Sober-living home provider loses CEO

Morningside Recovery’s chief executive, who represented the sober-living home provider in court through years of legal battles with Newport Beach, has resigned.

Mary Helen Beatificato, who served as Morningside’s legal counsel for the past five years, said she stepped down Nov. 19 after disagreements with Morningside President Raymond Jeffrey Yates.

She declined to give specifics.

Beatificato was representing Morningside when an Aug. 19 ruling that the company was violating Newport’s municipal code by operating in neighborhoods came down.

Morningside agreed that month to move its 36 sober-living clients out of Newport Beach and transferred them to facilities in Costa Mesa.

The company is also involved in a legal fight with the state agency that licenses residential treatment centers for drug and alcohol abuse.

In September 2012, the state revoked Morningside’s licenses as a residential treatment center, but the company maintains it can still operate sober-living homes so long as no medical treatment is provided.

An Orange County Superior Court Judge ruled that the homes can remain open until a determination is made regarding whether they should be shuttered.

Morningside Executive Director Joel Edwards said he will assume some of Beatificato’s duties.

Outside counsel, which has been a part of Morningside’s legal team all along, will now handle any duties Beatificato had as attorney, according to Edwards.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck