SAVANNAH/MACON/ATLANTA — Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) Dean Jean R. Sumner, M.D., FACP, has appointed Adam Albrite, Ph.D., as the director of the Master of Family Therapy (MFT) program, effective July 15.
Dr. Albrite brings more than 15 years of experience in clinical practice, program development and teaching. His research includes chronic illness, trauma resilience, rural family therapy and medical education. His clinical experience spans sexual assault centers, parent coaching, juvenile drug courts, integrated health care, rural pop-up clinics, outpatient mental health and private practice.
Dr. Albrite is a certified trauma professional and learning and development specialist, licensed as a marriage and family therapist, clinical fellow, and approved supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Dr. Albrite earned his master’s degree in family therapy from Valdosta State University and his Ph.D. in family therapy from the University of Louisiana. He succeeds Andrew Benesh, Ph.D., who served as interim program director for the last five months.
As the new director, Dr. Albrite will lead the program’s expansion in Savannah, partnering with Gateway Community Service Board (CSB) to integrate MUSM’s academic rigor with Gateway CSB’s community service model. This collaboration includes working with Gateway’s psychiatry residency program to provide interdisciplinary mental health care and equip residents and staff with vital skills.
“I am honored to lead this initiative and work alongside dedicated professionals committed to making a meaningful difference,” said Dr. Albrite. “The partnership with Gateway offers a unique opportunity to deliver holistic care to underserved children and families in Georgia.”
“Dr. Albrite is an outstanding educator, clinician and leader,” said Dr. Sumner. “We are delighted to have him lead this department. He will continue the long tradition of excellence and service.”
Dr. Albrite emphasized the urgency of this work, citing the shortage of mental health professionals in Georgia and the high prevalence of emotional and developmental conditions among children.
“By partnering with Gateway CSB, we are positioned to address these critical needs and make a lasting difference,” he said.
About Gateway Community Service Board (CSB)
Gateway CSB is a public organization in Georgia dedicated to providing comprehensive care for children, youth, adults and families affected by mental illness, developmental disabilities and substance use disorders. It serves Georgia’s eight coastal counties, offering a wide range of community-tailored programs.
About Mercer University School of Medicine (Macon, Savannah, Columbus and Valdosta)
Mercer University’s School of Medicine was established in 1982 to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. Today, more than 60% of graduates currently practice in the state of Georgia, and of those, more than 80% are practicing in rural or medically underserved areas of Georgia. Mercer medical students benefit from a problem-based medical education program that provides early patient care experiences. Such an academic environment fosters the early development of clinical problem-solving and instills in each student an awareness of the place of the basic medical sciences in medical practice. The School opened additional four-year M.D. campuses in Savannah in 2008 and in Columbus in 2021, and a clinical campus in Valdosta in 2024. Following their second year, students participate in core clinical clerkships at the School’s primary teaching hospitals: Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center and Piedmont Macon Medical Center in Macon; Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah; Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital and St. Francis Hospital in Columbus; and SGMC Health in Valdosta. The School also offers master’s degrees in preclinical sciences and family therapy and Ph.D.s in biomedical sciences and rural health sciences.
