Pioneers in Hope.

We believe in providing exceptional, holistic care to children and their families. Toward that goal, we mindfully consider every part of a child's life - from health and education to safety and their place in the community - and craft programs and services designed to create positive outcomes and hope for all.

About New Hope Treatment Centers

Founded in 1987 by Dr. George Orvin, New Hope Treatment Centers offers a full continuum of Behavioral Healthcare and has earned national recognition for quality and innovation. Our dedicated team of professionals partner with youth, their families, and sponsoring agencies to provide premier care, treatment, and services. Our wellness approach to care emphasizes each consumer's strengths and embraces the family's involvement. We help children find their voices, reconnect with family, discover creative outlets, manage their challenges, and live in the world with new hope. It's our name - and our promise, for a better life.





"Roots and Wings"

The poem below by author Denis Waitley strongly relates to what we believe in - the need for adolescents to be grounded and safe, have independance and guidance, and learning from trial and error.

If I had two wishes, I know what they would be
I'd wish for Roots to cling to, and Wings to set me free;
Roots of inner values, like rings within a tree;
and Wings of independence to seek my destiny.
Roots to hold forever to keep me safe and strong,
To let me know you love me, when I've done something wrong;
To show me by example, and help me learn to choose,
To take those actions every day to win instead of lose.
Just be there when I need you, to tell me it's all right,
To face my fear of falling when I test my wings in flight;
Don't make my life too easy, it's better if I try,
And fail and get back up myself, so I can learn to fly.
If I had two wishes, and two were all I had,
And they could just be granted, by my Mom and Dad;
I wouldn't ask for money or any store-bought things.
The greatest gifts I'd ask for are simply Roots and Wings.

Founder/Owner

George H. Orvin, M.D.

Founder

August 6, 1922 - August 29, 2014

In the early 1960s, Dr. George Orvin pioneered a world-renowned adolescent treatment program integrating individual, group, family, and multifamily therapies. The founder and Chairman of New Hope Treatment Centers, Dr. Orvin was also a Professor of Psychiatry at The Medical University of South Carolina until 1989 and thereafter designated as Professor Emeritus. A diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, a fellow of the American Society of Adolescent Psychiatry, a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and a fellow of the Southern Psychiatric Association, he also has more than 180 international publications and presentations to his credit.

Founder and President of the Carolinas Society of Adolescent Psychiatry, he also served as Vice Chairman of the South Carolina Commission for Alcohol & Drug Abuse (1973 - 1988) and Senior Editor of the Annals of Adolescent Psychiatry (1975 - 1997).

A Citadel graduate, Dr. Orvin received his Doctor of Medicine and psychiatric training at The Medical University of South Carolina and the Maudsley Hospital at The University of London in England.

Jay S. Orvin

Chairman

Jay Orvin's career path has led him from leadership positions in real estate brokerage, real estate development, and manufacturing products to nursing homes and behavioral health. In 1987, Jay joined his father, Dr. George H. Orvin, to create New Hope Treatment Centers, the first-of-its-kind residential psychiatric treatment center with a family-centric focus.

Under Mr. Orvin's leadership, New Hope Treatment Centers grew from a single facility in Charleston, SC, to a nationally recognized network of inpatient and community-based behavioral healthcare providers.

Executive Leadership

Eric Baumgartner

Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Baumgartner serves New Hope Treatment Centers in a variety of roles including Vice President of Performance, Chief Operating Officer, and, currently, CEO/President. He is a graduate of The Citadel and has a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Western Carolina University.

Mr. Baumgartner has over 20 years of clinical and leadership experience, previously serving as the COO and Clinical Director for a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility in Alabama, as well as serving a clinical role in both residential and community-based services earlier in his career. He has facilitated partnerships with the Medical University of South Carolina and numerous community-based providers in the southeast. He has served on mental health advisory boards in both South and North Carolina, and presented at state and national conferences on mental health best practice.

Matt Simon

Chief Operations Officer

Matt Simon is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has resided in South Carolina for the last 15 years. Matt has a long career of being an effective and impactful leader in the mental health space for youth and families. He loves what he does and sees it as a true honor to lead in this space.

Prior to joining New Hope in March of 2022, Matt was the Chief Program Officer at Thompson Child and Family Focus. As CPO, Matt oversaw the provision of more than a dozen programs targeting youth and families. Matt was integral in bringing Multi-Systemic Therapy to the Midlands and Upstate regions of South Carolina through a partnership with SC-DJJ. In North Carolina, Matt helped lead efforts to launch, grow and scale Outpatient and School-Based Therapy, Intensive In-Home Therapy, Family Centered Treatment and High-Fidelity Wraparound. Matt has previously served as VP of Clinical Services and Clinical Director at both for-profit and non-profit organizations in the behavioral health arena. Regardless of where he works, Matt tries to bring a trauma-informed approach to the work and a focus on leadership development and positive, vibrant staff culture.

