Videos & Webinars

Misty Cromwell is the Executive Director of the Muskingum Area Mental Health & Recovery Services Board. She has been employed with the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board for 8 years, assuming the Executive Director’s position in August 2019. Misty leads the staff of 8 in creating and maintaining a system that provides mental health and substance abuse services to individuals and families in a six-county area. Misty has worked in the behavioral health arena since 1994. Misty earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Social Work from the Ohio State University. She has over 15 years of experience in community mental health working directly with diverse populations whose needs range from crisis management, inpatient psychiatric stabilization, trauma/loss, and chemical dependency. 

Tim DeWeese is the Director of Johnson County Mental Health Center.  The Mental Health Center is a department of Johnson County (KS) Government and employs more than 400 staff who provide behavioral health services to nearly 12,000 county residents annually.  Tim possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Missouri Southern State University and a Master of Social Work Administration degree from the University of Kansas.  He is a Licensed Mental Health Professional in Kansas and has over 30 years of experience in community mental health, where he has worked in various capacities. He possesses extensive knowledge and experience in the public mental health delivery system, client-centered leadership, and program design/development.  Tim also served more than 10 years as a commissioned officer in the Army Reserve and National Guard.

Jamie McGrew is the Care Management Director at the Muskingum Area Mental Health and Recovery Services Board. Ms. McGrew’s responsibilities at the MHRS Board cover a wide variety of areas but include coordinating training and maintaining partnerships with community members, first responders, schools, and service providers. Ms. McGrew acts as a liaison for five Suicide Prevention Coalitions covering six counties and assists with coordinating resources and activities for those Coalitions, oversees the Quick Response Teams in six counties, coordinates an 8 county Critical Incident Stress Management Team, is the CIT Coordinator for the Crisis Intervention Training for the six-county region, is the regional coordinator for the Handle With Care program, and provides community trainings in QPR, Vital Cog, PAX Tools, and Trauma Informed Care.  

Jessica Murphy, LMSW is an Emergency Services Deputy Division Director at Johnson County Mental Health Center (JCMHC) in Johnson County, Kansas. With over 17 years of experience in the mental health field, Jessica has held various positions such as attendant care, case manager, and crisis clinician before becoming the team leader for the Johnson County Co-Responder program in 2017. In that position, she started three programs and expanded four others, leading the county team from 11 co-responders to 20.5 positions in 2022. Most recently, Jessica oversaw the development and implementation of having a “civilian responder” model in Johnson County with the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT), which aims to provide the community with the right response to mental health crises.

Dr. Christopher Zubiate is an esteemed leader in health policy, administration, and practice. He possesses over two decades of experience, dedicating his professional career to serve some of California’s most disenfranchised and unhealthy populations—those suffering from persistent mental illness. His personal experiences as a member of the Native American community, paired with his expertise in healthcare administration and clinical social work, underpin his unique ability to effect changes that result in more inclusive, innovative, and cost-effective systems. At present, Dr. Zubiate holds the position of President and CEO of Ever Well Health Systems, an organization committed to advancing and integrating behavioral healthcare across the country. He also offers his expertise as a Charter Member of Legatus, an organization for top-ranking Catholic business leaders.

Dr. Gina Lasky, PhD, MAPL, is a Managing Director for Behavioral Health at Health Management Associates (HMA). Dr. Lasky is a national expert in behavioral health strategy, policy, clinical design and operations and partnership development. Her career combines experience as a licensed psychologist with decades of experience in the public sector with a depth of system and policy design as well as expertise in cross- sector leadership. Working with states, counties, managed care plans and large providers across the country, her work focuses on behavioral health system design, payment and quality, program innovation and operations including workforce. She is passionate about effective implementation of behavioral health integration and supporting providers on quality improvement such as enhancing measurement- based care; bringing behavioral health services into the community; partnership development; and leveraging human centered design in behavioral health. Dr. Lasky earned her master’s and doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Denver and a master’s degree in public leadership with a specialization in multi-sector management from George Washington University.

Brie Reimann, is Vice President of Practice Improvement and Consulting at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, a membership organization that drives policy and social change on behalf of 3,200 mental health and substance use treatment organizations and the more than 10 million children, adults and families they serve. In her role she provides department leadership over 30+ practice improvement initiatives that aim to improve access to and quality of care for individuals living with mental illness and substance use concerns. She is a passionate change leader who believes that all individuals and families should have equitable access to quality health care services.

