June 7, 2022

David Hans Clinical Director

American Addiction Centers (AAC) announced that David Hans, Psy.D., will become AAC’s chief clinical officer, effective June 6, 2022. Dr. Hans brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the behavioral health field to the new role, including serving in senior executive level roles for non-profit and for-profit entities across the treatment continuum. With his extensive background in clinical leadership, operations management, corporate finance, and organizational development, Dr. Hans will support AAC efforts to expand its clinical outreach and set the standard for clinical excellence in the industry.

“With Dr. Hans’ impressive track record and exceptional reputation as a trusted leader and advisor, we look forward to having someone of his caliber and level of experience on the leadership team to help shape the future AAC,” said Dr. Tom Britton, AAC CEO. “The addition of Dr. Hans to the team is another example of our commitment to ensure our patients have the best possible outcomes and exceptional care across our network of treatment centers.”

Prior to joining AAC, Dr. Hans served as the chief executive officer for Haven Behavioral Hospital, an acute psychiatric hospital based in New Mexico providing both inpatient and outpatient services. During his tenure at the hospital, he was able to improve operational performance, expand the continuum of care, increase treatment accessibility and reduce the number of patients discharging against medical advice to ensure better treatment outcomes. In addition, Dr. Hans has held several healthcare leadership positions, including chief executive officer for Life Healing Center, an inpatient program offering subacute detox, residential treatment and PHP services; senior vice president of operations for BayMark Health Services in Texas, overseeing the office-based opioid treatment division; and interim community division president / senior executive director of operations for the Gateway Foundation, which served over 35,000 people annually.

“I am excited to be part of a high-performing team that will set the new standard for addiction treatment,” said Dr. Hans. “The decision to seek treatment is undoubtedly one of the most difficult decisions made by individuals struggling with substance use and mental health issues. I believe that treatment providers have a profound responsibility to create a safe, secure environment for people to experience healing. Patients also deserve to know that they are receiving empirically-based clinical services that are proven to effectively address the underlying factors that contribute behavioral health issues. As CCO, I see it as my duty to ensure AAC is consistently delivering on this promise across our programs.”

Dr. Hans’ educational background includes a B.A. in Economics and a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology.