Eric Schmidt

Eric Schmidt has worked in the behavioral health and substance abuse field for over 35 years. He has served primarily in key executive-level positions for community-based behavioral health care and substance abuse treatment organizations. Since 2008, Eric has been a part owner and has been running New Roads Behavioral Health for 15 years, where he continues to lead with passion and dedication.

Eric holds both a Master of Science in Social Work and a Master of Business Administration. Beyond his business and administrative achievements, Eric, as a Licensed Mental Health Therapist, provides a variety of clinical services, including individual, group, and family therapy, as well as diagnostic and psychosocial assessments. He utilizes a range of techniques and theoretical frameworks in his clinical practice, tailoring interventions to meet individual needs.

From 2004 to 2022, Eric served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Utah School of Social Work, where he taught a variety of clinical and professional development courses, helping shape the next generation of social work professionals. Additionally, Eric is now a Certified Prolonged Exposure trainer, further extending his expertise in evidence-based trauma treatment.

Eric has also successfully applied his marketing, sales, and management expertise to strengthen revenues and operations for many organizations he has worked with throughout his career. His leadership and clinical proficiency make him a pivotal figure at New Roads Behavioral Health, where he is excited to continue making a meaningful impact.

DBT Clinician Certification from the Linehan Board of Certification.

New Roads Behavioral Health is extremely proud to announce that our CEO and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Team Leader, Eric Schmidt, has received his DBT Clinician Certification from the Linehan Board of Certification.  He is the 5th individual in the State of Utah, is one of only 500 in the U.S., and is among one of less than 2000 in the world to earn this distinction.

Linehan Board Of Certification is awarded to those who have demonstrated extensive knowledge of DBT, to those who have proven ability to deliver the treatment with adherent fidelity to the evidence-based model, and to those who have established a thorough mindfulness practice.

This was no small feat for our Eric, which required intensive study and practice. To attain certification, Eric passed a comprehensive exam measuring knowledge of the essential components, principles, and treatment methods of DBT.  Many candidates do not initially pass this exam because of the breadth of material it covers and the intensity of studying required to pass. Eric confirmed his ability deliver adherent DBT treatment by submitting three consecutive videos of actual client sessions, which are then submitted for evaluation of strict fidelity. To achieve this, Eric for years submitted videos to DBT experts for coding and coaching. Finally, Eric participated in a multi-day mindfulness retreat, which he intends to do again when the pandemic is behind us.

Although Eric has been actively learning and applying DBT since the 90’s, he decided to pursue certification, which is relatively new, for several reasons.  Eric has become a nationally recognized and highly requested DBT trainer.  This certification further bolsters the recognition of his knowledge for those who request his workshops.  He also felt this would offer unique credibility to our DBT programming at New Roads. Finally, certification fulfills a personal challenge to himself.

Certified Prolonged Exposure Therapist

Eric Schmidt recently completed his certification as a Certified Prolonged Exposure Therapist by the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania.

Prolonged exposure (PE) was developed by Edna Foa, PhD, Director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety. Numerous well-controlled studies have shown that PE significantly reduces the symptoms of PTSD, depression, anger, and anxiety in trauma survivors. Practitioners throughout the United States and many foreign countries currently use PE to successfully treat survivors of varied traumas including rape, assault, child abuse, combat, motor vehicle accidents and disasters. PE has been beneficial for those suffering from co-occurring PTSD and substance abuse when combined with substance abuse treatment.

Over years of testing and development, PE has evolved into an adaptable program of intervention to address the needs of varied trauma survivors. In addition to reducing symptoms of PTSD, PE instills confidence and a sense of mastery, improves various aspects of daily functioning, increases client’s ability to cope with courage rather than fearfulness when facing stress, and improves their ability to discriminate safe and unsafe situations.