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SUMMARY:Candid Conversations with Emily Derecktor | Redefining Recovery
DESCRIPTION:Members-Only \n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for a special Candid Conversations session featuring Emily Derecktor\, founder of Cereal For Dinner (CFD)—a peer-led\, community-centered organization redefining how we support mental health and recovery. In this session\, Emily will share the origin and evolution of CFD\, explore its unique\, low-barrier model\, and discuss how this approach fosters belonging\, mutuality\, and sustainable care. \n\n\n\n\nRegister via Glue Up\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWe’ll also explore how models like CFD can complement and challenge traditional behavioral health systems\, offering powerful insights into what it means to build accessible\, inclusive\, and person-driven supports. Come with questions\, curiosity\, and a willingness to think beyond the status quo. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEmily Derecktor is the Founder and Director of Cereal for Dinner\, a social enterprise offering peer-informed\, values-centered support for individuals living with chronic mental health challenges. With a background in public health and deep lived experience\, Emily designs programs that meet people where they are—emotionally\, functionally\, and energetically. Through a growing ecosystem of personalized tools\, coaching programs\, and practical support opportunities\, Cereal for Dinner helps individuals re-engage with daily life in ways that are accessible\, sustainable and values-centric. Emily draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)\, community wellness frameworks\, psychiatric rehabilitation and the collective wisdom of peers to inform her approach to this work. \n\n\n\nEmily is dedicated to building a movement rooted in the belief that we can move toward what matters—even while we struggle. Rather than focusing solely on symptom reduction\, her work centers recovery around purpose\, belonging\, inclusion\, hope\, and self-determination. While well-acquainted with the strengths and limitations of the current mental health system\, her mission is to help create a complementary\, community-based infrastructure of mutual support\, connection\, and meaningful activities—one that honors the wisdom of lived experience and makes room for each person’s unique path. \n\n\n\nShe holds a BA in Health & Societies from the University of Pennsylvania and dual master’s degrees in Medical Sciences and Population Medicine from Brown University. Emily is also a certified mental health and wellbeing coach. She lives in Providence\, RI with her cat\, Noodle\, and is an avid singer and artist. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat are CBHL Candid Conversations? \nCBHL Candid Conversations provide an informal platform for connecting and networking with other CBHL members\, fostering an environment where we can learn from one another’s experiences.  Led by a CBHL member or partner\, these sessions are designed to facilitate the exchange of valuable leadership insights\, skills\, and support. Candid Conversations are open to all CBHL members.    \n\n\n\n\nThe purpose of CBHL Candid Conversations is to: \n\nNetwork and Collaborate: Meet and engage with fellow CBHL colleagues in an informal\, small group environment that encourages collaboration and the building of meaningful connections \n\n\n\nLearn and Innovate: Acquire new skills and exchange fresh ideas with experienced leaders in a supportive and trusting environment\, fostering personal and professional growth \n\n\n\nShowcase Success: Highlight successful member programs or best and promising practices that demonstrate potential for scaling and broader application. 
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/candid-conversations-with-emily-derecktor-redefining-recovery/
CATEGORIES:Candid Conversations,Members Only
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250815T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250815T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20250724T150223Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250724T150506Z
UID:10000430-1755262800-1755266400@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Member Discussion | A Transformational Discussion with Zero Overdose: Overdose Safety Planning
DESCRIPTION:Friday\, August 15\, 2025\n\n\n\n10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ET \n\n\n\nThis event is open to CBHL members. \n\n\n\n\n\nFollowing the foundational overview in Part 1\, this members-only session offers a deeper dive into the application of overdose safety planning in real-world settings. Together\, we’ll explore the nuances\, challenges\, and breakthroughs that arise when implementing safety planning strategies across diverse systems and communities. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nLearn More & Register\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhether you’re piloting a new initiative\, strengthening an existing program\, or exploring how to bring this work into your organization\, this space is designed to support honest conversation and collective growth. \n\n\n\nNote: attendance at part 1 is not mandatory for members to attend this session. If members would like to view a recording of part 1 prior to attending this session\, you may access it here. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpeaker Information\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVirna Little\, PsyD\, LCSW-R\, MBA\, CCM\, SAPCo-Founder and CEO of Zero Overdose \n\n\n\nDr. Virna Little is a distinguished leader in behavioral health integration. She is the co-founder of Concert Health\, a behavioral health medical group which provides Collaborative Care to organizations across 21 states. Dr. Little is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Zero Overdose\, a national non-profit focused on overdose safety planning to reduce unintentional overdose events and deaths. Dr. Little has served as a member of the national Zero Suicide faculty and a consultant who was fostered the development of integrated delivery systtems nationally in all 50 states and internationally. Dr. Little holds a Doctoral degree in Psychology\, and a Master’s in Social Work. A nationally and internationally recognized speaker\, Dr. Little has presented on suicide prevention strategies at the White House . She has received numerous awards for her work in integrating primary care and behavioral health and serves on multiple boards. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJorge Petit\, MDStrategy and Development Advisor at Zero Overdose \n\n\n\nJorge R. Petit\, MD is a board-certified Adult\, Community\, and Public Psychiatrist and seasoned healthcare executive with over 30 years of experience driving innovation and transformation across behavioral health and human services systems\, with a focus on marginalized and vulnerable populations. \n\n\n\nHe is the Founder and CEO of Quality Healthcare Solutions (QHS)\, a consulting and advisory firm supporting healthcare systems\, community-based organizations\, emerging tech start-ups\, and regulators. QHS specializes in strategic planning\, board and C-suite leadership\, workforce development (including DEIBA)\, data and quality improvement\, and integrated care initiatives such as Crisis Services and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs). Dr. Petit is a nationally recognized thought leader\, speaker\, author\, and bilingual/bicultural advocate for behavioral health equity. \n\n\n\nDr. Petit serves as Strategic and Development Advisor to Zero Overdose\, Chief Clinical Advisor to Cantata Health Solutions\, and Clinical Advisor to Emotivo Health\, Metta Health\, and Verity Health. He also serves on several national boards and advisory groups\, including SAMHSA’s CSAT National Advisory Council\, Cantata Health Solutions\, Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC)\, and Mental Health News Education (MHNE). He is a member of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry’s Committee on Psychiatric Administration & Leadership\, United Hospital Fund’s Health Policy Forum\, and the Medical Director Institute of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. \n\n\n\nHe has held executive leadership roles across government\, managed care\, hospital systems\, and community-based organizations. Dr. Petit is the author of Handbook of Emergency Psychiatry and The Seven Beliefs: A Step-by-Step Guide to Help Latinas Recognize and Overcome Depression. He has been recognized with numerous honors\, including the 2023 Marquis Who’s Who Honoree\, Crain’s 2022 Notable LGBTQ Leader\, City & State NY’s 2022 Nonprofit Power 100\, and Responsible 100.
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/member-discussion-a-transformational-discussion-with-zero-overdose-overdose-safety-planning/
CATEGORIES:Members Only
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250819T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250819T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20250709T124646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T200734Z
UID:10000427-1755608400-1755612000@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Workforce Solutions Jam | Provider Voices on AI: Real-World Insights for the Behavioral Health Workforce 
DESCRIPTION:Workforce Solutions Jam | Provider Voices on AI: Real-World Insights for the Behavioral Health Workforce\n\n\n\nTuesday\, August 19\, 2025 | 10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETEvent Length: One Hour \n\n\n\nThis 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).  \n\n\n\nAs artificial intelligence (AI) continues to make waves across industries\, the behavioral health field is navigating how to thoughtfully integrate technology while maintaining person-centered care. Join us live in August and we’ll begin with key findings from Sarah Hudson Scholle\, MPH\, DrPH on the digital mental health landscape and her report: Digital Mental Health Technologies: Gaps and Opportunities in Current U.S. Regulatory Authorities.   \n\n\n\nWe’ll then move into a candid panel discussion with behavioral health providers who have implemented AI tools in their organizations. This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from peers – not vendors – about what it really takes to bring AI into practice. Panelists will share their experiences\, including the successes\, challenges\, and unexpected hurdles they encountered along the way.  \n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhether you’re exploring AI for the first time or looking to improve your current implementation strategy\, this session offers practical\, provider-centered insights to help guide your decision-making.  \n\n\n\nWhat You’ll Learn:  \n\n\n\n\nKey Trends from the Digital Mental Health Technologies: Gaps and Opportunities in Current U.S. Regulatory Authorities Report.  \n\n\n\n\n\nReal-world examples of AI implementation in behavioral health settings \n\n\n\n\n\nLessons learned on rollout\, staff buy-in\, and ethical considerations \n\n\n\n\n\nHow to assess whether an AI solution is the right fit for your organization \n\n\n\n\nNote: This is an education-focused session. No AI vendors will be presenting or pitching products.  \n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMeet the Speakers\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAllie Franklin\, MSW\, LICSW\, Managing Director\, Health Management Associates \n\n\n\n\n\nAllie Franklin is a licensed clinical social worker with decades of experience in public\, private\, and nonprofit behavioral health\, healthcare\, and social service organizations. She has led transformations in integrated care through modernizing processes\, systems\, workflows\, policies\, and organizational approaches to achieve positive outcomes. Ms. Franklin brings a perspective of clinical\, operational\, and strategic expertise\, having worked on the clinical front lines and risen to roles of senior and executive leadership. She has the ability to support planning and implementation of solutions from system- and organization-wide approaches to day-to-day clinical-level work.   \n\n\n\nPrior to joining HMA\, Ms. Franklin served as the behavioral health service line administrator for the University of Washington’s Harborview Medical Center\, the region’s only level one trauma center. This role encompassed inpatient behavioral healthcare\, emergency psychiatric services\, a full outpatient clinic\, and scattered-site integrated behavioral health and primary care. She managed a project for the Behavioral Health Institute through the Center of Excellence service line to bring together multiple stakeholders to redesign Washington state’s behavioral health crisis system in preparation for 988 crisis line rollout.  \n\n\n\nRead more\nIn her role as the associate vice president of clinical operations for a Medicaid managed care organization in Pierce County\, Washington\, Ms. Franklin led a multidisciplinary team of executives and community stakeholders through the development and implementation of a detailed plan to integrate mental health services with substance use disorder services into a behavioral health organization. She served as the chief executive officer for one of Washington state’s two largest suicide hotlines\, where she led the transformation to meet National Committee for Quality Assurance call quality standards.  \n\n\n\nMs. Franklin has a passion for focusing on whole-person wellness\, developing high-performing teams\, and helping clinical staff understand how their work impacts the financial bottom line. These passions provide her with a unique combination of experiences across the care continuum\, from crisis care and inpatient treatment to outpatient and integrated primary care models. Her perspective\, gained from leading on both sides of the payer relationship\, gives her the ability to support system transformation to help build approaches to achieve high quality and affordability.  \n\n\n\nMs. Franklin has published multiple books and articles on grief and grieving\, and she is a coauthor of a peer-reviewed article\, “Progress Monitoring in an Integrated Health Care System: Tracking Behavioral Health Vital Signs.” This article outlines the work her teams led at Group Health Cooperative to develop integrated care models for collaboration between primary care and behavioral health services.  \n\n\n\nMs. Franklin earned a master’s of science degree in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington and a bachelor’s degree in social work from Missouri State University. She is currently working toward an executive master of health administration degree from the University of Central Florida. She served in the United States Air Force\, reaching the rank of captain and serving as chief of mental health for Columbus Air Force and as a clinical member of the international critical incident crisis response team.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSarah Hudson Scholle\, DrPH\, MPH\, Principal\, Leavitt Partners\, an HMA Company \n\n\n\n\n\nSarah Hudson Scholle is a principal based in Washington\, D.C.\, specializing in supporting multi-sector alliances to promote improvement in quality\, equity\, and person-centered health care.  \n\n\n\nPrior to joining Leavitt Partners\, an HMA Company\, Dr. Hudson Scholle was vice president of research and analysis at the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). She led a portfolio of quantitative and qualitative research that contributed to national thought leadership in quality and equity\, contributed to program development and policy action\, and resulted in numerous peer-reviewed studies. Specifically\, Dr. Hudson Scholle led projects to develop and test quality measures\, including those subsequently adopted into national programs. Her content expertise includes mental health\, substance use\, child health\, care coordination\, and patient-reported outcomes.  \n\n\n\nDr. Hudson Scholle led research underpinning NCQA’s health equity accreditation program and supported Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s (CMS) Office of Minority Health on contracts to identify disparities\, develop methods for characterizing equity\, and identify opportunities for policy change. Her work on primary care practice systems contributed to the development of the patient-centered medical home program. She also led studies to understand barriers to implementation of quality initiatives in multiple settings.  \n\n\n\nRead more\nShe has served on national panels for the National Academy of Sciences\, Engineering and Medicine; CMS; and the National Quality Forum. Prior to NCQA\, Dr. Scholle was an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas.  \n\n\n\nShe earned her doctorate in public health from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health\, and a master’s degree in public health and a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShalom Lichtenstein\, MSN\, FNP-BC\, PMHNP-BC Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner\, Board Certified Registered Nurse\, Pre-Hospital Registered Nurse \n\n\n\n\n\nShalom Lichtenstein\, MSN\, FNP-BC\, PMHNP-BC\, is a Lakewood\, NJ–based nurse practitioner who bridges primary and psychiatric care. He sees behavioral health patients at CHEMED Health Center\, with pediatric and family services through Precious Health\, and also maintains an independent family practice. Shalom focuses on culturally responsive\, whole-person care that connects mental and physical health for patients of all ages.    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJudy Tejada\, Vice President for Clinical Operations\, Horizon Corporations \n\n\n\n\n\nJudy Tejada began working at the Horizon Corporations in 2000. As the Vice President for Clinical Operations\,  Judy is responsible for clinical programming\, risk management\, clinical onboarding and training and development. In addition to her administrative responsibilities as a Licensed Mental Health clinician\, Judy maintains a private practice caseload through Horizon Therapy Associates. Prior to her work with Horizon\, Judy worked in higher education. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from The College of Wooster\, a Master’s degree in College Student Personnel Administration from The Ohio State University\, and a Master’s degree in Counselor Education from Canisius College.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLevi Van Dyke\, Chief Behavioral Health Officer\, Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW) \n\n\n\n\n\nLevi Van Dyke is Chief Behavioral Health Officer at Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW). He has spent the past 17 years working in crisis services throughout the State of Washington.   \n\n\n\nVOAWW operates a crisis contact center based in Everett\, WA that answers over 20\,000 inbound contacts per month across multiple lines of service. VOAWW is currently a national backup chat/text center and covers the entire state of Washington for 988 chat and text services. The center also provides primary 988 phone coverage for 32 of the 39 counties in Washington\, Regional Crisis Line services for three Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organizations\, and operates the Native and Strong Lifeline\, offering culturally informed and specific services from Tribal crisis counselors for Washington’s indigenous residents.   \n\n\n\nLevi currently serves as Vice President of the National Association of Crisis Organization Directors (NASCOD) board and sits on numerous national\, state\, and regional crisis and behavioral health committees. He has dedicated significant time working with leadership and professional development programs and spent six years as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. Levi is a Washington State University alumnus (Go Cougs!) and received his graduate degree from Eastern Washington University.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBackground\n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nThe Workforce Solutions Partnership is the new 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.
