The Friary of Lakeview is a primary facility for treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. Our goal is to provide a system of care to provide the education and therapeutic support necessary to promote positive change and recovery. We are committed to the delivery of high-quality health care services to the patient and their families.

To make a referral, please call us at (850) 932-9375 or (800) 332-2271 and talk with one of our Admissions staff. They will be able to help determine if our program is appropriate for this person. Arrangements can be made for either an assessment or an admission.

Information that is helpful to us when you are making a referral includes the kinds, amounts and frequency of use, patient’s attitude regarding treatment, other mental health diagnosis and relevant medical problems. Information needed for verification of insurance includes the name of the insurance company, policy number, customer service phone number; and name, address, date of birth and social security number for the patient.

Admissions staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, it is difficult to verify insurance after hours and on weekends and payment arrangements must be made prior to an admission.

As the Referral Source, we can provide you with brief, weekly progress reports, with the patient’s permission. Arrangements will be made for an appointment back to you, if you will be continuing to provide services. Please let Admissions staff know how we can best serve you and the patient.

Prior to discharge, each patient develops a plan of action for their recovery program. With staff assistance, they identify 12-step meetings in their area, connect them with local resources and make appointments back to Referral Sources. If other problems requiring treatment have been identified, attempts are also made to connect them with the needed services.

For patients in our area, we provide Continuing Care groups for them and their families. These groups are offered free of charge and are available to them for as long as they want to attend. Patient Continuing Care groups are available in Pensacola, Ft. Walton Beach and at The Friary. Family Continuing Care groups are offered weekly at The Friary.

In 2004, Lakeview Center changed accrediting bodies from JCAHO to CARF. This move was made because CARF specializes in serving behavioral health programs and was felt to be able to provide improved assessment and input into our facility. With CARF, like JCAHO, we have received the highest level of rating, assuring that we meet or surpass established standards of care.

We are also licensed by the State of Florida to provide four levels of drug and alcohol services. These are Detoxification, Rehabilitation, Day Treatment and Intensive Outpatient. State program audits recognized The Friary as an Exemplary program, their highest rating.

George Crisco, Program Director
George earned his Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Social Services at the University of West Florida and his Master’s degree in Counseling and Human Development from Troy State University. He is licensed by the State of Florida as a Mental Health Counselor and holds certifications in Addictions by the Certification Board of Addiction Professionals (Florida) and the international Certification Reciprocity Consortium. He has over 20 years of experience in drug and alcohol treatment.

Terry Ptacek, MD, Medical Director
Dr. Ptacek earned his bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays University, Kansas. He received his medical degree fro the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City. He completed a residency in Family Practice at Navy Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina. He is board certified in family practice and is certified in the treatment and diagnosis of addiction. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Practice and the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Sharon D. Berry, LCSW, CAP, Clinical Director
Sharon is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Certified Addiction Professional (CAP) (Florida) with the international reciprocity consortium. She earned her masters in social work (MSW) at Florida State University and her bachelors in social work (BSW) at the University of West Florida. Sharon has extensive experience working with addiction and other behavioral health disorders in both residential and outpatient settings.

Faith Smith, RN, BS, Director of Nursing
Faith holds a degree in Medical Administration and is a Registered Nurse. She has been the DON at The Friary since 1990. She is a member of the National Nurses Association.

Melanie Cassulo, LMCH, Addictions Therapist
Melanie earned her Master in Psychology from the University of West Florida. She has worked in the substance abuse field since 1999 and in mental health since 1995. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and specializes in co-occurring disorders.

Rita Wood, MS, Addictions Therapist
Rita received her Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from Troy State University in 2003. She started her career at The Friary in 2001 working in Admissions while completing her Master’s degree. She has received specialized training in Experiential therapy and specializes in trauma recovery.

Penni Tomlinson, PMHC, Addictions Therapist
Penni received her Masters of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from Troy State University in 1997. She then worked as a community outreach manager and counselor-educator for the U.S. Air Force. As a National Certified Counselor, her focus turned to co-occurring disorders, first as the lead therapist at a Tennessee psychiatric hospital, followed by three years as a therapist in dual diagnosis outpatient care catering to impaired professionals. Penni became a Licensed Professional Counselor in Louisiana, heading up a hospital dual diagnosis unit in the New Orleans area and since returning to Florida, is a Provisional Mental Health Counselor licensee.

Don Johnson, LMHC, Addictions Therapist
Don has been at The Friary since 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University in Business Administration and a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from Troy State University. He is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.

Stacy Aberle, MA, Addictions Therapist
Stacy earned her master's degree in counseling and educational psychology at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM

Rebecca Darmer, Admissions Supervisor
Rebecca attended Athens State University and earned a B.S. in Behavioral Science. She previously worked as an Admissions Specialist at Bradford Treatment Center.

Paul Smith, Admissions Specialist
Paul holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of West Florida. In addition to his addiction work experience, he has worked in psychiatric case management.

Janet Morford, Admissions Specialist
Janet earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Troy State University. Prior work experience includes admission’s and intake at Beachside Counseling Center.

Treatment recommendations are based on factors such as severity of illness and prior history of substance abuse. For some, it is medically necessary to begin with detoxification/residential treatment. For others, beginning with day treatment or the intensive outpatient program may be the best alternative.

Inpatient length of stay averages 23 days and Intensive Outpatient is usually from 20 to 24 sessions over a 6 to 8 week period. Transfer from one service component to another takes place as the person progresses through treatment.

The Friary uses well-established, research-based treatment methods that have proven effective for treating addiction. Motivational Enhancement therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral therapy, 12 step and community-based approaches and Experiential therapy methods are part of the therapeutic process. Individual psychotherapy and family therapy are an important part of the treatment experience. Other groups include educational lectures, medical lectures, nutrition, and activities and exercise.