workforce solutions jam

Madeline Boehm with Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP)

Madeline Boehm is a Registered Apprenticeship Program Manager and is based in Helena, Montana. Madeline joined H-CAP in November 2021, after 16 years working for the State of Montana. Most recently she worked with Montana Tribal Health Centers and Urban Indian Health Centers on suicide prevention.

Shannon Brown Joseph, Senior Consultant, Health Management Associates

Shannon Brown Joseph is a dynamic and accomplished workforce development liaison with experience in federal and state funded programs, diversity initiatives, and programmatic development. Shannon incorporates diversity initiatives, strategic partnerships, policy development and programmatic design into talent pipeline creation.

Dr. Metoka Welch, Executive Dean, Apprenticeship College of Health with Reach University.

Transformational Leader. Apprenticeship Advocate. Passionate about Building Community and Expanding Possibility.

Arc Telos Saint Amour (they/them) is a disabled, queer and trans, Two-Spirit person of Mexican Native Indigenous descent (Coahuiltecan).  

Growing 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.

Heather 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.

Rebekah 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.

Sydney 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. 

Rebekah 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.

Josie 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.

Dr. 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.

Dr. 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.

Alexandra 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.

Rosa 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.

Carolina “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. 

Chakema 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.

A 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.

Elizabeth 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.

Elizabeth 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.

Dr. 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.

He 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.

Jenna 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.

Dr. 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. 

Dr. 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. 

Jennifer 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.

Jennifer 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.

Before 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.

Shauna 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.   

Suzanne 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.  

Ms. 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.   

Marsha 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.

Marsha 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.

A 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.

Before 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.

Most 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.

This 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.

Ms. 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.

Dr. 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.

Marisol 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. 

Nikki 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.

Allie Franklin, MSW, LICSW, Managing Director, Health Management Associates

Allie 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.  

Prior 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. 

Sarah Hudson Scholle, DrPH, MPH, Principal, Leavitt Partners, an HMA Company

Sarah 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. 

Prior 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. 

Dr. 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. 

Shalom Lichtenstein, MSN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified Registered Nurse, Pre-Hospital Registered Nurse

Shalom 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.  
 

Judy Tejada, Vice President for Clinical Operations, Horizon Corporations

Judy 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. 

Levi Van Dyke, Chief Behavioral Health Officer, Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW)

Levi 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.  

VOAWW 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.  

Levi 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. 

Steve Appleton, President and CEO, Global Leadership Exchange

Steve has been in post since January 2022, having previously worked as the European Regional Lead between 2019-2022 and UK Liaison between 2017-2019.

Prior to this, Steve was Managing Director of a consultancy and research practice specialising in work relating to mental health, housing, disability and older age.

Steve originally trained as a social worker. He held several practice posts and operational management roles in local government and then worked as a senior manager in a regional agency of the English National Health Service, leading on mental health strategy and performance. He has worked nationally and internationally on population based mental health improvement programs in cities and urban regions.

He is the author of a range of UK national guidance and best practice and has played a leading role in population based mental health initiatives in cities across the UK and beyond.

Alongside his role with GLE Steve also serves as Chair of the Board of the Association of Mental Health Providers in England and Wales, and Chair of the Board of Beacon CHC. He is a member of the Global Leadership Council of eMHIC and a Global Advisor to the Coalition for Mental Health Investment. Steve is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Manase Lua BA, MA (Hons)

Pacific Lead (GLE) & Pacific Equity Lead (WISE Group)

Manase has worked in Government for ten years at the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs 1996-2001 and Ministry of Health in the Disability Services Directorate 2002-2008. He has also worked in the NGO sector in different roles including as senior manager for almost twenty years. He is the Pacific Equity Lead for the WISE Group and supports the CE’s and teams at Le Va and Te Pou with their extensive programs, especially the Pacific regional networks and international initiatives like the Pacific Behavioural Health Collaborating Council (PBHCC) of the US Administered Pacific Territories. He is also the Pacific Lead for the Global Leadership Exchange (GLE).

Annelotte Pleij works as a specialised mental health nurse in one of the self steering teams in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, within BuurtzorgT. BuurzorgT is an organisation that provides specialised psychiatric treatment at the homes of their patients.

Annelotte has worked in several mental health institutions. Although she always loved working with patients, she didn’t like the hierarchical systems of these institutions. Since working as a community mental health nurse within BuurtzorgT she finds she can shape her work the way she thinks is needed.

Annelotte got her post bachelor degree in social psychiatric nursing, which helped her understand psychiatric problems in a wider perspective. She incorporates the context into the treatment. A ‘disease’ or ‘disorder’ never stands alone.