Holly Salazar, MPH, is Chief Executive Officer of The College for Behavioral Health Leadership (CBHL), a leadership organization supporting current and emerging cross-sector leaders with learned and lived experience to collectively advance behavioral health in North America. Holly has worked for more than 15 years in public and community health roles in community-based, non-profit, health care, and local government organizations. An experienced systems leader, Holly engages with cross-sector leaders to form strong partnerships and create transformative change. Holly believes in the power of true collaboration and leveraging collective talents to solve problems.

Rachel Kessler, MSW, has over eight years of experience in the nonprofit and public sectors. She began her career providing community-based wraparound mental health services for youth and families involved in the child welfare system and moved into human service roles within local government. Since joining the National Council in 2020, Kessler has engaged in diverse initiatives from business development, stakeholder engagement, research, and has launched national workforce projects with a key focus on meaningful collaboration. Kessler holds a Master of Social Welfare (MSW) from the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a bachelor’s degree in human development from California State University, Long Beach.

Robin Trush, MA | Principal, Health Management Associates (HMA)

Robin Trush is a seasoned healthcare innovator, having held leadership roles within state government, Medicaid managed care companies and care delivery systems. As Children’s Bureau Chief for the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Vice President of Children’s Services at Value Options, she helped guide the implementation of financing and service delivery shifts through the state under their 1115 waiver. Robin has served as Chief Operating Officer at a regional crisis response center in Southern Arizona which operated a call center, mobile team dispatch, 24/7 psychiatric urgent care and a stabilization unit. Additionally, she led the technology and analytics department at a multi-site, integrated provider organization serving clients from birth through geriatrics.

For the past 15 years, Robin has guided local, regional and state-wide technology projects focused on operationalizing and optimizing the use of electronic health records, mobile applications, Heath Information Exchanges (HIEs) and interoperability platforms. Robin holds a Masters Degree in Organizational Management, and has served on both national and state organization Board of Directors.

Jodi Pekkala, MPH | Associate Principal, Health Management Associates (HMA)

Jodi Pekkala is an experienced researcher in healthcare quality measurement and improvement with more than 15 years dedicated to evaluation, quality improvement, and practice transformation. With a background in quality measurement and improvement, Jodi has developed, deployed and evaluated projects related to performance improvement for both health plans and providers of care. She has developed quality strategy with a focus on the integration of performance improvement goals and value-based care initiatives. She has a strong background in quality metrics and data analysis to support this work.

She provides practice coaching to practices of all sizes including solo providers, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), and large, hospital-based practices on topics related to telemedicine, access to care, care management, referrals and care coordination, and quality improvement. She possesses in-depth knowledge of data collection, measurement, and the reporting processes. Ms. Pekkala earned her master’s degree in public health at Columbia University and her bachelor’s degree at Ithaca College. She is a Patient-Centered Medical Home Certified Content Expert™ (PCMH CCE™) and former certified Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) compliance auditor (CHCA).

Born with cerebral palsy, Tim Jin advocates for the rights of anyone with a speech-related disability to have access to the communication tools and support they need. He has used an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device since elementary school in the 1980s. His work has been featured by TEDx and other publications. Mr. Jin graduated from California State University in Long Beach with a degree in speech communication. He lives in Southern California , and also serves on the boards of several nonprofits.  Mr. Jin is in Self Determination and achieving life to the fullest.  He is currently the Co-Director on Empowerment Programs at Disability Voices United.

Felix Guzman is poet, community organizer, and advocate working towards building healthy communities inclusive of all. Sharing the legacy of those who came before him, Felix works on creating opportunities for abolition effecting restorative and transformative change in systems and individuals.  Felix utilizes Self-Direction to help foster personal and professional development allowing access for access to equity and safety for himself. Felix advocates for expansion of Self-Direction to offer others to have the same opportunities to affect empowerment and self-actualization.

Bevin Croft is a Senior Research Associate and director of the Behavioral Health team at the Human Services Research Institute (www.hsri.org). She is co-director of the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems (www.ncapps.acl.gov). She holds principal roles in self-direction research and technical assistance projects and was the principal investigator of a multi-state Demonstration and Evaluation of Self-Direction in Behavioral Health (www.mentalhealthselfdirection.org).

