for education and volunteers at Coopertown Elementary School.
Robin is a middle Tennessee native and a graduate of Western Kentucky University.
DIRECTOR OF PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES
Dr. Howard L. Burley, Director of Psychiatric Services Cumberland Heights, is an addiction psychiatry specialist, and has been practicing for 34 years.
Dr. Burley graduated from Meharry Medical College School Of Medicine in 1985 and specializes in addiction psychiatry.
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
Butch began his career with Cumberland Heights in 2006 and accepted his current role in 2015.
Butch began counseling in 1989 and worked with Cumberland Heights through the 90’s doing Aftercare, contract work and individual counseling. He worked for one of the state’s first Intensive Outpatient Programs at the Jackson Counseling Center in Jackson, TN and the Jackson Area council on Alcoholism. During this time he developed two pilot addiction programs in the greater West Tennessee area. Butch also maintained a private practice specializing in family of origin work with addicted populations and worked with Impaired Professionals. Butch is a State Licensed and Nationally Certified Addiction Counselor
Butch is a Jackson, Tennessee native. He is a graduate of Lambuth University and earned an MBA from Union University.
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
Dr. Chapman Sledge accepted his role as Chief Medical Officer at Cumberland Heights in 2009. For the previous 15 years, he had been Medical Director of Addiction Treatment Services at Pine Grove Behavioral Health in Hattiesburg, MS.
Dr. Sledge is a nationally known physician in addiction medicine, served on the board of directors for the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and regularly speaks at conferences around the country. Dr. Sledge was among the first group of physicians to receive certification by the American Board of Addiction Medicine. He also serves on the Medical/Scientific Committee of the National Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependence.
Dr. Sledge is a graduate of LSU and the University of Mississippi, School of Medicine.
CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER
Dr. Nick Hayes, PhD, currently works for Cumberland Heights Foundation in capacity as Chief Science Officer.
In this position, Nick is tasked with the overall management of all research and technology related initiatives system-wide. His research is primarily focused on measurement-based practice systems, digital phenotyping (e.g. digital exhaust) and intensive longitudinal monitoring. Nick and his teams work to develop technology accelerants that leverage existing infrastructure to inform treatment protocols.
Dr. Hayes obtained his Ph.D. in Couple, Marriage, and Family Therapy (i.e. Systems Theory) from Texas Tech University. Additionally, he holds a faculty position at Lipscomb University as an Adjunct Professor of Psychology.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Jay Crosson began his career with Cumberland Heights in 1993 and accepted his role as Chief Executive Officer in 2015. Prior to becoming CEO, Jay was the CFO of the organization.
Jay began his career at Cumberland Heights in admissions, and, at various times, managed the admissions, accounts receivable and patient accounting departments.
Jay is a grateful recovering alumnus, having been a patient at Cumberland Heights in 1989. His personal experience of treatment at Cumberland Heights and the transformative power of the 12-Steps shape his leadership principles today.
Jay is a Nashville native and graduate from MTSU, with an MBA from Belmont University.