Stars Behavioral Health Group’s CEO, Peter Zucker, Ph.D., Joins ABL Organization

Santa Ana, CA - September 13, 2011 – Peter Zucker, Ph.D., Co-Founder, President and CEO of Stars Behavioral Health Group, has joined the Adaptive Business Leaders Organization (ABL). As part of California’s leading vertical-industry Chief Executives’ Organization, ABL Members provide one another with executive leadership coaching through confidential, professionally-facilitated, peer-CEO Advisory Board Round Tables, executive learning workshops, network of CEO peers, and expert resources.

Stars Behavioral Health Group (SBHG) offers a full continuum of community and facility-based programs, as well as special education in public and nonpublic schools. SBHG delivers a complete array of therapeutic services - including outpatient, Day Treatment Intensive, acute and subacute inpatient treatment - all of which are grounded in clinically sound, best practices. SBHG provides its services to several thousand children and families each year through contracts with county mental health, child welfare, and juvenile justice departments, as well as with public school districts. The company employs more than 1,000 behavioral health workers, including psychiatrists, psychologists and medical doctors, social workers, nurses, rehab therapists, counselors, teachers, aides, and a range of paraprofessional staff.

Founded in 1987, SBHG offers over 30 specialized public mental health programs and a wide array of community-based support services in the counties of Alameda, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Santa Clara. Also, through its STARS Academy, SBHG offers a range of training programs on research-based models of care for treating mental health and substance use problems, including interactive workshops, educational classes, coaching, and consultation services.

Peter specializes in clinical program development and operations, staff training and development, quality improvement, and outcomes management. An SBHG Co-Founder, he became its second President and CEO in January 2011. Before that, he was SBHG’s VP of Clinical Services, from 1987 to 2010. From 1998 to 2003, he was also Executive Director and Administrator of STARS Adolescent Center, and from 1993 to 1999, Corporate Clinical Director of SunHealth Specialty Hospitals/ Regency Health Services. From 1989 to 1993, he was Clinical Director of Harborview Adolescent Center. Other positions Peter has held include: Program Developer at Telecare Inc., from 1987 to 1989; Clinical Director at Adolescent Services, from 1986 to 1987; Program Manager of the Erik Erikson Center at Adolescent Advancement, from 1983 to 1986; and Psychologist B at Powhatan Correctional Center, from 1980 to 1982.

Peter earned his BA in Psychology from State University of New York in 1977, and his MS and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, both from Virginia Commonwealth University, in 1980 and 1983, respectively.

About the Adaptive Business Leaders (ABL) Organization
ABL supports the needs of its Member CEOs by providing a place for top-level executives to draw on the experience, knowledge and skill sets of their peers in a vertical industry, personal advisory board – “multi-coach approach” – setting.

The core component of the CEO Membership experience is the group Round Table meeting. Members meet once a month for a half-day with a group of peer CEOs, Presidents, COOs and Division General Managers from non-competing companies, all from the same industry (healthcare, technology or life sciences), in a trusted and confidential board room-like setting, which allows ABL Members to tackle topics and enhance their decision making and business performance. Topics include: developing and honing new business strategies and best practices, new lines of business, “A-players” on the management team, and an effective board of directors, as well as understanding trends in new markets, mergers and acquisitions, compensation, and other “hot” topics brought to the Round Tables by the Members themselves.

ABL Members also gather several times a year at workshops and conferences to exchange ideas and connect with other chief executives beyond their own CEO peer groups. In effect, ABL Members serve as one another’s business coaches within the Round Tables and are encouraged to connect and leverage their co-Member peers’ particular skills and expertise for additional leadership coaching, one-on-one, outside of their monthly group meeting. In addition, each Round Table’s facilitator also serves as an objective business advisor, offering executive and industry insights and advice.

 ABL's Chief Executive Leadership Development Round Table program is currently offered in California's Greater Los Angeles, Orange and San Francisco County areas. More information about the ABL Organization can be found at http://www.abl.org .