Ebony Chambers McClinton

Ebony Chambers McClinton, Chief Family & Youth Partnership Officer at Stanford Sierra Youth and Families, has over 18 years of experience working with issues of social justice, equity, education, mental health and diversity. Ebony brings both professional and personal life experiences to her work and provides the oversight of advocacy and support to youth and families in the Northern California Region. She is a speaker, educator, and workshop leader who has worked extensively throughout the United States and has served nationally and locally as an advocate and activist for access to care and the elimination of the stigma of mental illness for underserved and unserved communities. Chambers has provided extensive training in cultural competence and culturally responsive practices to schools, universities, social service and mental health agencies through her work in non-profit and for UC Davis Center for Family Focused Practice. Through her classes and trainings, she covers a wide range of topics including examining issues of privilege, power and the role of leaders and educators in a multicultural society.

Terrell Thomas, MSW

Terrell Thomas is a strategic leader who has nearly 20 years of experience working with nonprofits, the educational system, and the governmental sector. She has helped organizations build capacity to advance their mission and DEI
values for the betterment of the community. Her knowledge includes subject matter expertise in the areas of mental and behavioral health, child welfare, and juvenile justice. She brings both professional and personal life experiences to the work, and is extremely passionate about bringing to light disparities to improve outcomes for youth and families.

Aimee Wade, MSW

Aimee Wade is the Executive Director for the County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADM) Board. Aimee has been with the ADM Board for over 11 years, also serving as the Associate Director of Clinical Services and Compliance, Prevention and Training Coordinator during this time. Aimee was an Associate Lecturer for the University of Akron School of Social Work and worked for the Summit County Domestic Relations and Summit County Juvenile Courts prior to her time at the ADM Board. Aimee has also held other social service and criminal justice positions in the Akron and Columbus, Ohio, area over the past 20 years. Aimee attended The Ohio State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Criminology. She also attended the University of Akron, earning a Master of Social Work  degree. Aimee is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervisory Designation, an Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant and an Intercultural Development Inventory Administrator.  

Aly Feye, MPA

Aly Feye is the Director of Operations for the College for Behavioral Health Leadership (CBHL). As part of this role, she serves as the Program Manager for the Equity-Grounded Leadership Fellow Program. Aly has seven years of experience working on efforts improve outcomes for youth and adults with behavioral health needs who may be involved in or at risk of becoming involved in juvenile justice and/or criminal justice systems. Prior to joining CBHL, Aly spent six years at Policy Research Associates, most recently as a Project Associate with SAMHSA’s GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation.

Cherene Caraco has made the last 28 years her personal and professional mission to understand how services and systems can either foster wellness, healing and a high quality of life or can harm the process of recovery.  She has used her experience with behavioral health services and systems throughout the country and as an international and national consultant to Managed Care Organizations, Hospitals, States and Behavioral Health Organizations to operationalize mental health recovery, trauma informed organizational change, integrating high integrity peer support, psychiatric rehabilitation and supported employment. In 2005/2006, Cherene started Promise Resource Network (PRN), a peer-operated and staffed non-profit organization serving people that are uninsured who experience complex combinations of mental health, substance use challenges, houselessness and incarceration.  The organization operates 16 programs including 24/7 crisis alternatives to emergency department and involuntary commitment, jail and prison diversion and re-entry, and houselessness to homeownership programs. In 2019, Cherene started Peer Voice NC, a statewide movement of people directly impacted by mental health issues to organize and mobilize around legislative and practice change. 

Vesper Moore (VES-pur MOR), is an Indigenous activist, trainer, writer, and psychiatric survivor. They have been advocating as a part of the mad and disability rights movements for several years and have been the recipient of many social justice and diversity awards. Vesper has brought the perspectives of mad, labeled mentally ill, neurodivergent, disabled people, and psychiatric survivors to national and international spaces. They have experience working as a consultant for both the United States government and the United Nations in shaping strategies around trauma, intersectionality, and disability rights. They have been at the forefront of legislative reform to shift the societal paradigm around mental health. Vesper as a mad queer indigenous person has made it their life’s mission to rewrite the narrative mental health-industrial complex has enforced on our society. Moore is a mad queer indigenous person of Kiskeia and Borikén Taíno descent and uses they/them pronouns.

Keris Jän Myrick is a Co-Director of S2i, Podcast host of Unapologetically Black Unicorns and serves on the Board of the National Association of Peer Specialists (N.A.P.S.). Ms. Myrick has over 15 years of experience in mental health services innovation, transformation, peer workforce development and authored peer reviewed articles and book chapters. She held executive positions at local, federal, and national levels and was the Board President of NAMI. Ms. Myrick’s work and advocacy has focused on lived experience and race equity. Ms. Myrick is a Certified Personal Medicine Coach, has an M.S. in organizational psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology of Alliant University and MBA from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.

