Dr. Don Grant, Ph.D, MFA, MA, SUDCC IV, Ph.D.

Executive Director of Outpatient Services; Newport Healthcare

Dr. Grant is an internationally award-winning media psychologist, published researcher, Doctoral Addictions Counselor, and educator with specific expertise in technology's impact on mental health. He is President of the American Psychological Association Division 46 (The Society for Media Psychology & Technology), and Chair of both APA’s “Device Management & Intelligence” and “Strategic Planning” Committees. He is also Executive Director of Outpatient Services for Newport Healthcare, which recently launched their new PHP/IOP adolescent treatment program under his leadership in Santa Monica, California.
Don also designs, presents, and facilitates CEU treatment strategy and educational training workshops on “Healthy Device Management” and “The Practice of Good Digital Citizenship” for treatment centers, clinicians, practitioners, educators, parents, and school communities.
Dr. Grant is a certified Doctoral Addictions Counselor, Substance Use Disorder Certified Counselor IV, nationally certified group facilitator, and clinician/educator/program trainer. He has served the mental health and treatment community for two decades and enjoyed the opportunity of working in myriad roles throughout the treatment field, as well as creating and Executive Directing both residential and outpatient treatment programs for adults and adolescents. Don received his B.A. with honors from the University of Michigan, MFA from the University of Southern California, and both an MA and Ph.D. (summa cum laude) in Psychology (with an emphasis in media psychology) from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara.
In 2015 Don was invited to present his research at the APA Convention in Toronto. His global study on technologically mediated vs Face-to-Face recovery communities was hand-selected by the convention committee for individual external promotion through a dedicated press release distributed to all media, and immediately went internationally “viral.” For this (and his preceding work) Dr. Grant received the 2015 American Psychological Association "Early Career Achievement Award.” In 2012 he was also awarded an international "Best of Show" prize in London for his research on digitally delivered vs F2F recovery support.
In addition to dozens of webcasts, webinars, and podcasts, some of his recent keynote speaker, conference, and webinar presentations include: 2021 WCSAD Opening Keynote Speaker (both tracks), American Psychological Convention; Newport Healthcare “Trailblazer” Series, Newport Healthcare “Ask A Therapist” Series, Newport Healthcare “Left To Our Own Devices…” Series; “Industry’s Got Talent Parts I & II”; “From Homeroom to Zoom Room…” and “From Homeroom To Zoom Room… & Back,” 2020 West Coast Symposium on Addictive Disorders Conference, “A Conversation With Dr. Don Grant”, FGU Media Psychology Symposium, “Stronger Than You Think” (3-Day Global Webinar Event), Fusion Academy, Pepperdine University, Crossroads Centre (Antigua), 2019 American Psychological Association Convention (Chicago), The International Conferences on Addiction and Associated Disorders (London; 2018 & 2019),C4 CORE “Issues and Innovations: Digital Technology & The Future of Behavioral Health” (Amelia Island), Adolescent & Young Adult Collective (Malibu), Mindhealth360 Town Hall Symposium & Show (London), audience-requested repeat presentations (2018 & 2019) at the DFW Behavioral Health Symposium (Dallas), American Psychological Association Conventions in San Francisco (2018), Washington D.C. (2017), and Toronto (2015), The Meadows’ “Connections & Collaborations” Speaker Series (Scottsdale), the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd UCLA/CiR Addiction & Mental Health Symposiums (UCLA), Thelma McMillen Center “Frontiers In Addiction” Lecture Series (Torrance Memorial Hospital), "A Joyous Day To Unplug and Unwind” (Malibu), Advance L.A./Help Group Conference (Los Angeles), "13 Reasons Why... ONE Reason Why Not" Panel Discussion (Newport Beach), Young Adult Transitions Association Conference (Boulder), Admissions & Marketing Symposium (L.A.), One Recovery "Technology & Device Management" Town Hall (Newport Beach), Pop Culture Association Conference (New Orleans), California Association for Alcohol/Drug Educators (CAADE) Conference (L.A.), One Recovery Launch & Town Hall Symposium (Newport Beach), and California Unified Collegiate Recovery Conference (UCSB).
Don's media credits as an expert device management and addiction recovery professional include: “The Daily Show,” the TNB Network series; “Youth Suicide,” Engaging Minds,” Good Morning San Diego, MindHealth360 (London), Fox News Networks, Parent-Teen-Talks, KABC Radio, The Associated Press, The Michael Jackson Radio Show, Extra!, National College Radio, Internet Talk Radio, APA Division 46 Media Psychology Podcast Series, Addicted To Addicts; Webtalk Radio, The Australian Radio Network, the TV Guide Network, HER Radio, KTLA, TBN, John Wells Productions, and many other local, national, international news, radio, and television programs, as well as co-host of his own podcast series "The Unfiltered ONE" (Brigade-Radio-One).
Print, interview, and author credits include: The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, APA Monitor On Psychology, verywell mind, InsideHook, Amplifier Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Forbes, Life and Style, Us, Hello!, Maxim, Parent-Teen-Talks, and People.
Academic publications include: Centers for Disease Control/DASH funded APA Safe and Supportive Schools Primers Project (2020-2021); "Internet Gaming Disorder In Children and Adolescents;" (Pediatrics; November 2017), "Using Social Media for Sobriety Recovery: Beliefs, Behaviors, and Surprises from Users of Face-to-Face and Social Media Sobriety Support" (Psychology of Popular Media Culture; January 2017), "The Sage Encyclopedia of Media Violence" (Sage), "Has Social Media Begun To "Sponsor" Addiction Recovery?: A Study of Face-To-Face Versus Online Sobriety Support" (ProQuest), "The Digital Drug" (APA Amplifier Magazine), and "Contemporary Issues in Video Game Addiction" (Frontiers in Psychiatry, section Addictive Disorders; currently in submission).
Don’s current research includes investigations of potential effects of social media, cyberbullying, and device driven attachment bonds on adolescents, teens, young adults, families, and our culture/relationships-at-large.