2024 All-Star Speakers

Ann C. O’Grady, LCSW

Elizabeth Whitteker, DBH, LCSW

Elizabeth (Beth) Whitteker is a Doctor of Behavioral Health, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and currently serving as Molina Healthcare of California’s Behavioral Health Manager.  Her current role requires clinical and administrative oversite of operations facilitating access to behavioral health care in accordance with DHCS regulations for Molina Medi-Cal Members across California.  Beth also devotes energy to care management staff development within the scope of behavioral health by means of providing formal training and California Board of Behavioral Sciences Supervision.  Concurrently, Dr. Whitteker teaches Social Work at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service Online Program.  Beth has enjoyed a diverse and gratifying social work career in New York City and San Diego County, California, focused in Managed Care for publicly insured populations, Harm Reduction for people who use drugs, health psychology in military primary care, and psychosocial rehabilitation for people with serious impairment caused by mental illness.  She earned her Master of Social Work degree at Fordham University in 1997, and her Doctorate degree in Behavioral Health in 2018 at Arizona State University.  Beth resides in the coastal city of Encinitas, California, with her partner and teenage son.

Brad Lerner, J.D.

Brad Lerner is a Director of Public Policy & Manager of Behavioral Health and Enterprise Issues for Elevance Health and formerly served as Vice President Government Affairs/Associate General Counsel for Beacon Health Options. He is a government relations professional with more than 25 years of public and private sector experience analyzing and addressing regulatory issues, including complex legal and policy issues in health care.

He is a leading expert on Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) analysis and compliance and works with federal and state policymakers on ways to improve mental health and substance used disorder system of care. He is currently Board Chair-Elect of Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness.

Previously, he worked as a regulatory attorney at the Federal Communications Commission and as in-house counsel at Cavalier Telephone, LLC. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School.

David A. Jobes, Ph.D., ABPP

David A. Jobes, Ph.D., ABPP, is a Professor of Psychology, Director of the Suicide Prevention Laboratory, and Associate Director of Clinical Training at The Catholic University of America. Dr. Jobes is also an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, at Uniformed Services University. He is the author of seven books and numerous peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Jobes is a past President of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and the recipient of various awards for his scientific work including the 1995 AAS “Shneidman Award” (early career contribution to suicidology), the 2012 AAS “Dublin Award” (for career contributions in suicidology), and the 2016 AAS “Linehan Award” (for suicide treatment research). He is the recipient of the 2022 Alfred M. Wellner Award for Lifetime Achievement (for research excellence) from the National Register of Health Service Psychologists. He been a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and is a “Highly Qualified Expert” to the U.S. Army’s Intelligence and Security Command. Dr. Jobes is a Board Member of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and he Chair of the AFSP Public Policy Council. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and is board certified in clinical psychology (American Board of Professional Psychology). Dr. Jobes maintains a private clinical and consulting practice in Alexandria, VA and in Maryland.

Diane Arms

Diane Arms currently serves as the Director of Community Behavioral Health at The Council on Recovery and oversees the Center for Co-Occurring Disorders. She has dedicated her career to serving the Latino population in the Health Field, including Mental Health and Substance Use. She received both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso. Diane has served in roles such as Director of Health Integration and Director of Prevention and Counseling. She has worked facilitating leadership meetings amongst local Federally Qualified Health Centers to proactively identify, address, and resolve systemic issues within the healthcare system, has successfully implemented programs such as Multisystemic Therapy in a Mental Health Setting and Transition Age Youth, assisting transitioning clients from children’ services to adult services in the mental health system. She spearheaded the transition of in person clinical and behavioral health services of a healthcare agency to telehealth services to accommodate social distancing and stay at home orders due to COVID 19. Previously funded projects consist of identifying relationships between stress, depression and anxiety to substance use and parenting styles in young adult Latinos, investigating the effects of chronic illnesses on children’s health-related quality of life in the Colonias, an underserved and impoverished neighborhood along the Texas-Mexico border, and exploring effective decision making aids on colorectal cancer for the aging Latino population. She is a fellow of the American Leadership Forum, Class 44, a graduate of the Mujers de HACE program, 2019, a board member for El Centro de Corazon and an advisory committee member and trainer for Hispanic/Latino Behavioral Health Center of Excellence.

