Meet Dr. Charles Benjamin Warter of Protected Roots Integrative Treatment Center

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Charles Benjamin Warter.

Hi Dr. Warter, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My career has been and is informed by the motivation to learn. As a bi-cultural clinician, it was important to me to seek a holistic and multi-cultural approach to education. I started my clinical career working with underserved populations in Argentina which allowed me to explore the nuances of clinical psychology abroad. I pursued further training and education in the Pacific Northwest – I worked at an inpatient Eating Disorder clinic as a Behavioral Therapist before being admitted to the Wright Institute’s Doctoral Program in Berkeley, California. During my studies in Berkeley, I worked with East Oakland and Richmond’s underserved populations. I received training at UCSF’s Children’s Hospital Oakland and Kaiser Permanente Child and Family Services. I learned top-of-the-line crisis interventions and evidence-based approaches to address more immediate symptoms in children, adolescents, and families. After concluding my time in Berkeley, I continued to receive training in providing parents with guidelines to help prevent behavior problems, enhance communication skills, and strategies to promote children’s social, emotional, and academic competence. I have published and presented at the University of Naples and the University of Buenos Aires on subjects related to Third Culture Kids and the impacts of social media on personality and self-esteem. 

From the Bay Area, I moved down to Los Angeles, where I completed my pre-doctoral internship at USC Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where I was trained in Early Childhood interventions, child assessment, and community psychology. After completing my time at USC, I accepted a research position at the USC Institute for Integrative Health and Wellness, where I dedicated time to learning about BioEthics in the Pediatric psychology space. While in this position, I also explored the private practice space and began introducing myself to the professional psychology community here in San Diego. 

While building my practice, I found that many families struggled to find resources for mental health services, and the barrier to entry for patients and families in receiving services was relatively high. Over time, I found myself frustrated with the lack of resources, and thus, Protected Roots Integrative (PRI) Treatment Center was born. With my partner and CFO, Aaron Mirsky, and our team, we worked collaboratively to build a Joint Commission-accredited and Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)-certified treatment center. Having met the state and national Gold standard for treatment centers, we proudly opened our doors in August of 2023. Our program includes a robust parent support group led by our Executive Clinical Director, Dr. Suyeu Kuo, and we successfully partnered with major teaching institutes such as Alliant University and The Bishop’s School. We are proud to offer fee assistance programs for families that lack resources to receive mental health services. 

I feel incredibly lucky to be afforded the opportunity to continue serving and supporting as many families as possible. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Hardly smooth… I can say that the broader graduate school education process is arduous, often debilitating to the spirit, and pushes you to succeed in ways you couldn’t have fathomed. The same goes for building an accredited and ethical treatment center. I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by incredible mentors who have made the road “smoother.” Both academically and professionally, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from wickedly intelligent, curious, personable, and compassionate mentors. 

The barriers to entry are incredibly high in the healthcare space. Whether you’re fundraising to get you to the next stage of your business or waiting to be contracted with insurance providers, the truth is you cannot possibly complete this on your own, no matter how many hours you work. I say this because no aspect of “success” is ever built alone. Many of these milestones could only have been achieved with the support of our Director of Operations, Amanda Alfonso, and the multiple vendors we have worked with along the way. Though the road has not been smooth, the mentorship, guidance, and collaboration of peers and colleagues make the road softer. 

We’ve been impressed with Protected Roots Integrative Treatment Center, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Protected Roots Integrative (PRI) Treatment Center is a DHCS-licensed and Joint Commission-accredited mental health and substance abuse clinic in San Diego, treating young adults, adolescents, and their families through Intensive Outpatient (IOP) and Outpatient (OP) programs. Our programs are tailored to the individual needs of our patients and families to act as agents of change in their lives. 

Our strengths-based approach is informed by the ARC Framework, which draws on the principles of community and emphasizes strengthening attachments and improving internal regulation and competency. This evidence-based approach helps increase everyday competencies while offering a broader community-based engagement with teens, families, and young adults. 

PRI is committed to being an academic and scientific practitioner-modeled facility. We have partnered with leading academic medicine institutes to uphold the highest ethical and clinical standards for our patients. We work collaboratively with leading researchers in academic medicine to continually re-assess interventions and offer continued support to our patients and families. 

In an effort to increase access to mental health services, PRI will work with patients and their insurance companies to ensure financial circumstances are not a barrier to accessing high-quality care. 

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My best advice would be to come from a place of authenticity and strive for goals aligned to your values. 

Before seeking a mentor, take some time for self-reflection. Understand your values, passions, strengths, and areas for improvement. Clarify your short-term and long-term goals. This self-awareness will not only guide your search for a mentor but also help you articulate your needs and expectations. Also, approach the mentorship with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Be receptive to feedback and constructive criticism. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pritreatmentcenter.com
• Instagram: @protectedrootsintegrative
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/protected-roots-integrative-pri-treatment-center
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProtectedRootsIntegrative