About Us
“Laguna Treatment Center helped me become the person I am today. Strong, healthy, and happy.” – Rodney, Laguna Treatment Hospital
About Laguna Addiction Treatment Center
Part of the American Addiction Centers (AAC) family of facilities throughout the United States, Laguna Treatment Hospital is located in beautiful Laguna, California. In a luxurious, relaxing treatment setting, Laguna Treatment Hospital provides research-based clinical and support services for adults struggling with drug addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders.
Laguna Treatment Hospital Clinical Team
Any client working on a plan for long-term recovery deserves a treatment team of caring, compassionate, and qualified clinicians, whether they are physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, therapists, or nurses. The disease of addiction comes with many unique challenges, so that simply knowing medicine or having a nursing degree may not be enough. Members of the clinical staff at Laguna Treatment Hospital have years of experience in the addiction and mental health industry.
AAC Leadership
The AAC leadership team brings to each treatment facility addiction industry expertise and research-based programs. Our Executive Management Team is based at our corporate office in Brentwood, Tennessee (outside of Nashville, Tennessee) and is represented by professionals with decades of experience in behavioral healthcare and healthcare operations.
American Addiction Centers
Meet Our Team
Robert Hails, Chief Executive Officer
“Addiction is a personal calling for me because I’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact the disease has on the lives of others. Moreover, I’ve seen the celebration of life that can occur for those who overcome these challenges by getting the proper help. It’s for that reason that I am so passionate about addiction and helping people find recovery.”
Robert Hails is an innovative and strategic leader whose experience in behavioral healthcare and addiction services spans more than 25 years. He most recently served as the regional vice president for Signature Healthcare, one of the largest privately held psychiatric hospital companies in the country, with locations in California, Illinois, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas. Prior to that, Hails was the regional vice president for behavioral health services at the East Florida Division for HCA Healthcare, overseeing multiple acute psychiatric and addiction services locations. During his time at HCA, he established the division’s first central assessment and referral center. He also instituted groundbreaking telemedicine technology that provided behavioral healthcare expertise to emergency rooms, expediting diagnoses and placements.
Hails holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology and has been a lifelong champion of helping those with addiction and mental health issues. His firsthand encounters with the devastating impact of the disease and the celebration of life that occurs for those who overcome it by seeking help is what motives him in his day-to-day duties.
In his spare time, Bob enjoys many outdoor activities, including surfing, kayaking, mountain climbing and exploring nature. He also loves music and gourmet cuisine.
Marlon Rollins, Chief Operating Officer
“The stigma surrounding help-seeking for mental health problems hinders people from getting support. This stigma is even greater for those struggling with addiction….Providing quality, compassionate, and nonjudgmental care is key to revolutionizing the recovery experience for those who need treatment.”
Marlon Rollins is a seasoned professional with more than 15 years of experience in behavioral healthcare, including operational management across clinical and non-clinical departments. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, as well as an M.A. in Counseling Psychology, and is a licensed mental health counselor and national certified counselor. Prior to joining Laguna Treatment Hospital, Rollins served as interim CEO and COO at a 148-bed hospital in the Bay Area and at a 171-bed facility in Sacramento, California, providing leadership and overseeing operations of the two largest free-standing psychiatric facilities in the state of California. Before his work in California, Rollins held a leadership role at a large integrated healthcare system in the state of Indiana where he testified before legislators on expanding crisis and addiction services.
Rollins is passionate about reducing the stigma of mental illness and addiction and shares his knowledge and personal experience—including the loss of his sister, a registered nurse, to suicide—on various media platforms. Rollins is a member of the Steering Committee for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) and the California Hospital Association and a winner of the Center of Leadership Development’s Human Achievement Award.
When he’s not working, Rollins enjoys photography, traveling, playing percussion, and drawing.
Dr. Dan Valentine, VP of Clinical Services
Dr. Dan Valentine has had a distinguished career in the field of addiction and behavioral health. Over the course of 40 years’ experience treating substance abuse and other behavioral health issues, Dan has held leadership positions at various treatment centers, such as Casa Palmera, Sharp HealthCare, and the Vista Hill Foundation. In addition, Dan has served on numerous national committees dedicated to advancing addiction and mental health treatment, including the National Organization of Psychiatric Healthcare Systems and the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers.
For 11 years, Dr. Valentine was a treating clinician with the National Football League and consulted with and treated clients in other specialty populations. Dan has presented at national and international conferences and published numerous articles on family treatment and addictions.
Within his own community in San Diego, Dan expanded community-based initiatives dedicated to reducing substance use and abuse among youth. Dr. Valentine holds a PhD in Psychology and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. He is a graduate of the prestigious California Healthcare Leadership College, an organization dedicated to developing leaders in the healthcare field.
Dan has a passion for cycling, hiking, skiing, and playing golf. He is a regular practitioner of yoga and qi gong and is currently authoring a book on inspirational quotes.
Dr. Paul Little, Medical Director
“Addiction needs to be recognized as a brain disease and not a moral failing. We need to reduce the stigma of addiction and increase public awareness and, especially, family help.”
Dr. Little has spent more than half of his 20 years of experience in medicine focused on treating addiction. Dr. Little’s interest in addiction medicine began when he returned to West Virginia after serving as a physician in the U.S. Air Force. During this time, he began work for a consortium of rural health clinics in the hills of Appalachia where he saw a number of loggers and miners abusing opioids to cope with their recurring injuries and chronic pain.
Noticing a great need within the community, Dr. Little was among the first in the area to start a Suboxone clinic, a medication-assisted therapy (MAT) program, to help stem the tide of the epidemic. His groundbreaking work garnered him a community recognition award from the governor of West Virginia in 2009. Today, Dr. Little remains passionate about helping individuals overcome their drug and alcohol addictions.
Dr. Little is also an advocate for family involvement in addiction treatment. Witnessing first-hand his own family’s struggles with addiction, he realized the importance of familial support in a person’s long-term recovery, and his treatment philosophy involves including family members in the process whenever possible.
In his spare time, Dr. Little enjoys reading novels, mountain biking, hiking and spending quality time with his family.
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