Dr. James D. Huysman Speaker & Booking Information

Dr. James D. Huysman, LCSW, CAP, aka “Dr. Jamie”, is Clinical Advisor for the Caron Treatments Centers’ Senior Treatment Program. In this role, he frequently presents at leading conferences and speaks with national media in an effort to educate older individuals and their families about addiction. He is an author, thought leader, dynamic speaker and media expert on addictions, co-addictions, compassion fatigue, health care reform, and caregiving.

He currently works as VP of Provider Relations and Government Affairs at WellMed Medical Management, an innovative primary care/senior care organization and maintains Board involvement with the NAMI, NASW, March of Dimes, ICAA, N4a, and Care Innovations.

Dr. Huysman has built his innovative 30 year healthcare career on the premise that “Necessity is the Mother of Invention.” A long-time champion of all things behavioral health, he believes that the resilience of the human spirit and effective collaboration are keys to our country’s health future. He is a former hospital administrator of chemical dependency and psychiatric hospitals and fierce advocate of patient-centered senior healthcare. With his attention attuned to behavioral health and senior care, he is also laser focused on a professional workforce in touch with their own wellness and a medical system prepared to meet the needs of those they serve.

In addition to this blog, he broadcasts a weekly radio show for Clear Channel, and writes monthly columns for JoanLunden.com, Caregiver SOS and the United Health Network blog “Source for Women”. He was one of a special panel selected by the NASW, AARP and The Hartford Foundation to craft new “Standards for Social Work Practice with Family Caregivers of Older Adults.” He recently joined UHC TV as the caregiving expert in a video series called Caregiver Connections with Dr. Jamie. Prior to that, he was featured as the caregiver expert for five years on the weekly television show Health Corner for Walgreens, with then colleague Leeza Gibbons. He has also partnered with the InTheRooms.com to launch “Caregivers in Recovery”, a social media forum.

He co-authored the acclaimed, "Take Your Oxygen First: Protecting Your Health and Happiness While Caring for a Loved One with Memory Loss" and contributed to "Voices of Caregiving" and "Voices of Alcoholism" for The Healing Project. He was also featured in "The 100 Mile Walk: A Quest to Find the Essence of Leadership." He received his BA, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Florida, earned his MSW in Social Work with high honors from Barry University and his PsyD, Cum Laude, from California Southern University. He is also a certified compassion fatigue therapist and addictions counselor.

In the 90’s he was the clinical consultant on twelve popular Talk, Court and Reality genre television shows. Seeing a desperate need for some kind of follow up for guests on these shows, he created TV Aftercare™, setting up a national network of mental healthcare and addiction treatment providers. His advocacy in this area has provided hundreds of guests millions of dollars in pro bono follow-up care. Also, during this time he garnered 200 media appearances on the subject and became the clinical “expert witness” in the infamous Time-Warner/Jenny Jones case in 1996.

In 2002 he co-founded and became Executive Director of The Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation. There he created a new national level of psychosocial support for family caregivers called Leeza’s Place, and opened ten locations around the country - eight of them in four years - partnering with hospitals, managed care and other non-profit organizations. In 2008 Dr. Huysman was named Social Worker of the Year in the State of Florida for his work with the LGMF.