David Lloyd

David Lloyd is the Chief Policy Officer at Inseparable. David is a nationally recognized expert on a range of mental health and substance use issues. He has deep knowledge of health insurance coverage, mental health parity, and the barriers individuals and families face when seeking services. David was previously Chief Policy Officer at The Kennedy Forum, where he led successful state and federal policy initiatives, including enactment of nation-leading insurance legislation in California and federal legislation that ended the ability of state and local government to discriminate against their employees seeking mental health coverage.

David’s focus on mental health policy began in the U.S. Senate, where he served as a Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, a longtime mental health champion. After the Senate, he served in leadership roles at an Illinois-based children’s advocacy organization, where he developed a passion for addressing childhood trauma and its long-term effects on children, families, and communities. In Illinois, he helped secure major investments in early childhood education and expand the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit, which puts hundreds of millions of dollars back into the pocket of low-income working families.

David testifies regularly before state legislatures on mental health policy and has been quoted in outlets across the country, including major publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and NPR. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and serves on the board of the California Access Coalition. He has a bachelor's in History from Cornell University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his husband, Jeremy.

Gloria Merritt, RN, MSN

Gloria Merritt, Vice President Behavioral Health Clinical Services & Strategic Initiatives, has been with Elara Caring since 2001. Her current responsibilities include developing and implementing behavioral health clinical programming nationwide and the Integration of Mental Health/Behavioral Health Services within the Skilled Home Health national footprint. During her long tenure with Elara Caring, Ms. Merritt has been instrumental in creating and executing two innovative, first of its kind homecare programs - behavioral health homecare services and Clinical Programs addressing depression, anxiety, substance use and trauma & a complete integration of medical and behavioral health homecare. Both major initiatives have led to significant measurable increases in positive patient outcomes, including reductions in re- hospitalizations and emergency department utilization, improvements in medication adherence and more stable connections to care (medical, psychiatric, and other specialty services).

Prior to joining Elara Caring, Ms. Merritt worked at several leading healthcare organizations including Liberation Program, where she was the Regional Director of Women and Family Services overseeing two innovative inpatient programs where women could recover without having to be separated from their children , and Greenwich Hospital, where she became the first Mental Health and Addictions Clinical Liaison, which contributed to the creation of Greenwich Hospital’s Addiction Recovery Center (ARC). Ms. Merritt is passionate about the time spent with her 7 grandchildren, her 2 dogs, her fostered rescue cats and her horse, Macy. She currently resides in Southbury, CT with her husband of 30 years.

Glory Dole, BSN, MA, RN

Glory Dole has been a nurse for 2 decades.  She oversees Washington State Health Care Authority’s Medicaid Contracts and Compliance.  She is experienced in bringing people together to develop collaborative and effective solutions in complex systems, and is particularly focused on reducing health disparities in access through the Complex Discharge Program in Medicaid Managed Care.

Hayley Sink, MPA

Hayley Sink, MPA, serves as Director of Health Equity for Trillium Health Resources in North Carolina. She is focused on leading the Health Equity Plan for Trillium to improve health and health disparities with an emphasis on partnerships and innovation. Hayley is dedicated to leading transformational change for every community and individual served to have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential through proven solutions informed by Trillium’s Health Equity Advisory Council. Prior to joining Trillium, Hayley served in leadership and management roles in both the nonprofit and higher education sectors.

Jeni Soucie

Jeni Soucie develops products to increase access and improve quality equity, and integration of behavioral health care. Prior to joining NCQA’s Product team, she worked in the Quality Measurement and Research group focused on a diverse set of projects. During her time in the role, she developed recommendations to support better race and ethnicity data collection, identifying and summarizing critical inputs for successful community health worker programs. This involved understanding and disseminating lessons learned from implementing a community referral platform and developing measures to improve quality of care for older adults. Before joining NCQA, Ms. Soucie provided technical assistance and advocacy to organizations serving those with HIV/AIDs and supporting and advocating for women’s health domestically and internationally. She received a B.A in public health and a M.S. in health promotion management from American University. Ms. Soucie resides in Washington D.C. by way of Rhode Island with her Shih Tzu, Lucy.

Jennifer Fillmore, MS, LCAC

Jennifer Fillmore is the Director of Substance Use Disorder and Specialized Services at Centerstone. Fillmore has worked in the field of addictions/co‐occurring disorders for 30 years.  She specializes in the development, implementation and oversight of residential programs and recovery houses.  She is currently responsible for 7 locations.  She has broad clinical/ administrative experience, including serving as the Principle Investigator on several state and federally funded projects. Fillmore is passionate about recovery and believes that everyone is capable of being a productive member of society. Ms. Fillmore is a licensed clinical addictions counselor and received her Master’s in Business Management from Indiana Wesleyan University.  In addition to her work at Centerstone, she serves on the board for Tara Treatment Center and The Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress (ASAP).

Jessica Johnson LPCC, LICDC

Jessica Johnson is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor in the state of Ohio.  Jessica is the Director of Behavioral Health and Wellness for the Complex Health Solutions team at CareSource where she drives the behavioral health strategy for the company and collaborates with provider and healthcare systems across markets to ensure the structure of the behavioral health ecosystem is accessible and adequate for members in need of care.  Jessica is a person with lived experience and her clinical experience includes multiple levels of care in SUD treatment in an array of settings, quick response team models, recovery housing, peer support, criminal justice interventions, and harm reduction.

Julie Seibert

Dr. Seibert leads NCQA’s efforts to advance the quality of behavioral health care. In this role she conducts research on behavioral health measurement approaches and methods to evaluate behavioral health access, quality and outcomes. She has over 30 years of combined experience in research, program and policy development, and behavioral health care. Her work has focused on developing system performance and consumer outcome measures in behavioral health, as well as accessible behavioral health services for diverse populations, including Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind individuals. Dr. Seibert has demonstrated knowledge in measure development, leading teams in preparing quality measures for NQF endorsement. In her prior work at Truven Health Analytics (now IBM Watson) and RTI International, Dr. Seibert developed expertise novel mechanisms to capture service recipient voice, having piloted a CAHPS survey for home and community-based services and an internet-based CAHPS- like survey for addiction treatment providers. Dr. Seibert has a Ph.D. in Health Policy Management and an M.P.H. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.A, in mental health counseling from Gallaudet University, and a B.A. from Duke University.

Kellie Hans Reid, LCPC

Kellie Hans Reid is Director, Child, and Family Health at CareSource. Kellie works to develop products, programs and solutions to improve health care outcomes and quality of life for children with complex health needs and their families.  She is also responsible for the development and implementation of child welfare programs across all Markets and lines of business.

Kellie is a proven health care leader with more than 20 years of industry experience. In her most recent position as Director, Medicaid and Children’s Mental Health for the Kansas Department for Children and Families, she collaborated with managed care organizations and community stakeholders to improve mental health services for children and families. As Director, Communication and Recruitment for KVC Health Systems, she developed and executed the communication strategic plan that aligned with business goals that educated the public about current child welfare issues and resolutions to address those issues.  Kellie also held the positions of Director, Intensive In-Home Services, Kansas Intensive Permanency Project (KIPP) Supervisor and In- Home Family Therapist Supervisor for KVC Health Systems in which she provided therapeutic services and programming for families who experienced child welfare to help build skills and keep families safely together.

Kellie is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and a Mental Health First Aid Certified Trainer.

Laurel Stine, JD, MA

Laurel Stine leads AFSP’s Alexandria, VA-based policy team in the development and advancement of federal and state policy to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.

Prior to joining AFSP, Stine has engaged in mental health and disability policy development and advocacy for over 25 years, most recently as Senior Director of Congressional and Federal Affairs and Partnerships for the American Psychological Association. In her role she advocated for the availability and accessibility of psychological services, primarily involving public and private health insurance and telehealth, and led advocacy organizational relationship initiatives and created strategic alliances.

Stine also served as the chief lobbyist for the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law — a national legal- advocacy organization — where she managed a diverse portfolio of federal legislative and regulatory issues affecting children and adults with mental disorders in the areas of health care, education, and justice. Stine now serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) — a coalition of over 70 national behavioral health organizations — and co-led the Health Policy Committee for over ten years with coalition successes, including the enactment of mental health parity, the Affordable Care Act and comprehensive mental health reform.

Stine received a bachelor's degree in psychology from UCLA, a master's degree in clinical psychology from SUNY-Binghamton and a JD degree from the Washington College of Law at the American University in Washington, D.C.

Lauren Conaboy

Lauren Conaboy is the Vice President of National Policy at Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Vice President of National Policy, Conaboy works to advance policy and regulatory initiatives to accelerate access to affordable, patient-centered behavioral health services that are rooted in the best science of care. Through her advocacy, Conaboy has directly influenced the passage of several bills including passing legislation to create the nation’s first ever three digit dialing code for suicide prevention (9-8-8) as well as directly influenced several provisions of the 2018 SUPPORT Act, a bill designed to combat the nation’s opioid crisis.

Prior to joining the Centerstone team, Conaboy worked as the Government Affairs Director for Seven Counties Services in Kentucky, where she advanced policies to increase access to addiction treatment services, engaged in the state’s 1115 waiver process, and co-chaired a committee that modernized the state’s telehealth regulations for Medicaid.

In addition to over a decade of experience running state and national public policy and advocacy campaigns, Conaboy has also worked in the clinical realm as a marriage and family therapist. In 2019 Conaboy was recognized by Business Insider as a top DC Health Policy Power Player.

Conaboy graduated from the University of Louisville with dual master’s degrees in Clinical Social Work and Marriage & Family Therapy and from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

Lynda Gargan

Dr. Lynda Gargan serves as the Executive Director for the National Federation of Families. In this position, she leads the country’s largest national advocacy organization focused solely on supporting the families of children and young adults who experience mental health and/or substance challenges. Throughout her career, Dr. Gargan has worked across the nation providing technical assistance and training to ensure that all individuals are afforded the opportunity to live in the community of their choice. During her tenure as Deputy Special Master, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Dr. Gargan oversaw the successful settlement of a class action lawsuit, returning 1000 children placed in the foster care system to their communities. Dr. Gargan served as the Project Manager and Project Director, respectively, for two Federal Supported Employment Technical Assistance Centers. She more recently served as CEO for an agency specializing in Intensive In-Home Family Therapy services for families navigating both the mental health and substance use systems. Dr. Gargan has a wealth of experience in community-based behavioral health at the local, state, and national levels. She has a rich background in field research, including longitudinal studies in multiple class action lawsuits.

Reyna Taylor

Steven Hedgepeth, MBA

Steven has a strong operational and strategy implementation background with over nineteen years of experience working in the Behavioral health field at both the local community and state/national levels. He has led organizations through significant Medicaid/Medicare policy and payor changes, selection and implementation of management systems and development of key partnerships, mergers and acquisitions. Steven has advised state Medicaid and Behavioral Health Departments on policy ranging from Mental Parity to Community Based Crisis System Transformation. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer for a large, multi-site behavioral health organization with operations in seven states. For the last six years, Steven has focused on serving government, provider, and technology clients navigating the complex healthcare landscape. Currently he is the Practice lead for government and provider clients with Mostly Medicaid, a national healthcare consulting firm.

Steven earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Masters of Business Administration from Kent State University.

Maeghan Gilmore, MPH

Maeghan has worked with local governments for over 14 years on behavioral health, health, human services, and justice policies and programs. Prior to joining ABHW, Maeghan was the program director for health, human services and justice at the National Association of Counties. She previously served as the Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Directors.

Ms. Gilmore received a B.S. in Health Education from Western Michigan University and a Masters of Public Health, health policy concentration, from The George Washington University.

Michael J.E. Grier, MPH

Michael J. E. Grier oversees legislative and regulatory issues impacting healthcare quality. He has experience working on federal, state, and local levels of public health and health policy. Having worked in an array of areas, his mother inspired him to pursue public health after earning her MPH. He discovered his passion after enrolling in a 4+1 program at Philander Smith College. Michael is active in the Washington, DC, community and is a member of serval community groups, including Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Previously, he served as Project Manager with the DC Department of Behavioral Health, Policy Advisor for Disability, Aging. Mr. Grier has led worked in Behavioral Health at the Office of Deputy Mayor Health and Human Services, a contract Data and Policy Manager for the HIV/AIDS Bureau Data and Policy Division within HRSA. His work also impacted the State Immunization Registry Manager for the Arkansas Department of Health.

Mr. Grier holds an MPH in Health Policy and Management from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and a BS in Biology from Philander Smith College. He is currently enrolled as a Doctorate of Public Health student at George Washington University, where he plans to focus his dissertation on behavioral health. The topic includes the implementation of wearable technology to decrease opioid deaths among black men in urban areas. He hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma, by way of Brooklyn, New York. He resides in Washington, DC, with his four-year-old foxhound, Bailey.

Mina Chang, Ph.D.

Dr. Mina Chang brings over 25 years of distinguished leadership in health and human services across diverse governmental sectors and national markets. Currently, as the Senior Policy Advisor to the Director at the Ohio Department of Aging, she drives impactful policy changes to benefit 2.8 million older Ohioans. Previously, as the Deputy Director, she was at the forefront of transforming eldercare and healthy aging in Ohio, leading business intelligence and compliance strategies to ensure innovation and service excellence.

In her role as VP of Quality at Bethesda, a national long-term care provider, she led COVID response efforts and managed a workforce of 3,000 across 400 programs in 13 states. As Assistant Health Commissioner for NYC, she spearheaded teams to expand health insurance services for 8 million residents, successfully onboarding 85,000 new members during ACA open enrollment.

A respected industry speaker, Dr. Chang has advised influential organizations such as MACPAC, SAMHSA, and CHCS. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management and an MPA from Ohio State University. As a Fellow of the American Healthcare Executives, Dr. Chang is dedicated to advancing excellence in public policy and healthcare leadership.

Naomi Fener, NP, MPH

Naomi Fener is Families USA’s Director of Population Health, providing support to the Health Policy team with a focus on population health outcomes and the social drivers of health. Naomi develops strategies for Families USA proposals, research studies, issue briefs and more, providing thought leadership in the broader health policy community. Through both clinical and policy experience, Naomi has spent her career improving the well-being of underrepresented and under-resourced communities. She previously worked for MassHealth, Massachusetts’ Medicaid agency, and served as a nurse practitioner at Massachusetts General Hospital. She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Vermont, a BS in Nursing from John Hopkins, a MS in Adult Gerontologic-Acute Care from Vanderbilt University and an MPH in Health Policy from Harvard.

Rachel Davis-Martin, PhD.

I am a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor at UMass Chan Medical School in the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine and Community Health. I have diverse clinical experience in a variety of medical settings, including the emergency department (ED), primary care, and hospital-based specialty clinics. I am predominantly a researcher with several NIH grants focused on enhancing detection of suicidality, using innovative technology to increase access to evidence-based treatments for suicide risk, and improving care transitions throughout the healthcare system. In addition to my research, as Associate Director of the UMass ED’s Behavioral Health Service, I supervise clinicians providing SBIRT in the UMass ED system. As a clinical psychologist, I provide clinical care at a UMass integrated primary care clinic. In these roles, I deliver a range of behavioral health services, including suicide risk assessment, intervention, and facilitation to treatment. I am train- the-trainer certified in the Stanley and Brown Safety Plan Intervention for suicidality and conduct Safety Plan Intervention Trainings across Massachusetts for the Department of Public Health. I am train-the-trainer certified in the Assessment and Management of Suicide Risk in Outpatient settings, including Direct Care, and conduct trainings in Massachusetts and nationally.

