Dr. Manuel Guantez is the Executive Director of Turning Point in Verona, Secaucus and Paterson, NJ. Turning Point is a behavioral health treatment program that focuses on alcohol and substance abuse addictions as well as their co-occurring disorders. Turning Point serves clients across the state of New Jersey. Under Dr. Guantez’s leadership, Turning Point has expanded beyond residential treatment programs for men and women to include the recent acquisition of a significant portion of Barnert Hospital in Paterson, NJ, the opening of an outpatient program in Verona, New Jersey, and the launch of a new family program in Verona, NJ.
Dr. Guantez is an international speaker and consultant working with the United Nations to help other countries achieve the gains in combating addiction that we have seen here in the United States. He has been singled out as an important contributor in shaping statewide policy and practices in mental health and substance abuse, and has served on the New Jersey Division of Addiction Services’ Residential Licensure Standards Revision Committee, the Residential Treatment Services Committee and the Quality Standards Substance Abuse Treatment Committee. He currently serves as Chair of the State Professional Advisory Committee on addictions and is the co-chair of the state mental health association co-occurring disorders committee. He was an Assistant Professor at Montclair State University and taught all core graduate and undergraduate courses in addiction and mental health.
Dr. Guantez received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Montclair State University. He received his doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Long Island University, C.W. Post, as part of the entering Class of 1994 and graduated in 1999. He is a former U.S. Marine and Presidential Honor Guard. For further information, Dr. Guantez can be reached at MGuantez@tpnj.org.