Fairwinds Treatment Center

Jess brings over 30 years of experience working in the addictive field in a variety of roles ranging from primary therapist to CEO. Jess has been a Certified Addictions Professional (C.A.P.) in Florida since 1987. Jess has an extensive background in working with adolescents and adults, specializing in co-occurring disorders and impaired professionals. Jess also has a range of special skills relative to quality assurance and improvement from his years working in facilities that were both State of Florida licensed and certified through the Joint Commission of Accredited Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Most recently he spent the past year and a half as a licensing specialist for the Department of Children and Families, and was the authorized agent for many local treatment programs in the Tampa Bay area. Jess sums up his treatment philosophy in these simple terms, “Everyone deserves recovery and an opportunity to have the best care possible. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t want to get better on some level; no matter how hopeless or helpless they may feel. Sometimes we may feel we’re beyond help but I’ve spent my entire adult life working in treatment centers, and I know that its the work that keeps me energized. I do not believe in “lost causes.” I do believe strongly that there is always hope for a new future in recovery.”

M.K. (Khal) El-Yousef, M.D., serves as the medical director at Fairwinds Treatment Center. A nationally recognized board-certified psychiatrist specializing in psychopharmacology and addictions, Dr. El-Yousef's initial years in psychiatry were highlighted by his academic achievements. His tenure at Vanderbilt University as assistant professor of psychiatry and instructor of pharmacology yielded 60 scientific publications. Dr. El-Yousef is recognized as a true pioneer in the field of psychiatry and addictions medicine. In 1984, he founded Fairwinds Treatment Center after developing a treatment program that blended a medical psychiatric model with a traditional Twelve Step-Johnson model. The program has given Fairwinds a reputation as one of the nation’s foremost dual diagnosis treatment centers. As a true dually-licensed psychiatric and substance abuse center, Fairwinds remains unique in comparison to most nationally recognized addictions programs. Dr. El-Yousef is also the medical director for Health Care Alternatives, a private outpatient clinic providing intensive outpatient and extended care services, as well as transitional living services. Visit www.healthcarealternative.net.