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/workforce-solutions-jam-august-2025/
CATEGORIES:Public,Workforce Solutions Jam
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20250729T170841Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250729T172247Z
UID:10000431-1757509200-1757512800@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:CBHL Leadership Community | Leadership in Recovery and Resilience
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, September 10\, 2025Theme: Inspiring Hope as a Leader10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETThis event is for CBHL members. \n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for a 4-part series kicking off this September for National Recovery Month\, designed especially for leaders and staff working to build more recovery-oriented cultures within their behavioral health organizations. In partnership with Crestwood Recovery Resilient Solutions\, this interactive series titled Leadership in Recovery and Resilience will explore how recovery\, resilience\, and person-centered care can truly shape leadership and organizational practices. \n\n\n\nEach one-hour session will take place on the second Wednesday of the month and offer practical tools\, real-life examples\, and engaging discussions to help bring recovery principles to life—whether through culture change\, leadership strategies\, or integrating peer support into your teams. Each session will focus on a Recovery and Resilience Topic that are important for Leaders to foster as part of their Recovery culture oversight and team inspiration. \n\n\n\n\nSession 1: Inspiring Hope as a Leader / September 10\n\n\n\nSession 2: Leading by Empowering / October 8\n\n\n\nSession 3: Leadership is About Relationship / November 12\n\n\n\nSession 4: Tapping into the Team’s Meaning and Purpose / December 10\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLeadership Community Host\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJames RitchieAdministrator at Crestwood Behavioral Health\, Inc \n\n\n\n\n\nJames Ritchie\, Ph.D.\, CMPSS has leveraged his 40 years of lived recovery experience to actively train\, promote\, and support recovery and peer support in California and beyond. James also led the development of 15 county-run prevention and early intervention projects and programs. He has also been certified as an instructor/trainer in several Behavioral Health areas\, including suicide intervention\, prevention\, crisis response\, and Crisis Intervention Team Training for first responders. James is currently the Director of Operations on the Crestwood Recovery Resilience Solutions team and facilitates and coordinates peer support and related training across the State of California and beyond. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat is a CBHL Leadership Community? \n\n\n\nCBHL Leadership Communities connect leaders\, organizations\, and systems eager to learn and work across sectors in pursuit of a shared goal.  \n\n\n\nWhat is the purpose of a CBHL Leadership Community? \n\n\n\n\nImprove knowledge and skills of behavioral health leaders through collaboration\, the exchange of ideas\, and professional dialogue.  \n\n\n\nFacilitate informed and collaborative leadership for improved individual\, organizational\, and community outcomes. \n\n\n\nEncourage organic connections among CBHL members through ongoing collaboration around a shared interest.  
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/cbhl-leadership-community-leadership-in-recovery-and-resilience/
CATEGORIES:CBHL Leadership Community,Members Only
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250925T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250925T120000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20250814T200044Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T200048Z
UID:10000436-1758798000-1758801600@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Webinar | Future-Ready Leadership: Planning for Stability Not Surprises
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, September 25\, 2025\n\n\n\n10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ET \n\n\n\nThis event is open to all! \n\n\n\n\nLearn More & Register\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChange is constant\, but nonprofit missions must endure. This session introduces a practical approach to building leadership continuity and organizational resilience without overwhelming staff or boards. It also addresses staffing uncertainties driven by funding cuts and the need for potential reductions in force (RIFs)\, offering strategies to navigate these challenges with stability and care. Learn techniques that will help protect your mission in times of constant change. \n\n\n\nParticipants Will Be Able To: \n\n\n\n\nApply tools and practices that foster a proactive planning culture\n\n\n\nIdentify five key planning elements that build long-term organizational resilience\n\n\n\nExplain how investing in staff retention and quality leadership strengthens loyalty\, performance\, and continuity\n\n\n\nRecognize the impact of universal motivators on organizational effectiveness\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMeet the Presenter\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKara Hill\, DHA\, MHA\, BSSW Consultant | Healthcare & Non-Profit Strategist | WildBlue Health  \n\n\n\n\n\nKara Hill is a consultant with WildBlue Health\, bringing over 25 years of experience guiding nonprofit and health systems through change\, leadership transitions\, and strategic growth. She partners with organizations to strengthen leadership continuity\, advance workforce strategies\, and align operations with community need; grounded in a commitment to equity and mission impact.  \n\n\n\nKara’s background spans executive leadership in community-based organizations and charitable clinics\, integration of behavioral health into primary care\, and development of sustainable workforce and value-based care models. She is known for her practical\, systems-thinking approach\, helping leaders anticipate challenges\, operationalize solutions\, improve operations\, and foster high-performing\, resilient teams.  \n\n\n\nShe holds a Doctor of Health Administration from Oklahoma State University\, a Master of Health Administration from Texas A&M University\, and a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Bowling Green State University.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/webinar-future-ready-leadership-planning-for-stability-not-surprises/
CATEGORIES:Public
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251002T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251002T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20250910T175223Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T175226Z
UID:10000439-1759410000-1759413600@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Webinar | Reimagining Behavioral Health Financing for Resilient Systems
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, October 2\, 2025\n\n\n\n10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ET \n\n\n\nThis event is open to all! \n\n\n\n\nLearn More & Register\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFinancial planning in a time of massive federal health changes. \n\n\n\nJoin us for this briefing and discussion with national policy leaders on financing of behavioral health services in a time of extraordinary uncertainty. With proposed changes to the HHS budget and new pressures on Medicaid\, Medicare\, and block grants\, behavioral health leaders are being called to plan boldly for a rapidly evolving landscape. \n\n\n\nAcross states\, counties\, and provider organizations\, behavioral health leaders are facing a rapidly evolving landscape — one that demands not just adaptation\, but bold\, proactive action\, including potential Medicaid financing changes. We will explore how local ecosystems can come together to make intentional\, strategic decisions that drive meaningful change\, even amid policy uncertainty and resource constraints. \n\n\n\nKey themes will include: \n\n\n\n\nMeasuring Impact: Understanding and communicating the value of services to funders\, legislators\, and communities.\n\n\n\nPrioritization Amid Uncertainty: Staying focused on what matters most while adapting to evolving federal and state policy environments.\n\n\n\nStrategic Partnerships: Identifying service gaps and leveraging collaborations to expand reach and effectiveness.\n\n\n\nEfficiency & Effectiveness: Meeting growing behavioral health needs even as resources shift or shrink.\n\n\n\nCross-Sector Collaboration: Moving from passive coordination to active alignment around shared goals.\n\n\n\nCoordinated Advocacy: Building a unified voice to advance behavioral health priorities and diversify funding.\n\n\n\nProactive Leadership: Pivoting from reactive to forward-thinking strategies to avoid being left behind.\n\n\n\nOpportunity Framing: Reframing perceived roadblocks as openings for innovation\, collaboration\, and growth.\n\n\n\n\nParticipants will leave with insights on how to lead with clarity\, build resilient partnerships\, and tell a compelling story that strengthens their case for investment and support — all while navigating the complexities of today’s behavioral health environment. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMeet the Speakers\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJonah Cunningham\, MPP \n\n\n\nPresident/CEONACBHDD \n\n\n\nCBHL Board Member \n\n\n\n\n\nJonah C. Cunningham currently serves as President and CEO of the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD). In this role he proactively advocates for national policies that recognize and support the critical role counties play in caring for people affected by mental illness\, addiction\, and developmental disabilities. In this capacity he also serves as Executive Director of the National Association for Rural Mental Health. \n\n\n\nPrior to joining NACBHDD\, Jonah worked at Trust for America’s Health\, a public health think tank\, where he focused extensively on ways to reduce mortality from substance misuse and suicide. Additionally\, he worked as a congressional staffer for several years in the office of Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano (CA) where he helped to reestablish the Congressional Mental Health Caucus and created a Suicide Prevention Task Force within the Caucus. \n\n\n\nJonah C. Cunningham has received numerous awards and recognition for his commitment to the field of behavioral health and those served by the nation’s behavioral health system. Jonah has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Utah and a Master of Public Policy from The George Washington University. In his free time\, he enjoys learning how to cook and is an avid Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRichard Dougherty\, PhD \n\n\n\nPresident\, BasicNeeds US \n\n\n\nCBHL Board Treasurer \n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Richard Dougherty is President of the non-profit organization BasicNeeds US and recently retired\, after 35 years of leading DMA Health Strategies\, a national behavioral health policy and research organization. Dick is particularly pleased that DMA now has reorganized into a worker and woman owned cooperative. \n\n\n\nAs President of BasicNeeds US\, a 501(c)(3) non-profit\, Dick volunteers all his time and provides support for effective and recovery-driven\, global mental health policy\, with a particular focus on low-income countries. He leads fundraising\, grant-making\, advocacy and technical assistance with a network of BasicNeeds programs and with global advocates. He advises numerous national organizations\, has published extensively\, sits on several boards and received the 2011 Walter Barton Distinguished Fellow Award from The College of Behavioral Health Leadership. \n\n\n\nDr. Dougherty went to Colgate University\, the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago and received his Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology from Boston University. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMonica Johnson\, MA\, LPC \n\n\n\nManaging Director\, Health Management Associates \n\n\n\n\n\nA skilled state and federal government executive\, Monica Johnson has over 25 years of experience in the behavioral health field. Leveraging her expertise\, she has directed numerous behavioral health service areas at the government policy level\, has led the formation of several high-profile change initiatives\, chaired several collaborations\, and served as a board member for a variety of governing boards. \n\n\n\nBefore joining Health Management Associates\, Monica served as the first director of the 988 & Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Health & Human Services Department (HHS). In this role\, she was responsible for overseeing SAMHSA’s primary aspirations regarding the launch of the three-digit number\, 988 and enhancing broader behavioral health crisis services. \n\n\n\nIn addition to her experience at the federal level\, Monica has over a decade of state-level experience. Most recently\, she served as the interim commissioner for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). Prior to this appointment by Governor Brian Kemp\, she served in other key leadership roles at DBHDD as the Behavioral Health division director\, the Community Mental Health director\, and the Child & Adolescent Mental Health director. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGina Lasky\, PhD\, MAPL \n\n\n\nSenior Advisor\, Health Management Associates \n\n\n\n\n\nGina Lasky is a licensed psychologist with expertise in public sector behavioral health system design and programming including integration of behavioral health and primary care. She evaluates organizational readiness for integration and guides development and implementation of new models of collaborative care for delivery systems\, county health systems\, community behavioral health centers\, and state corrections agencies. \n\n\n\nShe has examined state policy and administrative barriers to integrated care and has published work on leadership and team development in integrated care with the Center for Integrated Health Solutions and the American Psychiatric Association. She is co-editor of Integrated Care: A Guide to Effective Implementation for the American Psychiatric Association. \n\n\n\nIn addition to her experience at the federal level\, Monica has over a decade of state-level experience. Most recently\, she served as the interim commissioner for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). Prior to this appointment by Governor Brian Kemp\, she served in other key leadership roles at DBHDD as the Behavioral Health division director\, the Community Mental Health director\, and the Child & Adolescent Mental Health director. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/webinar-reimagining-behavioral-health-financing-for-resilient-systems/
CATEGORIES:Public
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20250729T170946Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250729T172221Z
UID:10000432-1759928400-1759932000@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:CBHL Leadership Community | Leadership in Recovery and Resilience
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, October 8\, 2025Theme: Leading by Empowering10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETThis event is for CBHL members. \n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for a 4-part series kicking off this September for National Recovery Month\, designed especially for leaders and staff working to build more recovery-oriented cultures within their behavioral health organizations. In partnership with Crestwood Recovery Resilient Solutions\, this interactive series titled Leadership in Recovery and Resilience will explore how recovery\, resilience\, and person-centered care can truly shape leadership and organizational practices. \n\n\n\nEach one-hour session will take place on the second Wednesday of the month and offer practical tools\, real-life examples\, and engaging discussions to help bring recovery principles to life—whether through culture change\, leadership strategies\, or integrating peer support into your teams. Each session will focus on a Recovery and Resilience Topic that are important for Leaders to foster as part of their Recovery culture oversight and team inspiration. \n\n\n\n\nSession 1: Inspiring Hope as a Leader / September 10\n\n\n\nSession 2: Leading by Empowering / October 8\n\n\n\nSession 3: Leadership is About Relationship / November 12\n\n\n\nSession 4: Tapping into the Team’s Meaning and Purpose / December 10\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLeadership Community Host\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJames RitchieAdministrator at Crestwood Behavioral Health\, Inc \n\n\n\n\n\nJames Ritchie\, Ph.D.\, CMPSS has leveraged his 40 years of lived recovery experience to actively train\, promote\, and support recovery and peer support in California and beyond. James also led the development of 15 county-run prevention and early intervention projects and programs. He has also been certified as an instructor/trainer in several Behavioral Health areas\, including suicide intervention\, prevention\, crisis response\, and Crisis Intervention Team Training for first responders. James is currently the Director of Operations on the Crestwood Recovery Resilience Solutions team and facilitates and coordinates peer support and related training across the State of California and beyond. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat is a CBHL Leadership Community? \n\n\n\nCBHL Leadership Communities connect leaders\, organizations\, and systems eager to learn and work across sectors in pursuit of a shared goal.  \n\n\n\nWhat is the purpose of a CBHL Leadership Community? \n\n\n\n\nImprove knowledge and skills of behavioral health leaders through collaboration\, the exchange of ideas\, and professional dialogue.  \n\n\n\nFacilitate informed and collaborative leadership for improved individual\, organizational\, and community outcomes. \n\n\n\nEncourage organic connections among CBHL members through ongoing collaboration around a shared interest.  
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/cbhl-leadership-community-leadership-in-recovery-and-resilience-2/
CATEGORIES:CBHL Leadership Community,Members Only
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T150000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20250910T173236Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250915T223631Z
UID:10000438-1760623200-1760626800@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Candid Conversations with Cayman Tirado | Reluctant Leadership
DESCRIPTION:Members-Only \n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for a Candid Conversations on Reluctant Leaders: the leaders who often don’t see themselves as leaders\, yet have the power to influence\, inspire\, and drive meaningful change. \n\n\n\nCayman Tirado\, self-proclaimed reluctant leader\, will explore why so many hesitate to step into leadership roles\, what strengths reluctant leaders bring to the table\, and how we can better support and encourage their growth. \n\n\n\n\nRegister via Glue Up\n\n\n\n\nThis conversation is for CBHL members. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCayman Tirado\, MA\, LCDC\, CPS\, RYT-200\, is the director of the Mental Health and Addiction Studies Program at San Jacinto College. Additionally\, she is a board member for INCASE\, the International Coalition for Addiction Studies Education. \n\n\n\nCayman has worked in the substance use disorder field since 2004\, starting as a prevention specialist for underserved youth. Additional roles include IOP counselor\, sober living case manager\, and clinical case manager for homeless adults with co-occurring disorders. She is also a certified yoga instructor and is passionate about incorporating this into recovery. \n\n\n\nShe has been teaching at San Jacinto College since 2015 and has worked for many years to develop a pedagogical approach that supports the current and future health and wellbeing of students going into the behavioral health professions. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat are CBHL Candid Conversations? \nCBHL Candid Conversations provide an informal platform for connecting and networking with other CBHL members\, fostering an environment where we can learn from one another’s experiences.  Led by a CBHL member or partner\, these sessions are designed to facilitate the exchange of valuable leadership insights\, skills\, and support. Candid Conversations are open to all CBHL members.    \n\n\n\n\nThe purpose of CBHL Candid Conversations is to: \n\nNetwork and Collaborate: Meet and engage with fellow CBHL colleagues in an informal\, small group environment that encourages collaboration and the building of meaningful connections \n\n\n\nLearn and Innovate: Acquire new skills and exchange fresh ideas with experienced leaders in a supportive and trusting environment\, fostering personal and professional growth \n\n\n\nShowcase Success: Highlight successful member programs or best and promising practices that demonstrate potential for scaling and broader application. 
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/candid-conversations-with-cayman-tirado-reluctant-leadership/
CATEGORIES:Candid Conversations,Members Only
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251021T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251021T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20250822T182031Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T133956Z
UID:10000437-1761051600-1761055200@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Workforce Solutions Jam | Resilience in Action: Strategies for the Behavioral Health Workforce
DESCRIPTION:Workforce Solutions Jam | Resilience in Action: Strategies for the Behavioral Health Workforce \n\n\n\nTuesday\, October 21\, 2025 | 10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETEvent Length: One Hour \n\n\n\nThis 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).  \n\n\n\nBehavioral health across sectors (providers\, state agencies\, counties\, etc.) are facing fast paced and daunting change. The terms “uncertainty” “confusion” “exhaustion” and “anxiety” are frequent in our day to day as organizations consider how to adapt to align systems of care with policy shifts\, how to sustain services in new funding environments\, and how to progress with internal mission and strategy. Central to this change is building capacity and resilience within the workforce and attending to the impacts to individuals within organizations.  \n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for the October Workforce Solutions Jam to dive into how leaders and members of the workforce bring transparency\, authenticity\, and resilience. Our panelists who are industry experts will offer tangible solutions for supporting organizations through change.  \n\n\n\nWhat You’ll Learn:  \n\n\n\n\nFinancial Resilience: The importance of diversifying revenue streams in an uncertain funding environment \n\n\n\nPeople Management: Navigating change with staff wellbeing in mind \n\n\n\nLeadership: Tips for building adaptive leadership capabilities \n\n\n\n\nSpeaker Information\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA seasoned behavioral health leader with more than 25 years of government healthcare experience\, Angela Bergefurd has a comprehensive understanding of state policy\, program development\, and strategic implementation. \n\n\n\nBefore joining HMA\, she served the state of Ohio for nearly three decades\, devoting her time and expertise to developing behavioral health and Medicaid policy\, building and implementing programs\, and designing benefits\, financing\, and reimbursement. \n\n\n\nMost recently\, she served as the deputy director of behavioral health policy with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services\, where she collaborated with other state agencies and offices to support and strengthen regulations\, programs\, and policies to improve care and programs. Previously\, she worked as assistant director of community programs and services\, assistant deputy director for policy\, and behavioral healthcare systems policy advisor and chief. \n\n\n\nThis vast state-level experience provided her with a comprehensive understanding of state and federal funding sources and mechanisms\, service reimbursement\, and program financing methodologies\, as well as an ability to engage a variety of stakeholders. \n\n\n\nMs. Bergefurd earned a master’s degree in public administration – health services management and policy and a bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral sciences from Ohio State University. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Genene Duran grew up in northeast Denver in the Montbello community and is an alumna of Montbello High School. She holds a Doctorate in Human Services\, Master’s in Healthcare Administration\, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. In addition\, she is also a certified Mediator and has certifications in Public Relations and Public Health. Dr. Duran has subject matter expertise in the fields of healthcare policy\, managing federally qualified health centers\, human services\, community outreach and engagement\, health systems change and cultural competence in health care which includes social determinants of health\, health disparities and health equity. Dr. Duran is an international speaker and is an Affiliate Professor in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Metropolitan State University working with the Masters of Social Work students to complete their final Capstone thesis projects. In addition\, she is the Founder/CEO of her own nonprofit organization Ducks in a Row Human Services Inc. From 2021-2023\, Dr. Duran simultaneously served as the Chair of the Board of the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment\, the Advisory Board Chair for the City and County of Denver’s Agency on Human Rights and Community Partnerships and as the Co-Chair for the City and County of Denver’s African American Commission. She still serves on the Board of the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment as well as the City and County of Denver’s African American Commission. In addition\, she serves on the Colorado Advisory Panel of Local Board of Health Members. Over the past six years she has held memberships on the Family Advisory Council for Every Child Pediatrics\, the Board of Directors for Womxn’s March Denver\, the Doctoral Advisory Board for the University of Arizona Global campus\, as a Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Denver Moves Everyone Steering Committee Advisory Board member\, and as the National Association for Career and Technical Education Region Representative. In her spare time she is a mentor to a young lady in her community. Although she has accomplished a great deal\, she remains most proud of her new granddaughter who was born on Christmas day\, 2024\, 22-year-old son and 21 year old daughter\, who both graduated from Colorado State University in May 2024\, and 18-year-old daughter who is in her second year at the Community College of Aurora. Dr. Duran’s greatest passions include providing a voice for underserved communities and affecting positive change through leadership\, strategic planning\, relationship building\, effective change management\, conflict management\, advocacy\, social justice\, and organizational training. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMarisol Solarte-Erlacher\, M.A.\, LPC is a nationally recognized trauma and resilience consultant\, speaker\, and leadership coach. With over 20 years of experience in mental health and organizational development\, she helps leaders and teams manage stress\, reduce burnout\, and build psychologically safe workplaces. She is the founder of the Resilient Leadership Institute™\, a certification program that equips leaders with trauma-informed\, equity-centered strategies to foster sustainable and thriving organizational cultures. Marisol is also the host of the award-nominated Resilience and Resistance podcast\, highlighting the stories of successful BIPOC women leaders.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNikki Tierney\, JD\, MS\, LPC\, LCADA has a law degree and a Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a concentration in Addiction Studies. Nikki is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor and has been in sustained remission from opioid use disorder for 15 years. She is also a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist and a Certified Recovery Support Practitioner. Currently\, Nikki works at CPC Integrated Care and operates her private practice\, Hope-Fullness Counseling\, Prevention\, and Education. Additionally\, she serves as a policy analyst with the National Center for Advocacy and Recovery\, where she continues to push for systemic change in mental health and substance use treatment. \n\n\n\n\n\nAdditional speaker information coming soon. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBackground\n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nThe Workforce Solutions Partnership is the new 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.