Annelotte is passionate about her work, about changing mental health institutions to work in a different way. As a project developer and Steward (elected board member) within BuurtzorgT she helps organizations worldwide to make the transition to a more equal, non horizontal way of working that gives more autonomy and joy.

Sean Russell is the COO and European Lead for Global Leadership Exchange. He has over 30 years of senior leadership experience within the public, private and charity sectors. 

Over the last 15 years, Sean has been a senior Police Officer with specialty in public protection, the Implementation Director that led the development and implementation of the Mental Health Commission Action plan in the West Midlands, England. He was the founder of Thrive at Work and led the regional response to implementing Thrive into Work to support people living with mental health and or a disability into good work.  Until recently, Sean Russell was the Principal Investigator for the Midlands Engine Mental Health and Productivity Pilot, a government funded research programme reaching over 800,000 employees across the English Midlands Region. The ambition of the programme was to reduce the burden of mental ill health, improve people’s lives, and encourage healthier more productive communities through community and workplace wellbeing. Sean holds a Public Service MBA, Diploma in Forensic Mental Health and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He was recently awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list for his services to Mental Health. He also works as an Associate Professor at Warwick University Medical School with a research portfolio investigating the employer’s and employees’ responses to workplace wellbeing initiatives. 

Sean lives in Stratford upon Avon, England and is a keen amateur cook. In his spare time, Sean enjoys walking and planning his ambition to run a small coffeeshop / bookshop to help reduce social isolation!

Kirsten Windfuhr, Ph.D., M.A.
Associate Director – Insight, Analytics and Development
NHS Benchmarking Network, UK

Kirsten has over 25 years’ experience in healthcare research, improvement and commissioning, with specialist knowledge in mental health services.  Having joined the NHS Benchmarking Network in 2021, Kirsten led the team delivering a UK wide and international portfolio of work across mental health, learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder services.  In 2024 Kirsten took on a business-wide role with a focus on developing strategic partnerships, engaging with senior system leaders and stakeholders, leveraging and creating market insights to drive innovation, and working with cross-functional teams to deliver solutions to meet the changing needs of organisations in a challenging healthcare landscape.

Dr. Teresa Garate is an experienced and innovative leader with over 35 years of experience leading systems change, innovation and growth in the complex environments of public health, healthcare, public education, higher education and government.   As a public health and education expert, Dr. Garate serves as subject matter expert on topics ranging from strategy development to operations and program evaluation and design.   Dr. Garate has extensive experience in public health, behavioral health, substance use disorders and addiction treatment, school-based health services, and hospital and health systems

In addition to many leadership roles in the field of behavioral health, substance use disorder and addiction treatment, Dr. Garate also holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Disability and Human Development (DHD) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the College of Education, Department of Psychology and DHD.  She has served as a guest lecturer for various universities and is the Vice Chair of the Illinois Community College Board.  Over the years she has mentored and supported numerous students in pursuit of education, public health, healthcare and behavioral health fields.  She was a key contributor to the IL Behavioral Healthcare Workforce Shortage Task Force that resulted in the creation of a Behavioral Healthcare Workforce Center.

Most recently, she was the executive vice president of strategy, development and growth, with Rogers Behavioral Health System, where she led the development of a multi-disciplinary division, encompassing government relations, national policy, payor contracting, marketing, communications, business development and real estate development. Teresa launched the organization’s first national, state and local government relations strategy, restructured the business development department to pursue strategic sales and positioned the organization for national advocacy through national alliances and campaigns.

Teresa also served as senior vice president of strategic partnerships and engagement for the Gateway Foundation, a national non-profit serving people with substance use disorders in nine states. She led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging local and state partnerships, acquiring PPE, ensuring timely delivery of vaccinations and securing over $25 million in state and federal grants over five years.

Teresa was an Illinois state officer in Governor Pat Quinn’s cabinet, serving as the assistant director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. As a senate confirmed appointee, she was responsible for managing all of the agency’s day-to-day operations, including providing guidance and oversight for the state’s 96 local health departments serving 102 counties. She assumed the lead position on developing Medicaid initiatives and healthcare regulations, including navigating the impact on hospitals and long-term care facilities, and drove the completion of a legislatively mandated state health improvement plan. Prior to this, Teresa was chief of staff for the Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Specialized Services, leading school redesign, strategic district-wide initiatives, and public information initiatives focused on special education, juvenile justice, and disability access.

Teresa earned her Doctor of Philosophy and her Master of Education in special education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She earned her bachelors’ degrees in applied psychology and special education from Loyola University of Chicago.

Nishanna Ramoutar, LCSW, MS.Ed., is a clinical social work leader with over 15 years of experience, specializing in trauma-informed infant mental health and child welfare. As Senior Learning Specialist at The Jewish Board, she oversees the Social Work Residency Program, managing curriculum development, training, and integrating evidence-based practices in outpatient mental health settings across New York City. As an adjunct professor at the Silberman School of Social Work and Erikson Institute, she supports early-career social workers and infant mental health specialists by cultivating critical thinking, self-awareness, and a practice centered on the liberation of marginalized communities, fostering collective healing through culturally responsive, community-focused work. A passionate advocate for infant mental health, she contributes to the professional development of early childhood practitioners through initiatives like the Irving Harris Foundation’s Professional Development Network and her involvement in various IMH and social work associations. Nishanna received her MSW from the Silberman School of Social Work and her MS Ed from Bank Street College of Education. She also holds a postgraduate certificate in Infant Mental Health and Trauma from Adelphi University.

Dr. Alina Perez, Dean of the College of Allied Health at Walden University. Dr. Perez holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and is a licensed psychologist practicing in Florida. Alongside her leadership work, she remains deeply connected to clinical practice, providing psychological assessment and psychotherapy to a wide range of adult clients. 

But what truly sets Dr. Perez apart is her impressive professional background—her commitment to mentorship, her ability to lead with empathy, and her passion for cultivating growth, both in others and within herself. 

Dr. Kevin Doyle, EdD, LPC, LSATP is a counselor educator and higher education administrator who was named the President/CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School in January 2022. His career has included over 35 years as a licensed professional counselor, clinical supervisor, and non-profit executive. Prior to joining Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, he was a professor in the counselor education program at Longwood University (Farmville, VA), where he also served as chair of the Department of Education and Counseling. Dr. Doyle has served multiple terms as a member of counselor licensing boards and has been highly active in the collegiate recovery movement. He has published widely in counseling professional journals and other publications.

Sarah Reives-Houston, is the Director of Behavioral Health Springboard at the UNC School of Social Work. She has a Ph.D. in education psychology from Capella University and is completing her PsyD in clinical psychology and trauma from California Southern University. Dr. Reives-Houston is certified as a family trauma specialist and as a child and adolescent trauma specialist and engages in research and conducts training on recognizing, managing, and mitigating the impacts of trauma on client populations and service providers. Prior to coming to UNC, she was on the faculty at NC Central University, where she taught courses and oversaw research projects and evaluation programs. She has also developed training and curriculum materials on mental health, substance abuse, systems of care for individuals and families. 

Cayman 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.  

Cayman 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.

She 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.

Janet Orwig, MBA, CAE, has led the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) as its executive director since 2015. In her position, she supports the Compact’s governing body, the PSYPACT Commission. Janet manages the day-to-day operations of PSYPACT, including implementing compact and regulatory compliance. She plays an integral part in developing new services and programs, securing and managing large government grants, and furthering stakeholder relations. Her 29-year career in association management includes experience in customer service, communications, public relations, advocacy, strategic planning and implementation, leadership development, and project and program management. Janet earned her Paralegal Certificate and undergraduate degree from Huntingdon College and her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Phoenix. She is also a Certified Association Executive (CAE).

Greg Searls is the Executive Director of the Counseling Compact Commission. He is a licensed funeral service practitioner in Wyoming, beginning his regulatory career in 2010 when appointed by the Governor to the Board of Funeral Service Practitioners. In 2016, he transitioned to an Executive Director role within the Wyoming Professional Licensing Board office.

Throughout his tenure, Greg has served as the Executive Director for various boards, including the Mental Health Professions Licensing Board, Board of Registration in Podiatry, Board of Midwifery, Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Board of Hearing Aid Specialists, Board of Athletic Trainers, and Board of Occupational Therapy. During his leadership, Wyoming enacted statutes to join the ASLP-IC, Occupational Therapy Compact, and Counseling Compact. He initially served as the ex-officio representative to the Counseling Compact Commission for AASCB until Wyoming joined the compact, at which point he was appointed commissioner.

Jeff Shumway, Director, Office of Professional Licensure Review, Utah Department of Commerce

Jeff Shumway helped launch the Office of Professional Licensure Review in July 2022. Prior to accepting that role, Jeff worked with The Bridgespan Group and Social Finance where he advised major nonprofits, philanthropies, and government agencies. As director of the Office of Professional Licensure Review, Jeff leads a team of employees who take a critical look at all state licensure requirements to inform the state legislature on necessary changes and updates to those requirements. Jeff holds a degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a degree in Economics from Brigham Young University.

Jonah 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.

Prior 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.