Matt has spent significant time leading at high acuity residential programs and this experience has shown him first-hand how critical a robust continuum of community-based programs to pro-actively avoid institutional settings is, which is why he has dedicated his career to expanding access to these services for vulnerable populations. However, the need for high quality residential services has never been more needed than it is now. Matt is honored to help drive quality operations at New Hope Carolinas.

Matt is originally from Michigan and lives in Indian Land, SC. He has two beautiful daughters, Riley (7) and Skyler (5).

Mike O'Connor

Director of Business Development

Mike has been employed at New Hope since 2010 and has lead the National Referral System since 2012. Mike received his Bachelors of Psychology from Westfield State College in Massachusetts.

Prior to joining the New Hope team, he enjoyed a 14 year career in the non-profit sector working for Eckerd Youth Alternatives in their Wilderness Educational Program, serving in roles of direct care and ultimately Director of a 200 acre facility in Vance County NC. Mike has served on numerous professional boards, community provider groups, Managed Care Collaboratives and advocacy groups. Currently he is a member of the North Carolina TIDE Committee (Training, Instruction, Development and Education), and serves on the Board of North Carolina Community Alternatives for Youth.

Mike enjoys being a father, husband and playing golf.

Elaine Waz

Director of Performance Improvement

Elaine Waz has served as the Performance Improvement Director at New Hope since 2012. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and in Nursing, and is a Registered Nurse licensed in the state of South Carolina. Elaine has been responsible for New Hope’s continued accreditation by the Joint Commission since 1998. She tracks and trends internal performance data and post-discharge outcomes to ensure New Hope meets and exceeds performance expectations. Elaine enjoys collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to share the New Hope mission of providing top quality, evidence based care and treatment to children and their families. Prior to coming to New Hope, Elaine served as the Performance Improvement Coordinator for the trauma service at the Medical University of South Carolina and was instrumental in MUSC’s receiving their first Level I Trauma Center Designation from the American College of Surgeons.

Elaine enjoys spending her free time with her husband, teenage stepchildren, and two German shepherds. She enjoys traveling, live music, and is an avid ultramarathon runner and scuba diver.

Nicole McNeil

Director of Human Resources

In September 2019, Nicole McNeil, MHRM, MBA, SPHR-CA was appointed to Director of Human Resources for New Hope Treatment Centers, Inc. In this position, she oversees all aspects of human resources management for more than 450 employees. The Human Resources department has 10 employees in such functions as; Recruiting, Payroll Administration, Staffing and Workforce Planning; Compensation and Benefits, Safety, Employee Relations, Change Management, Performance Management and Training and Development.

Prior to joining New Hope, Ms. McNeil held a number of Executive HR positions in Los Angeles, CA. At ENI-JR286 (a direct merchandise licensee of Nike), she was recruited as the first Director of HR in the company’s history, tasked with setting up and leading the formal HR function from the ground up. She was also rapidly promoted through the ranks of Director of HR and Executive Director of HR to the VP of Human Resources for Saban Capital Group (private equity/real estate/entertainment), overseeing their HR function for 115 employees across multiple business entities and household staff.

Ms. McNeil brings over 22 years of Human Resources experience with the ability to partner with other senior executives, lead global HR segments within organizations, collaborate across cultures, drive change, and build organizational capability.

Ms. McNeil holds a master’s degree in Business Administration, a master’s degree in Human Resources Management and a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources.

Susan Bare

Assistant Controller

Susan Bare came to New Hope with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the College of Charleston. She has served as the Assistant Controller since 2005. She has been performing multiple tasks such as financial statement preparation, cost reporting, budgeting and streamlining finance operations. She has greatly enjoyed working for this family-owned business that strives to offer proper treatment and hope to youth.

Susan is a proud mother of 3 daughters. She enjoys spending time with her husband, lifelong friends and family, reading, beach time and spending time with her beautiful granddaughter.

Jordan Dearth

Director of Information Technology

Jordan Dearth has served as the Director of Information Technology at New Hope since 2020. He is responsible for the overall planning, organizing, and execution of all IT functions for New Hope Treatment Centers. This includes directing all IT operations to meet employee, resident and company technology needs, as well as overseeing the support and maintenance of all New Hope systems and applications. Additionally, he is responsible for the development of new technical solutions to advance the overall goals of the organization. Prior to the director role, Jordan worked as a system analyst and system administrator for New Hope. He enjoys providing a safe, reliable IT infrastructure so New Hope staff and residents can focus on treatment goals.

