Executive Leadership Team
Fabio van der Merwe, M.A., CHC
Chief Executive Officer
Fabio van der Merwe started his career with Claratel Behavioral Health in 2006 and has served in management positions in the departments of Compliance, Quality, and Utilization Management. In 2016 he joined Claratel Behavioral Health’s Leadership Team as the Chief Operating Officer and in June 2020, he was appointed to his current position as Chief Executive Officer.
Prior to his work at Claratel Behavioral Health, Fabio held positions in managed care, substance abuse, and other behavioral health organizations. Fabio has a B.A. in Psychology from Emory University, a M. A. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and holds certification in Health Care Compliance.
Jennifer Haines-Pruitt, LPC, CPCS
Vice President of Behavioral Health
Jennie joined Claratel Behavioral Health in August of 2019 serving as the Director of Adult Specialty Programs prior to her current position of Vice President of Behavioral Health. Jennie has 15 years of experience in the community behavioral health field and has worked as a case manager, group facilitator, clinician, program manager, and outpatient director.
Jennie is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor. She holds a B.A. in Communication from the University of Dayton and a M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Wright State University.
Jockars Wedlowe
Chief Financial Officer
Jock served as the Controller of Claratel Behavioral Health since January 2018 and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in January 2022.
His over 20 years of experience in finance includes serving as the Controller, Accounting Manager and Budget and Reports Analyst for Behavioral healthcare organizations. Jock holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Albany State University.
Chatele' Chester, M.Ed, M.S.Ed, CHC
Chief Operating Officer
Chatele’ joined Claratel Behavioral Health in June of 2021 as the Chief Quality Officer. Chatele’ has over 15 years of experience in the area of performance and quality improvement in the behavioral health and human service fields, with over 10 years in quality improvement leadership.
Chatele’ holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Education degree from Strayer University, with additional studies in the specialization of Training and Performance Improvement from Capella University.
Carmen Sofia Martinez Villar, MD
Medical Director
Dr. Martinez joined Claratel Behavioral Health in 2012 and has served as psychiatric support for all our addiction programs as well as the Winn Way Clinic. In June 2020, Dr. Martinez was appointed to her current position as Medical Director and since has provided the agency with extensive consultation and direction in relation to our ongoing service delivery.
Dr Martinez completed her Doctor Of Medicine at Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo and her General Psychiatry Residency at Drexel University College Medicine. She is Board Certified in Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry with the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Larry Fuller, LPC
Vice President of Developmental Disabilities
Larry joined the Claratel Behavioral Health in July of 2022 as the Director of Developmental Disabilities. Larry has over 16 years of experience within Behavioral Health, Substance Abuse, Crisis Call Center Supervision, and Developmental Disabilities. More specifically, Larry has four years of experience with serving as a Program Manager for a Developmental Disability Crisis Home (Out-of-Home Services), Organizing and Leading IDD Intensive-In-Home Support Services, and serving as the Program Manager for a Behavioral Health Intensive Treatment Residence.
KISHA FOSTER, CPPM
VICE PRESIDENT OF REVENUE CYCLE
Kisha joined Claratel Behavioral Health in June 2012 and has served as Office Manager, Billing Manager, and Director of Practice Management. In May 2023, she was promoted to Vice President of Revenue Cycle.
Kisha has over 16 years of experience in healthcare management specifically in the areas of front desk operations, billing and insurance, and overall practice management. She has a B.S. in Healthcare Management from Clayton State University and is a Certified Physician Practice Manager (CPPM).
Leigh Westholm
Human Resources Director
Leigh joined Claratel Behavioral Health in 2024 as the Human Resources Director after previously serving the agency in a consulting capacity. With over 20 years of Human Resources experience, Leigh Westholm is a hands-on thought leader with a proven ability to effectively connect people, processes, and technology to enhance the client and employee experience, optimize efficiency, and drive strategy. From the development and execution of a broad range of people services at a Fortune 500 Company to providing HR consulting services to organizations spanning multiple industries, Leigh’s vast experience and knowledge are a valuable addition to Claratel Behavioral Health.
