Abi Williams, PhD, LCSW Joins Austin Recovery Leadership Team

CONTACT: Ramona Cruz-Peters
Senior Director of Marketing & Communications
Austin Recovery and The Council on Alcohol and Drugs Houston
512-697-8506
[email protected]
Abi Williams, PhD, LCSW Joins Austin Recovery Leadership
Team in Anticipation of New Program Launch
Texas-Based Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center Hires Veteran Family and CoOccurring Disorder Therapist to Launch Center for Recovering Families – Austin
AUSTIN, Texas (January 28, 2014) – This week, Abi Williams, Ph.D., LCSW,
CSAT, CMAT, CGP joins Austin Recovery, the largest non-profit provider of
residential drug and alcohol treatment in Texas, as Senior Clinical Advisor. The
agency, which merged with The Council on Alcohol and Drugs Houston a year
ago, plans to utilize Dr. Williams’ expertise in family work and co-occurring
disorders as it prepares for the upcoming launch of The Council’s flagship
program, the Center for Recovering Families (CRF), in Austin this spring.
Dr. Williams helped to develop the Center for Recovering Families program along
with her late mother, CRF founder Mary Bell. She spent 20 years with the
program while also receiving certifications in Sex Addiction Therapy and Multiple
Addiction Therapy, and training in eating disorders, process addictions,
codependency, and group psychotherapy. Abi left CRF in 2010 when her family
moved to central Texas. After 2010, she continued working in the field clinically,
helping develop psychoeducational curricula and intensive family programs for
Austin-area residential treatment centers.
"What has always set the Center for Recovering Families apart is the emphasis
on the family, as well as a staff commitment to quality," said Dr. Williams. "The
staff at Austin Recovery exhibit the same level of quality, and have long
recognized the importance of incorporating the family into treatment. This
program will meet a crucial need in the Austin treatment community, and Austin
Recovery is just the center to take this on."
"We could not be happier to welcome Dr. Williams back home to The Council and
Austin Recovery family," said Mel Taylor. "Her extensive expertise as well as
thorough knowledge of the CRF program will ensure that families in Austin
affected by alcoholism and addiction will have a place to turn to meet their needs,
wherever they or their loved ones are currently in the recovery process."
The Center for Recovering Families is a unique treatment program for individuals
and families who battle addiction, alcoholism, and other mental health issues.
Through “small by design” intensive and supportive outpatient treatment groups,
multi-family groups, and experiential therapies, CRF works closely with clients to
explore early life experiences, feelings, trauma, and an array of process
addictions and co-occurring disorders. The purpose of a family approach to
treatment is for all individuals involved to address the multiple layers of the
addiction experience, in order to achieve sobriety and an enhanced quality of life.
Center for Recovering Families - Austin is planned for launch this spring in northcentral Austin.
About Austin Recovery: Since 1967, Austin Recovery has provided effective and
compassionate chemical dependency treatment at very affordable rates. Non-profit and
CARF-accredited, its transformational treatment model brings about in-depth cognitive,
behavioral and spiritual changes essential for overcoming addiction through counseling,
evidence-based practices, experiential therapies, and 12-Step work. Austin Recovery
offers a number of programs including medical detox, separate men’s and women’s 30day and 90+ day residential programs, and Family House, which provides a minimum of
90 days of residential drug and alcohol rehab to mothers of young children and women
in their third trimester of pregnancy, allowing them to bring up to two children under the
age of six with them into treatment. Austin Recovery also offers outpatient services,
alumni support, family programs, aftercare and community education. For more
information about Austin Recovery, please visit www.austinrecovery.org.
About The Council on Alcohol and Drugs Houston: The Council on Alcohol and
Drugs Houston, founded in 1946, is committed to keeping our community healthy,
productive and safe by providing services and information to all who may be adversely
affected by alcohol and drugs, impacting over 365,000 annually. The Council is a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and receives funding from the United Way of Greater
Houston and the Texas Department of State Health Services as well as from private
foundation, corporate and individual contributions, special events and program fees. For
more information, visit www.council-houston.org.
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