Stone Mountain School Welcomes New Executive Director

Stone Mountain School has announced that Louis Shagawat, LCSW, is the school's new Executive Director. He started on July 13.

Lou has more than 25 years of experience in behavioral healthcare, specifically working with children and adolescents. He offers a diverse background in executive leadership, direct practice, clinical consultation and program development. Lou has been working in a variety of settings including residential treatment, outpatient, partial hospitalization and acute care. He is well-versed in evidence-based practices and offers extensive experience in the assessment and treatment of youth with learning differences and behavior problems. Additionally, Lou is trained in critical incident stress debriefing which has enabled him to respond to a number of critical incidents including the United States Secret Service following the September 11th tragedy.

Lou's formal training includes a BSW degree from Mansfield University and an MSW degree from Rutgers University where he graduated with a 4.0 GPA and received the "Mark Forman Award" for outstanding accomplishments. Over the years he has been further awarded with recognition for superior accomplishments, teamwork, a President's Recognition with Appreciation, and the Executives Director's Award.

Lou is known for his professionalism, dedication to children, and commitment to quality care and service. We are pleased to welcome him to the Stone Mountain team.

Stone Mountain School is a SACS-accredited, year-round boarding school for boys ages 11-17 with emotional, behavioral and learning issues such as ADD, ADHD and nonverbal learning disorder (NLD). Set in beautiful western North Carolina, the school blends outdoor adventure trips, a nationally standardized academic curriculum, and weekly individual and group therapy to help students achieve academic and personal success. Since 1990, Stone Mountain School has helped boys build their confidence, strengthen their relationships and take charge of their futures.

Stone Mountain School is a program of Aspen Education Group, the nation's leading provider of therapeutic education programs for teens and young adults. Aspen's services range from short-term intervention programs to residential treatment, and include a variety of therapeutic settings such as boarding schools, outdoor behavioral health (wilderness) programs and special needs summer camps, allowing professionals and families the opportunity to choose the best setting to meet a student's unique academic and emotional needs. Aspen is a member of CRC Health Group, the nation's largest chemical dependency and related behavioral health organization. Since 1995, CRC Health Group has been achieving successful outcomes for individuals and families.