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/workforce-solutions-jam-october-2025/
CATEGORIES:Public,Workforce Solutions Jam
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251023T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251023T160000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20250814T165506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251020T150434Z
UID:10000435-1761231600-1761235200@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Leadership Exchange: Advancing Equity in Behavioral Health
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, October 23\, 2025\n\n\n\n12:00 pm PT / 1:00 pm MT / 2:00 pm CT / 3:00 pm ET \n\n\n\nThis event is open to all. \n\n\n\n\nLearn More & Register\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for a follow-up to our recent webinar on advancing equitable access to behavioral health care​. \n\n\n\nThis informal\, discussion-based session offers a space for deeper connection and shared learning. Designed as an open “Leadership Exchange\,” participants are encouraged to bring real-world challenges\, questions\, and ideas to explore with peers and field leaders. Whether you’re navigating implementation hurdles\, building community trust\, or looking to align values across systems\, this is a space to exchange insights\, crowdsource solutions\, and strengthen your work through collective wisdom. \n\n\n\nCome ready to ask questions\, share your experiences\, and learn alongside others who are working to promote fairness and access in behavioral health systems. Let’s continue the conversation\, because equity in behavioral health isn’t a one-time topic\, it’s ongoing work. \n\n\n\nOur guest leaders\, Arthur Evans of the American Psychological Association\, and CBHL Board Members Vic Armstrong and Marcy Melvin\, will guide the conversation. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMeet the Speakers\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVic Armstrong\, MSWVice President for Health Equity and Engagement\, American Foundation for Suicide PreventionCBHL Board Member \n\n\n\n\n\nVictor Armstrong serves as Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In addition\, he is the National Director of Soul Shop for Black Churches\, a workshop that teaches faith leaders how to minister to congregants that may be dealing with suicidal desperation. Victor previously served as Chief Health Equity Officer for North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services\, with responsibility for leading the overarching strategy and operational goals to promote health equity\, diversity\, and inclusion across all the agency’s health and human services. Victor has also served as ‪Director of the NC Division of Mental Health\, with responsibility and oversight of the public community-based mental health\, intellectual and other developmental disabilities\, substance use\, and traumatic brain injury system in North Carolina. Prior to his NC state government roles\, Victor spent six years as Vice President of Behavioral Health with Atrium Health. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ \n\n\n\nVictor has over 30 years of experience in human services\, primarily dedicated to building and strengthening community resources to serve individuals who have been historically marginalized. ‬‬‬‬He is a nationally recognized speaker on issues regarding health equity and access to healthcare\, particularly as it relates to individuals living with mental health challenges.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ \n\n\n\nVictor currently serves on the steering committee of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. He also serves on the Board of Directors for RI International as well as the Board of Directors for I2I Center for integrative health. He is a member of the Board of Advisors for East Carolina University School of Social Work and is the host of the “Strong Talk” podcast. \n\n\n\nVictor’s awards and recognitions include: \n\n\n\n\nLiving Waters Annual Mental Health Summit 2022 “Lifetime Mental Health Champion” Award\n\n\n\nNational Association of Social Workers North Carolina (NASW-NC) 2022 Social Worker of the Year\n\n\n\nAddiction Professionals of NC (APNC) 2021 DEI Leadership & Impact Award\n\n\n\nMental Health America’s 2021 H. Keith Brunnemer\, Jr. Award for “Outstanding Mental Health Leadership”\n\n\n\nBlack Mental Health Symposium 2019 Mental Health Advocate of the Year\n\n\n\nEast Carolina University School of Social Work 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award\n\n\n\nNational Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) NC\, 2012 Mental Health Professional of the Year\n\n\n\n\nVictor graduated\, Magna Cum Laude\, from North Carolina Central University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and received his MSW from East Carolina University. He is the husband of Dr. Charletta Armstrong and the father of three sons\, Carter\, Alonzo\, and Victor Jr. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nArthur C. Evans\, Jr.\, Ph.D.CEO of American Psychological Association \n\n\n\n\n\nDescribed as a visionary and transformational leader\, policymaker and health care innovator\, Arthur C. Evans Jr.\, PhD\, is CEO of the American Psychological Association\, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. Evans previously served in public policy positions in Philadelphia and Connecticut\, where he led the transformation of their behavioral health systems and their approaches to serving a wide range of individuals with complex needs. Evans has employed science\, research\, community activism\, spirituality\, traditional clinical care\, policy and cross-system collaborations to change the status quo around behavioral health. He has held faculty appointments at Yale University’s and the University of Pennsylvania’s Schools of Medicine\, and is the author or co-author of over 60 peer-reviewed research articles\, chapters\, reviews and editorials. Over the years Evans has received national and international recognition\, including prestigious awards in government\, healthcare service\, visionary leadership\, actionable advocacy\, equity and social justice. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator \n\n\n\nMarcy Melvin\, MASenior Vice President of Clinical Policy and Deputy Director of The Hackett Center for Mental Health at Meadows Mental Health Policy InstituteCBHL Board President \n\n\n\n\n\nMarcy Melvin is a pivotal executive with over 25 years of experience in behavioral health policy\, training\, and clinical practice. As a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas her experience includes providing direct clinical and supervisory services to children\, youth\, parents\, and young adults in various clinical settings including residential\, in-home\, outpatient\, private practice\, primary\, secondary\, and post-secondary locations. Marcy is extremely passionate about advancing health equity and reducing disparities and disproportionality; this has been a culmination of her life’s work in various clinical\, organizational and systems settings. \n\n\n\nMarcy has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Fisk University. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/leadership-exchange-advancing-equity-in-behavioral-health/
CATEGORIES:Members Only
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251104T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251104T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20251023T154545Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251029T192044Z
UID:10000442-1762261200-1762264800@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:The Clubhouse Model in Action: Global Perspective and Local Impact
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday\, November 4th\, 2025\n\n\n\n10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ET \n\n\n\nThis event is open to all! \n\n\n\n\nLearn More & Register\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the College for Behavioral Health Leadership (CBHL) for a special panel discussion exploring the Clubhouse model—a community-based\, recovery-oriented approach that supports individuals living with mental illness through peer connection\, meaningful work\, and lifelong opportunity. Increasingly recognized worldwide\, the model strengthens local systems of care by offering an evidence-based\, person-centered pathway to engagement and recovery. \n\n\n\nThis one-hour webinar will feature diverse voices from across the Clubhouse International network\, including: \n\n\n\n\nAn introduction to the Clubhouse model and its global standards\n\n\n\nFirsthand perspectives from Clubhouse members and leaders on the impact of the model\n\n\n\nLived experience perspectives\, including Coalition building and sharing implementation lessons\n\n\n\n\nThis interactive panel will equip attendees with a deeper understanding of how the Clubhouse model can complement behavioral health services and expand access to recovery-oriented care. \n\n\n\nThis webinar is free for CBHL members and $10 for non-members. It is open to all leaders\, providers\, and partners interested in innovative models to strengthen behavioral health systems. A recording will be shared with all registrants. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMeet the Speakers\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSarah DeSouza Brown \n\n\n\nProgram Officer\, Clubhouse International \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\nSarah DeSouza Brown is a Program Officer at Clubhouse International\, with over a decade of experience in the Clubhouse Model of psychosocial rehabilitation. Previously\, she worked at Genesis Club in Massachusetts\, one of the 12 Clubhouse International Training Centers. Sarah is passionate about advancing the mission of ending social and economic isolation for people with mental illness by supporting the growth and quality of Clubhouse programs worldwide. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTristan Chirico \n\n\n\nTraining Director\, Fountain House \n\n\n\n\n\nTristan Chirico is the Training Director at Fountain House. Fountain House is one of 12 Clubhouse International Training Centers\, providing education on the model to programs from around the world. Before taking on this role\, Tristan worked for over four years as a social practitioner on the Education Unit. Prior to entering the mental health field\, he spent half a decade teaching theater and philosophy to high school students. Tristan earned an MA in Psychology and Education from Columbia University Teachers College\, and received his MSW from The Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. He is grateful to be able to spend is days working in a clubhouse and sharing knowledge about this transformative vision of supporting mental health through intentional community.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMichael Hamlin \n\n\n\nClubhouse Ohio Coalition Staff\, Magnolia Clubhouse \n\n\n\n\n\nMichael Hamlin entered the Clubhouse world in 2005 as a member of Fountain House in New York City. Inspired and supported to take advantage of the many opportunities for growth\, he became immersed in the Clubhouse model and its history and has developed and facilitated Clubhouse training discussions all over the world. Michael has also been a member of the Clubhouse International Faculty and Advisory Council since 2015 and recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from CUNY City College with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. He is currently working as Technical Assistance staff with Magnolia Clubhouse in Cleveland and the Clubhouse Ohio coalition to develop accredited Clubhouses across the state. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMegan “MC” Williams \n\n\n\nCommunity Trainer\, Fountain House NYC \n\n\n\n\n\nMegan “MC” Williams has been working in the clubhouse world for ten years. She began working for Fountain House in 2015 and currently works as a Community Trainer with Fountain House in NYC. She has 10 years of experience working in the clubhouse world and has worked as a Social Practitioner in several units around the clubhouse. Throughout her time in the units\, she developed a passion for learning more about this holistic approach to mental health and community based treatment. \n\n\n\nMC has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from a Russell Sage college in Troy\, NY and a Masters in Social Work with a specialization in Addictions from Rutgers State University of Newark and is a Licensed Social Worker. MC has a passion for rehabilitation\, therapeutic communities\, and the clubhouse as well teaching\, training\, and helping others tap into their best selves. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPanel Moderator\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVictor Armstrong\, MSW \n\n\n\nVice President for Health Equity and Engagement\, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention \n\n\n\nCBHL Board Member \n\n\n\n\n\nVictor Armstrong serves as Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In addition\, he is the National Director of Soul Shop for Black Churches\, a workshop that teaches faith leaders how to minister to congregants that may be dealing with suicidal desperation. Victor previously served as Chief Health Equity Officer for North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services\, with responsibility for leading the overarching strategy and operational goals to promote health equity\, diversity\, and inclusion across all the agency’s health and human services. Victor has also served as ‪Director of the NC Division of Mental Health\, with responsibility and oversight of the public community-based mental health\, intellectual and other developmental disabilities\, substance use\, and traumatic brain injury system in North Carolina. Prior to his NC state government roles\, Victor spent six years as Vice President of Behavioral Health with Atrium Health. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ \n\n\n\nVictor has over 30 years of experience in human services\, primarily dedicated to building and strengthening community resources to serve individuals who have been historically marginalized. ‬‬‬‬He is a nationally recognized speaker on issues regarding health equity and access to healthcare\, particularly as it relates to individuals living with mental health challenges.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ \n\n\n\nVictor currently serves on the steering committee of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. He also serves on the Board of Directors for RI International as well as the Board of Directors for I2I Center for integrative health. He is a member of the Board of Advisors for East Carolina University School of Social Work and is the host of the “Strong Talk” podcast. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/webinar-the-clubhouse-model-in-action/
CATEGORIES:Public
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20250729T171156Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250729T172303Z
UID:10000433-1762952400-1762956000@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:CBHL Leadership Community | Leadership in Recovery and Resilience
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, November 12\, 2025Theme: Leadership is About Relationship10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETThis event is for CBHL members. \n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for a 4-part series kicking off this September for National Recovery Month\, designed especially for leaders and staff working to build more recovery-oriented cultures within their behavioral health organizations. In partnership with Crestwood Recovery Resilient Solutions\, this interactive series titled Leadership in Recovery and Resilience will explore how recovery\, resilience\, and person-centered care can truly shape leadership and organizational practices. \n\n\n\nEach one-hour session will take place on the second Wednesday of the month and offer practical tools\, real-life examples\, and engaging discussions to help bring recovery principles to life—whether through culture change\, leadership strategies\, or integrating peer support into your teams. Each session will focus on a Recovery and Resilience Topic that are important for Leaders to foster as part of their Recovery culture oversight and team inspiration. \n\n\n\n\nSession 1: Inspiring Hope as a Leader / September 10\n\n\n\nSession 2: Leading by Empowering / October 8\n\n\n\nSession 3: Leadership is About Relationship / November 12\n\n\n\nSession 4: Tapping into the Team’s Meaning and Purpose / December 10\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLeadership Community Host\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJames RitchieAdministrator at Crestwood Behavioral Health\, Inc \n\n\n\n\n\nJames Ritchie\, Ph.D.\, CMPSS has leveraged his 40 years of lived recovery experience to actively train\, promote\, and support recovery and peer support in California and beyond. James also led the development of 15 county-run prevention and early intervention projects and programs. He has also been certified as an instructor/trainer in several Behavioral Health areas\, including suicide intervention\, prevention\, crisis response\, and Crisis Intervention Team Training for first responders. James is currently the Director of Operations on the Crestwood Recovery Resilience Solutions team and facilitates and coordinates peer support and related training across the State of California and beyond. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat is a CBHL Leadership Community? \n\n\n\nCBHL Leadership Communities connect leaders\, organizations\, and systems eager to learn and work across sectors in pursuit of a shared goal.  \n\n\n\nWhat is the purpose of a CBHL Leadership Community? \n\n\n\n\nImprove knowledge and skills of behavioral health leaders through collaboration\, the exchange of ideas\, and professional dialogue.  \n\n\n\nFacilitate informed and collaborative leadership for improved individual\, organizational\, and community outcomes. \n\n\n\nEncourage organic connections among CBHL members through ongoing collaboration around a shared interest.  