Michael Hoge, Ph.D. is Professor Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and the Director of Yale Behavioral Health. For four decades at Yale, he has been developing and managing comprehensive systems of behavioral health care and a broad range of clinical, rehabilitative, educational, vocational, outreach, and recovery-oriented services for children, adolescents and adults. Simultaneously, he has worked to develop and evaluate innovative services, including alternatives to hospitalization, crisis response systems, programs for the homeless, and therapeutic schools.  

Dr. Hoge, a clinical psychologist, is a nationally recognized expert on behavioral health workforce development. He is a founding member and the Senior Science and Policy Advisor of The Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce. He is the senior editor or author of three major works by the Coalition: the SAMHSA-funded national Action Plan on Behavioral Health Workforce Development; the Alaskan Core Competencies for Direct Care Workers in Health and Human Services; and the SAMHSA and HRSA-funded Core Competencies for Integrated Behavioral Health and Primary Care. Over the past five years he has developed the Coalition’s intensive Recruitment and Retention Learning Collaboratives in Behavioral health and launched these collaboratives across the nation.

Michael has presented and published widely on behavioral health services and workforce development. He has consulted to the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health and to numerous federal and state agencies, foundations, and provider organizations. He has been a member of two National Academy of Medicine (IOM) Committees that addressed workforce issues and Chaired the Behavioral Health Professional and Technical Advisory Committee of The Joint Commission.

Marcy Melvin, MA 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. 

Wendy Morris, RN, MSN, CS, has enjoyed various roles in patient care and leadership across the continuum in behavioral health for more than three decades, including inpatient, outpatient, and home health services as well as state government. She served as commissioner for Kentucky’s Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities for several years and is currently a Senior Behavioral Health Advisor at the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD).

Ms. Morris holds a Master of Science in Community Health Nursing from the University of Kentucky and is credentialed as a Public Health Clinical Nurse Specialist by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Reyna Taylor, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Ms. Taylor brings extensive experience with federal public policy initiatives to protect access and affordability to her role as Vice President, Policy & Advocacy at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing where she leads public policy and government affairs activities, supervises legislative matters and guides overall public policy strategy. With nearly two decades of specialty pharmaceutical and medical device experience, Ms. Taylor has a wide range of knowledge on public policy issues, including Medicare, Medicaid and commercial management of managed care organizations, hospitals, pharmacies and mental health centers. She holds a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience from Bates College and earned a Master of Science in biotechnology and Master of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University. Currently, she serves on the board of the Mental Health Liaison Group.

Josh Rubin, MPP
Vice President, Client Solutions
Health Management Associates

Alexandra 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. Her 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. 

Philip Rutherford is the Vice President for Substance Use in the Strategy and Growth Office at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. In this role, he expands the organization’s impact in addressing the quality, effectiveness, accessibility and affordability of substance use programs and services for National Council members. He is also tasked with charting a course for progress, transformation and equity.  

Rutherford has managed strategy and operations for several recovery-focused organizations. He is a member of committees at the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and other federal agencies. He serves on several nonprofit boards, including Serve Minnesota, the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers and the Police Treatment and Community Collaborative. Prior to the nonprofit world, he spent most of his career at Microsoft, Micron Electronics and the Taylor Corporation. Rutherford is an active member of the recovery community and has considerable experience in the areas of reentry and equity. 

William Stauffer is in long-term recovery and leads PRO-A, the statewide RCO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Stauffer is a writer on the history and future of the American Recovery Movement. In 2019 he was honored as the Vernon Johnson Award Individual Recovery Advocate award by Faces & Voices of Recovery. In December of 2023, he testified to the US Senate Special Committee on Aging for the second time to highlight challenges and opportunities related to the growing problem of substance use disorders in older adults. He recently completed a fellowship at the Hazelton and Betty Ford Foundation in Center City MN through the A.A. Heckman Endowed Fellowship. As part of passing the torch to the next generation, International esteemed author and recovery thought leader William White asked Mr. Stauffer to open the First National Conference on Addiction Recovery Science held by NIDA, NIAAA and the Recovery Research Institute at Harvard with his remarks. He is an adjunct Professor of Social Work at Misericordia University in Dallas PA.

Shelly Weizman is a human rights lawyer who currently serves as the associate director of the Center on Addiction and Public Policy at the O’Neill Institute at Georgetown Law and as faculty at Georgetown’s Master of Science in Addiction Policy and Practice. She previously worked in the governor’s office in New York, where she oversaw policy and operations related to addiction, mental health, and disabilities, and began her legal career as a civil rights attorney in New York City. Before law school, she worked with youth and families at a variety of addiction treatment programs. She is also a person living and thriving in long-term recovery from addiction. 

