Kristen Smallwood

A Clinician Who Has Worked Every Level of Addiction Care

Kristen Smallwood's path to executive leadership in addiction treatment didn't start in a boardroom — it started at the bedside. As a Registered Nurse trained at the University of West Georgia, she spent years in acute care environments including trauma, telemetry, cardiology, and dialysis before bringing that clinical foundation into substance use disorder treatment.

Since entering the addiction treatment field, Kristen has accumulated one of the most comprehensive credential stacks in the profession: a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN), Certified Addictions Counselor Level II (CAC-II), Certified Counselor in Medication-Assisted Treatment (CMAT), and Certified Peer Support Specialist in Addiction Diseases (CPS-AD), among others. Her experience spans withdrawal assessment using CIWA and COWS protocols, MAT program oversight, psychiatric medication management, crisis intervention, and full facility compliance with DATEP and Joint Commission standards.

Today, Kristen serves as Executive Director of both Metro Atlanta Outpatient Detox and Cobb Outpatient Detox — a role she assumed in April 2025 after two years as Director of Nursing and Program Director at Cobb. She brings to that role not only clinical depth, but operational expertise in EMR design, billing and revenue management, staff development, and strategic planning.

The care patients receive at Metro Atlanta Outpatient Detox reflects Kristen's belief that safe, dignified detox is possible in an outpatient setting — and that it starts with a clinical team that truly understands addiction from every angle.