Phyllis Vine is an American historian and freelance writer. Her writings concern grassroots activists fighting for civil right, social justice and disability rights.  Her most recent book, Fighting for Recovery, discusses how people with a lived experience upended conventional models to demand person-centered recovery free of constraints. Her writing has appeared in publications such as The Washington Post, Slate, The Nation, Extra!, Psychology Today, City Limits, Progressive), as well as peer-reviewed journals. Formerly a New Yorker, she now lives in Western Mass., and has walked alongside several relatives in the process of recovery.

Dr. Peter Cornish is an Honorary Research Professor at Memorial University, the Co-Director of Student Mental Health at the University of California Berkeley. His clinical and research interests include online mental health, stepped care treatments, mental health service innovations, and interprofessional team functioning. Over the past ten years, he has provided consultation and on-site training on his Stepped Care 2.0 model to over 200 organizations globally, including work with transforming mental health care systems across seven Canadian provinces and territories. The not-for-profit company he founded, Stepped Care Solutions, is the lead administrative partner on Wellness Together Canada, a federal COVID-19, $65M mental health program for all peoples of Canada. He is the principal investigator for a $1.14M CIHR transitions-in-care, four-year research grant aimed at digitizing and evaluating Stepped Care 2.0 across three Canadian provinces/territories. Currently he is collaborating with colleagues on a three-book series on Stepped Care 2.0 to be published by Springer, with the first in the series available now.

Gillian Berry, PhD, LICSW, LCSW-C, CQSW obtained her Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Birmingham University in England.  She has over 35 years of experience as an educator and practitioner in the field of clinical mental health and human services.  Dr. Berry is currently the Vice President of Culture and Diversity at Stepped Care Solutions. She also provides clinical consultation, supervision, training and direct services for human services organizations such as child welfare and mental health agencies.  She has been a faculty member at the University of Botswana’s Department of Social Work Southern Africa, and the University of Maryland, School of Social Work.  Her clinical interests have focused on providing short-term solution-focused services/therapy from an indigenous perspective. She is the author of the empowerment novel The Righteous Sin.

Rachel Talley, MD

Rachel Talley, M.D. is Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). She is Director of the UPenn Department of Psychiatry’s Fellowship in Public and Community Psychiatry and is also an Associate Program Director for the UPenn Department of Psychiatry’s adult psychiatry residency program. She also directs the University of Pennsylvania’s Spaces of Color Initiative, a peer support program for Penn community members impacted by experiences of racism. She has several years of frontline clinical experience in community-based settings. Dr. Talley received her B.A. from Harvard University and her M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine. She completed both her residency training in adult psychiatry and public psychiatry fellowship at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute. She has several peer-reviewed publications examining the integration of physical health services into behavioral health settings. She has been recognized for her teaching and leadership in community mental health, including receipt of the University of Pennsylvania Department of Psychiatry’s Albert Stunkard Faculty Recognition Award both in 2021 and 2022, and the 2021 Larry A. Real Award from the Montgomery County PA chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Sosunmolu Shoyinka MD, MBA

Dr. Sosunmolu Shoyinka is the Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS). In this role, Dr Shoyinka utilizes a combination of health system policy and process improvement strategies to assure optimal population health for approximately 1.6 million Philadelphians. As Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shoyinka led the redesign of Philadelphia’s Crisis system, in preparation for the implementation of 988.  Prior to this role, Dr. Shoyinka held several leadership positions. These include Medical Director for Sunflower and Home State Health plans and Director for the Missouri Behavioral Pharmacy Management program. The latter program resulted in cost savings of over $10 million over a decade. While at Centene, Dr Shoyinka co-led the design of a patent-pending analytic software platform that facilitates population health management for individuals with substance use conditions. He is also a co-developer of the SMART Tool, which facilitates self-directed antiracism work within organizations.  

Dr. Shoyinka trained at Yale, Columbia, and NYU and holds an MBA from the Kelley School of Business. He serves on several national committees. These include the Board of the American Association for Community Psychiatry, the Medical Director Institute for the National Council, and the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry. He also serves as voluntary faculty at the University of Pennsylvania and is a fellow of the Philadelphia College of Physicians. In 2021, he was recognized as a Black leader shaping the future of Psychiatry by the Scattergood Foundation.  In May 2022, Dr. Shoyinka received a Special President Commendation Award from the American Psychiatric Association.

