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The Sovereign Health Group has named Anthony J. Mele, Psy.D, as the new Chief Clinical Officer. Dr. Mele, a licensed psychologist with over 25 years in the behavioral health industry, will commence his tenure with Sovereign Health on Monday, November 2. Dr. Mele earned his doctor of psychology (Psy.D) degree from Widener University in Chester, PA. His clinical expertise includes the assessment and treatment of co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders in adolescents and adults.

The Joint Commission has granted accreditation to the Sovereign Health Group's Chandler, Arizona facility. The Joint Commission accreditation and certification are recognized nationwide as the gold standard for healthcare facilities and it is the highest level of accreditation available. Receiving accreditation reflects an organization's commitment to meeting performance standards.

The Sovereign Health Group is pleased to sponsor the upcoming Closer to Hope Mental Health Educational Symposium taking place October 5 at the Broadway Palm Theatre in Fort Myers, Florida. As a privileged sponsor, Sovereign will have a table set-up onsite with multiple forms of outreach, as well as a team of referent therapists and treatment center staff in attendance.

The Joint Commission recently awarded the coveted "Gold Seal of Approval" to Sovereign Health's Fort Myers facility. Joint Commission accreditation is the highest level of accreditation possible and is considered the gold standard for healthcare facilities nationwide. The Gold Seal identifies Sovereign Health of Florida as a premier provider behavioral health treatment services and certifies that Sovereign Health meets the commission's highest standards. The facility passed a rigorous site inspection and all policies and procedures were approved by the Joint Commission team. The program at Fort Myers will undergo routine inspections by the organization to ensure that it continues to meet these standards. Sovereign Health of Florida will be required to renew its accreditation after three years.

Sovereign Health Group will be sponsoring two events hosted by the Florida Public Safety Institute:

Every year since 2008, Inc. Magazine has published a list of America's 5,000 fastest growing companies. For the second consecutive year, Sovereign Health of California has earned a spot on Inc.'s list. The 2015 rankings released today places the company in the top 23 percent of all the ranked companies. Sovereign has compiled an impressive three-year growth rate of 365 percent, but that pace has been dwarfed by this past year's growth rate of 539 percent. In all, the company added 440 jobs increasing its total workforce to 540.

Sovereign Health Group welcomes Ashish "Ash" Bhatt, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Bhatt earned his medical doctorate (M.D.) from Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) School of Medicine in the Dominican Republic and most recently worked as Chief Medical Officer for Elements Behavioral Health's Florida locations, where he implemented evidence-based modalities while overseeing all medical and clinical operations. Dr. Bhatt is board certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology for child, adolescent and adult psychiatry.

Sovereign Health Group is pleased to announce the addition of Audrey Smith, Esq., as Senior Legal Counsel and will be based in Pompano Beach, Florida. Ms. Smith received her juris doctor (JD) from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at the University of South Texas. She has practiced law within the health care field for over five years as in-house counsel and CEO at Healthcare Education Resource Outreach (HERO), a company specializing in diabetes awareness and education, making her uniquely qualified to tackle her new position at Sovereign. Most recently, Ms. Smith served as managing director of the health care department at a top personal injury law firm in Florida.

Sovereign Health of Florida is proud to announce the opening of its new location in Pompano Beach, Florida. Licensed as a Substance Abuse treatment facility by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), the facility's programs aim to help both men and women with substance abuse and dual diagnosis issues. The facility will provide partial hospitalization programs (PHP), intensive outpatient programs (IOP) and outpatient programs for its clients.

This summer, Sovereign Health will be gathering with other treatment providers and professionals in an effort to create a seamless continuum of care to meet the needs of all patients.