PRESS RELEASES

Addison Gilbert Hospital Senior Therapist Tom Peltz Wins 2010 “Counselor of the Year” 

Prestigious award given by the Massachusetts Association for Alcoholic and Drug Abuse Counselors

(Gloucester, MA) January 4, 2011 - Addison Gilbert Hospital announced today that Thomas A. Peltz, a senior therapist with the DISCOVER Program at Addison Gilbert Hospital has been named the 2010 "Counselor of the Year" by the Massachusetts Association for Alcoholic and Drug Abuse Counselors (MAADAC).  Peltz has also been nominated for the "National Counselor of the Year" award given by the National Association for Addiction Professionals.

"I am honored to be the recipient of this Counselor of the Year award," said Peltz. "Addiction often has devastating impacts on individuals and their families, and I feel very fortunate to be able to devote my career to helping people through the challenges associated with these illnesses. The DISCOVER Program at Addison Gilbert Hospital brings together some of the best experts and specialists in the state so that we can develop the best treatment plans for each patient."

The DISCOVER Program at Addison Gilbert Hospital is an intensive day treatment that brings together a multidisciplinary approach that includes mental health counselors, licensed alcohol and drug counselors, nurses and psychiatrists to help develop individualized treatment plans for patients suffering from addictive illnesses or dual diagnoses. The DISCOVER Program provides education, crisis stabilization and the necessary support to help participants succeed in their communities, work and families.

In his role as a senior therapist with the DISCOVER Program, Peltz specializes in addiction treatment, mental health counseling, spirituality, grief and trauma therapy.  In addition to being licensed as a mental health therapist and level one alcohol and drug counselor in the state of Massachusetts, he is also certified as an addiction specialist at the national level.  Peltz also works as a private practitioner in Beverly Farms.

Peltz has a Master of Education in Community Counseling and earned his Clinical Pastoral Education Unit One.  He also participated in Education for the Ministry and attended the spiritual direction training at the Mercy Center in California.

The MAADAC Counselor of the Year award was presented on December 3^rd, 2010 at the 29^th Annual Membership Meeting in Westborough, Mass.

About Addison Gilbert Hospital

Addison Gilbert Hospital is a full service, 58-bed medical/surgical acute care facility.  The hospital, founded in 1889, provides state-of-the-art inpatient and outpatient care to residents of the Cape Ann community in specialties such as radiology, cancer care, primary adult and pediatric care, day surgery, midwifery, gynecology and maternity care, inpatient geriatric services, and emergency medicine.  Among all other Massachusetts hospitals, Addison Gilbert continues to score among the top hospitals in the nation for patient satisfaction in surveys conducted by Press Ganey Associates.  In addition, Addison Gilbert Hospital has been named one of the nation's "100 Top Hospitals" by Thomson.