Past event
Workforce Solutions Jam | Leading Through Change: Protecting the Workforce, Mission, and Organization
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 | 10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ET
Event Length: One Hour
This webinar is hosted as a partnership between the College for Behavioral Health Leadership (CBHL), The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and Health Management Associates (HMA).
Series Overview:
H.R.1 introduces significant changes to Medicaid that will shape the behavioral health landscape in the years ahead. As states begin implementing new requirements and organizations prepare for evolving operational and workforce considerations, behavioral health leaders will need practical strategies to support access to care, strengthen organizational readiness, and sustain their workforce.
This three-part webinar series will help behavioral health providers, association leaders, and workforce stakeholders understand key provisions of H.R.1, prepare for implementation, and develop approaches for leading through change.
Participants will gain insights, practical tools, and real-world examples to help their organizations adapt while remaining focused on their mission and the communities they serve.
Webinar description: As H.R.1 implementation unfolds, behavioral health leaders will be called on to navigate evolving operational, financial, and workforce considerations. Doing so will require resilient organizations, adaptable workforce models, fiscal readiness, and intentional leadership. This session will explore strategies for supporting staff well-being, strengthening organizational sustainability, and leading through change while remaining grounded in mission and community impact.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify strategies for supporting staff experiencing moral distress, burnout, and increased administrative demands.
- Explore workforce redesign approaches, including team-based care, peer integration, and practicing at the top of license.
- Develop leadership and organizational resilience strategies that support financial sustainability, workforce retention, and continued access to care.
Audience: We welcome all who are interested in key provisions of H.R.1. The material is primarily structured to provide maximum value to behavioral health providers, association leaders, and workforce stakeholders.
H.R.1 Series Topics
Session 1: H.R.1 and the Future of Behavioral Health: What Leaders Need to Know Now (July 21, 2026)
Session 2: From Policy to Practice: Preparing Providers for Implementation (August 18, 2026)
Session 3: Leading Through Change; Protecting the Workforce, Mission, and Organization (September 15, 2026)
Speaker Information
Kelly J. Epperson, JD, is President of Rosecrance Management Group and Chief Operating Officer at Rosecrance, a multi-state behavioral health system. She leads the enterprise functions that keep clinical operations running and growing, including legal, compliance, IT, data analytics, performance improvement, and accreditation. Her work connects strategy to execution, turning executive vision into governance structures, project plans, and systems that hold up during rapid change. Kelly has led major initiatives across the system, from launching new service lines to modernizing data and technology infrastructure. She holds a JD from Northern Illinois University and a Green Belt in Six Sigma.
Mary Garrison, LCSW, ACSW, is the President and CEO of Heritage Behavioral Health Center in Decatur, IL.
Mary is in her fifth year as President and CEO, a CCBHC serving six counties in central Illinois. With more than 30 years of experience in behavioral health, advocacy, and academia, Mary is dedicated to advancing excellence in care, innovation, and organizational growth. She collaborates with clinical teams, community stakeholders, and participants to improve outcomes for individuals and families impacted by mental health and substance use disorders.
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As an Emeritus Professor of Social Work from Millikin University, Mary is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), where she serves as an ethics expert for social workers across the state and nation. She is also a Board Member of the Macon County Mental Health Woodford Homes Board, the Community Behavioral Health Association (CBHA), and serves on multiple state and national advisory bodies, including the Illinois Behavioral Health Workforce Center Advisory Board, the Illinois Department of Insurance Uniform Directory Task Force and a member of the Global Leadership Exchange.
As a passionate advocate for social justice, Mary champions equitable access to whole-person care for individuals living with mental health and substance use disorders and engages state and national stakeholders to impact change. Her leadership and advocacy have been recognized through numerous honors including the Mental Health Corporations of America’s Most Innovative Member Award, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Omega Chapter’s Tranquility and Mental Health Wellness Award, the NASW Illinois Social Worker of the Year Award and two social justice awards
Sierra Riesberg has over 10 years of experience in the social services field, working in both rural and urban communities, as well as within behavioral health, intellectual/developmental, and aging populations. She is a systems-level thinker and wants to break down barriers for anyone who needs to access services, as well as barriers for service providers to be able to provide the services that community members need. Additionally, she believes that complex problems cannot be solved by one person or one agency alone; unique perspectives and collaboration are key to the progression and development of our social services system.
Background
The Workforce Solutions Jam is a monthly webinar to build national momentum and encourage collaboration through the Workforce Solutions Partnership. The partnership is leveraging Collective Impact to address the workforce crisis, and using a cross-sector approach to address the long-standing challenges for expanding and solidifying the behavioral health workforce.
The Workforce Solutions Partnership is the name for the partnership between the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Health Management Associates and the College for Behavioral Health Leadership. The Center for Workforce Solutions continues to operate as an initiative of the National Council.