Douglas Tieman

I came to Caron with the hope of making a difference for families. Today, I’m thrilled that what we’ve achieved together has surpassed my wildest expectations. I am so grateful for this journey, and it will be such a pleasure to see Brad continue this important momentum as he steps into the leadership role at Caron tomorrow.”

Under his direction, Caron provided an extensive continuum of care for teens, young adults, adults, older adults, and families at its facilities in Pennsylvania and Caron Florida, its outpatient treatment centers in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Northern Virginia, and Wyomissing, Pa., and its recovery centers in New York City and Washington, D.C.

With Doug's guidance, Caron elevated its leadership roles in sponsoring research in addiction treatments and outcomes, advocating for ethics and standards, and participating in national conferences on addiction and recovery. Since he joined Caron, its revenue has grown tenfold, making it one of the largest nonprofit residential addiction treatment centers in the nation.

He believes that research and prevention are key to resolving the addiction crisis. Under his leadership, Caron began participating in studies with leading research universities, including the University of Pennsylvania’s Treatment Research Institute, Penn State College of Medicine/Hershey Medical Center, the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health, and Stanford University. Caron also began conducting on-campus training for physicians and other health care professionals, including the only fellowship in addiction medicine offered by a freestanding addiction treatment center. In addition, Caron's student assistance professionals provided alcohol and drug prevention programs and services in more than 900 schools, to 120,000 students, 6,800 parents, and 8,000 professionals.

Doug has spent more than 30 years in the addiction treatment field in treatment center and industry leadership positions. As a long-time advocate for patient-centered care, he has authored several articles and blogs on the issue of patients’ rights and called for the implementation of standards and outcomes-based treatment in the addiction treatment sector. He testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on the issue of patient brokering and fraud in the addiction treatment sector. Under his direction, Caron adopted the Addiction Treatment Patient’s Bill of Rights and is working with other national centers to improve the standard of care for those struggling with the chronic, treatable disease of addiction.

Doug began his career with the Hazelden Foundation and has served as chairman of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers and a member of the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrators.

Following undergraduate degrees from both Concordia and Northwood Universities, Doug completed the Minnesota Management Institute at the University of Minnesota and received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Concordia University. He is the recipient of several awards, including Berks County Chamber of Commerce’s "Large Business Person of the Year" in 2004 and Eastern Pennsylvania Business Journal’s "Spotlight Award" in 2005. In 2017, The Philadelphia Inquirer named Doug an “Emerging Icon” for his work in advancing addiction treatment and research. In 2021, he was awarded the Richard J. Caron Award of Excellence for his spirit of caring and compassion that upheld the legacy of Caron’s founder. Doug is also an author, having published several treatment sector-related articles and the book Flying Over the Pigpen: Tried and True Leadership Lessons from Growing Up on a Farm.