Dr. Joseph Milisitz, PhD, LCSW, MCAP

About Dr. Milisitz

Dr. Joseph Milisitz, PhD, LCSW, MCAP is the Clinical Director of Ascend Recovery Center's Florida operations, bringing over 30 years of experience in addiction medicine, trauma treatment, and clinical leadership. Dr. Milisitz holds a PhD in Clinical Sexology, a Master of Social Work from Adelphi University, and dual credentials as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Master's Certified Addiction Professional (MCAP). His clinical expertise spans the full range of substance use disorders — opioid use disorder (OUD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), stimulant use disorder, cannabis use disorder, and polysubstance dependence — alongside the trauma and co-occurring psychiatric conditions that drive addiction in the majority of cases. Dr. Milisitz is extensively trained in evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and family systems therapy. As Clinical Director, he oversees clinical programming across Ascend's PHP, IOP, and standard outpatient levels of care in Palm Beach Gardens, FL — supervising the multidisciplinary clinical team, designing the evidence-based curriculum, conducting clinical staff training, and ensuring that ASAM Criteria placement decisions reflect client presentation rather than utilization pressure. His clinical philosophy centers on integrated dual diagnosis treatment: addressing substance use disorder, co-occurring psychiatric conditions, and underlying trauma simultaneously, by the same clinical team, within the same program.