Dr. Ley has worked in the substance use disorder treatment field since 2010. Currently, he serves as Executive Vice President at Caron Treatment Centers, overseeing its operations in Florida. In this role, he provides strategic and operational direction as well as clinical vision and leadership. His experience encompasses instituting programs to maintain best practices and a high-quality continuum of care while creating and overseeing financial models to ensure fiscal health.

Before this, he served as Executive Director for the eastern region at Hazelden Betty Ford, where he oversaw operations and programs in Naples, Florida; Chicago; and New York City. He has also worked for Valley Hope Association in the Midwest as Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief Clinical Officer, overseeing operations across seven states.

A native of Nicaragua, Ley moved to Miami at the age of 11 and has spent a large portion of his life in Florida. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from the University of Florida and spent the early part of his career in banking, business, and financial analysis. In long-term recovery himself, he felt inspired to work in addiction treatment and earned his Master of Arts in clinical mental health counseling from St. Mary’s University and his doctorate in professional counseling, with a specialization in addictions and positive psychology, from Mississippi College. Dr. Ley later earned a second master’s degree in healthcare transformation from the University of Texas at Austin.

He has also served as co-chair of the Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee for the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC), the world’s largest credentialing body of addiction professionals, from 2013 to 2015. He has also been a subject matter expert for the IC&RC in diverse capacities regarding counselor certification standards, knowledge base development, and international examinations.