Amy Conway, MPH is Director of Community Health for Kaiser Permanente. She oversees the management and execution of programs including Housing for Health, Economic Opportunity, and Food & Nutrition Security. Amy has worked at Kaiser Permanente (KP) for two decades in several different roles. After receiving her Master’s in Public Health from Tulane University in the nineties, she began her career as a health educator at the KP clinic in Hayward, California. She then led regionwide tobacco dependence prevention and cessation initiatives and smoking cessation counselor trainings throughout Northern California. Mid-career she left KP to become the executive director of a nonprofit organization whose mission was to teach people mindfulness meditation. She then returned to KP as a senior managerial consultant working closely with Primary Care Chiefs and Managers to lead performance improvement and strategic projects. Amy served as Regional Director of KP’s perinatal substance abuse program for eight years. Outside of work, Amy enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and snowboarding in Colorado where she lives with her partner Michael, her dog Eddie, and two quirky cats. 

Dr. Karen E. Goodenough, PhD, MSW, LGSW, is Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers – Minnesota Chapter. Dr. KG has worked in direct practice, non-profit program management, has been a consultant in evaluation, data utilization, and strategic planning, and has served as adjunct faculty in numerous BSW and MSW programs throughout Minnesota. Her dissertation research focused on exemptions from licensure, and she is a member of the MN Board of Social Work Advisory Committee and Legislation and Rules Committee. Dr. KG chairs the NASW Licensure Task Force, was on the document writing team for the Social Work Interstate Compact, and is the NASW representative to the Compact Commission. 

Andrea S. Meyer Stinson, Ph.D., LMFT is the Director of Workforce Strategy & Initiatives for Resilient Georgia.

As Director of Workforce Strategy & Initiatives, Dr. Andrea Meyer Stinson leads the National Mental Health Workforce Acceleration Collaborative Program. She is dedicated to growing and strengthening Georgia’s workforce of trauma informed professionals, while simultaneously identifying barriers, facilitators and solutions related to Georgia’s mental health workforce shortages. She was co-founder of Resilient Middle Georgia where she helped to build awareness about positive and adverse childhood experiences (PACEs), resilience, and trauma informed care across an 11-county area.

Dr. Meyer Stinson has worked therapeutically with children, couples, families, and communities since 2001. She has trained extensively in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs), and Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP). She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Approved Supervisor. With more than two decades of experience working in academia, she has taught undergraduate, graduate, and medical students as a professor in Mercer University’s School of Medicine in the Master of Family Therapy program. She is past president for the Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (GAMFT) and a former board member for Resilient Georgia. She earned her doctoral degree from The Florida State University, master’s degree from Purdue University, and two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Georgia.

Julia Pavon Rojas M.S, NCC, is a pre-licensed, bilingual mental health counselor whose primary focus is providing individual and group counseling to adults, adolescents and children. Julia works for Ser Familia, a non-profit organization with offices all across the metro-atlanta area. Ser Familia provides mental health and prevention services for Latino families in Spanish. Julia graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S in Psychology and criminal justice studies, and completed her M.S in mental health counseling at Oklahoma State University. 

Emmaly Perks, MA, CCRP, is an experienced leader in mental health and education, with over a decade of expertise leading workforce and leadership programs. She holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology and a master’s degree in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. As the current Director of the National Mental Health Workforce Acceleration Collaborative for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, she oversees a $15MM national program aimed at addressing the mental health workforce crisis through recruitment, training, and retention of mental health clinicians from diverse backgrounds. Previously, Ms. Perks was Director of the Office of Education and Training for the University of Colorado’s Department of Psychiatry, where she led programs in workforce and organizational development. 

Amy René, LCSW has over 30 years of social work experience in the Metro Atlanta area. She graduated from The University of Georgia in 1993 with a Bachelor of Social Work degree and began her career in child welfare with DFCS. She has worked at DFCS until 2004 when she went to work for Hillside, Inc., one of the oldest non-profits in Atlanta. Amy obtained her MSW in 2004 from the University of Georgia.

Amy has worked at Hillside for 20 years and has served in multiple roles including the Vice President of Community Operations and Clinical Services. She was intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy by Dr. Tom Lynch and Dr. Adam Payne in 2006 with the original cohort of therapists and staff at Hillside. She has also participated in advanced DBT trainings with Dr. Shari Manning and Dr. Marsha Linehan. She has participated in intensive continuing education training in the areas of Family Preservation, Foster Care, Kinship, Wraparound, Family Finding, Trauma, and Child Welfare.

Amy lives in North Atlanta with her husband of 15 years and 13 year old daughter.