Jordan lives in Lancaster, SC with his wife and two rescue dogs. He’s an avid sports fan, and in his free time enjoys fishing, playing cards, and traveling.

Clinical and Program Leadership

Joanna Fielder

Director of Educational Services

Joanna Fielder is a licensed special education teacher with over 25 years of experience working with children with disabilities. A Virginia native, she attended the University of North Carolina - Charlotte and earned a B.S. in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Education. Joanna spent her early career as an ABA therapist and consultant working primarily with children on the Autism Spectrum. She has worked at New Hope Carolinas for 14 years, serving as the Director of Education for the last 9 years. Outside of work, Joanna enjoys a variety of hobbies including cooking, reading, art, and travel.

Nancy Cody

Lead Resident Advocate

Nancy Cody is the Lead Resident Advocate for New Hope Carolinas. Her primary responsibility is to make sure that our residents rights are protected and their voices are heard while they are in our care. Nancy graduated from Winthrop University (College) in 1990 with her M.Ed. in Counseling and Development, and obtained her BA in Psychology prior to that.

She started her post graduate career working for the SC Alcohol and Drug Commission and then became the Addiction Specialist for Catawba Mental Health in Rock Hill, SC. In the 2000’s, she worked in Charlotte where she supported homeless and mentally ill adults and went on to pioneer the Jail Diversion Program at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Department. She has worked in almost ever corner of the human services space and has worked with nearly every population.

She has two cats and she enjoy movies, music, and yoga.

Rebecca Spanberg

Director of Therapy Services

Rebecca Spanberg serves as the Director of Therapy Services for New Hope Carolinas. She attended Louisiana State University for both her undergrad (psychology) and graduate (Master of Social Work) degrees (Geaux Tigers!) She started her professional career with the Willie M. program in North Carolina and found her passion with working with adolescents to improve their mental health. She has been at New Hope since 1999, starting as a therapist and holding various other positions. Rebecca is proud of the work she does in teaching/supervising therapists and staying abreast of the latest trends in providing effective interventions for the youth at New Hope. She is a true soccer mom and spends most of her free time shuffling between her kids’ soccer games. She also enjoys reading, traveling, and cooking.

Tashina Stout

Director of Care Management

Tashina has worked in the field of mental health for over ten years in various capacities with seven of those years being at New Hope Carolinas. Tashina started her career at New Hope as a therapist where she served both our male and female residents. Tashina’s exceptional work landed her in the role of Clinical Director where she led a team of therapists and most recently transitioned into a new role of Director of Care Management. Tashina obtained her undergraduate degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her graduate degree in Social Work from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University. Tashina’s motto has always been “be the change you wish to see in the world”, which she applies to her personal life, as she loves spending time with family, attending church and sporting events, and raising her daughter.

Curtis Barnes

Residential Director

Curtis attended Thiel College from August 1993 - May 1997 in Greenville, Pennsylvania where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree. He began his career working with youth at Keystone Adolescent Center located in Greenville, PA. He held the counselor position for three years (1994-1997). He relocated to Uniontown, PA and began working at Adelphoi Village in Latrobe, PA as a program lead from 1997-2005. In 2005, he moved to Charlotte and started working at New Hope Carolinas. Throughout Curtis’ 17+ years at New Hope, he has held multiple positions, consistently moving up in leadership as he continued to make an impact. He is a true backbone of what we do at New Hope.

He has been married for 26 years with four children. He is a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers' fan; every year is Superbowl or bust. He enjoys being outside which includes hiking, camping, fishing and he’s an animal lover and loves to laugh. He has 28 years of experience working with kids and families and he’s still enthusiastic about their future and development into young men and women.

Heather Fritsch

Residential Director

Heather has worked in the mental and behavioral health field for 18 years and has come to see this work as not only her passion, but her life’s calling. Throughout her years, she has been privileged enough to experience many different facets of this incredible profession. She has served this community as a Qualified Professional in a sheltered workshop setting, a working farm/greenhouse/restaurant, community based inclusion projects for children with severe and profound challenges and in a group home setting. She has also counseled former felons, drug addicts and abuse victims. All of this started after she graduated with her BA in Elementary Education and was asked to cover a Special Education classroom at the last minute. Little did she know that what she viewed as a “setback” at that time would lead her into a world that she couldn’t imagine not being a part of now. Quite possibly the greatest personal accomplishment that has come from all of this is watching her 21 year old daughter follow in her footsteps. She is currently attending UNCC seeking her degree in psychology and plans to continue on with her Master’s in Social Work to become a licensed therapist.

