Workforce Solutions Jam | H.R. 1 and the Future of Behavioral Health: What Leaders Need to Know Now
This webinar was hosted as a partnership between the College for Behavioral Health Leadership (CBHL), The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and Health Management Associates (HMA).
Series Overview: H.R.1 introduces significant changes to Medicaid that will shape the behavioral health landscape in the years ahead. As states begin implementing new requirements and organizations prepare for evolving operational and workforce considerations, behavioral health leaders will need practical strategies to support access to care, strengthen organizational readiness, and sustain their workforce.
This three-part webinar series will help behavioral health providers, association leaders, and workforce stakeholders understand key provisions of H.R.1, prepare for implementation, and develop approaches for leading through change.
Participants will gain insights, practical tools, and real-world examples to help their organizations adapt while remaining focused on their mission and the communities they serve.
Webinar description: Understanding H.R.1 is only the first step. Behavioral health organizations must now translate policy changes into practical strategies that support clients while managing new operational demands. Drawing on lessons from states and providers with experience implementing similar requirements, this session will explore approaches to eligibility support, workflow design, and employment-focused recovery services that can help organizations prepare for what lies ahead.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify strategies for helping clients navigate eligibility changes and maintain Medicaid coverage.
- Apply lessons learned from previous state implementation efforts related to work requirements and reporting processes.
- Explore operational approaches that reduce administrative burden while supporting client access and engagement.
Audience: We welcome all who are interested in key provisions of H.R.1. The material is primarily structured to provide maximum valu to behavioral health providers, association leaders, and workforce stakeholders.
Resources:
- H.R.1 Implementation and Journey Map (The National Council for Mental Wellbeing)
- Medicaid Community Engagement Interim Final Rule (Health Management Associates)
Speaker Information
Matt Burdick (Burdick Policy and Advocacy) brings almost 20 years of experience working in and around state government and has a deep knowledge of health and human services processes, systems, and infrastructure. Most recently, Matt served as the Director of State Government Relations at the Minnesota Department of Human Services where he was a strategic advisor to the Department’s executive leadership team. In that role, Matt was responsible for shaping the agency’s relationships with external partners to develop and implement state policy that was responsive to the needs of Minnesotans. He began his career in policy, advocacy, and grassroots organizing at the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Alicia M. Johnson is a visionary leader with nearly three decades of experience driving transformative change in the public and private sectors. Specializing in community development, human services, managed care, nonprofit leadership, and organizational transformation, she has consistently delivered high-impact results, engaging stakeholders and leading teams to success.
With deep technical expertise and strategic acumen, Alicia has spearheaded innovative initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, advance program development, and improve socioeconomic resilience and social determinants of health (SDOH) for underserved populations. Her data-driven approach to managed care operations, particularly in member services and equitable healthcare frameworks, has established her as a nationally recognized thought leader.
Read more
At Health Management Associates (HMA), Alicia serves as the Georgia managing principal, driving strategic innovation in human services, healthcare and community development. She brings deep expertise at the intersection of municipalities, universities, schools, and health systems (MUSH), offering strategic guidance tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities within this sector.
With a proven track record of navigating complex policy, funding, and operational landscapes, Alicia excels in facilitating cross-sector collaboration, optimizing resource allocation, and driving impactful, data-informed solutions. This is true when addressing healthcare access, social determinants of health, or community development, aligning stakeholders, leveraging best practices, and ensuring sustainable, measurable outcomes. Focusing on efficiency, SDOH integration, and excellence in national projects, she provides expertise in collaborative convening, strategic planning, training, program and policy development, stakeholder engagement, and evaluation for health and human services programs.
Before joining HMA, Alicia led groundbreaking economic inclusion initiatives as the first Savannah-born executive director of Step Up Savannah. These initiatives helped over 1,200 individuals secure self-sufficient employment, provided financial literacy and public benefits access to more than 10,000 households regionally, and launched a civic leadership training program training over 125 Southeast Georgia emerging leaders. She also played a key role in developing the region’s first minority-owned business services cooperative and Opportunity Index.
Alicia’s career is marked by leadership roles that have reshaped communities and organizations. She has worked as the director of Medicaid Marketing and Member Services at WellCare of Georgia, Inc., where she managed outreach and member services for over 545,000 Medicaid beneficiaries. She was also the first public information officer for the Eastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, where she championed community engagement and restructured the office’s Violence Intervention Program. Additionally, she has held multiple positions within the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools District, including as the district’s grant writer and strategic planner.
Alicia is a dedicated advocate for socioeconomic resilience in our communities, holding leadership roles including serving as co-chair of the Savannah Mayor’s Racial Equity and Leadership Taskforce, the Prosperity Now community champion and a member of the Invest Health Community Advisory Panel. She has been recognized as a National League of Cities Southern City Leader and a Bank of America Racial Economic Justice Fellow. She sits on numerous boards and supports a range of national projects, including Bloomberg America Sustainable Cities, Chatham County Employee Disciplinary Appeal Committee, and the East Savannah United Board of Directors. Her contributions to the Urban League of Greater Atlanta’s State of Black Georgia Report and her involvement in national and local panels highlight her commitment to systemic change.
Alicia earned her doctorate in business administration, specializing in organizational leadership, from Northcentral University. She has a master’s degree in management and organizational leadership from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor’s degree double majoring in English and communications from Armstrong State University. She is also a certified grant writer, civil mediator, and lifetime facilitator for Bridges Out of Poverty.
Beyond her professional impact, Alicia is a devoted wife to Illustrator and SCAD Professor Emeritus H. Pernell Johnson and a proud mother and grandmother. She balances her career with a deep-rooted commitment to faith, family, and community, ensuring her legacy of leadership continues to inspire future generations.
Background
The Workforce Solutions Jam is a monthly webinar to build national momentum and encourage collaboration through the Workforce Solutions Partnership. The partnership is leveraging Collective Impact to address the workforce crisis, and using a cross-sector approach to address the long-standing challenges for expanding and solidifying the behavioral health workforce.
The Workforce Solutions Partnership is the 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.