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/cbhl-leadership-community-leadership-in-recovery-and-resilience-3/
CATEGORIES:CBHL Leadership Community,Members Only
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251118T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251118T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20251105T195646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251111T135237Z
UID:10000441-1763470800-1763474400@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Workforce Solutions Jam | Resilience in Action 2nd Session: Applied Improvisation and Strengthening Relational Responsiveness
DESCRIPTION:Workforce Solutions Jam | Resilience in Action 2nd Session: Applied Improvisation and Strengthening Relational Responsiveness\n\n\n\nTuesday\, November 18\, 2025 | 10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETEvent Length: One Hour \n\n\n\nThis 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).  \n\n\n\nResilience is important at every level in today’s climate. The BH workforce faces clients in need of increasing resilience. At the same time\, the workforce needs organizational culture and supervision attention to their resilience. In October\, we heard multiple strategies for building resilience. In November’s session\, we will focus on the use of applied improvisation techniques to support communication and techniques for the workforce to engage clients and for leaders to engage the workforce. The interactive session will highlight the Attune-Affirm-Advance framework and identify how each component contributes to responsive and human centered communication. We will also hear additional ideas for how leaders build resilient cultures in times of disruptive change. \n\n\n\nJoin us for the November Workforce Solutions Jam to dive into the use of improv techniques\, practice a new skill\, and have some fun in learning skills for building resilience. Our panelists\, who are industry experts\, will engage participants and provide a demonstration of these new skills. \n\n\n\nWhat you’ll learn: \n\n\n\n\nPrinciples of Applied Improvisation: How applied improvisation including “Yes\, and” can support core communication\, strengthen relationships\, engagement and collaboration in behavioral health.\n\n\n\nExplain and Demonstrate the Attune-Affirm-Advance framework: to enhance communication engagement\n\n\n\nLeadership: Additional ideas on leaders roles in building resilience in the workforce.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpeaker Information\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSuzanne Daub\, LCSW\, is a leading expert and nationally recognized trainer in integrated healthcare who knows how to help clients design\, scale\, and evaluate behavioral integration into primary care and wellness culture. She is a coach who believes building quality integrated systems of care means committing to the people who deliver the work and empowering service users. She is best known for her leadership style\, which inspires those who serve vulnerable populations to embrace responsibility for transforming the way healthcare is delivered. She is passionate about a “no wrong door” approach to integrated care and works across systems to ensure individuals and families get whole-person\, recovery-oriented services regardless of where they seek help.   \n\n\n\nMs. Daub has more than 30 years of experience in direct patient care\, program administration\, and managed care. For 18 years\, she served as director of behavioral health at a multisite federally qualified health center in Philadelphia where she integrated care using the Behavioral Health Consultation model. She co-founded the largest network of primary care behavioral health providers in the country and was recognized by the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers with the Innovations Award.    \n\n\n\nRead more\nWhen health disparities among people with serious mental illness were recognized\, Ms. Daub brought her integrated care skills to community mental health organizations across the country as a senior integrated care consultant for the National Council for Behavioral Health.  \n\n\n\nImmediately prior to joining HMA\, she was the senior director of integrated care initiatives for UPMC/Community Care Behavioral Health\, Pennsylvania’s largest Medicaid behavioral health managed care organization. She led the scaling of behavioral health homes to 65 organizations serving adolescents\, adults\, and individuals receiving opioid treatment.   \n\n\n\nMs. Daub earned a master’s degree in social work from Smith College School for Social Work and a postgraduate certification in marriage and family therapy. She is published in the area of integrated care workforce development. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association and has an active clinical practice.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMarsha Johnson\, LCSW\, is a coach and consultant who believes that when people are supported in realizing their potential\, everything else—programs\, teams\, and community impact—is strengthened. Her work focuses on the intersection of people\, process\, and structure\, helping organizations bring more empathy and purpose into their work. \n\n\n\nMarsha has held leadership roles across nonprofit and for-profit sectors\, from start-ups to established enterprises. She draws on her background in human behavior\, organizational design\, change management and implementation science to help leaders and teams tackle the real\, thorny challenges of crafting effective organizations where people can make meaningful contributions. \n\n\n\nRead more\nBefore launching her consultancy\, Marsha led top-performing teams in public healthcare consulting and served for many years in healthcare organizations in roles ranging from direct service to executive leadership. Her work spanned workforce and leadership development\, community partnerships\, employee engagement\, and care redesign. At the Urban Health Institute at Cooper Health System\, she led initiatives that transformed employee engagement—from the second lowest to the second highest performance across the health system within two years. As Chief Learning Officer at the Camden Coalition for Healthcare Providers\, she developed the RELATE supervision model\, a nationally recognized framework for fostering high-performing interprofessional teams in complex care. \n\n\n\nMarsha earned her master’s in social work from Smith College and is a Certified Facilitator in DiSC® and Five Behaviors® and completed Prosci change management training. Outside of work\, you’ll likely find her in the garden\, planning her next dinner gathering\, or keeping up with her two teenage daughters. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nBackground\n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nThe Workforce Solutions Partnership is the new 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.
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/workforce-solutions-jam-november-2025/
CATEGORIES:Public,Workforce Solutions Jam
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20250729T171309Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251121T171624Z
UID:10000434-1765371600-1765375200@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:CBHL Leadership Community | Leadership in Recovery and Resilience
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, December 10\, 2025Theme: Tapping into the Team’s Meaning and Purpose10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETThis event is free for CBHL Members; $10 for non-CBHL members \n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for a 4-part series kicking off this September for National Recovery Month\, designed especially for leaders and staff working to build more recovery-oriented cultures within their behavioral health organizations. In partnership with Crestwood Recovery Resilient Solutions\, this interactive series titled Leadership in Recovery and Resilience will explore how recovery\, resilience\, and person-centered care can truly shape leadership and organizational practices. \n\n\n\nEach one-hour session will take place on the second Wednesday of the month and offer practical tools\, real-life examples\, and engaging discussions to help bring recovery principles to life—whether through culture change\, leadership strategies\, or integrating peer support into your teams. Each session will focus on a Recovery and Resilience Topic that are important for Leaders to foster as part of their Recovery culture oversight and team inspiration. \n\n\n\n\nSession 1: Inspiring Hope as a Leader / September 10\n\n\n\nSession 2: Leading by Empowering / October 8\n\n\n\nSession 3: Leadership is About Relationship / November 12\n\n\n\nSession 4: Tapping into the Team’s Meaning and Purpose / December 10\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLeadership Community Host\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJames RitchieAdministrator at Crestwood Behavioral Health\, Inc \n\n\n\n\n\nJames Ritchie\, Ph.D.\, CMPSS has leveraged his 40 years of lived recovery experience to actively train\, promote\, and support recovery and peer support in California and beyond. James also led the development of 15 county-run prevention and early intervention projects and programs. He has also been certified as an instructor/trainer in several Behavioral Health areas\, including suicide intervention\, prevention\, crisis response\, and Crisis Intervention Team Training for first responders. James is currently the Director of Operations on the Crestwood Recovery Resilience Solutions team and facilitates and coordinates peer support and related training across the State of California and beyond. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat is a CBHL Leadership Community? \n\n\n\nCBHL Leadership Communities connect leaders\, organizations\, and systems eager to learn and work across sectors in pursuit of a shared goal.  \n\n\n\nWhat is the purpose of a CBHL Leadership Community? \n\n\n\n\nImprove knowledge and skills of behavioral health leaders through collaboration\, the exchange of ideas\, and professional dialogue.  \n\n\n\nFacilitate informed and collaborative leadership for improved individual\, organizational\, and community outcomes. \n\n\n\nEncourage organic connections among CBHL members through ongoing collaboration around a shared interest.  
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/cbhl-leadership-community-leadership-in-recovery-and-resilience-4/
CATEGORIES:CBHL Leadership Community,Members Only
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251216T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251216T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20251121T172038Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251208T211017Z
UID:10000444-1765890000-1765893600@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Workforce Solutions Jam | The Future of Rural Behavioral Health
DESCRIPTION:Workforce Solutions Jam | The Future of Rural Behavioral Health \n\n\n\nTuesday\, December 16\, 2025 | 10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETEvent Length: One Hour \n\n\n\nThis 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).  \n\n\n\nAs states and local governments move swiftly to launch efforts under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP)\, there is an opportunity to elevate the role of behavioral health and lessons learned about the rural behavioral health workforce. Increasing demand and shortages in the workforce are long-standing challenges for rural communities. The RHTP is an opportunity to lean into scalable solutions and to intensify partnerships within the community to meet the need and to spread the workforce. From traditional to non-traditional workforce solutions\, now is the time to identify what works and to scale those nationally. This Jam session will explore lessons learned from across sectors and examine the community partnerships that are building effective strategies.     \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMarley Doyle\, MD\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Marley Doyle is an Associate Professor in the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Psychiatry and the Director of the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN)\, a state-funded organization whose mission is to recruit and retain a skilled and passionate behavioral health workforce in Nebraska. She is a nationally recognized leader in behavioral health workforce development\, particularly in organizational models.   Clinically\, Dr. Doyle maintains an active practice in women’s reproductive psychiatry and works in UNMC’s Psychiatric Emergency Services.   Dr. Doyle earned her medical degree from Creighton University. She completed her residency in adult psychiatry at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University in Chicago\, followed by a fellowship in Women’s Mental Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.  Dr. Doyle is published on a wide range of topics focusing on the behavioral health workforce\, the inclusion of disabilities in medicine\, and reproductive psychiatry. She has won numerous grants\, including $25.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and teaching awards\, and is a Gold Humanism Honor Society member.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJennifer Dunn\, LMFT\n\n\n\n\n\nJennifer Dunn is currently serving as the Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Field Operations South.  She previously worked as the Rural Health Agent for the Southwest District of UGA Extension. \n\n\n\nJennifer Dunn is currently serving as the Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Field Operations South.  She previously worked as the Rural Health Agent for the Southwest District of UGA Extension. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Child and Family Development from the University of Georgia in 1996 and 2001\, respectively. Jennifer is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist\, a recipient of the Intensive Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Schizophrenia Certification at the Aaron T. Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Philadelphia\, a trainer for Mental Health First Aid and QPR (Question\, Persuade and Refer) to assist with Suicide Prevention. \n\n\n\nBefore beginning her position with UGA Extension\, Jennifer worked for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities for sixteen years\, where she served as the Regional Services Administrator for the twenty-four counties located in the southwestern portion of the state. In her current role\, Jennifer is helping advance the vision and mission of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities in the Southern part of the state. She also is an advisory Board member for the State Office of Rural Health and the Georgia Farmworker Healthcare Program. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShauna Reitmeier\, MSW\, LICSW\n\n\n\n\n\nShauna Reitmeier has over 25 years of experience in the behavioral healthcare and cognitive disabilities fields. She currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Alluma Inc.\, a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic providing mental health\, substance use disorder\, crisis\, housing and homeless support with adults\, children and families across eight rural and frontier agriculture counties of Northwest Minnesota. She also provides clinical therapy with clients to stay grounded in the work she leads.  She holds her master’s in social work from the University of Michigan\, Ann Arbor.  She currently serves as the President of the National Association of Rural Mental Health and serves on the executive committee for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing Board of Directors.  In addition to her national work\, she also serves on the board of the Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs.  She lives in Crookston MN with her husband\, stepson and her two dogs\, Rebel and Bandit.  Spending time with family\, gardening\, and traveling filles her with joy.    \n\n\n\n\n\nBackground\n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nThe Workforce Solutions Partnership is the new 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.
