Workforce Solutions Jam | Skilling Up the Behavioral Health Workforce: Practical Solutions from Higher Education

Dr. Teresa Garate is an experienced and innovative leader with over 35 years of experience leading systems change, innovation and growth in the complex environments of public health, healthcare, public education, higher education and government.   As a public health and education expert, Dr. Garate serves as subject matter expert on topics ranging from strategy development to operations and program evaluation and design.   Dr. Garate has extensive experience in public health, behavioral health, substance use disorders and addiction treatment, school-based health services, and hospital and health systems

In addition to many leadership roles in the field of behavioral health, substance use disorder and addiction treatment, Dr. Garate also holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Disability and Human Development (DHD) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the College of Education, Department of Psychology and DHD.  She has served as a guest lecturer for various universities and is the Vice Chair of the Illinois Community College Board.  Over the years she has mentored and supported numerous students in pursuit of education, public health, healthcare and behavioral health fields.  She was a key contributor to the IL Behavioral Healthcare Workforce Shortage Task Force that resulted in the creation of a Behavioral Healthcare Workforce Center.

Most recently, she was the executive vice president of strategy, development and growth, with Rogers Behavioral Health System, where she led the development of a multi-disciplinary division, encompassing government relations, national policy, payor contracting, marketing, communications, business development and real estate development. Teresa launched the organization’s first national, state and local government relations strategy, restructured the business development department to pursue strategic sales and positioned the organization for national advocacy through national alliances and campaigns.

Teresa also served as senior vice president of strategic partnerships and engagement for the Gateway Foundation, a national non-profit serving people with substance use disorders in nine states. She led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging local and state partnerships, acquiring PPE, ensuring timely delivery of vaccinations and securing over $25 million in state and federal grants over five years.

Teresa was an Illinois state officer in Governor Pat Quinn’s cabinet, serving as the assistant director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. As a senate confirmed appointee, she was responsible for managing all of the agency’s day-to-day operations, including providing guidance and oversight for the state’s 96 local health departments serving 102 counties. She assumed the lead position on developing Medicaid initiatives and healthcare regulations, including navigating the impact on hospitals and long-term care facilities, and drove the completion of a legislatively mandated state health improvement plan. Prior to this, Teresa was chief of staff for the Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Specialized Services, leading school redesign, strategic district-wide initiatives, and public information initiatives focused on special education, juvenile justice, and disability access.

Teresa earned her Doctor of Philosophy and her Master of Education in special education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She earned her bachelors’ degrees in applied psychology and special education from Loyola University of Chicago.

Nishanna Ramoutar, LCSW, MS.Ed., is a clinical social work leader with over 15 years of experience, specializing in trauma-informed infant mental health and child welfare. As Senior Learning Specialist at The Jewish Board, she oversees the Social Work Residency Program, managing curriculum development, training, and integrating evidence-based practices in outpatient mental health settings across New York City. As an adjunct professor at the Silberman School of Social Work and Erikson Institute, she supports early-career social workers and infant mental health specialists by cultivating critical thinking, self-awareness, and a practice centered on the liberation of marginalized communities, fostering collective healing through culturally responsive, community-focused work. A passionate advocate for infant mental health, she contributes to the professional development of early childhood practitioners through initiatives like the Irving Harris Foundation’s Professional Development Network and her involvement in various IMH and social work associations. Nishanna received her MSW from the Silberman School of Social Work and her MS Ed from Bank Street College of Education. She also holds a postgraduate certificate in Infant Mental Health and Trauma from Adelphi University.

Dr. Alina Perez, Dean of the College of Allied Health at Walden University. Dr. Perez holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and is a licensed psychologist practicing in Florida. Alongside her leadership work, she remains deeply connected to clinical practice, providing psychological assessment and psychotherapy to a wide range of adult clients. 

But what truly sets Dr. Perez apart is her impressive professional background—her commitment to mentorship, her ability to lead with empathy, and her passion for cultivating growth, both in others and within herself.