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Gosnold opened its doors in 1972 as one of the first detoxification centers in the state of Massachusetts. Today, more than forty years later, it is recognized regionally and nationally as a leader in the field. With programs located across Cape Cod and the South Shore, Gosnold provided treatment, prevention and recovery services to more than 10,000 people last year. LEADING THE WAY Gosnold has always been on the forefront of innovation. Raymond V. Tamasi, President of Gosnold, said that, "Our focus is to expand and develop new and improved ways to treat and prevent addiction. Advances in neuroscience have helped us better understand addiction and its effect on the brain. We want to use this learning to identify at-risk individuals before they develop a more serious disease. We think that this can be done by partnering with physicians to screen and provide early intervention. That is why we have placed clinicians in primary and specialty medical practices to work side by side with the medical staff. We are doing similar work in schools, where clinical staff counsel at-risk kids in the school. Our community primary initiatives collaborate with the police, human service agencies, businesses and others to raise awareness and influence the community culture about alcohol and drugs. We are also expanding our work with technology and trying to take advantage of the growing use of social media and on-line communication to reach more people." "There is real joy in witnessing recovery," said Lori J. McCarthy, who is the Director of Clinical Outreach for Gosnold. "Even with the increasing awareness about addiction, stigma still influences what most people think about addiction. But our patients come from all segments of the socio-economic strata. The stories are very familiar and we hear them every day. One that I recall in particular was about a young man who had completed three years of college, was a member of the basketball team and suffered an injury. He was prescribed an opioid pain reliever and became dependent on the prescription medicine. When it was no longer available, he switched to heroin. At the point when he came to us, he had been addicted to it for four years. He had aspirations and ambitions that were thwarted by his addiction. Yet, once he came in and received treatment, he got the chance to rekindle those goals. He returned to finish college and became the teacher and coach to which he always aspired. I think that the kids who he will teach and coach will benefit from the depth he now has - a kind of depth that goes beyond any job preparation. People who survive addiction understand so much about despair and struggle. With that comes a better understanding of human frailty and the realization that life's challenges can be overcome. One of our greatest satisfactions is being a small part of this process and watch people rebuild their lives." A NEW CEO AT GOSNOLD Tamasi, who was President and CEO at Gosnold for 23 years (he has been with the company for over 40 years), transferred the day-to-day responsibilities this past April to a new CEO. He will retain the role of president and focus his energy on research and innovation, particularly in the areas of prevention and recovery management. Gosnold tapped veteran behavioral health executive Richard Curcuru, whose previous position was at Tenet Healthcare, to take on the role of CEO. "Working with such a dedicated staff is very rewarding," said Curcuru. "I see such a passion at Gosnold for making a difference in patient's lives. The staff here has great dedication to that mission and comes in every day focused on helping others. That is what makes this a great place to work." Tamasi and Curcuru worked on collaborative projects when Curcuru was executive director of behavioral health at Cape Cod HealthCare. 28 b y M a r y M c K e n z i e , p h o t o g r a p h y b y M i n d i S o k o l o s k i For the Life of Your Recovery