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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260317T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260317T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T140359
CREATED:20251216T143551Z
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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:20260522T140359
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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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260421T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260421T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T140359
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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260429T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260429T150000
DTSTAMP:20260522T140359
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://leaders4health-offload-media.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/10123707/Mentorship-in-Motion-Thumbnail-600-x-500-px-2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260519T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260519T140000
DTSTAMP:20260522T140359
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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