Leading by Example
Crestwood Behavioral Health Inc. is an organization built by and for people desiring to make a change in the world by creating a continuum of services that empower clients to live and succeed in their community. As an organization, Crestwood leads the mental health community by example. As individuals we lead our community – staff, clients, peers, families, business partners, county stakeholders, faith communities, schools and neighbors – by example.
Crestwood’s values – family, compassion, commitment, enthusiasm, flexibility, collaboration and character – drive the work that we do every day. It is the responsibility of our corporate leadership team to uphold these values on a daily basis, in all aspects of their positions and roles.
George C. Lytal
George C. Lytal practices an inclusive management style that draws upon the strengths and abilities of the leadership team to establish and guide the vision of the company. His personal philosophy emphasizes high standards and socially responsible business practices. Mr. Lytal embraces and fosters a belief in person served wellness and recovery and is an advocate against the stigma associated with mental health issues. He has been with the company since 1978 and has dedicated his life to this field and embodies the servant leader, consistently leading by example through our Crestwood values of Family, Compassion, Commitment, Enthusiasm, Flexibility and Character. Mr. Lytal was elected to the Board of Directors in 1992.
Derek Dobbins
Derek Dobbins was literally born into the Crestwood family, as his grandfather, James M. Dobbins Sr., founded the company in 1968 and his father, James M. Dobbins Jr., is currently serving as Chairman of the Board. Derek graduated from the University of the Pacific and began his career in 2003 with Crestwood as an Activity Director at Crestwood Manor in Stockton, where he then worked his way up to be the Administrator of that campus and excelled for seven years in that position. In 2017, he was promoted to Director of Operations, overseeing six Crestwood Campuses and in 2019 he became Crestwood’s President. Derek prides himself in taking care of persons served, as well as Crestwood employees, as if they were his own family. As Crestwood’s President, he strives to always lead by example and use Crestwood’s values to determine every decision that he makes.
Patty Blum, Ph.D.
As Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Executive Vice President, Patty Blum manages and oversees the day-to-day business and operations for all of Crestwood's campuses throughout California. She also formalizes and leads Crestwood’s strategic-planning processes, establishing and implementing long-term and short-term goals, objectives and expected benchmarks and outcomes. She collaborates with our Campus Administrators, operations leadership teams, and executives to advance the well-being of the people we serve, our employees, and programs. Patty has been with Crestwood since 1980 and has created the template for Crestwood’s model of care and continues to lead the growth and expansion of our services. She is also proud to be a founding member of CIBHS’ Mental Health and Spirituality Initiative.
Maria Stefanou, CPA, CGMA
Maria Stefanou joined Crestwood in 1997. As Executive Vice President, Ms. Stefanou has executive oversight of Crestwood’s Accounting & Finance, Information Systems, Real Estate, Government Relations, and Facility Capital Management. She is also the company’s Chief Financial Officer and is involved in strategic planning and new business development. She has been a CPA for more than 30 years and holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management. She is active in the community by being a board member of the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra.
Pamela Norris, C.P.R.P
Pamela Norris has been part of our Crestwood team since 1995. Pam began her career at Crestwood as a nurse at our Crestwood Center at Napa Valley campus and has held many roles in the organization since then including Program Director, Director of Operations and Vice President of Operations. Pam continues to support the operations at all our campuses in her new role of Vice President of Clinical Services, Quality Measures and Accreditation. Pam will oversee our Clinical team and Licensed Nurses, as well as our Health Information Team. She will also supervise the quality measures of the organization and continue to direct and lead our organization's CARF accreditation. Pam will be supporting the goals of CalAIM, our Peer Employment Learning Center (PELC), trauma-informed services, our foundational recovery tools and moving our newest initiatives forward such as Not One Minute More.
George Woods, MD, LFAPA
After years of being an invaluable consulting source for Crestwood, George Woods, MD, LFAPA, became our Chief Scientific Officer and an official member of our Crestwood family on April 1, 2021. Dr. Woods has been our Senior Clinical Consultant for Crestwood for the past few years and served as a key member of Crestwood’s Pandemic Response Committee, helping to lead Crestwood’s strong response through the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Woods brings an incredible wealth of knowledge, education and experience to Crestwood that spans many years of working in the mental health field, consulting, teaching, and serving as a board member for companies and institutes. Dr. Woods is a Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is the recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Utah Medical Center, the first psychiatrist ever selected. Dr. Woods also received the Historical Prixe from the University of Milan in July 2019. He is currently President of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health. Dr. Woods has been a lecturer and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, Davis, and Morehouse School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry.
Laurie Bell Schrum
Laurie Bell Schrum joined Crestwood as our General Counsel in 2017. Ms. Schrum oversees all legal matters. Prior to joining Crestwood, Ms. Schrum was a partner with the Kroloff law firm, and served as our outside business counsel for many years. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Hastings College of the Law (now University of California College of Law, San Francisco) and holds a Bachelors’ Degree in Business, with minors in Finance and Marketing.
Kelly Wittmeyer, FACHE, CHC, CHPC
Serving as Vice President and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Kelly brings nearly 30 years of experience working in a variety of healthcare settings. Prior to joining Crestwood, she worked as Vice President of Compliance at a large health system where she oversaw the ethics and compliance program administration of 26 hospitals, including acute psychiatric hospitals and system Mental Health and Addiction Care, of which she was a member of the leadership team. Kelly has spoken nationally, and at the state and local levels on the elements of an effective compliance program and revenue cycle compliance and has taught classes working as an adjunct professor in the areas of medical coding and health information management. She has consulted in fields, including hospitals, physician practices, home health and hospice, ambulatory surgery centers and diagnostic testing facilities to name a few. Kelly has a Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University. She is certified in healthcare privacy and compliance and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Chad Arnold
Chad Arnold joined Crestwood as Vice President of Human Resources in 2019. Chad leads all areas of Human Resources including Employee Engagement, People Relations, Benefits, Staffing, Talent Management, Succession/Development etc. Prior to Joining Crestwood, Chad held HR leadership positions at Quest Diagnostics, Barclays Capital, Wachovia and several large technology companies. He has more than 26 years of experience, holds a Bachelors’ degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology and a minor in Business.