Pamela D. McClenton, LCSW

Pamela D. McClenton, LCSW is Senior Director of Clinical Quality for the Management of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health & Intellectual disAbility Services, Division of Planning and Innovation. Pam’s social work career spans over 39-years. She has extensive experience in Child Welfare and Behavioral Health. Pam is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Pennsylvania and has been practicing as a mental health clinician for twenty-four years. She began her career with The City of Philadelphia at DBHIDS in 2004 and has served in numerous leadership capacities, including project manager for high-profile city initiatives The Mayor’s Task Force to Combat the Opioid Epidemic (2017) and The Mayor’s Curfew Center Initiative (2005-07). She developed and managed the DBHIDS Opioid Overdose Prevention and Narcan Rescue Training (2016-19) and successfully implemented the Department’s Emergency Protocol Response to the Opioid Epidemic (2018). In addition, Pam has served as a Steward for Local 2186 and Chair of the Quality of Work-Life Steering Committee for years. As Senior Director of Clinical Quality Management for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Pam leads the department’s internal and external DEI strategies and agendas. Since 2019 the DBHIDS DEI team led by Pam has developed a robust DEI presence. Through collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, the DEI team works to create a DEI-infused workplace culture where everyone can thrive and be authentic and included, have a voice, and feel valued, and achieve health, well-being, and self-determination. Pam is the recipient of prestigious awards and honors in recognition of her dedication and commitment: Commissioner’s Award (2018); Triumph Missionary Women of Honor Award (2018); Outstanding Leadership Award (2012); ACE Leadership Award (2007). Pam is a proud, thriving dyslexic neurodivergent who advocates relentlessly for people with invisible challenges. Pam stays busy with her business “Pamella on a Dime Home Design,” enjoys family time, and “loving on” her two beautiful grandchildren in her spare time.

Hunter L. McQuistion, MD

Hunter L. McQuistion, MD, is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and medical director of the SAMHSA-funded EnTRy Program at the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone. Previously, he was chief of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at NYC Health+Hospitals | Gouverneur, chief of outpatient and community psychiatry at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, chief medical officer for mental hygiene services at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and medical director of Project Renewal, Inc., a New York City nonprofit offering comprehensive care for disabled adults who experience homelessness. He completed residency at NYU Medical Center, where he was also a chief resident, and completed the Fellowship in Public Psychiatry at the New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University.

His expertise is managing public and community-based systems of care for people with mental health challenges, having practiced in emergency departments, inpatient and community outpatient environments, shelter-based therapeutic communities, housing programs, and street outreach. He has published, presented, and taught on issues in community mental health and the care of underserved and diverse populations, especially as they concern recovery orientation, advocacy, clinical engagement, psychiatric rehabilitation, and co-occurring substance misuse. He is a past president of the American Association for Community Psychiatry, a recipient of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Exemplary Psychiatrist Award, a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Rochelle Head-Dunham, MD, DFAPA, FASAM

Rochelle Head-Dunham, MD, DFAPA, FASAM, an Endowed Professor at LSU School of Medicine, is an Addiction Psychiatrist with academic appointments as Clinical Associate Professor and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at LSU and Tulane University Schools of Medicine, respectively. Her past immediate appointments were Assistant Secretary and Medical Director for the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) within the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH). In that capacity, she represented the state of Louisiana nationally as the Mental Health and Addictive Disorders Authority, serving as both the Commissioner of Mental Health for the National Association of Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), and the Single State Agency Director for the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD).

Dr. Head-Dunham’s academic and administrative leadership has fostered noteworthy advances in the fields of addiction and mental health. She has served as a subject matter expert on various national and state platforms informing best practices for the field of behavioral health. Her clinical accolades include Clinical Faculty of the Year for the 2021 academic year at LSU School of Medicine. In 2019 she was the recipient of the Nyswander/Dole Award from the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, INC. (AATOD). Both awards are demonstrative of her career success as a thought leader and strategist for programmatic and provider development, well documented by extensive lectures and trainings, both locally and nationally. Her clinical acumen coupled with her transformative management style has shaped an administrative career that fosters enduring changes for both systems, organizational and individual levels of performance.

Dr. Rochelle Head-Dunham is a New Orleans native who currently serves as the Executive Director and Medical Director for Metropolitan Human Services District (MHSD), a state local governing entity tasked with service delivery for indigent and Medicaid ensured persons living with mental illness, substance use disorders and intellectual/developmental disabilities, residing in Orleans and neighboring parishes.