When Heather is not at work, she enjoys hiking with her dog Willow, cooking, singing, reading and spending time with her girls.

Dolly Williams

Director of Recreation Therapy

Dolly Williams has worked at New Hope for 22 years as the Director of Recreation Therapy and holds both her CTRS and LRT.

Ms. Williams is a proud graduate of Winston-Salem State University’s Therapeutic Recreation department, and holds a Masters in Counseling from Webster University, and a post education degree in school counseling from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In addition, for the last five years, Ms. Williams has had the honor of helping shape future recreation majors as she serves as an adjunct professor in the Recreation Department at her beloved alma mater WSSU.

Ms. Williams has always felt a strong commitment to serve others by giving back and staying connected. This is what led her to enroll at her alma mater WSSU, whose motto is Enter to Learn and Depart to Serve. While enrolled, she was drawn to the sisterhood and service of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. and joined the Finer Women in the spring of 1993. She is currently an active and financial member of the dynamic Delta Zeta chapter here in Charlotte

To help advocate and live in her motto “Healing Thru Fun”, Ms. Williams has presented at several national conferences on the clinical benefits of using recreation to help youth overcome mental health obstacles, because she truly believes leisure interventions is one key in helping youth heal, mediate, and rehabilitate to their highest level of functioning.

Dalin Gunnel

Director of Residential Operations

Dalin serves as the Director of Residential Operations at New Hope Carolinas. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University and then Master’s Degree from Bellevue University in Healthcare Administration. He has worked in residential treatment with youth for over ten years and was formerly a director at a program in Utah for several years. His background in both Psychology and Healthcare Administration has helped offer him a unique perspective in the residential field as he seeks to understand what others are going through, but also focus on leadership skills and the ability to succeed through teamwork. Personally, family is the most important thing going on in his life. He is married to his amazing wife of 11 years, Olivia, and they have five beautiful children (with one on the way!) They love to go to the ocean, lakes, and just generally play outdoors. He grew up in Idaho and has lived all over the West Coast, but his wife is from New Hampshire, so they were destined to be on the East Coast at some point and here they are now, loving it!

Jarrod Severeide

Lead Nurse Practitioner

Jarrod is the lead, full-time Nurse Practitioner for New Hope Carolinas. Jarrod has been serving in this role since 2017. Jarrod received his Master’s in Family Nurse Practitioner from the University of Cincinnati. Prior to working at New Hope, he worked in a variety of settings including the critical care and emergency services at Novant Health. He was nominated three times for North Carolinas “100 Great Nurses”. At Novant, he won an award for “excellence”. He has two children and loves camping, airsoft and his dogs.

Joey Funderburk

Performance Improvement and Quality Initiative Supervisor

Joey Funderburk is the Performance Improvement and Quality Initiatives Supervisor (PQI) for New Hope Treatment Center. Joey hold’s a Bachelors and Master’s Degree in Social Work both from Winthrop University and an Associates of Science in Health Information Management from Herzing . Joey is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in the State of South Carolina as well as a Registered Health Information Technician ( RHIT). Joey has been with New Hope Treatment Center since April of 2015 coming on board as a residential counselor working his way to administrative assistant in the Health Information Office then to Admissions Coordinator then Health Information Manager.

In his spare time Joey likes to cook, try new restaurants, visit farmers and flower markets as well as spend time with his family and friends.

Ray Castillo

Bridge Program Supervisor

I am Ray Castillo, a dual-licensed therapist in Marriage and Family Therapist and as a Clinical Addictions Specialist Associate. My passion is driven by the belief that every person, family or group has their own unique story and deserves to be heard in an environment that is safe and without judgment. For the last ten plus years, I have found my career rewarding having the opportunity in working across different agencies from social services to private agencies that aspire to provide services and resources to under-served and less privileged populations. This journey of helping individuals and families toward healing and recovery has allowed me to grow deeper in the therapeutic approaches that are both effective and with a systemic view, enabling clients to discover their potential and reach their life goals. I am able to promote and achieve this with a sensitive cross-culturally understanding that promotes diversity, equality and inclusion.

I am a native born in the island of Puerto Rico and raised in Florida where I went to school and graduated with a Bachelor's in Psychology. Later, I decided to pursue my graduate degree obtaining a Masters of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. Currently, I work for an agency that practices and aligns with my personal and professional values. On my personal time, I work at a private practice in the community and enjoy spending time with my family and friends. My favorite hobbies consist of cooking, baking, and traveling.