Dr. Raymond Blanchard, LMHC, NCC, CCMHC

Dr. Blanchard is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Molloy University. He is a graduate of Montclair State University’s PhD in Counseling program where he specialized in school mental health and LGBTQ issues in counseling. Serving as a Fellow for the Department of Counseling, Dr. Blanchard engaged in scholarly work and research under the supervision of Dr. Michael Hannon. During his time at MSU, Dr. Blanchard was an active member of his Chi Sigma Iota chapter serving as President from 2019-2020. Additionally, Dr. Blanchard was a CSI Leadership Fellow for the 2020-2021 academic year having served on committees for CSI and conducted important leadership research. Given his specialization during his studies, Dr. Blanchard’s dissertation focused on the concept of induction applied to the experiences of licensed mental health counselors working in New York City school based mental health clinics. He has 10 years of bilingual clinical and supervision experience working with children and adolescents in school based mental health clinic settings across New York City schools. In addition to his clinical and doctoral work, Dr. Blanchard is active in the counseling profession serving on boards such as American Counseling Association of NY (Past President) and the North Atlantic Region of ACA (Treasurer). Additionally, he continues to be active with CSI serving on their Professional Members Committee. He has presented at local, state, and international conferences and published in counseling journals as a result of collaboration with colleagues doing great and important work for our field.

Sandra K.  Berg, PhD, LCPC

Sandra Berg has joined the Complex Health Solutions team as the behavioral health senior director to focus on program development and overall organizational strategic approach to meet the behavioral health needs of the CareSource members. She currently serves as the chair of the governor’s subcommittee on children’s mental health in Kansas. Sandra served on three legislative workgroups to help move forward historical legislation for mental health reform in Kansas during the 2020 and 2021 legislative sessions. Sandra served as executive director in the Kansas Medicaid managed care market for nearly 8 years before joining CareSource.

Prior to her role in managed care, Sandra served as executive director of 3 psychiatric residential treatment facilities for children, the clinical director of a children’s psychiatric hospital, clinical director of a special purpose school and has been a presenter at both the local and national level. She has served on many advisory groups for mental health as well as consulted with Fortune 500 groups. Sandra is a licensed clinical professional counselor and has doctoral degree in industrial/organizational psychology.

Sera Davidow

Sera Davidow is a mother, activist, author, trainer, and filmmaker. For the last 16 years, she hasworked as a part of the leadership team for the Wildflower Alliance (formerly known as the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community). She is also a founding member of the Hearing Voices Board USA, and writes regularly for Mad in America. Her particular areas of expertise include trauma, suicide, voice hearing, self-injury, anti-oppression work, and more. Learn more at: /tinyurl.com/OMSD17

Staci Lofton

Staci Lofton is the Senior Director, Health Equity at Families USA. In her role, Staci is responsible for developing strategic policy priorities that eliminate structural barriers to health and propel health equity. As a fierce advocate, Staci works to ensure that health equity is central to health policy solutions at the Federal and State level. Staci also oversees the development and execution of Families USA’s growing health equity portfolio — including its new Health Justice Now Network, the Center on Health Equity Action for System Transformation, the Health Equity Task Force for Delivery & Payment Transformation, Families USA’s Community Advisory Council, the Health Equity Academy in System Transformation and other initiatives. 

Prior to joining Families , Staci worked with the Harris County Public Health (HCPH) Department in Texas, one of the largest health departments in the nation as a Senior Policy Planner responsible for advancing health, housing, food, and economic security for disenfranchised county residents. As the leader of HCPH’s COVID-19 equity response, Staci was been responsible for designing and executing a strategic plan to ensure equitable testing, contract tracing, and vaccination, and co-chaired the COVID- 19 and Health Task Force to help the county equitably manage the pandemic.  

Staci has also previously worked in various roles on public health priorities during her eight-year tenure at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and on healthcare issues as an attorney. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Mount Holyoke College, a Master of Public Health in sociomedical sciences from Columbia University, and a Juris Doctorate in health law and ethics from the University of Houston.

Steven Sheets, LPC

Steven Sheets is the President & CEO of Southwest Behavioral & Health Services (SB&H).  He has been with SB&H for 12 years and has spent more than 16 years in the behavioral healthcare industry. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Grand Canyon University and his Master’s in professional counseling from Ottawa University.  He has held an Arizona Independent Professional Counseling license since 2016. Steven serves as a member of the Grand Canyon University Counseling Advisory Committee, is a Board Member for the Arizona Council for Human Service Providers, is a Board Member of MHCA, a National Organization committed to innovation in the behavioral health space and previously served on the Advisory Board of Equality Healthcare Network.

