Episode Details

Pete Vernig, VP of Mental Health Services at Recovery Centers of America, 
breaks down how his team maintains a unified clinical culture across 12 
inpatient programs and 14 outpatient locations — and what every mission 
leader can learn about scaling care without losing their soul.

In this conversation, you'll learn:
✅ How RCA built a unified clinical model across 8 states — and what it 
   took to get staff aligned
✅ Why stigma isn't just a culture problem — it's a life-or-death barrier 
   to care
✅ How telehealth is closing the access gap for communities that can't 
   reach in-person services
✅ Pete's current research: using predictive data to identify relapse risk 
   before it happens
✅ A nuanced expert take on AI in behavioral health — what guardrails are 
   missing and what mission orgs should know

This episode is essential for executive directors, operations leaders, and 
anyone building mission-driven services at scale.

👤 ABOUT PETE VERNIG:
Pete Vernig is VP of Mental Health Services at Recovery Centers of America, 
overseeing clinical programming across 12 inpatient programs, 14 outpatient 
locations, and 8 states. He began his career as a case manager in Denver's 
public mental health system working with individuals facing co-occurring 
disorders — and has spent two decades building clinical programs at the 
highest level of need.

Recovery Centers of America: https://recoverycentersofamerica.com
Crisis & Treatment Line: 1-800-RECOVERY
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988

🎙️ ABOUT HART & HUSTLE:
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solving real problems in healthcare, education, and community services. 
New episodes every Tuesday at 7:00 AM Central.

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