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/workforce-solutions-jam-the-future-of-rural-behavioral-health/
CATEGORIES:Public,Workforce Solutions Jam
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260120T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260120T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20251216T142509Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260114T193633Z
UID:10000445-1768914000-1768917600@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Workforce Solutions Jam | Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce: Maximizing Existing Roles
DESCRIPTION:Workforce Solutions Jam | Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce: Maximizing Existing Roles \n\n\n\nTuesday\, January 20\, 2025 | 10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETEvent Length: One Hour \n\n\n\nThis 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).  \n\n\n\nBeginning in January\, the Workforce Solutions Partnership will be launching a four-part webinar series titled Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce: Innovative Strategies for Integrated Care. This series showcases scalable\, practical innovations that expand behavioral health workforce capacity while preserving quality of care. Each session explores a distinct strategy\, from enhancing existing roles to leveraging lived experience and technology\, to help organizations meet rising demand through integrated\, community-centered approaches. \n\n\n\nMaximizing Existing Roles: Practical Strategies to Expand Capacity and Strengthen Integrated Care\n\n\n\nSession DescriptionThe behavioral health field is facing a critical workforce shortage\, one that affects both the present and the future. By 2038\, the Health Resources and Services Administration projects shortages of nearly 99\,780 mental health counselors and 77\,050 addiction counselors. This session\, the first in a four-part series\, explores how organizations can leverage traditional workforce extender roles\, such as care managers\, behavioral health technicians\, and medical assistants to alleviate clinician burden\, improve access\, and enhance integrated care models. \n\n\n\nSuggested Learning Objectives \n\n\n\n\nExplore how workforce extender roles can offset clinician workload by supporting administrative tasks\, care coordination\, and routine check-ins.\n\n\n\nLearn about effective integration of extender roles within team-based settings\, through role redesign examples and workflow innovations.\n\n\n\n\nAudience: We welcome all who are interested in behavioral health workforce expansion. The material is primarily structured to provide maximum value to clinicians and clinical leaders.  \n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\nSpeaker Information\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Ken Hopper\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Ken Hopper\, MD\, MBA Dr Hopper is a board-certified psychiatrist and healthcare innovator with over 30 years of experience advancing neurobehavioral science\, population health\, and value-based care. Dr. Hopper has designed and implemented transformative initiatives that improve individual and system-wide health outcomes by bridging science and operational excellence. \n\n\n\nHe is actively participating in several innovative and targeted projects designed to improve health system collaboration\, cost-efficiency\, and outcomes. At The Hopper Group\, his team-based practice\, Dr. Hopper continues to innovate by employing and refining registry-centered team care\, lifestyle principles\, and targeted cognitive techniques. \n\n\n\nRead more\nDuring his tenure as National Medical Director of Integrated Care at Anthem’s Government Business Division and Chief Medical Officer/VP of Clinical Innovation at Humana’s Behavioral Division\, Dr. Hopper led or co-led groundbreaking initiatives\, including integrated case management and the nationwide implementation of the Collaborative Care Model (AIMS Center\, U. Washington). These and many other programs delivered measurable results\, advancing proactive care and principles of the Quintuple Aim long before the term was coined. \n\n\n\nAs Professor and Assistant Dean of Health Systems Science Education at the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine\, Dr. Hopper applied his extensive knowledge of America’s health systems and hands-on expertise in healthcare design to the early phases of curricular design. Dr. Hopper also contributed to the health systems curriculum at the TCU Marion Burnett School of Medicine where he also served as an inaugural physician development coach. \n\n\n\nDr. Hopper has served as President of the Texas Academy of Psychiatry and co-authored multiple papers and guidance tools in association with the National Council’s Medical Director Institute and the American Psychiatric Association. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJenna Parro\, MHA\n\n\n\n\n\nJenna Parro\, MHA is Director of Cross System Strategy and Practice at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute\, where she leads mental health systems change across colleges and communities. With over a decade of experience in public health and community impact\, Jenna specializes in designing scalable frameworks that bridge organizational boundaries to address complex challenges. At the Meadows Institute\, she partners with colleges and universities\, developing comprehensive approaches to campus mental health while also creating new behavioral health pathways that address critical workforce shortages and promote economic mobility.  \n\n\n\nRead more\nIn her previous role at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin\, Jenna built coalitions focused on addressing social and structural drivers of health in communities. Her expertise spans strategic partnership development\, systems analysis\, and translating complex research into actionable policy and practice solutions. Jenna began her career as a health educator directly serving college students\, which allows her to bring a deep understanding of direct service delivery to her current systems-level work. She holds an undergraduate degree in Anthropology from The University of Texas at Austin and completed a Master of Health Administration at Texas State University.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Garima Singh \n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Garima Singh is a triple board–certified physician in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry\, General Psychiatry\, and Addiction Medicine. She serves as adjunct faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Missouri\, participates as an expert panelist for the ECHO Child and Adolescent Psychiatry program\, and is the president of the Missouri Psychiatry Physician Association.  \n\n\n\nRead more\nDeeply passionate about evidence-based medicine\, Dr. Singh is committed to integrating cutting-edge research and novel clinical innovations into everyday practice. Her work emphasizes the seamless integration of medical and behavioral health services\, ensuring that care is both comprehensive and patient-centered.  \n\n\n\nIn her current role\, Dr. Singh focuses on transformative healthcare delivery models\, including telehealth and integrated\, collaborative care systems\, with a particular emphasis on improving access in rural and underserved communities.  \n\n\n\nBeyond her clinical and academic work\, Dr. Singh is dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders. She actively mentors young professionals\, supports leadership development\, and contributes to building platforms that foster training\, growth\, and innovation across the behavioral health and medical fields.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\nSeries Topics \nSession 1: Maximizing Existing Roles (January 2026) \n\n\n\nSession 2: Training the Allied Workforce (February 2026) \n\n\n\nSession 3: Technology as an Extender (March 2026) \n\n\n\nSession 4: Lived Experience as a Resource (April 2026) \n\n\n\n\nBackground\n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nThe Workforce Solutions Partnership is 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.
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/workforce-solutions-jam-extending-the-behavioral-health-workforce-maximizing-existing-roles/
CATEGORIES:Public,Workforce Solutions Jam
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260217T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260217T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20251216T143022Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260212T194958Z
UID:10000446-1771333200-1771336800@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Workforce Solutions Jam | Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce: Training the Allied Workforce
DESCRIPTION:Workforce Solutions Jam | Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce: Training the Allied Workforce\n\n\n\nTuesday\, February 17\, 2026 | 10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETEvent Length: One Hour \n\n\n\nThis 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).  \n\n\n\nBeginning in January\, the Workforce Solutions Partnership will be launching a four-part webinar series titled Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce: Innovative Strategies for Integrated Care. This series showcases scalable\, practical innovations that expand behavioral health workforce capacity while preserving quality of care. Each session explores a distinct strategy\, from enhancing existing roles to leveraging lived experience and technology\, to help organizations meet rising demand through integrated\, community-centered approaches. \n\n\n\nJoin us in February for Training the Allied Workforce. As behavioral health systems grapple with persistent workforce shortages and growing demand\, many organizations are rethinking who delivers care and how. Part two of this four‑part series explores emerging models that equip frontline workers and other non‑licensed staff with foundational behavioral health skills to extend care capacity\, particularly in underserved and rural communities. This session will highlight how internal training programs\, youth‑ and peer‑informed approaches\, and community‑centered service models are being used to strengthen care teams\, support integrated care\, and improve access to critical behavioral health services. \n\n\n\nLearning Objectives \n\n\n\n\nExplore emerging workforce models that prepare frontline workers and other non‑licensed staff to deliver evidence‑informed behavioral health support in clinical and community‑based settings.\n\n\n\nAssess how community‑centered approaches can improve access to care and continuity of services\, particularly in underserved or hard‑to‑reach populations.\n\n\n\nIdentify strategies for developing internal training programs that expand care capacity while maintaining quality\, supervision\, and appropriate scope of practice\n\n\n\n\nAudience: We welcome all who are interested in behavioral health workforce expansion. The material is primarily structured to provide maximum value to clinicians and clinical leaders. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Information\n\n\n\n\n\nCarolina “Lena” Ayala\n\n\n\n\n\nCarolina “Lena” Ayala is a Community As Medicine coach at Open Source Wellness. She is a mother\, wife\, author and crossing guard. She holds many titles and positions but what is most important is the healing journey she continues to be on in relation to self\, people\, food\, movement and medicine.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Chakema Carmack\n\n\n\n\n\nChakema Carmack\, Ph.D. is a community psychologist with a specialty in statistics and methodology. Dr. Carmack currently contributes to the field of prevention science through teaching\, community involvement\, and personally meaningful research. Her specific interests involve reducing the incidence of HIV and other STIs in African American and Hispanic communities. Her focus is on using health behavior theory and research to create\, tailor\, and evaluate behavioral STI risk-reduction programs that reflect the unique cultural needs of these populations. Other areas of research focus involve the use of complex adaptive systems methodology and latent variable modeling to explore associations between psychosocial cognitions and sexual risk behavior. \n\n\n\nRead more\nEducation: Ph.D. in Community Psychology\, Specialty: Statistics & Methodology\, Wichita State University\, 2007Dual Appointment Post-Doc: Prevention Research Center & The Methodology Center\, The Pennsylvania State University\, 2010 \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Damien Kelly\n\n\n\n\n\nA Native Houstonian\, Damien Kelly\, Ed.D.\, MS-HRM\, has served in social service organizations for nearly two decades\, specializing in service to homeless and low-income communities. As an advocate for social change\, he has also done missionary work in parts of the Dominican Republic\, Mexico\, Honduras\, and India. He has been a director for multiple organizations and is now refocusing his career to align with research initiatives attributable to his unwavering belief that today’s research can lead to tomorrow’s cure. He earned a Doctorate in Education and Ethical Leadership from the University of St. Thomas\, a Master of Science in Human Resources Management from Houston Baptist University\, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Texas Southern University. \n\n\n\nRead more\nDr. Kelly’s research is interdisciplinary\, integrating population health\, housing policy\, mental health\, community-based research\, and social justice. He focuses on systemic inequalities\, particularly how housing\, healthcare access\, and mental health service gaps affect marginalized groups. His work also demonstrates a strong community engagement and policy analysis component\, positioning him as a scholar who is deeply invested in equity-driven research. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Elizabeth Markle\n\n\n\n\n\nElizabeth Markle\, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist\, speaker\, writer\, researcher\, and Professor of Community Mental Health at California Institute of Integral Studies.  She is the co-founder and Executive Director of Open Source Wellness\, a national nonprofit offering experiential behavioral health and wellness via a “Community As Medicine” approach in collaboration with healthcare providers\, payors\, and community based organizations. \n\n\n\nRead more\nDr. Markle earned her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University and her M.A. in Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard University\, and her postdoctoral training in Primary Care-Mental Health Integration at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. Dr. Markle is a thought leader in the field of health and wellness and has been sought-after as a consultant for her unique insights and expertise in clinic-community integration\, innovative approaches to mental health\, and group facilitation.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Elizabeth C. Morrison\n\n\n\n\n\nElizabeth C. Morrison\, Ph.D.\, LCSW is the co-creator of The Lay Counselor Academy and the leader of Flourish Counseling Services. Elizabeth’s driving force is her passion to centralize empathy and the human connection throughout health and and social care systems. She has dedicated her career to expanding access to high quality mental health services\, first as a vanguard in the Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) field where she was one of the first leaders to establish IBH at a community health center (CHC) in California\, going on to help countless other CHCs integrated behavioral health services over the past two decades. \n\n\n\nRead more\nAs a co-creator of The Lay Counselor Academy\, Elizabeth has trained over 1\,100 community members to provide mental health counseling in their communities\, expanding access to high quality\, culturally concordant care. Elizabeth launched Flourish in 2020\, to “help the helpers” by providing easy access to high quality mental health care for employees of health and social care organizations. The Flourish team prioritizes skills over degrees\, and for this reason\, is a mix of licensed clinicians and lay counselors\, who do the same work\, for equal pay. Elizabeth holds a PhD in psychology from Blanquerna University\, has a Master of Social Welfare from UCLA\, and a Master Addiction Counselor Certification from the National Association of Addiction Professionals. She has been a practicing clinician for over 30 years.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\nSubmit Your Questions\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBackground\n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nThe Workforce Solutions Partnership is the new 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.