Tim Clement

Tim Clement is the Vice President of Federal Government Affairs at Mental Health America. Tim drafts legislation, works with Congress, and partners with federal regulatory agencies all for the purpose of advancing substantive and impactful mental health policy. Tim has being working in mental health policy and advocacy for over ten years, previously working for the American Psychiatric Association and before that the Kennedy Forum. He has worked extensively on implementing the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and wrote the amendment to the Act that was signed into law in 2020.

Umar Bowers

Dr. Bowers is an Internal Medicine physician who is the co-founder and Medical Director at Dawson Med Primary Care and Urgent Care in Wilmington, NC.  Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, he attended medical school at Howard University, followed by Internal Medicine training at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.  

He has participated in research projects at The Johns Hopkins Medical Center and The Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity while in medical school and residency training, respectively. 

He has been an invited speaker on topics related to value-based care at numerous conferences throughout the United States and abroad.  In addition to being a Local Medical Director for Aledade, Inc., he also serves on the Quality Management Committee for a Medicaid prepaid health plan and consults with organizations throughout the state of North Carolina regarding all aspects of primary care.

Yavar Moghimi

Dr. Yavar Moghimi is the Chief Psychiatric Medical Officer at Amerihealth Caritas DC where he has  extensive experience working with Medicaid populations in Alexandria, VA as a managed care executive and community psychiatrist. He has a track record of innovation when it comes to bridging gaps between behavioral health, physical health, and social services.  He is intimately familiar with the current challenges that our fragmented health system faces as an administrator and clinician and has implemented multiple interventions that address the social drivers of health, complex populations with comorbid substance use conditions, and improved transitions of care.

Leah Newkirk

Leah Newkirk serves as Senior Counsel in Kaiser Permanente’s Government Relations group in Oakland, California. As part of Kaiser Permanente’s health policy and advocacy team, Leah focuses on mental health, workforce and delivery system policy. She provides legislative support and strategic advice to Kaiser Permanente’s California team.

Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente in 2017, Leah was a health care consultant with LSN Health Strategy and the Vice President of Health Policy at the California Academy of Family Physicians. In both positions, her work focused on the implementation of health care reform and workforce issues. Leah was also a health care associate at the law firm Proskauer Rose LLP.  

Ms. Newkirk received a B.A. in History and Women’s Studies from Harvard University and a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Stephanie Koenig, LCSW

Stephanie Koenig is the Executive Director of Behavioral Health for the United Healthcare Community Plan of Kentucky since 2022. Stephanie holds a master’s degree and Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 20 years of experience in the mental health field. As a change agent in managed care organizations since 2011, she has extensive operational and clinical experience to improve healthcare outcomes in Medicaid, Medicare, and Commercial lines of business. She resides in Louisville, Ky with her daughter as well as her Yorkiepoo named Penny and daughter’s rescue cat, May. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys running, cooking with her family, supporting her daughter’s love for field hockey, and recently joined a local women’s golf league.

Jeremy Weisz

As the co-founder and CEO of Greenspace Health, Jeremy Weisz is revolutionizing the mental health industry through the implementation of Measurement-Based Care (MBC) in clinical settings. With a deep understanding of MBC's potential to transform the quality of behavioral health services, Jeremy co-founded Greenspace to bridge the gap between research and its practical clinical implementation. Under his leadership, Greenspace has successfully supported over 500 organizations and health systems across North America in improving their behavioral health services through MBC. Prior to co-founding Greenspace, Jeremy earned both his business and law degrees at the Ivey Business School and Western University, and worked as an M&A and corporate lawyer at Goodmans LLP. He is also a co-founder of True North Sports Camps and has held key business and product development roles at the Aequitas NEO Exchange. Jeremy's passion for empowering individuals and service providers in the mental health care industry is evident in his unwavering dedication to improving the quality and effectiveness of behavioral health services through Greenspace Health.

Justin Ley

Justin Ley, CEO of Reema Health, is a healthcare innovator with 15 years of experience. His expertise in technology and passion for improving lives drives Reema Health's mission to address mental, physical, and social health needs of Medicaid and Medicare members.

Justin's unique blend of business acumen (MBA, University of St. Thomas) and understanding of social systems (BA in Political Science and Government, University of Minnesota) and his time on the health plan side (UHC) uniquely positions him to lead Reema Health in breaking down barriers to mental healthcare and coordinating comprehensive support for vulnerable populations.