Charlotte CEO

Charles Odell was born and raised in Charlotte. “I love Charlotte,” explains Odell. “I decided a long time ago that I wanted the opportunity to give something back to the community that has given so much to me.” As CEO and President of Dilworth Center, a local non-profit alcoholism and addiction treatment center, Mr. Odell has been helping people find recovery for nearly 40 years. “I’ve made this my life’s work,” declares Odell. “I believe everyone who suffers from a substance use disorder has the capacity to recover.”

Mr. Odell now has the opportunity to take his leadership skills to the national level. In 2020, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP). NAATP is the preeminent trade organization for the addiction treatment field. Their membership includes over 1000 treatment programs throughout the country, including world-wide leaders such as the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Mr. Odell serves with 20 other Directors from across the country on the national Board.

Odell’s position at NAATP has contributed to Dilworth Center becoming recognized as a national leader in alcoholism and addiction treatment. Dilworth Center was the first outpatient treatment program in the country to implement NAATP’s comprehensive Outcomes and Measures Program (OMP). The OMP allows treatment centers to standardize and modernize a replicable way to track outcomes, identify improvement strategies and quickly implement those improvements. Dilworth Center is viewed nationally as a model for successful OMP implementation.

Future NAATP projects include the development of a national database of treatment center outcomes based upon information drawn from the entire NAATP membership. Information from the database will provide a platform for research and analysis for many years to come. “The primary beneficiary is our patients,” explains Odell. “If the treatment industry as a whole does a better job, more people will find long-term, robust recovery.”

Despite COVD-19 being a primary healthcare concern, substance abuse remains at an all-time high with overdoses continuing to skyrocket. Additionally, COVID has exacerbated substance abuse problems in Charlotte Mecklenburg. “People are using more substances and isolating more,” states Odell. “Dilworth Center will continue our work both locally and nationally to help as many people as we can. The need for effective care has never been greater.”

Cynthia Sims

Director of Development & Marketing

JD, CFRE