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/workforce-solutions-jam-extending-the-behavioral-health-workforce-training-the-allied-workforce/
CATEGORIES:Public,Workforce Solutions Jam
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260317T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260317T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20251216T143551Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T164408Z
UID:10000447-1773752400-1773756000@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Workforce Solutions Jam | Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce: Technology as an Extender
DESCRIPTION:Workforce Solutions Jam | Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce: Technology as an Extender\n\n\n\nTuesday\, March 17\, 2026 | 10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETEvent Length: One Hour \n\n\n\nThis 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).  \n\n\n\nBeginning in January\, the Workforce Solutions Partnership will be launching a four-part webinar series titled Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce: Innovative Strategies for Integrated Care. This series showcases scalable\, practical innovations that expand behavioral health workforce capacity while preserving quality of care. Each session explores a distinct strategy\, from enhancing existing roles to leveraging lived experience and technology\, to help organizations meet rising demand through integrated\, community-centered approaches. \n\n\n\nJoin us in March for Technology as an Extender.  \n\n\n\nTechnology plays an increasingly significant role in helping behavioral health organizations extend capacity and enhance service quality. In this session\, we’ll explore how artificial intelligence (AI)\, digital platforms\, and virtual training tools can be used to streamline workflows\, modernize clinical operations\, and accelerate workforce development in practical and meaningful ways. Join us for a conversation about how emerging technology can support clinical judgment in behavioral health care settings. We’ll highlight opportunities for improved supervision\, documentation efficiency\, training standardization\, and real‑time quality improvement. \n\n\n\n\nLearning Objectives: \n\n\n\n\nExplore how digital modernization efforts can reduce administrative burden\, expand access to skills‑building\, and support consistent\, person‑centered care across diverse behavioral health settings.\n\n\n\nLearn how emerging technologies\, such as AI‑supported tools\, digital platforms\, and virtual training systems\, can extend the behavioral health workforce and improve care delivery.\n\n\n\nDiscuss ethical\, regulatory\, and equity considerations in implementing technology‑enabled workflows\, including the importance of safeguarding ethics\, equity\, and human oversight.\n\n\n\n\n\nAudience: We welcome all who are interested in behavioral health workforce expansion and technology. The material is primarily structured to provide maximum value to clinicians and organizational leadership. \n\n\n\nSeries Topics \nSession 1: Maximizing Existing Roles (January 2026) \n\n\n\nSession 2: Training the Allied Workforce (February 2026) \n\n\n\nSession 3: Technology as an Extender (March 2026) \n\n\n\nSession 4: Lived Experience as a Resource (April 2026) \n\n\n\n\nSpeaker Information\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Zac Imel\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Zac Imel is a  Professor with Counseling Psychology Program in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Utah and also holds an Adjunct appointment in the Department of Psychiatry. \n\n\n\nRead more\nHe received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Counseling Psychology doctoral program (APA-Accredited). He completed his pre-doctoral intern at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS) in Seattle. He was a clinical research post-doctoral fellow with the Mental Illness Research\, Education\, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at VAPSHCS (APA-Accredited). As a faculty member\, his primary interests involve research\, teaching\, and service related to the promotion and understanding of quality mental health treatment -with a specific focus on psychotherapy. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlexandra Plante\n\n\n\n\n\nAlexandra Plante is a Senior Advisor of Substance Use at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing\, and works alongside the United Nations Office of Drug Control Policy (UNODC) on unethical practices in substance use disorder treatment and recovery. Previously she has served as a consultant to U.S. federal agencies and state policymakers\, international agencies\, and private entities such as Google. \n\n\n\nRead more\nHer writing has been featured in outlets such as Harvard Health Publications\, Psychology Today\, and The Fix. She holds a M.A. in Quantitative Research in Communications\, and previously served as a Director at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School – Recovery Research Institute\, and DynamiCare Health. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRosa M. Thomas\, MA\, LLP\n\n\n\n\n\nRosa M. Thomas\, MA\, LLP is a senior healthcare executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience across behavioral health\, crisis response systems\, and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). She has led large-scale operational transformation initiatives focused on improving access\, strengthening quality\, reducing psychiatric hospitalization\, and integrating behavioral and primary care within highly regulated environments.  \n\n\n\nRead more\nRosa holds a master’s degree in psychology with certifications in neuropsychology and integrated healthcare delivery. She played a key leadership role in the development and launch of Michigan’s statewide Crisis and Access Line (MiCAL) and was appointed by the Governor of Michigan to serve on the School Safety and Mental Health Commission. Her expertise spans clinical operations\, regulatory compliance\, workforce strategy\, and system redesign within publicly funded behavioral health systems. \n\n\n\nShe completed executive certification in AI Strategies for Business Transformation at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Rosa advises healthcare and nonprofit leaders on operational standard operating procedures (SOPs)\, governance frameworks\, and human-in-the-loop models that integrate AI responsibly while safeguarding clinical judgment\, compliance\, workforce clarity\, and sensitive information. Her work bridges executive strategy with ethical stewardship in care delivery. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nBackground\n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nThe Workforce Solutions Partnership is the new 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.
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/workforce-solutions-jam-extending-the-behavioral-health-workforce-technology-as-an-extender/
CATEGORIES:Public,Workforce Solutions Jam
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260319T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260319T135000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151252
CREATED:20260310T164452Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T164605Z
UID:10000449-1773925200-1773928200@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Mentorship in Motion with Gary M. Blau | Fostering Partnerships with Families and Youth
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an honest conversation with Gary M. Blau\, Ph.D. \n\n\n\nIn this dialogue with Gary M. Blau\, Ph.D.\, we’ll explore what it truly means to foster authentic partnerships with families and youth\, as a driving force in the development and implementation of services and supports\, organizational leadership\, and system design and reform. Together\, we’ll reflect on how leaders can move beyond engagement to co-creation\, building trust\, shared power\, and sustainable collaboration. \n\n\n\nComplimentary for CBHL Members | $25 for Non-CBHL Members \n\n\n\n\nRegister via Glue Up\n\n\n\n\nGary M. Blau\, Ph.D.Executive Director Emeritus\, The Hackett Center; Senior Fellow for Children’s Mental Health\, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute of Meadows Mental Health Policy InstituteFounder of “Gary M. Blau\, Ph.D. & Associates” Gary M. Blau\, Ph.D.\, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who serves as the Founder of “Gary M. Blau\, Ph.D. & Associates.” He is also Executive Director Emeritus of The Hackett Center for Mental Health and a Senior Fellow for Children’s Mental Health for the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. With over 30 years of experience as a leader in the field of child\, youth\, and family mental health\, Dr. Blau most recently served as the Senior Advisor for Children\, Youth and Families in the Office of the Assistant Secretary at the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). He had previously served as Chief of the Child\, Adolescent and Family Branch for SAMHSA where he provided national leadership for child\, adolescent\, and young adult mental health\, and created “systems of care” across the United States.Dr. Blau has over 70 professional publications and is the editor of nine books. He previously held a clinical faculty appointment at the Yale Child Study Center\, and more recently he was appointed as an Adjunct Clinical Professor at the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Baylor College of Medicine\, and as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Louis A. Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health.\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat are CBHL Mentorship in Motion Dialogues? \nMentorship in Motion brings leaders together for honest conversations about leadership in behavioral health. Through shared experiences and lived wisdom\, participants will gain insights that they can carry into their own leadership journeys. \n\n\n\nWe invite attendees to join with cameras on\, if possible\, and come prepared to engage in thoughtful discussion and shared reflection. \n\n\n\nThis event will be delivered live and will not be recorded. \n\n\n\n\nThe purpose of CBHL Mentorship in Motion is to: \n\nLearn from Leadership Journeys: Gain insight from experienced behavioral health leaders as they share lessons learned\, pivotal moments\, and perspectives that have shaped their leadership paths.\n\n\n\nEngage in Honest Dialogue: Participate in open and thoughtful conversations about the challenges and opportunities of leadership in behavioral health\, creating a space for reflection and shared understanding.\n\n\n\nStrengthen Leadership Community: Build connections with fellow CBHL members through meaningful dialogue that supports mentorship\, peer learning\, and the development of behavioral health leaders.
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/mentorship-in-motion-garyblau/
CATEGORIES:Members Only,Mentorship in Motion,Public
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260421T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260421T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151253
CREATED:20251216T143635Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T164458Z
UID:10000448-1776776400-1776780000@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Workforce Solutions Jam | Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce: Alaska’s BH Aide Model   
DESCRIPTION:Workforce Solutions Jam | Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce: Alaska’s BH Aide Model   \n\n\n\nTuesday\, April 21\, 2026 | 10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETEvent Length: One Hour \n\n\n\nThis 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).  \n\n\n\nIn January\, the Workforce Solutions Partnership launched a four-part webinar series titled Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce: Innovative Strategies for Integrated Care. This series showcases scalable\, practical innovations that expand behavioral health workforce capacity while preserving quality of care. Each session explores a distinct strategy\, from enhancing existing roles to leveraging lived experience and technology\, to help organizations meet rising demand through integrated\, community-centered approaches.   \n\n\n\nJoin us for our final session in April to explore Alaska’s Behavioral Health Aide Model.   \n\n\n\nAddressing the workforce shortages in rural and frontier communities has been a decades long concern. Rural and frontier communities have unique needs and require trusted relationships with a workforce that is representative of the communities served. The Behavioral Health Aide (BHA) program in Alaska was initiated in 2009 by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC). It was designed to provide behavioral health prevention\, treatment\, and recovery services in rural Alaska through a “counselor-in-every-village” where communities may have 100 or fewer residents. The model has grown to a statewide approach with a formal training curriculum\, Medicaid reimbursement\, and solid evaluation and outcomes.  Join us to hear lessons learned\, BHA’s process of development and how Alaska has supported other communities by scaling this solution. As we launch Rural Health Transformation efforts nationally\, this is a timely and important discussion on what works in rural and tribal communities.    \n\n\n\nLearning Objectives:   \n\n\n\n\nDiscuss the need for expansion of the workforce through engagement of community members in meeting behavioral health needs.  \n\n\n\n\n\nExplore the specific BH Aide model and how individuals are identified\, trained and paid for supporting communities.  \n\n\n\n\n\nLearn about the outcomes and evaluation of the model.  \n\n\n\n\n\nDiscuss lessons learned and how the model core components can be scaled in other states and communities.  \n\n\n\n\nAudience: We welcome all who are interested in behavioral health workforce expansion. The material is primarily structured to provide maximum value to state\, county\, and community leadership looking to scale solutions for expansion of the workforce.   \n\n\n\nSpeaker Information\n\n\n\n\n\nRebekah Falkner\, LMSW\n\n\n\n\n\nRebekah Falkner rejoined National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) in 2022.  Most recently\, Rebekah has focused on the behavioral health workforce shortage\, rural mental health care delivery\, and the expansion of peer services in Texas.  Rebekah has also worked on the Texas 1115 Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program and Money Follows the Person.  Prior to working in Texas\, Rebekah was a part of NASHP’s work in Arkansas centering on supported employment.  Rebekah grew up in Mississippi\, earning a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Social Work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJosie Poiyuna Garnie\, A.A.S.\, HUMS\, BHP\n\n\n\n\n\nJosie Poiyuna Garnie is Iñupiaq\, the daughter of Joe Garnie and Helen Okbaok\, born and raised in Teller. She is also the mother of Lauryn and Aubrina and grandmother of Adelyn. Josie has been a Village Based Counselor (VBC) for Norton Sound Health Corporation since 1997 and supervises other VBCs in the Bering Strait region. She received her Rural Human Services Certificate and AAS degree in Human Services from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Josie is a certified Behavioral Health Aide Practitioner. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXiomara Owens\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Xiomara “Xio” Owens grew up in Wasilla\, Alaska and currently lives in Anchorage with her wife and their five children. Xio obtained her PhD in Clinical-Community Psychology from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Since 2009\, Xio has worked in the Behavioral Health Aide (BHA) Program at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium; her work with the BHA program began as a practicum student and she now serves tribes and tribal health organizations across the state in her role as the Director of Behavioral Health Aide Training. Xio is passionate about workforce development\, holistic healthcare\, and serving populations that have historically be underserved. In her off time\, Xio enjoys being with her family\, biking\, cooking\, doing puzzles\, and playing games. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBackground\n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nThe Workforce Solutions Partnership is the new 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.
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/workforce-solutions-jam-extending-the-behavioral-health-workforce-alaska-bh-aide-model/
CATEGORIES:Public,Workforce Solutions Jam
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://leaders4health-offload-media.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/06151502/WSJ-Event-Image.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260429T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260429T150000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151253
CREATED:20260406T155744Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T145316Z
UID:10000450-1777471200-1777474800@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Mentorship in Motion with Ron Manderscheid | Lessons from a Lifetime in Behavioral Health Leadership
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an honest conversation with Ron Manderscheid\, Ph.D. \n\n\n\nIn this dialogue\, Ron Manderscheid\, Ph.D. will reflect on key moments and experiences from his career and explore their implications for behavioral health leadership today. Through storytelling and candid insight\, he will offer perspective on how individual leadership journeys intersect with broader system change.  \n\n\n\nWith a career spanning federal leadership roles\, national policy\, academic appointments\, and executive leadership across major behavioral health organizations\, Ron brings a unique\, systems-level perspective grounded in decades of advancing social justice and whole-person care. His work has consistently elevated the voices of individuals with lived experience and their families while shaping national conversations on behavioral health. \n\n\n\nParticipants will have the opportunity to engage in dialogue\, ask questions\, and reflect on how these lessons can inform their own leadership paths. This interactive session invites leaders at all levels to consider how experience\, timing\, and decision-making contribute to lasting impact in behavioral health. \n\n\n\nComplimentary for CBHL Members | $25 for Non-CBHL Members \n\n\n\n\nRegister via Glue Up\n\n\n\n\nRon Manderscheid\, Ph.D.Partner and Director at Capstone Solutions Consuliting Group\, Adjunct Professor at the Department of Mental Health\, Bloomberg School of Public Health\, Johns Hopkins University\, and Adjunct Professor\, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work\, University of Southern California. Ron Manderscheid\, Ph.D.\, has a life-long commitment to social-good and social-justice. This is reflected through a career that spans national work with the Congress and Administration\, federal agencies\, NGOs\, and university teaching. He serves currently as Partner and Director at Capstone Solutions Consulting Group\, Adjunct Professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health\, Johns Hopkins University\, and at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work\, University of Southern California. Until recently\, he was President/CEO\, National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors and National Association for Rural Mental Health. Both organizations represent county and local authorities in the DC community. Concurrently\, Dr. Manderscheid serves on the boards of the Global Leadership Exchange\, the NASMHPD Research Institute\, and the Danya Institute. He also served until recently as the Co-Chair of the National Coalition for Whole Health and on the boards of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and the National Grand Challenge for Social Work Initiative. Past appointments include Director of Mental Health and Substance Use Programs at the Global Health Sector of SRA International and several federal leadership roles at the National Institute of Mental Health\, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration\, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health\, U.S. Department of HHS. Throughout his career\, he has emphasized and promoted the concerns of peers with behavioral health conditions and their family members. Dr. Manderscheid was a Member of the HHS Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Healthy People 2020; the Clinton Healthcare Reform Task Force; President of the Federal Executive Institute Alumni Association (FEIAA) and Foundation; Chair of the APHA Mental Health Section and Governing Council\, and a member of the post-9/11 Work Group; Chairperson of the Sociological Practice Section of the American Sociological Association; President of the Washington Academy of Sciences and the District of Columbia Sociological Society; and President of The College for Behavioral Health Leadership.He edited eight editions of Mental Health\, United States\, co-edited Outcome Measurement in the Human Services\, and contributed to Public Mental Health\, First and Second Editions. He also published more than 550 scientific and professional papers on services to persons with mental illness and substance use conditions. He currently serves on several editorial boards and prepares a periodic blog. For almost two decades\, he served on the editorial board of Behavioral Healthcare Executive (www.behavioral.net).\n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat are CBHL Mentorship in Motion Dialogues? \nMentorship in Motion brings leaders together for honest conversations about leadership in behavioral health. Through shared experiences and lived wisdom\, participants will gain insights that they can carry into their own leadership journeys. \n\n\n\nWe invite attendees to join with cameras on\, if possible\, and come prepared to engage in thoughtful discussion and shared reflection. \n\n\n\nThis event will be delivered live and will not be recorded. All registrations are final and non-refundable. \n\n\n\n\nThe purpose of CBHL Mentorship in Motion is to: \n\nLearn from Leadership Journeys: Gain insight from experienced behavioral health leaders as they share lessons learned\, pivotal moments\, and perspectives that have shaped their leadership paths.\n\n\n\nEngage in Honest Dialogue: Participate in open and thoughtful conversations about the challenges and opportunities of leadership in behavioral health\, creating a space for reflection and shared understanding.\n\n\n\nStrengthen Leadership Community: Build connections with fellow CBHL members through meaningful dialogue that supports mentorship\, peer learning\, and the development of behavioral health leaders.
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/mentorship-in-motion-with-ron-manderscheid-lessons-from-a-lifetime-in-behavioral-health-leadership/
CATEGORIES:Members Only,Mentorship in Motion,Public
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260519T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260519T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T151253
CREATED:20260416T155705Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T174803Z
UID:10000451-1779195600-1779199200@www.leaders4health.org
SUMMARY:Workforce Solutions Jam | Building the Future Workforce: Youth Pathways into Behavioral Health Careers
DESCRIPTION:Workforce Solutions Jam | Building the Future Workforce: Youth Pathways into Behavioral Health Careers\n\n\n\nTuesday\, May 19\, 2026 | 10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ETEvent Length: One Hour \n\n\n\nThis 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).  \n\n\n\nWebinar description: As demand for behavioral health services continues to grow nationwide\, strengthening the workforce pipeline must begin earlier\, by engaging and supporting youth and young adults as future professionals\, advocates\, and peers. This Workforce Solutions Jam will spotlight innovative\, real-world strategies that are expanding pathways into behavioral health careers while centering lived experience\, equity\, and sustainability.  \n\n\n\nFeaturing leaders from workforce development\, provider networks\, and youth-led movements\, this session will explore how cross-sector partnerships\, policy and reimbursement strategies\, and youth-driven program design can collectively build a stronger\, more resilient behavioral health workforce. Panelists will share lessons learned from advancing career pathways for youth\, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities\, and discuss how to cultivate a mission-driven workforce in under-resourced and highly regulated environments.  \n\n\n\nParticipants will leave with actionable insights on how to design\, support\, and scale youth-focused workforce initiatives that not only address shortages but also transform the future of behavioral health care.  \n\n\n\nLearning Objectives:   \n\n\n\n\nIdentify key barriers and opportunities in developing youth-centered behavioral health workforce pathways\, including policy\, funding\, and system-level challenges \n\n\n\n\n\nExplore innovative models for engaging youth and young adults as peer advocates\, trainees\, and future behavioral health professionals \n\n\n\n\n\nUnderstand the role of cross-sector partnerships (e.g.\, education\, workforce systems\, provider organizations) in building sustainable career pipelines \n\n\n\n\n\nExamine strategies to support inclusive workforce development\, particularly for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those with lived experience \n\n\n\n\n\nApply practical approaches to strengthen recruitment\, training\, and retention of a mission-driven behavioral health workforce starting at the youth level \n\n\n\n\nAudience: We welcome all who are interested in building youth pathways into the behavioral health workforce. The material is primarily structured to provide maximum value to behavioral health leaders\, workforce development organizations\, policymakers\, and youth-serving organizations developing and supporting early career pipelines.  \n\n\n\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nArc Telos Saint Amour\n\n\n\n\n\nArc Telos Saint Amour (they/them) is a disabled\, queer and trans\, Two-Spirit person of Mexican Native Indigenous descent (Coahuiltecan).   \n\n\n\nGrowing up houseless and hungry\, in and out of child welfare\, mental health\, and other systems\, they eventually found themselves gang-involved and carceral system-impacted\, which fortunately is where they found the power of peer support. Although still systems-impacted today\, Telos has taken their identity as a victim/survivor of childhood trauma and developed that lived and living experience into a passion for systems change\, policy reform\, and abolitionist\, decolonization practices.  \n\n\n\nRead more\nBelieving in self-agency and bodily autonomy\, Arc Telos considers themselves to be a peer supporter and a harm reductionist\, trying to empower others while navigating their own co-occurring serious mental illness and substance use journey. This has led them to a deep belief in Native Indigenous Animism\, radical empathy\, and the power of holistic affirmation and healing. Professionally\, Arc Telos spent over ten years as a national executive business developer\, opening new businesses all over the US. Following this\, Arc Telos has spent over ten years as an executive leader in the non-profit field\, leading organizations through-out the nation centering Justice\, Equity\, Diversity\, and Inclusion (JEDI) practices and using trauma-informed and intersectionality-based frameworks. Currently they are the Executive Director of Youth MOVE National\, deeply embedded within youth advocacy work\, and the CEO of A.T. Consulting\, as well as involved in several boards (Black and Pink\, ForYouPage.Org\, Unified Youth\, etc.). Telos is of course more than just their career and identities. They are deeply passionate about all genres of music\, documentaries\, hiking and other outdoor adventures (in which they are infamous for achieving minor injuries and the loss of shoes)\, and absolutely refusing to be anyone other than Princess Peach in Mario Kart or Mario Party.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHeather Mathews\n\n\n\n\n\nHeather Mathews is the Executive Director of The Arc of Greater New Orleans (ArcGNO)\, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting inclusion and supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A licensed clinical social worker\, she brings experience working with individuals with co-occurring developmental disabilities and mental health needs\, and focuses on expanding workforce opportunities\, strengthening community integration\, and advancing supportive policies. Under her leadership\, ArcGNO has strengthened its position as a trusted regional resource\, while expanding innovative workforce development initiatives and social enterprises that create meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRebekah Falkner\, LMSW\n\n\n\n\n\nRebekah Falkner rejoined National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) in 2022.  Most recently\, Rebekah has focused on the behavioral health workforce shortage\, rural mental health care delivery\, and the expansion of peer services in Texas.  Rebekah has also worked on the Texas 1115 Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program and Money Follows the Person.  Prior to working in Texas\, Rebekah was a part of NASHP’s work in Arkansas centering on supported employment.  Rebekah grew up in Mississippi\, earning a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Social Work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSydney Carter\, MPH\, BBA\n\n\n\n\n\nSydney Carter is the WREDI Program Manager at The Network of Behavioral Health Providers (NBHP)\, a behavioral health workforce development initiative.  Sydney Carter served (NBHP) as the Policy Program & Special Projects Manager until March 2025\, during which her duties included assisting with the WREDI Program at half capacity. Immediately prior\, she served as the Program & Policy Coordinator for NBHP.  \n\n\n\nRead more\nPrior to joining NBHP in July 2020 as The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health\, Mental Health Policy Fellow\, Sydney completed her Master of Public Health program at The University of Texas (UTHealth) Health Science Center at Houston\, School of Public Health\, with a focus in Healthcare Management. Before that\, she graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a focus in Operations Management and a minor in Health Education.  Sydney has work experience in varying sectors\, including: mental health and substance use\, policy & legislative advocacy\, cancer care\, corporate wellness\, information technology\, business\, education\, and general fitness. Sydney is a passionate advocate for mental health and substance use access and policy change\, especially in Texas\, and also is a lifelong advocate for animal welfare in her personal life. In her free time\, she enjoys volunteering at the Houston SPCA\, reading\, exercising\, traveling\, being outdoors\, and spending time with family\, friends\, and her 4-year-old-dog-who-is-still-a-puppy\, Theo.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBackground\n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nThe Workforce Solutions Partnership is the new 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.
URL:https://www.leaders4health.org/event/workforce-solutions-jam-building-the-future-workforce-youth-pathways-into-behavioral-health-careers/
CATEGORIES:Public,Workforce Solutions Jam
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